History Main / OminousFloatingCastle

%%[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]
%%* The Childlike Empress' castle ends up like this in ''Film/TheNeverendingStory''.
%%[[/folder]]

%%* In ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'', [[AntiHumanAlliance Fairy Tale's]] headquarters is one of these.

* [[BigBad Malefor]] has a flying castle his lair in the final ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro'' game. Between the second and third game, Malefor retook the Dragon Temple after being set free, then used his magic to lift it high about the ground and use it as his castle. For added ominousness, it's over a ''volcano''.

%%* The Flying Citadels in the ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'' novels.

%%* [[ComicBook/XMen Asteroid M!]]

* The giant's castle in ''Literature/JackAndTheBeanstalk''. In some versions, it is implied that there's a whole world of giants up in the clouds.

* The Fortress of Doom from ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'' orbits Earth and serves as the Doom Slayer's less than humble abode.

* ''Videogame/LunarEternalBlue'' has Neo-Vane, [[FatBastard Borgan's]] floating fortress, which was built to replace the floating Magic City of Vane from ''VideoGame/LunarTheSilverStar'', which has fallen to earth in a state of disrepair in the second game.

** In ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland DS'', the castle must be reached by space rocket (although it's shown in the clouds in the intro). Like most Mario examples, it crashes to the ground after the FinalBoss is defeated.

%%** The Scourge Necropoli, most notably Naxxramas in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' (an Instance that was revamped for ''Wrath of the Lich King''), and Acherus The Ebon Hold (The Death Knight's equivalent to Moonglade). They also showed up all over the place during the ZombieApocalypse event before the release of ''Wrath of the Lich King''.

* The Lair of the Shadow Broker turns out to be a unique spaceship constructed to be permanently [[VortexBarrier hidden inside a massive storm]] in the skies above a planet that is searing hot on the day side and freezing cold on the night side.
* The [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Collector Base]] floats in deep space. It and the [[PortalNetwork mass relay]] to access it are the only landmarks in the area at all. Of course, there's not ''nothing'' around - there's [[DerelictGraveyard the ruins of thousands upon thousands of ships]] that have tried and failed to enter Collector space over the millennia.

[[WMG:[[center:[[AC:This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1603752980080697100&page=1 under discussion]] in the [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/conversations.php?topic=renames Trope Repair Shop]].]]]]]]

* In ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'', [[AntiHumanAlliance Fairy Tale's]] headquarters is one of these.

* In ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'', the first game takes place in a giant floating stone castle called Aincrad.

* In ''Literature/CastleInTheAir'' by Creator/DianaWynneJones, the castle of the title is the villain's base of operations.

[[folder:Pinball]]
* Mingo in ''Pinball/FlashGordon'', seen hovering between the upper and lower playfields.
[[/folder]]

** Several in ''TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}'', most notably the Doomguard citadels which float on the borders between the Negative Energy Plane and the Quasielemental Planes; and Orcus's crumbling fortress of Tcian Sumere also in the Negative. These all likely inspired the Fortress of Regrets in ''VideoGame/'' (below).

[[header:In a Void of Nothingness]]

The preserve of extremely destructive, powerful and unhinged villains, these places literally have nothing around them. Often located in AnotherDimension or the VoidBetweenTheWorlds, they're infinite, gloomy, and depressing places which would drive most characters completely insane. May well vanish altogether after being completed.

* In ''ComicBook/AstroCity'', Infidel lives in such a palace. It's actually something of a prison, though one he resides in voluntarily.
* Not a castle, but the same idea. Sitting on a throne floating in the middle of a swirling chaotic void is typically how the Dread Dormammu, archfoe of Comicbook/DoctorStrange, is depicted when he's in the Dark Dimension. Though gravity and the Dark Dimension are only passing acquaintances at best...

* ''Fanfic/AgesOfShadow'': [[FallenHero Jade's]] Grand Palace of the Shadow Netherworld starts off as one of these, being a palace made from solidified shadow, set adrift in the void. However, by the time she encounters the [[{{Cult}} Shadow Walkers]], she's expanded it to the point that it's a FloatingContinent.

