History Main / EatingOptional

* In ''Anime/{{Vexille}}'' the [[spoiler:nanite-transformed metallized humans]] still eat as a way of maintaining a semblance of normalcy in their lives, despite no longer needing food.
* ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'': Due to his PowerOfTheSun, Cerberus/Kero generates his own energy. Regardless, he loves eating, especially [[SweetTooth sweets]].
* ''Manga/OutlawStar'': Melfina is a [[RidiculouslyHumanRobot highly advanced bio-android]], created by [[TheComicallySerious Professor Gwen Khan]]. Even though eating isn't necessary to her vital function, she finds she enjoys certain foods, after being prompted by Jim to try some. She was even surprised to learn she could distinguish different tastes.
* ''Franchise/OnePiece'': [[DemBones Brook]] doesn't need to eat since his devil fruit already keeps him alive (though he claims milk helps him regenerate).
* ''Literature/{{Anpanman}}'' gets sustenance out of the red bean paste inside his head. However, when he was a child, he mentioned eating a good amount of food from a picnic lunch he had earlier.
* In ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', the Titans don't need to eat, as it's implied they get all of the energy they need from sunlight. They don't even have any digestive organs. They still eat humans, and ''only'' humans, then vomit out what's left of their victims after a few hours. Why they do this is a mystery at first. [[spoiler: Turns out they're not trying to eat humans, but instead are instinctively looking for Titan Shifters. Once a mindless titan consumes a Shifter's spinal fluids, they'll regain their human form and intelligence, ''and'' inherit their power of being able to shift from human to Titan at will.]]

** The Namekians, a race of plant-like slug people, only need to drink water to live. Piccolo is seen eating fish, however, and he can eat the oh-so-useful [[HealingHerb Senzus]] with no problem, and his previous incarnation Great Demon King Piccolo enjoyed a ([[ForeignQueasine really gross]]) feast in ''Manga/DragonBall''. Since Earth has far less sunlight than Namek (which has multiple suns in perpetual daylight), it's possible he actually ''has'' to eat while living there. This is backed up by Kami telling Mr. Popo it was hard to find food when he first arrived on Earth, before Demon King Piccolo split from him.
** The dead have no need for food because they're well… dead. That doesn't stop Goku from eating and begging for food despite being dead. He eats just as much as usual too. Lampshaded by the Kaiō and Kuririn/Krillin.
** Dr. Gero's human-derived Androids only need to drink water. Their engines power not only their cybernetic implants but also their biological components. Despite this, 17 and 18 still have fully functioning digestive systems and ''can'' eat food despite not needing to.
* In ''Franchise/DeathNote'', Shinigami have no need to eat, since their species can't be killed by any of the things that would typically result in the death of a human. Nonetheless, Ryuk enjoys gorging himself on apples whenever he gets the chance; unlike other examples of this trope, it doesn't make him more likable or more human. Since he's stuffing his face without purpose, it displays that Ryuk is self-centered and greedy, not helped by his table manners (he can eat an entire apple, core and all, in just a few bites) or the fact that apples in general have a drug-like effect on him. Other Shinigami also enjoy eating human food, offhand one of the Shinigami who shows up later enjoys chocolate.
* It's mentioned in ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'' that full body cyborgs don't need to eat, but novelty food and drink are made for those who want to recapture the experience, and can attune their Cyber-brains to make it taste like the real thing. The fake food is still edible and nutritious, but tastes awful, at least to normal humans and to the Major. Batou on the other hand happily chows them down when he gets the chance.

* In many continuities, ComicBook/{{Superman}}, ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, ComicBook/PowerGirl, and other Kryptonians don't need to eat (since they get all the energy they need [[ThePowerOfTheSun from the sun]]), but often will out of habit or because they enjoy the taste. At least one continuity has Superman mention that food functions as a backup energy source of sorts and while he could sustain himself entirely through his powers eating regular food allows him to channel the solar energy that would have been used for that for other power uses instead.

** Nate Grey, a.k.a. [[Characters/MarvelComicsXMan X-Man]], states he doesn't need to eat, drink, or even ''breathe'' after his powers reach their full potential in his 'Shaman' state -- it gets to the point where he admits that he only does things like that to reassure other people around him, and at one point, doesn't even notice that he's standing in a room full of nitrogen gas. Unusually, prior to his powers being stabilised, he had spurts of being a BigEater to try and support his malfunctioning metabolism, and after he undergoes a DePower, he needs to eat just like everyone else.
** [[ComicBook/JuggernautMarvelComics The Juggernaut]] is sometimes stated to not need food, though this doesn't necessarily mean he's immune to hunger. He once spent a month trapped underground, forcing his way through bedrock - despite not ''needing'' to eat or breathe, it was still a brutal experience.
* A particularly horrifying example comes from ''ComicBook/{{Empowered}}''. Willy Pete, a fire elemental, has stated that he doesn't need to eat, but he still likes to. However, he burns so hotly that almost anything he tries to eat turns to ashes when he tries. He gets around this by [[ImAHumanitarian cannibalizing superbeings]], because their flesh is just cooked nicely by him. And that's not even getting what else he [[SerialRapist does to them]]...
* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'': Traditionally, the Amazons are immortal while on Paradise Island, meaning they don't need to eat, but do for enjoyment and to improve their quality of life. Off the island they're just as mortal as anyone else, if a bit stronger and hardier, and need to eat like any other human. Iterations of the Amazons following the completion of ''[[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Wonder Woman Volume 1]]'' are generally less consistent on this rule and how it works.
* ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'': Hob Gadling is made immortal because of a whim Morpheus had. When they meet during a period where Hob's life has had a dramatic downturn, he asks Morpheus if he has any idea just how hungry a man who can't die can become. [[LivingForeverIsAwesome He still chooses to continue, though]].
* Zombies in ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies'' have no need to eat, but are driven by an insatiable, uncontrollable hunger to devour human flesh anyway. ([[NoZombieCannibals Zombie flesh does nothing for the hunger and tastes absolutely awful to them.]]) After long enough without feeding - exactly how long is uncertain, but it's at least several years - the hunger will actually dissipate entirely.

