History Main / MonsterOfTheAesop

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* Common on ''WesternAnimation/TeamoSupremo'', where the villain's M.O. would often coincide with some issue one of the heroes was struggling with, such as a battle with Sloppy Joe coinciding with Brenda having problems with disorganisation.

* ''Franchise/PowerRangers''. [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers Rita Repulsa]], in particular, did it all the time. In fact, most villainous plots from the first two seasons were inspired by what the Ranger teens were doing at school when the villains looked in.
** Zedd was, in a way, worst, as he'd make monsters from (sometimes Aesop-related) objects, allowing them to be even better tailored to the plot!

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* The [[MonsterOfTheWeek akuma]] from ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'' verge on this sometimes. For example, Ladybug and Chat Noir's showdown with the Horrificator involves a lesson in facing your fears.

* In various versions of ''PrettyCure'', the monster is formed from handy, usually inanimate objects, so if any one thing has been the focal point of the episode, there's a good chance the girls will end up fighting it at some point. Of course, the MonsterOfTheWeek is just as frequently something random, like a piano or a planter or a [[RocksFallEveryoneDies gazebo]].

* Each episode of ''YogisGang'' featured a villain who encouraged or reveled in bad behavior such as {{greed}}, bigotry, vandalism, or littering.
* A common theme on ''SushiPack'' is that the villain of the day will need (and usually fail) to learn the same lesson that one or more members of the Pack is struggling with.

* An episode of ''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold Batman: The Brave and the Bold]]'' featured an egocentric Captain Atom who constantly said that Batman wasn't a real hero because he didn't have powers. Then, the VillainOfTheWeek showed up and took his powers, making him useless. Of course, this being the show that [[NoFourthWall it]] [[LighterAndSofter was,]] [[JerkAss Cap]] [[ComicallyMissingThePoint didn't]] [[BrokenAesop get it]] [[SubvertedTrope at all.]]

* ''Creator/{{CLAMP}}'' has used this a few times in both ''TokyoBabylon'' and ''[[{{XXXHOLiC}} XXXHOLiC]].''

* Common on ''TeamoSupremo'' where the villain's M.O. would often coincide with some issue one of the heroes was struggling with, such as a battle with Sloppy Joe coinciding with Brenda having problems with disorganisation.
* In the 2007 ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' movie, the Turtles face a villain-led "brotherhood" while they themselves are having unity issues. Just prior to the final battle, the Turtles' family comes together as that of their enemy falls apart.

* Ursa from ''AfterEarth''. A monster that hunts ''solely'' by detecting emanations of fear, and is deaf and blind otherwise, makes absolutely no sense, especially since it was supposedly designed that way specifically to prey on human (advanced, star-faring humans, mind you, not cavemen), except as a visual representation of the protagonist's need to face and conquer his fear.

* Pixy Misa in ''[[PrettySammy Magical Project S]]'' would frequently create a "Love-Love Monster" from an object linked to the story (e.g. P.E. equipment, a chemistry vial, a comic book, etc.).

* ''WesternAnimation/FilmationsGhostbusters'', to an extent. It doesn't quite work so well because Prime Evil continually relies on his "Usual Gang of Idiots" to do his bidding.
** There actually aren't very many episodes that use MonsterOfTheAesop. There are many episodes that have AN Aesop, but that's not the same thing.

'''Giles:''' Yes, and you were very nearly devoured by a giant demon snake. The words "let that be a lesson" are a tad redundant at this juncture.\\
-- ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E5ReptileBoy Reptile Boy]]"

* In the SuperRobotGenre anime ''ZettaiMutekiRaijinOh'', the monster seeds were specifically activated by the word "meiwaku" (troublesome, problem) being used in a phrase, and would then take on the form/powers of whatever was being considered a problem by the speaker. So there was a traffic jam monster, a flu monster, a superhero monster (this one had some serious "what side am I on again?" issues) and so forth.

** ''HeartcatchPrettyCure'' averted this - while an inanimate object was used, the monster was formed by a "Person of the Week"'s withered "Heart Flower", altered due to a problem that's weighted their heart's down. Evidently, it usually leads to the heroines to beat the monster by talking before using their powers to fully purify them.