[[folder:Literature]]
* In Creator/LawrenceWattEvans ''Literature/TheLegendsOfEthshar'' novels, there are magical tapestries used for transportation -- you weave a picture of where you want to be. One highly advanced magician makes a tapestry of a "in a void of nothingness" castle and thereby brings into being a little pied-a-terre (pied-a-void?) for himself and his mistress... but when the return route gets blocked, said mistress ends up trapped in said castle for a few centuries.
* In the works of Creator/HPLovecraft, [[EldritchAbomination the Daemon Sultan Azathoth]] is said to sit on his black throne in the center of the universe (or possibly the multiverse), surrounded by the Ultimate Void.
* There's the Policharos of ''Literature/LegendsOfTheRedSun''. The Policharos is a floating skycity the [[FloatingContinent size of a continent]]. This sinister red city is made of bone, has a huge supply of LostTechnology [[TrickBomb Mute bombs]] - long-ranged missiles that not only causes devastating blasts but will afflict surviving victims with muteness and contains the entire Akahaioi civilization. This conglomerate of alien races are rapaciously expansionistic and with their home dimension falling into an Ice Age, they are invading the Villjamur empire and there's no stopping them if they succeed in leaving their dimension

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has several voids to choose from, and quite a few fortresses in them.
** In ''[[TabletopGame/TombOfHorrors Return to the Tomb of Horrors]]'', the demilich Acererak has the gigantic Fortress of Conclusion hovering at the edge of the Negative Energy Plane, an infinite expanse of pure entropy and decay.
** Several in ''TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}'', most notably the Doomguard citadels which float on the borders between the Negative Energy Plane and the Quasielemental Planes; and Orcus's crumbling fortress of Tcian Sumere also in the Negative. These all likely inspired the Fortress of Regrets in ''VideoGame/'' (below).
** The Githyanki capital Tu'Narath is a fortress-city in the timeless void of the Astral Plane, built out of the petrified corpse of a forgotten god.
* The tomb-bodies of the Neverborn in ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' are both Ominous Floating Mountain-Thingies and one of the setting's (many) groups of Big Bads. They ''really'' want to fall into the Void and finish dying, and they're willing to destroy all of Creation to get there.

[[folder:Video Games]]
* [[VideoGame/PaperMario Castle Bleck]] and [[VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG Smithy's Factory]] in the [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]] [=RPGs=]. The former is basically a floating, glowing castle in monochrome colours set in the middle of a void that is actually ''called'' "The Void" (which [[BigBad Count Bleck]] created for his SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum), and the latter is a series of platforming elements floating in a dark blue void of nothingness.
* Possibly the Palace of Twilight in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess''. Supposedly its own separate realm, but nothing is connected to it.
* While also a prison, the Oubliette from ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime: Hunters'', although it gets pulled back to normal space so that you can fight the FinalBoss inside it.
* The Fortress of Regrets at the end of ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment''.
* The ([[SceneryPorn spectacular]]) Chaos capital in ''VideoGame/WarhammerOnline'', the Inevitable City, is located on the edge of a vast crater beneath a seething hole in reality. The Eternal Citadel, the fortress where the BigBad lurks, sits on one of many floating chunks of rock hanging beneath the AlienSky.
* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' we have the villain's hideout, the Castle That Never Was, which is literally 'right next to the Realm of Nothingness.'
* In ''Franchise/DragonAge'' the Black City, which supposedly was the home of [[{{God}} The Maker]] and the location of heaven before it was corrupted by the hubris of mortals, appears as a vaguely city shaped blob of darkness in the otherwise empty sky of ''[[SpiritWorld The]] [[DreamLand Fade]].'' Interestingly enough, the Black City is the only permanent landmark in the fade, with [[AlienGeometries all points in the fade somehow appearing to be equidistant from the city.]]
* You ''fight'' one of these as a boss in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVI''. ''On foot!''
* ''VideoGame/{{Perimeter}}'' has the Frames - ominous floating cities housing what is left of Mankind.
* In ''[[VideoGame/{{Something}} Something Else]]'', [[spoiler:Else Castle in the void-like special world. It is Ballser's new base after Mario beat him in Something.]]
* In ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'', [[spoiler: Prison Island]] serves as the stronghold of the BigBad and the final dungeon after being drawn into a void.

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', [[spoiler:[[BigBad Xykon]] the Epic sorcerer]] builds a "[[BuffySpeak fortress tomb-thingy]]" in the [[VoidBetweenTheWorlds Astral Plane]], where he can [[spoiler:safely keep his [[SoulJar phylactery]]]]. It's only [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0833.html briefly seen]], but it looks like a place [[AlienGeometries M. C. Esher would have fun in]].

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''WebAnimation/{{Dreamscape}}'': Melinda used to own one before she was sealed away. [[spoiler:Vampire Lord lives there now.]]