* ''Fanfic/SOE2LoneHeirOfKrypton'': After discovering her powers and her ''[[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} Kryptonian origin]]'' Asuka realizes she has never been hungry and thinks she probably does not need to eat because she is sun-powered. However, she likes food so she keeps doing it.
* ''Fanfic/HopeForTheHeartless'' has an inversion in the form of [[WesternAnimation/TheBlackCauldron the Horned King]], who is a [[OurLichesAreDifferent lich]]. He doesn't feel hunger like mortals do, but his body needs nourishment now and then like with mortals. However, since he lacks the sense of smell and taste, the mandatory act of eating is pleasant neither for him to experience nor others to witness. It is implied that he can require sustainment through other means, but those other options aren't available for him at any point.
* ''Fanfic/IWokeUpAsADungeonNowWhat'': Living things can, in a pinch, sustain themselves on pure mana. It's not pleasant and will leave you weakened, but you can't actually starve to death unless you're in a very mana-poor region like Central.
* ''Fanfic/TheBridge'' has the grown-up Godzilla Jr. from the 1990s continuity as one of its protagonists with those movies as canon. While as a youngster he still ate physical food as an omnivore, when he grew into his adult form as the new Godzilla he got all the energy he needed from his nuclear reactor of a heart and sunlight. He hasn't eaten physical food in the two decades since but shows he's still capable of it when Captain Blueberry Frost forces him to try some Canterlot pub hayfries.
* ''Fanfic/EmpathTheLuckiestSmurf'': In "Days Of Auld Lang Smurf", the "resurrected" parent Smurfs are in a state of existence that they claim is better than that of the physical existence the Smurfs have, as Papa Smurf notices that they hardly even eat at all. [[spoiler:As it turns out, though, they aren't really "resurrected", but rather memories given physical substance by Chlorhydris' Auld Lang Syne spell which was cast upon them, affecting only the Smurfs that actually had parents that died.]]
* ''Fanfic/SonOfTheSannin'': The process that brought [[spoiler: Rin Nohara]] BackFromTheDead eliminated her need to eat food, though she still does so because she likes the taste. She does need to drink water, however.

* ''Fanfic/ParagonKitsuneHeart'': Much like Amethyst, members of Steven's crew like to eat even though they don't need to. Army of the four remaining members of the Ruby Squad is willing to try anything once, and even when she declares a pepper disgusting she still swallows it, and her first time eating a Cookie Cat was to slam her face into the bowl Steven had given it in and devour it in seconds.
* ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'': Supergirl still eats physical food because she likes the taste -and the sense of normalcy- but she gets as much energy as she wants from yellow sunlight.
* ''Fanfic/TheLastDaughter'': Taylor, a Kryptonian, doesn't need to eat as long as she has access to yellow sunlight.
* ''Fanfic/AForceOfFour'' has ComicBook/PowerGirl, who doesn't need food for as long as she has access to sunlight... although she is always willing to wolf down a good sandwich.
* ''Fanfic/AHollowInEquestria'' presents several examples:
** Ulquiorra doesn't need to eat, as he can sustain himself through mana absorption. However while he doesn't specifically need to eat, he has experimented with a few foods on occasion.
** Celestia and presumably Luna also don't need to eat, but they do because it makes a nice indulgence.
* ''Fanfic/WillPowered'': Casket, having a soulless body, does not need to eat. In fact, if he does, whatever he consumes doesn't even get digested. Quite possibly the most tragic aspect of the story, considering Sanji's a thing.

* ''Fanfic/ForTheLoveOfTheGods'': Gods do not need food or sleep as mortals do. That is not to say that they don't enjoy either when they can.
* ''Fanfic/SupermanOf2499TheGreatConfrontation'': Being a Superman's descendant, Alan Kent doesn't need to eat thanks to his Kryptonian DNA. He doesn't like dwelling on it, though, because it makes him feel less human.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/AIArtificialIntelligence'', David (a robot child), not only doesn't need to eat but ''really'' shouldn't. After being taunted by his human sibling, gets into an eating race, only for the food to damage his internal components and cause him to break.
* A few versions of this show up in ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean''.
** ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl'': Barbarossa's crew are cursed with this as they are physically incapable of eating as food turns to ash when they do. Unfortunately for them, they don't need to eat anymore but still feel hunger pains.
** In the ''[[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest second]]'' and ''[[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd third]]'' movies Davy Jones crew also don't seem to need to eat. They might just eat fish but considering that decapitation won't kill them food is probably a non-issue.

[[folder:Literature]]

* Creator/BrandonSanderson:
** ''Literature/{{Elantris}}'': The zombie-like Elantrians don't die from starvation but are even hungrier than normal. Every time a new Elantrian enters the city, the others jump him and fight over the small basket of food included in the funerary rites. The only reason they don't eat each other is that for some reason, Elantrian flesh tastes so horrible that not even the hungriest can keep it down.
** ''Literature/{{Warbreaker}}'': The Returned only need one Breath (part of a person's soul) a week to survive, but most eat food anyway because food tastes good.

** ''Literature/ThiefOfTime'': The incarnated Auditors are technically able to eat, but they don't need to and actually have to ''avoid'' it. Because they don't normally have bodies, they're so unprepared for the sensation of tasting that a flavorful food like chocolate makes them lose concentration and evaporate.