* In a similar vein to the Raijin-Oh and Sailor Moon examples above, ''{{Gaogaigar}}'''s monsters of the week through the first half of the series were the manifestations of the stress that the host of the Zonder Metal was suffering from.

* In ''Anime/SailorMoon'', it often occurred either because the monster inherited the human host's traits in grotesquely exaggerated form, or because it possessed an inanimate object owned by the VictimOfTheWeek and somewhat connected to the episode's plot. Most of the monsters in the first few episodes didn't follow this precisely, mainly being heavily bowdlerized versions of CuteyHoney type monsters.

'''Giles:''' Yes, [[SpaceWhaleAesop and you were very nearly devoured by a giant demon snake]]. The words "let that be a lesson" are a tad redundant at this juncture.\\
-- ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', "Reptile Boy"

* An episode of ''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold Batman: The Brave and the Bold]]'' featured an egocentric Captain Atom who constantly said that Batman wasn't a real hero because he didn't have powers. Then, the VillainOfTheWeek showed up and took his powers, making him useless. Of course, this being the show that [[NoFourthWall it]] [[LighterAndSofter was,]] [[JerkAss Cap]] [[ComicallyMissingThePoint didn't]] [[BrokenAesop get it]] [[SubvertedTrope at all.]]

----'''Buffy:''' I told one lie, I had one drink.\\
'''Giles:''' Yes, [[SpaceWhaleAesop and you were very nearly devoured by a giant demon snake]]. The words

* In a rare video game example, the Eidolins in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII''. Each of them are summoned when the related party member reaches their DespairEventHorizon. Conquering the Eidolin in battle always involves playing to the character's strength in battle and overcoming the character's FatalFlaw.

----

* In ''SailorMoon'', it often occurred either because the monster inherited the human host's traits in grotesquely exaggerated form, or because it possessed an inanimate object owned by the VictimOfTheWeek and somewhat connected to the episode's plot. Most of the monsters in the first few episodes didn't follow this precisely, mainly being heavily bowdlerized versions of CuteyHoney type monsters.

See also MonogenderMonsters and AstonishinglyAppropriateAppearance.

* An episode of ''[[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold Batman: The Brave and the Bold]]'' featured an egocentric character who constantly said that Batman wasn't a real hero because he didn't [[FanWank have]] [[TakeThat powers.]] Then, the VillainOfTheWeek showed up and took his powers, making him useless. Of course, this being the show that [[NoFourthWall it]] [[LighterAndSofter was,]] [[JerkAss Captain Atom]] [[ComicallyMissingThePoint didn't]] [[BrokenAesop get it]] [[SubvertedTrope at all.]] most of the time, however, this trope was played straight.

** To be fair, sometimes Rita and Zedd would use a Ranger's worst fear or squeamishness, such as Kimberly's revulsion towards frogs and Zack's fear of spiders. Sending a bee monster the day Billy got TheBGrade, however...

** To be fair, Beast Boy was aiming the major prank in that episode at Cyborg, and although it hit Starfire by accident, it's established that Cyborg and Beast Boy do this sort of thing all the time.

'''Giles:''' Yes, and you were very nearly devoured by a giant demon snake. The words "let that be a lesson" are a tad redundant at this juncture.\\

* ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'' features this occasionally with the Angels, the most notable example being Israfel, which forces Shinji and Asuka to overcome their hostility towards each other to defeat it.

* In the kiddie anime ''ZettaiMutekiRaijinOh'', the monster seeds were specifically activated by the word "meiwaku" (troublesome, problem) being used in a phrase, and would then take on the form/powers of whatever was being considered a problem by the speaker. So there was a traffic jam monster, a flu monster, a superhero monster (this one had some serious "what side am I on again?" issues) and so forth.

** [[AlienGeometries Leliel]] seems to exist for the sole purpose of waxing philosophical about Shinji's inner mind. [[BreakTheHaughty We do not]] talk about Arael.