[[header:Outer Space, With Nothing For Miles]]

The preserve of many SciFi or SpeculativeFiction series, these are ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Floating bases somewhere in their own solar system or galaxy with nothing for miles. Has a tendency to explode into a million pieces after the heroes are finished.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''Anime/ElCazadorDeLaBruja'' has one first seen in the title sequence. [[spoiler: And '''only''' seen there, since it [[TrailersAlwaysLie doesn't show up in the series at all.]]]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* [[ComicBook/XMen Asteroid M!]]
* In Marvel continuity, Knowhere is a fortress made from ''a Celestial's head'', discovered by the ''ComicBook/GuardiansOftheGalaxy'' and located near The Rip, the extreme outer edge of all existence. (Who killed it? Pretty much everyone hopes they never find out.) It serves as base for those who study the Rip and the space-time abnormalities of the location. (It also appeared in [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy the movie]] and [[WesternAnimation/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy the animated series]].)
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]
* The Childlike Empress' castle ends up like this in ''Film/TheNeverendingStory''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* [[Creator/HPLovecraft Azathoth]]. He resides in the center of the universe.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* The [[Series/BattlestarGalactica2003 Cylon Colony]] was floating in empty space during "The Plan", but by the time of "Daybreak" it had been moved to the accretion disk of a black hole so that it would be hard for anyone but a Cylon to 1) find it and 2) be able to enter it. Extra points for being a [[http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs43/f/2009/083/e/a/Overview_of_The_Cylon_Colony_by_Tar_Minastir.jpg black techno-organic construct]] with eight arms, each one miles long.
* The titular space station in ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' was this to the Bajorans before the Cardassian occupiers deserted, when it was known as Terok Nor. It was eventually moved out of orbit to the terminus of the Bajoran Wormhole to claim it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* The Zurich Station from ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'', located on Earth's orbit. It houses the central governing body of all Evil {{Mega Corp}}s. THE. MOST. SECURE. FACILITY. EVAR.
* "The Rock", the Fortress Monastery of the Dark Angels chapter of Space Marines in ''[[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer40000}} Warhammer 40,000]]''. It is all that remains of their homeworld of Caliban, a literal castle on a jut of rock floating in space. It has since been sealed against the void and equipped with engines to travel the stars, moving from world to world to find new recruits. Unlike a lot of other examples though, this also qualifies as DarkIsNotEvil. [[spoiler: [[DarkSecret Well]], [[FallenHero mostly...]]]]
[[/folder]]

* Bowser's Castle and Reactor in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy''. The ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series ''loves'' this trope.
** And Bowser's Galaxy Generator in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2''. It's literally a castle bigger than the actual galaxy inside it.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' has Yggdrasil's castle, Vinheim.

** Then there's [[spoiler:Nomad city]]...

* The Floating Fortress in the NES and [=MSX2=] versions of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI''. In remakes, though, it's a castle floating in the clouds. Except the castle itself is not evil; it was constructed by the Lefeinish before Tiamat the Wind Fiend screwed them over and seized the castle.
* The Air Castle in ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV''. Explained in better detail below.
* The [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Collector Base]] from ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' - it and the [[PortalNetwork mass relay]] to access it are the only landmarks in the area at all. Of course, there's not ''nothing'' around - there's [[DerelictGraveyard the ruins of thousands upon thousands of ships]] that have tried and failed to enter Collector space over the millennia.
* The Arcane Sanctuary of ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}} II'', which is floating in space.
* The fortress of Doom from VideoGame/{{Doom}} Eternal, which orbits miles above earth,serving as the Doomslayer's less than humble abode.

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/LavenderCastle'', as the protagonists' goal, [[http://sixtiescity.net/Anderson/LAVCAS2.jpg is not very ominous]]. In fact, it's the place they believe they will find their BigGood, who or whatever that may be. However it is a floating castle in space, shown several times as the characters fly right past without noticing. [[BigBad Dr. Agon's]] twisted [[http://www.gerry-anderson-serien.de/Lavender_Castle/Bilder/Dark-Station.jpg cathedral ship]], however, does look the part.

[[header:[[GratuitousIambicPentameter A Floating Evil Castle in the Clouds]]]]