* ''Literature/EveryHeartADoorway:'' When Nancy "goes still" and becomes a living statue, it slows her metabolism so much that she could survive for a month on a few spoonfuls of pomegranate juice and a bit of cake. This freaks her parents out during her return to Earth, because it looks like she's trying to starve herself.
* ''Literature/HarryPotter'': When visits Nearly Headless Nick's deathday party in ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheChamberOfSecrets'', there's a banquet of rotten food laid out for the ghosts. Harry figures they let the food rot so that the flavors are strong enough for the ghosts to actually taste.
* ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'': [[ArtificialHuman Yuki]] [[EmotionlessGirl Nagato]] is an artificial humanoid interface, which is either a fancy way of saying she's a RidiculouslyHumanRobot, or an alien operating via AFormYouAreComfortableWith. Whichever is the case, she explains to Kyon that she doesn't need to eat, and only does so to blend in, which is necessary in order to observe [[RealityWarper Haruhi.]]

* ''Literature/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime''

* Dead Boy from Creator/SimonRGreen's ''Literature/{{Nightside}}'' series and other books doesn't ''need'' to eat, but he does so because acting like a living being helps him feel more human.
* ''Literature/TheZombieSurvivalGuide'' describes at length how {{zombie|Apocalypse}}s not only don't need to eat but are incapable of digesting what they do, which leads to distended stomachs that eventually burst open due to pressure. The zombies go on eating due to the virus messing with their brains.
* Free Magic elementals in ''Literature/TheOldKingdom'' don't need to eat, though many of them enjoy it. Mogget and the Disreputable Dog (Free Magic beings with the shape of a cat and dog, respectively) are generally fond of foods appropriate for their apparent species, and less pleasant entities may snack on [[ImAHumanitarian people]]. Lirael is more than a little annoyed when she finds this out, given the trouble she had to go to to keep the Dog fed.
--> '''Dog:''' Not for nothing! For ''me''!
* In ''Literature/DragonBones'', Oreg is near-immortal, so he doesn't need to eat. When he pretends to be a normal human being, he can eat to avoid suspicion.
* In ''Literature/ImmortalsAfterDark'', all races of immortals eat normal food as children, but some stop as they become fully immortal. Females are required to eat, however, if they wish to become pregnant, and presumably until they give birth. Among the non-eating races are vampires, Valkyries, and succubae/incubi.
* In ''Literature/ADiscoveryOfWitches'', vampires can eat nuts and drink wine but must have blood to survive though can go for periods without it.
* No one can die in the ''Literature/LandOfOz'' (at least by conventional means), making death by starvation impossible. But, hunger still exists, and being without food can still be quite uncomfortable.
* ''Literature/{{Ravirn}}'': ''Cybermancy'':
--> Food is something webgoblins indulge in mostly for the pleasure of it, since they draw the bulk of their power from the mweb itself, both personally and for spells. They have the capacity to tap the power of the Primal Chaos directly, and until the mweb came back up, that’s what we’d have to do for spells. But chaos is dicey stuff, and most of us and our familiars try to avoid dealing with it in the raw, preferring the predigested version that the master servers channel into the mweb. Minus that reliable power source, if Melchior didn’t feel like running the risks of a direct tap, he had to fall back on chemical or electrical energy—food or the light socket. I’d have made the same choice.
* ''Literature/SaintessSummonsSkeletons'':
** Since Alith is undead, she doesn't actually need to eat, but she usually ignores that unless she's in a situation where food is tight. [[spoiler:In which case, she ''[[LetsMeetTheMeat volunteers to be emergency rations for Sofia]]'', since she can chop off an arm and then be healed with mana; distasteful, but it avoids starvation.]]
** Demonic apostles don't need to eat or drink, but after a very long imprisonment, the first thing Zerei wants is to cook herself a meal of Brogerfell.
* ''Literature/{{Sunshine}}'': Vampires ''can'' consume some non-blood substances, though it doesn't do much for them compared to blood. Constantine accepts a bit of water and raw beef when he's in rough shape from a long captivity; Rae is a bit put out that she can't indulge her SweetBaker inclinations and feed him properly.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gamebooks]]
* ''Literature/LegendOfZagor'' allows you to obtain a magic ring at one point, which staves off starvation and eliminates needs for sustenance (you obtain said ring from a knight in the castle's dungeons, where he's trapped there for several weeks and the ring's magic is what's keeping him alive). However, you ''can'' still consume meals to recover Stamina points if necessary.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', Lt. Commander Data eats even though he does not have to, in order to more closely emulate human behavior.
* In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', Odo doesn't eat; as he tells Kira in one episode, he can do so and tried it once after assuming humanoid form, but it wasn't satisfying for him, as he does not have taste buds. He claims it was "messy" too, likely because he had no idea how to chew.
** Odo later comes up with a way to give the ''appearance'' of eating in order to better fit in during socialization. Since he's a shapeshifter whose true form is a gelatinous liquid, he forms a cup in his hand (made out of himself) filled with a beverage (also made out of... himself) which he then "drinks", reabsorbing his own mass.
* In an early episode of ''Series/LoisAndClark'', Lois asks Superman if he eats food, to which he answers, "I don't have to, but I like to." And of course, if people never saw Clark Kent eating, that might begin to raise eyebrows.
* In ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', angels do not have to eat, but some choose to do so as they enjoy it.

