History Main / EatingOptional

* In many incarnations of ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'', Supes 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 enjoys the taste.

* In ''SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'', Clark mentions that he doesn't ''have'' to eat but does anyway because he likes it.

* 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 too. However, he burns so hot 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 ''{{WesternAnimation/Gargoyles}}'', Dr. Sevarius surmised that Gargoyles must absorb solar energy in their stone forms during the day, or otherwise they would have to eat 3 cows days to maintain the needed energy to function.

* In ''{{Gargoyles}}'', Dr. Sevarius surmised that Gargoyles must absorb solar energy in their stone forms during the day, or otherwise they would have to eat 3 cows days to maintain the needed energy to function.

* In TheDresdenFiles, Harry once meets up with a vampire in a bar to thrash out the details of their duel. When Harry expresses his surprise that the vampire orders a beer, that vampire explains that he doesn't derive nourishment from the beer, but it sure tastes good.

* In SupermanTheAnimatedSeries, Clark mentions that he doesn't ''have'' to eat but does anyway because he likes it.

[[/folder]]

* In ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', Lt. Commander Data eats even though he does not have to, in order to more closely emulate human behavior.

-> Damn 'em, they ''do'' eat, but they ''don't need to!'' That's the rare part! A month, you say, without food? Lud, Sir, you be modest! ... Devil take ye, those cursed ''things have been howling down there ever since Curwen was done for a hundred and fifty-seven years gone!''
-->-- Charles Ward [[spoiler:Actually Curwen assuming his identity]], ''[[Creator/HPLovecraft The Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward]]''

* In many incarnations of ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'', Supes doesn't need to eat, but often will out of habit or because he enjoys the taste.

* The titular hero of ''{{Franchise/Anpanman}}'' gets sustinance 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.

* A particularly horrifying example comes from ''{{Empowered}}''. Willy Pete, a fire elemental, has stated that he doesn't need to eat, but he still likes too. However, he burns so hot 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 incarnations of ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'', Supes doesn't need to eat, but often will out of habit or because he enjoys the taste.

* In ''WebcomicKidRadd'', 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.

--> Charles Ward [[spoiler:Actually Curwen assuming his identity]], ''[[Creator/HPLovecraft The Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward]]''

* In ''[[OldKingdom Lirael]]'', the Disreputable Dog and Mogget don't need to eat, but they sure ''like'' to. 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.

* In ''OldKingdom'', Lirael the Disreputable Dog and Mogget don't need to eat, but they sure ''like'' to. 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.

* 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.

In stranger cases, the being has no need to eat but still hungers. If this is the case, then they can be vulnerable to a FateWorseThanDeath. They can be trapped or imprisoned without food indefinitely, [[AndIMustScream forever starving, yet never starving to death]].

* 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.
* ''HaruhiSuzumiya'': [[ArtificialHuman Yuki]] [[EmotionlessGirl Nagato]] is an artificial humanoid interface, which is either a fancy way of saying she's a RidiculouslyHumanRobot, or simply an alien. 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.]]
* ''OutlawStar'': Melfina is a [[RidiculouslyHumanRobot highly advanced bio-android]], created by [[TheComicallySerious Professor Gwen]] [[TrueNeutral 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.
* ''OnePiece'': Brook doesn't need to eat since his devil fruit already keeps him alive (though he claims milk helps him regenerate).

* In many incarnations of ''{{Superman}}'', Supes doesn't need to eat, but often will out of habit or because he enjoys the taste.

* In the Creator/HPLovecraft story ''The Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward'', the protagonist confronts Ward after exploring the catacombs under his ancestor Joseph Curwen's farm. [[spoiler:"Ward" is actually Curwen, who has killed the real Ward and assumed his identity]]. When he mentions the abominations that have gone unfed for the month since his commitment to the insane asylum, he replies:

* When Harry Potter 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.
* Death of ''{{Discworld}}'' likes takeaway curries. Don't think about how he manages to swallow, or where the food goes next.
* * OlderThanFeudalism. In ''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 believers in heaven will also be able to eat as much as they like, but not actually need it nor need to worry about getting fat.
* In [[TheOldKingdom Lirael]] the Disreputable Dog and Mogget don't need to eat, but they sure ''like'' to. 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.

* In ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'', Lt. Commander Data eats even though he does not have to, in order to more closely emulate human behavior.

* In 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.
* Most [[{{HordeOfAlienLocusts}} Tyranid]] organisms in {{Warhammer40000}} don't actually have a functioning digestive system, as they're bio-engineered killing machines and such a thing would tkae 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. [[WitchSpecies 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.

* In ''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.
* A kid in ''SuperStupor'' has this as his power. It's [[BlessedWithSuck not very good]], as while he doesn't need food and water to ''live'', he still suffers hunger and thirst.

* In InvaderZim, being a robot, [[RobotBuddy GIR]] doesn't need to eat, but he does anyway out of enjoyment of Earth food.
* The gods of ClassOfTheTitans eat, even though they don't need to. Hercules is partial to fried chicken, and Athena bakes. May be OlderThanFeudalism, as food was a common sacrifice to the Greek and Roman gods, who as the stories go would punish or kill those mortals whose offerings displeased them.

!!Examples:

[[/folder]]