* Played with in ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' with the Wraith. They don't eat food, they "feed" on lifeforce through a sucker on their hands. While it functions essentially the same, it is its own distinct process. Though one 'cultured' Wraith is shown to enjoy eating regular food, he admits that he just savors the taste but gains no sustenance from doing so.
* Mirror monsters from ''Series/KamenRiderRyuki'' are an unfortunate aversion. Their diet consists of humans and they are [[ParanoiaFuel everywhere]]. They can eat each other too, but only if they kill their prey first. Some monsters make contracts with Riders to hunt for them in exchange for power.
* ''Series/KamenRiderBlade'': Undead are immortal and thus have no need for sustance. [[TokenNonhuman Hajime]] apparently needs to eat as human do for reasons unknown.
* ''Series/KamenRiderOOO'': Greeed don't need to eat because they are not actually alive and can't even enjoy eating much, because their sense are quite bad compared to humans. It didn't stop [[PsychopathicManchild Gamel]] from eating a mountain of sweets because he wanted to. [[TokenEvilTeammate Ankh]] is the only Greeed able to enjoy eating because he is a PuppeteerParasite of a human body, which needs to be fed at least every now and then and something else than [[TrademarkFavoriteFood ice pops]].
* ''Series/KamenRiderKiva'': Fangire prey on human life force, but they don't need it to survive. It's just that they consider humans to too low under them on the food chain to bother with and it's what they can do and desire to do.
* Averted in ''Series/KamenRiderGaim''. [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Invess]] don't and can't eat earth food, but they can starve if stranded away from their [[EldritchLocation home dimension]]. While they don't eat humans like mirror monsters, but a native [[AlienKudzu fruit]], they spread an agressive plant and no less agressive disease.
* ''Series/KamenRiderGhost'': Ganma have no need for sustance of any kind while in their artificial bodies and scoff at both the action itself and the mortal lifeform that need to perform it, so the question whether they could enjoy it is never answered. [[spoiler: On the other hand, they do need to eat when in their real, mortal bodies and they can enjoy it probably [[SenseFreak even]] more than regular humans.]]
* ''Series/KamenRiderExAid'': Bugsters don't have to eat as they are digital beings, but they apparently can enjoy food as evidenced by Poppy and Graphite stealing Hiiro's cake on separate occasions.
* ''Series/KamenRiderRevice'': Vice the demon doesn't even have a corporeal body without outside assistance, so he obviously doesn't need to eat. That doesn't mean he doesn't like it. It takes him roughly half the series to finally get his hands on a plate of curry. [[spoiler:Then it gets subverted when Vice and Ikki switch places after first trying the mysterious Rolling Vistamp. Vice himself is as fine as ever, but they quickly find out that Ikki still needs food even though he's now a spirit living in Vice's body, meaning they have to reverse the situation quickly before Ikki starves.]]

* Vampires in both versions of ''[[Series/BeingHumanUK Being]] [[Series/BeingHumanUS Human]]'' can eat human food, though they don't gain any sustenance from it. Aiden in US explains to [[CuteGhostGirl Sally]] that it appears to be for keeping up appearances.

[[folder:Mythology and Religion]]
* In Myth/ClassicalMythology, the gods don't hunger or thirst, but they are capable of eating.
** In the myth of Hades and Persephone, the latter refuses to eat or drink while in the underworld, partly in protest of her abduction and partly because eating the food of the underworld would trap her there. She eventually eats six pomegranate pips, and as a result must henceforth stay six months in the underworld and six months on earth. It's usually depicted as her being overcome with hunger; however, her being a goddess and therefore not subject to hunger has given rise to various [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation Alternative Character Interpretations]] as to her motives in doing so.
* Literature/TheBible: Jesus ate with his disciples after his resurrection to prove he was real and not a ghost or vision. The pre-resurrection Jesus did get hungry, as seen with the temptation in the wilderness, but after getting better he no longer needed to eat. WordOfDante is that Christian believers in heaven will be able to eat as much as they like, but not actually need it nor need to worry about getting fat. Foodstuffs specifically mentioned as being available in Heaven include milk, honey, manna, wine, and of course [[MiracleFood bread]].

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''
** Outsiders are sustained by energies from their home plane and do not need to eat (though they can choose to do so if they wish). Demons in particular are fond of hunting and devouring other creatures since they are AlwaysChaoticEvil and enjoy inflicting suffering. Though whether celestials and fiends need to eat varies from edition to edition and sometimes even writer to writer.
** In most editions, ghouls have an overwhelming hunger for dead flesh but suffer no ill effects for not consuming it. (In the Fourth Edition, however, a ghoul that doesn't eat for too long might turn into a ghast, an even stronger variant.) The same applies to some other undead creatures.
** ''TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}'': Warforged do not need to eat or drink as they are {{Mechanical Lifeforms}}, but they can eat if they wish.
** The Elan are {{Metamorphos|is}}ed humans with innate PsychicPowers who can choose to spend one [[{{Mana}} power point]] per day to suspend the need to eat or drink. Even the weakest Elan has a single power point that regenerates daily, so they can sustain themselves indefinitely in theory.

** Spirits have no need for food, but many Terrestrial gods are liable to consume offerings made to them, and Celestial gods have a tendency to convert the prayers made for them into lavish feasts, as well as consuming the specially produced peaches of immortality (the gods are also immortal by default). Several kinds of demon, most notably the blood apes, have their own {{Trademark Favourite Food}}s.

* ''TabletopGame/PrincessTheHopeful''
** Princesses of Clubs have access to a Charm that suspends the need to eat or drink for as long as the Princess keeps spending a daily Wisp. Moreover, when the Princess lets the Charm lapse she will be no hungrier or thirstier than when she first invoked it.

* ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'': Vampires find it beneficial to TheMasquerade to be seen eating normal food, but they draw no nourishment and cannot even digest it properly, since their stomachs no longer work. Anything they swallow must be expelled later. Unless you take [[PointBuySystem a specific Merit at character creation]], Vampires also have no sense of taste for anything except blood and might as well be eating dirt for all the enjoyment it brings them (characters with the Merit still cannot digest food, but they ''can'' taste and fully enjoy it -- at least on the way down).

* ''VisualNovel/DiesIrae'': Users of the form of magic known as Die Ewigkeit don't need things such as food or even oxygen as they can just use souls for sustenance instead. That doesn't stop them from eating or breathing normally anyways. Most of the time, its just cause it's just simpler that way or the character in question doesn't want to waste their precious resources on such banal things unless they have to.
* ''{{Franchise/Nasuverse}}''

* ''Webcomic/ApocalypticHorseplay'': One of the [[HorsemenOfTheApocalypse horseman]], Femine, likes to hang out in the pub enjoying some pie. When Mot states that he doesn't need to eat, his answer is that he likes to. It appears that he's only one of Four doing that, so it might be connected to him being a personification of hunger.

* ''Webcomic/{{Nebula}}'': Being the nigh-immortal AnthropomorphicPersonification of a planet, Jupiter doesn't actually ''need'' to eat. He chooses to, though, in hopes of one day growing large enough to overthrow Sun and rule over the solar system. (It...doesn't seem to be working.)

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': Since Xykon is an undead lich, he doesn't need to eat. In the prequel book "Start of Darkness", though, we find that when he was still mortal, [[spoiler: he was extremely fond of coffee, and part of his rage against everything is that now that he's a lich he can no longer taste it]].
* ''Webcomic/SlightlyDamned'': When in their respective realms of heaven and hell, [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angels]] and [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demons]] don't need any food but [[TheGrimReaper Death]] mentions that some demons choose to eat anyway (while angels don't have any food in heaven). However, this only applies when in their home realms, when they are on Medius they need sustenance just like everyone else. It's [[AllThereInTheManual also stated]] that demon infants don't have to eat but if they aren't nursed or fed in someway when young they end up smaller and weaker than they would have been otherwise.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''WebAnimation/Darkmatter2525'': In the ''God and Jeffrey'' clip "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cclEFQC8eE4 If Man Obeyed God]]", Adam and Eve refuse to eat from the Tree of Knowledge and remain immortal. Thousands of years later, God (who'd actually ''expected'' them to eat it) tries to talk Adam into eating the apple after all, only to be told that Adam gave up eating centuries ago: he can't die, and not eating means he doesn't have to deal with the icky business of ''doing'' his business, so why bother?
* ''WebAnimation/DragonShortZ'' (a spinoff of ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged''): 18 admits that, thanks to her cyborg body, she no longer needs to eat, but considers a life without burgers a life not worth living.
* ''WebAnimation/{{HFIL}}'': Eating is optional, but the inmates do it for various reasons anyway, most common of which is just to pass the time. Remember: they're in hell and their souls are indestructible anyway.
[[/folder]]

* ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'': Being a robot, [[RobotBuddy GIR]] doesn't need to eat, but he does anyway out of enjoyment of Earth food.
* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse''

** Lion eats sometimes, but not nearly as much as typical for an animal of his size. Steven doesn't normally leave food out for him and he's never seen hunting anything larger than an iguana. [[spoiler:Lars stopped being hungry when he became like Lion]], heavily implying that Lion doesn't need to eat because [[spoiler:they're both a sort of [[OurZombiesAreDifferent undead being]] sustained by Rose/Steven's power]].

* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'': In this and related material in the ''Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}'', Servants don't need to eat or drink, as they get all their sustenance from absorbing Mana or [[SoulEating consuming souls]]. They are fully capable of eating, especially [[BigEater Saber]] (in fact, Saber has to eat because of her poor Mana supply from Shirou). In ''Literature/FateApocrypha'', Jack the Ripper's Master Reika insists on cooking meals for Jack. Jack gets confused and points out she doesn't have to eat, but tries it and enjoys it. However, Ruler actually has to eat because she is possessing the body of a woman named Laeticia.
* ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'': The primary difference between the two classes of vampire, Dead Apostles and True Ancestors, is that the True Ancestors don't actually need to drink blood to survive, while the Dead Apostles do. True Ancestors feel a hunger for blood regardless, but if they do start drinking blood, they turn into psychotic, violent beings known as "Demon Lords", so they try as hard as possible to avoid it.

* In ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'', Hob Gadling is made immortal because of a whim Morpheus had. When they meet during a period where Hob's life has had a dramatic downturn, he asks Morpheus if he has any idea just how hungry a man who can't die can become. [[LivingForeverIsAwesome He still chooses to continue, though]].

* In the ''Fanfic/EmpathTheLuckiestSmurf'' story "Days Of Auld Lang Smurf", the "resurrected" parent Smurfs are in a state of existence that they claim is better than that of the physical existence the Smurfs have, as Papa Smurf notices that they hardly even eat at all. [[spoiler:As it turns out, though, they aren't really "resurrected", but rather memories given physical substance by Chlorhydris' Auld Lang Syne spell which was cast upon them, affecting only the Smurfs that actually had parents that died.]]
* In ''Fanfic/SonOfTheSannin'', the process that brought [[spoiler: Rin Nohara]] BackFromTheDead eliminated her need to eat food, though she still does so because she likes the taste. She does need to drink water, however.
* In ''Fanfic/NeitherABirdNorAPlaneItsDeku'', Izuku's Kryptonian biology allows him to survive indefinitely without food for as long as he has access to yellow sunlight. But he still feels hungry and enjoys the taste of food. K.E.L.E.X. nags him over this, because it's technically a waste of time he could be spending training or studying and recommends fasting when Izuku complains. Izuku just ignores him and goes off to find lunch.
* It's implied in ''Fanfic/TheUtoniumTrials'' that the Powerpuff Girls don't need food (or at least they can go without food for longer than normal humans).

* In ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'', Supergirl still eats physical food because she likes the taste -and the sense of normalcy- but she gets as much energy as she wants from yellow sunlight.
* In ''Fanfic/TheLastDaughter'', Taylor, a Kryptonian, doesn't need to eat as long as she has access to yellow sunlight.

* Casket from ''Fanfic/WillPowered'', having a soulless body, does not need to eat. In fact, if he does, whatever he consumes doesn't even get digested. Quite possibly the most tragic aspect of the story, considering Sanji's a thing.
* ''Fanfic/TheVampireOfSteel'': Played straight with Supergirl, and weirdly inverted with Zol-Am, who didn't need to eat -thanks to his Kryptonian metabolism- before being turned into a vampire.
* Gods in ''Fanfic/ForTheLoveOfTheGods'' do not need food or sleep as mortals do. That is not to say that they don't enjoy either when they can.

** Warforged from the ''{{TabletopGame/Eberron}}'' setting do not need to eat or drink as they are {{Mechanical Lifeforms}}, but they can eat if they wish.

* Most [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Tyranid]] organisms in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' don't actually have a functioning digestive system, as they're bio-engineered killing machines and such a thing would take space and energy away from muscles, reinforced endo- and exoskeletons, weapon-biomorphs, etc. If they aren't killed by the enemy first, they will eventually starve to death. Many of them still have instinctive behaviour to feed, though, as it makes them attack the enemy even when not under control of the synapse creatures. The Ripper swarms are the most obvious example, as their whole purpose is to eat any biomass they come across in order to transport it to the reclamation pools to be digested and fed to the Tyranid hive ships.
* In ''TabletopGame/InNomine'' angels and demons don't need to eat, although they often do so to maintain the {{Masquerade}} while on Earth, or, especially in the case of demons, because they like it.
* Spirits in ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' have no need for food, but many Terrestrial gods are liable to consume offerings made to them, and Celestial gods have a tendency to convert the prayers made for them into lavish feasts, as well as consuming the specially produced peaches of immortality (the gods are also immortal by default). Several kinds of demon, most notably the blood apes, have their own {{Trademark Favourite Food}}s.

* ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'': Vampires find it beneficial to TheMasquerade to be seen eating normal food, but they draw no nourishment and cannot even digest it properly, since their stomachs no longer work. Anything they swallow must be expelled later. Unless you take [[PointBuySystem a specific Merit at character creation]], Vampires also have no sense of taste for anything except blood and might as well be eating dirt for all the enjoyment it brings them (characters with the Merit still cannot digest food, but they ''can'' taste and fully enjoy it -- at least on the way down).

* Several youkai races in the ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' games have this trait. According to the UniverseCompendium ''Perfect Memento in Strict Sense'', fairies don't need to eat but do so in an attempt to imitate humans. [[MageSpecies Magicians]] also don't need to eat. [[MarionetteMaster Alice Margatroid]] eats anyway, as she is a former human (at least [[{{Retcon}} according to the book]]) who became a youkai magician and still isn't used to not needing to.

* The darkspawn in ''Franchise/DragonAge'' don't actually need to eat, the taint they carry sustains them. But they like to eat people alive anyway and are even known to [[MonstrousCannibalism eat each other]] if there are no people around.
* [[OurWerebeastsAreDifferent Werebeasts]] in ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'' do technically still have to eat and drink, but their [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting transformation once every month]] resets these needs before they can die from them.
* In ''VideoGame/PersonaQShadowOfTheLabyrinth'', Rei is a BigEater. You will always see her talking about food of some kind even if the conversation has nothing to do with it. [[spoiler:Tragically, it's because she's in denial. She's actually DeadAllAlong by the time you meet her, and eating is her way of convincing herself that she's alive.]]
* During the fantasy counterpart of Thanksgiving in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', one of the Forsaken chefs wonders why they go into so much trouble preparing the feast considering that, being undead, they don't need to eat anymore. He ends up shrugging it as "tradition is tradition".

* ''VisualNovel/DiesIrae'': Users of the form of magic known as Die Ewigkeit don't need things such as food or even oxygen as they can just use souls for sustenance instead. That doesn't stop them from eating or breathing normally anyways. Most of the time, its just cause it's just simpler that way or the character in question doesn't want to waste their precious resources on such banal things unless they have to.

* One of the [[HorsemenOfTheApocalypse horseman]] in ''Webcomic/ApocalypticHorseplay'', Femine. He likes to hang out in the pub enjoying some pie. When Mot states that he doesn't need to eat, his answer is that he likes to. It appears that he's only one of Four doing that, so it might be connected to him being a personification of hunger.

* In ''Webcomic/KidRadd'', sprites can eat and drink, though they won't suffer if they don't. WordOfGod explained that since sprites are human creations, they're imprinted with various human drives and habits.
* [[http://www.superstupor.com/sust12292008.shtml One strip]] of ''Webcomic/SuperStupor'' has a homeless kid who doesn't need food or water to live. [[BlessedWithSuck It's not as nice as it sounds]].

* Ma-ri of ''Webcomic/OrangeMarmalade'' is a vampire living in a society that fears and hates her kind, so she has to hide the truth at all times. To keep up this, she eats human food in her classroom every day at lunch, then flees to the bathroom to throw it up as her body naturally rejects it and drinks fresh pig's blood from prepared blood packs before returning to class.
* ''Webcomic/{{Nebula}}'': Being the nigh-immortal AnthropomorphicPersonification of a planet, Jupiter doesn't actually ''need'' to eat. He chooses to, though, in hopes of one day growing large enough to overthrow Sun and rule over the solar system. (It...doesn't seem to be working.)
* ''Webcomic/SlightlyDamned'': When in their respective realms of heaven and hell, [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angels]] and [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demons]] don't need any food but [[TheGrimReaper Death]] mentions that some demons choose to eat anyway (while angels don't have any food in heaven). However, this only applies when in their home realms, when they are on Medius they need sustenance just like everyone else. It's [[AllThereInTheManual also stated]] that demon infants don't have to eat but if they aren't nursed or fed in someway when young they end up smaller and weaker than they would have been otherwise.
* Since Xykon in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' is an undead lich, he doesn't need to eat. In the prequel book "Start of Darkness", though, we find that when he was still mortal, [[spoiler: he was extremely fond of coffee, and part of his rage against everything is that now that he's a lich he can no longer taste it]].
* ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'': Angels are immortal EnergyBeings whose bodies incinerate anything they eat or drink, but some enjoy the experience or the ritual of food preparation anyway. White Chain keeps coffee in their apartment "for friends", and they and TheDragon Juggernaut Star both enjoy brewing tea in fine porcelain.

* In ''{{WebAnimation/Darkmatter2525}}'''s ''God and Jeffrey'' clip "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cclEFQC8eE4 If Man Obeyed God]]", Adam and Eve refuse to eat from the Tree of Knowledge and remain immortal. Thousands of years later, God (who'd actually ''expected'' them to eat it) tries to talk Adam into eating the apple after all, only to be told that Adam gave up eating centuries ago: he can't die, and not eating means he doesn't have to deal with the icky business of ''doing'' his business, so why bother?
* In ''WebAnimation/DragonShortZ'' (a spinoff of ''WebVideo/DragonBallZAbridged'') 18 admits that, thanks to her cyborg body, she no longer needs to eat, but considers a life without burgers a life not worth living.
* Eating is optional in ''WebAnimation/{{HFIL}}'', but the inmates do it for various reasons anyway, most common of which is just to pass the time. Remember: they're in hell and their souls are indestructible anyway.

* In ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'', being a robot, [[RobotBuddy GIR]] doesn't need to eat, but he does anyway out of enjoyment of Earth food.
* The gods of ''WesternAnimation/ClassOfTheTitans'' eat, even though they don't need to. Hercules is partial to fried chicken, and Athena bakes.
* The dark god in robot form, Unicron, from ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' doesn't need to eat anything, being a god, but does it anyway. He's a particularly horrifying example too. He eats ''[[PlanetEater entire worlds]]'' because he [[OmnicidalManiac hates everything in creation that isn't him]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'', Clark mentions that he doesn't ''have'' to eat, but does anyway because he likes it.

* [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Vampires]] in ''WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017'' are capable of eating food, but only get nourishment from blood. Food is considered an indulgence for them.

* ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'': [[ArtificialHuman Yuki]] [[EmotionlessGirl Nagato]] is an artificial humanoid interface, which is either a fancy way of saying she's a RidiculouslyHumanRobot, or an alien operating via AFormYouAreComfortableWith. Whichever is the case, she explains to Kyon that she doesn't need to eat, and only does so to blend in, which is necessary in order to observe [[RealityWarper Haruhi.]]

* Modern Magical Girls in ''Literature/MagicalGirlRaisingProject'' don't have to eat or drink. Some of them take advantage of this by staying transformed so that they don't have to buy food. Most of them still eat anyway because they like it or to regain energy.
* ''Literature/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime''
** Rimuru has no need to eat for sustenance, but as a former human, he still indulges in it once he figures out a way to overcome his inability to taste.
** In fact, this is a quite common among sufficiently evolved monsters or humans, as after a certain a point (such as becoming a primarily spiritual-based life-form) or beings already at that point, physical needs like consuming food become unnecessary to survive and is mainly done for pleasure. Veldora (a [[DragonsAreDivine True Dragon]]) and Milim Nava (a True Demon Lord [[spoiler:who is also the daughter of a True Dragon]]) are both noted to not require food, but they still eat because they love the taste of good meals.

* ''Literature/UnderThePendulumSun'': The ArtificialHuman changelings don't need food but still feel hungry when they go without. Ariel is a shamelessly BigEater, which takes a sobering turn when she reveals that her human family starved to death around her in a workhouse.

** Dr. Gero's human-derived Androids only need to drink water.

* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'': In this and related material in the ''Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}'', Servants don't need to eat or drink, as they get all their sustenance from absorbing Mana or [[SoulEating consuming souls]]. They are fully capable of eating, especially [[BigEater Saber]] (in fact, Saber has to eat because of her poor Mana supply from Shirou). In ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha'', Jack the Ripper's Master Reika insists on cooking meals for Jack. Jack gets confused and points out she doesn't have to eat, but tries it and enjoys it. However, Ruler actually has to eat because she is possessing the body of a woman named Laeticia.

* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' and ''Series/{{Angel}}'', vampires only need to drink blood, but some enjoy eating human food and drinking alcohol. Vampires can get drunk, but in one episode, Angel clarifies that eating food will not help him survive, only drinking blood.

* ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'': [[ArtificialHuman Yuki]] [[EmotionlessGirl Nagato]] is an artificial humanoid interface, which is either a fancy way of saying she's a RidiculouslyHumanRobot, or an alien operating via AFormYouAreComfortableWith. Whichever is the case, she explains to Kyon that she doesn't need to eat, and only does so to blend in, which is necessary in order to observe [[RealityWarper Haruhi.]]

* Modern Magical Girls in ''LightNovel/MagicalGirlRaisingProject'' don't have to eat or drink. Some of them take advantage of this by staying transformed so that they don't have to buy food. Most of them still eat anyway because they like it or to regain energy.
* ''Anime/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime''

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Film]]

* Eating is optional in ''WebAnimation/{{HFIL}}'', but the inmates do it for various reasons anyway. Remember: they're in hell and their souls are indestructible anyway.

* A particularly horrifying example comes from ''ComicBook/{{Empowered}}''. Willy Pete, a fire elemental, has stated that he doesn't need to eat, but he still likes to. However, he burns so hotly that almost anything he tries to eat turns to ashes when he tries. He gets around this by cannibalizing super beings, because their flesh is just cooked nicely by him. And that's not even getting what else he [[EyeScream does]] [[RapeAsDrama to them]]...

* In many continuities, ComicBook/{{Superman}}, ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}, Comicbook/PowerGirl, and other Kryptonians don't need to eat (since they get all the energy they need [[ThePowerOfTheSun from the sun]]), but often will out of habit or because they enjoy the taste. At least one continuity has Superman mention that food functions as a backup energy source of sorts and while he could sustain himself entirely through his powers eating regular food allows him to channel the solar energy that would have been used for that for other power uses instead.

* ''Fanfic/SOE2LoneHeirOfKrypton'': After discovering her powers and her ''[[Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} Kryptonian origin]]'' Asuka realizes she has never been hungry and thinks she probably does not need to eat because she is sun-powered. However, she likes food so she keeps doing it.

* Most [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Tyranid]] organisms in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer40000}}'' don't actually have a functioning digestive system, as they're bio-engineered killing machines and such a thing would take space and energy away from muscles, reinforced endo- and exoskeletons, weapon-biomorphs, etc. If they aren't killed by the enemy first, they will eventually starve to death. Many of them still have instinctive behaviour to feed, though, as it makes them attack the enemy even when not under control of the synapse creatures. The Ripper swarms are the most obvious example, as their whole purpose is to eat any biomass they come across in order to transport it to the reclamation pools to be digested and fed to the Tyranid hive ships.

* Several youkai races in the ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' games have this trait. According to the UniverseCompendium ''Perfect Memento in Strict Sense'', fairies don't need to eat but do so in an attempt to imitate humans. [[MageSpecies Magicians]] also don't need to eat. [[MarionetteMaster Alice Margatroid]] eats anyway, as she is a former human (at least [[{{Retcon}} according to the book]]) who became a youkai magician and still isn't used to not needing to.

* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'': In this and related material in the ''Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}'', Servants don't need to eat or drink, as they get all their sustenance from absorbing Mana or [[SoulEating consuming souls]]. They are fully capable of eating, especially [[BigEater Saber]] (in fact, Saber has to eat because of her poor Mana supply from Shirou). In ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha'', Jack the Ripper's Master Reika insists on cooking meals for Jack. Jack gets confused and points out she doesn't have to eat, but tries it and enjoys it. However, Ruler actually has to eat because she is possessing a woman named Laeticia's body.

* ''Fanfic/{{Paragon}}'': Much like Amethyst, members of Steven's crew like to eat even though they don't need to. Army of the four remaining members of the Ruby Squad is willing to try anything once, and even when she declares a pepper disgusting she still swallows it, and her first time eating a Cookie Cat was to slam her face into the bowl Steven had given it in and devour it in seconds.

** In the myth of Hades and Persephone, the latter refuses to eat or drink while in the underworld, partly in protest of her abduction and partly because eating the food of the underworld would trap her there. She eventually eats six pomegranate pips, and as a result must henceforth stay six months in the underworld and six months on earth. It's usually depicted as her being overcome with hunger; however, her being a goddess and therefore not subject to hunger has given rise to various [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation AlternativeCharacterInterpretations]] as to her motives in doing so.

** In the myth of Hades and Persephone, the latter refuses to eat or drink while in the underworld, partly in protest of her abduction and partly because eating the food of the underworld would trap her there. She eventually eats six pomegranate pips, and as a result will stay six months in the underworld and six months on earth. It's usually depicted as her being overcome with hunger; however, her being a goddess and therefore not subject to hunger has given rise to various [[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation AlternativeCharacterInterpretations]] as to her motives in doing so.

* In many continuities, Franchise/{{Superman}}, Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}, Comicbook/PowerGirl, and other Kryptonians don't need to eat (since they get all the energy they need from the sun), but often will out of habit or because they enjoy the taste. At least one continuity has Superman mention that food functions as a backup energy source of sorts and while he could sustain himself entirely through his powers eating regular food allows him to channel the solar energy that would have been used for that for other power uses instead.
* Nate Grey a.k.a. ComicBook/XMan states he doesn't need to eat, drink, or even ''breathe'' after his powers reach their full potential in his 'Shaman' state - it gets to the point where he admits that he only does things like that to reassure other people around him, and at one point, doesn't even notice that he's standing in a room full of nitrogen gas. Unusually, prior to his powers being stabilised, he had spurts of being a BigEater to try and support his malfunctioning metabolism, and after he undergoes a {{depower}}, he needs to eat just like everyone else.
* [[ComicBook/JuggernautMarvelComics The Juggernaut]] is sometimes stated to not need food, though this doesn't necessarily mean he's immune to hunger. He once spent a month trapped underground, forcing his way through bedrock - despite not ''needing'' to eat or breathe, it was still a brutal experience.

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'': Traditionally the Amazons are immortal while on Paradise Island, meaning they don't need to eat, but do for enjoyment and to improve their quality of life. Off the island they're just as mortal as anyone else, if a bit stronger and hardier, and need to eat like any other human. Iterations of the Amazons following the completion of ''[[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Wonder Woman Volume 1]]'' are generally less consistent on this rule and how it works.
* In ''Comicbook/TheSandman'', Hob Gadling is made immortal because of a whim Morpheus had. When they meet during a period where Hob's life has had a dramatic downturn, he asks Morpheus if he has any idea just how hungry a man who can't die can become. [[LivingForeverIsAwesome He still chooses to continue, though.]]

* Rimuru in ''Anime/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime'' has no need to eat for sustenance, but as a former human, he still indulges in it once he figures out a way to overcome his inability to taste.