And then there are these, often found on {{Floating Continent}}s. They're just floating buildings found a few hundred (or thousand) miles high in the sky. Have a tendency to come to earth with an enormous crash once the evil inhabitant [[LoadBearingBoss is defeated.]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''[[Anime/CastleInTheSky Laputa: Castle in the Sky]]'', which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. Laputa isn't an evil castle per se, but lots of bad things happen there.
* The [[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace Gravekeepers' Palace]] in ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'', the base of operations of Kosmo Entelecheia during Ala Rubra's time. As Rakan said, "Now that's what I call a [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Final Dungeon]]!!"
* Digimon Kaizer's flying fortress in ''Anime/{{Digimon Adventure 02}}''.
* Lawrence III's ''Hikōkyū'' (translation: Flying Palace) from ''[[{{Anime/Pokemon2000}} Pokémon 2000]]'', a mechanical flying fortress the size of a city. Unfortunately for Lawrence, its only weaponry was on the bottom; when Moltres and Zapdos began quarreling around the central area of the ship, Lawrence was powerless to stop them, sending the palace crashing down.
* ''[[LightNovel/SwordArtOnline Sword Art Online]]'', The first game takes place in a giant floating stone castle called Aincrad.
* ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'' has the Ark Cradle, Z-ONE's fortress [[spoiler: which is constructed from the ruins of the destroyed Neo Domino City in the future, and is [[ColonyDrop set to crash into]] [[TemporalParadox and destroy the present day version of the city]].]]
* Schneizel's ''[[http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/codegeass/images/c/cc/Damocles_4.JPG Damocles]]'' fortress from ''Anime/CodeGeass'' may count as this. It's basically an amalgamation of the earlier airships with a Britannian-style palace, using float systems and energy shields introduced earlier in the series. [[spoiler:knowing [[MagnificentBastard Schneizel]], who had those technologies commissioned, this was all a part of the plan]]. True to its [[MeaningfulName name]], it's not only shaped like a hovering sword, but also [[spoiler:houses a stockpile of FLEIJA warheads that could be launched on any city at Schneizel's whim, thus enforcing peace]].
* Episode 6 of ''Anime/TheSoulTaker'' is aptly named "The Malevolent Stratosphere Castle" for its location. It was a safe haven for a mutant who had become jaded with his work for the Hospital and sought to end his life in peace.
* ''[[LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex To Aru Majutsu No Index]]'': The Star of Bethlehem and Radiosonde Castle.
* In the ''Anime/MonsterRancher'' anime, Moo used his castle as transportation to wherever he needed to go.
* In ''Animation/GuardianFairyMichel'', the Black Hammer Gang use a floating castle as transportation.

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Rather viciously subverted in ''ComicBook/{{ElfQuest}}'', which begins (almost) with a magical fairytale castle appearing in midair... above a group of terrified neanderthals, who promptly attack its elfin occupants when it comes crashing to the ground moments later.
* In ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', [[https://zelda.gamepedia.com/File:Ganon%27s_Tower_(comic).png Ganon's Tower]] looks like an absolutely massive floating sphere with massive spikes protruding all over its stony surface.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* In the ''WebVideo/MegaMan'' FanFilm, Dr. Wily's castle happens to be one of these.
* ''Fanfic/TheImmortalGame'': The boon that [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Nihilus]] asks for in exchange for serving [[BigBad Titan]] is a floating fortress, something her [[CoDragons Co Dragon]] [[BloodKnight Esteem]] views as tacky and cliche. [[spoiler: And true to form, it collapses when Nihilus is defeated by the Elements of Harmony.]]
* In ''Fanfic/TheLionOfIvalice'', [[spoiler: Bethla Garrison first becomes an EvilTowerOfOminousness after Altima is revived and sets up shop there. When the combined armies of Ivalice lay siege to her tower, she simply opts to devote her power into tearing Bethla out of the earth and into the skies.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fairy Tales]]
* The giant's castle in ''Literature/JackAndTheBeanstalk''. In some versions, it is implied that there's a whole world of giants up in the clouds.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film — Animated]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisMilosReturn'', deranged former millionaire Erik Hellstrom ([[NapoleonDelusion who is under the impression that he is the god Odin]]) uses the power of a stolen Atlantean artifact to make his castle (appropriately called Asgard even before) and the mountaintop it's on float in the air above the mountain itself.
* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTalesTheMovieTreasureOfTheLostLamp'' has a great example when the evil sorceror Merlock uses the Genie's magic to turn Scrooge's money bin into a Floating Castle that is ''very'' ominous. It's not floating by design though; Merlock specifically wished to "return home in his new home". Scrooge just defeats him before they get to the destination.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film - Live Action]]
* ''Film/UltramanGingaSTheMovieShowdownThe10UltraBrothers'': The main villain of the picture, Etelgar the Space-Time Demon, resides in a floating castle that hovers above Tokyo, with the final showdown consisting of the ten Ultramen working together to [[StormingTheCastle confront and defeat Etelgar and his minions in the castle]], one level at a time.

[[/folder]]


[[folder:Literature]]
* The floating castle made of clouds from Creator/PiersAnthony's ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'' series counts as it is currently the home of the Demon Xanth, his consort Chlorine and their son. Somewhat subverted in that the Demon currently in residence isn't actually evil.
* Creator/IsaacAsimov wrote a short story entitled ''Shah Guido G.'' which features the titular despot ruling future Earth from his flying city before it is destroyed by piling on too much weight. (The title, when pronounced [[ShaggyDogStory correctly]], warns the reader that the entire story is a set-up for a [[{{Feghoot}} truly hideous pun]].)
* Castle Black in Steven Brust's ''Literature/{{Dragaera}}'', a non-evil example. Of course, the Empire is littered with the ruins of castles that fell out of the sky the last time [[TheMagicGoesAway The Magic Went Away]].
* The Castle in the Air from Norman Juster's ''Literature/ThePhantomTollbooth''. (Actually a floating prison, inhabited by a couple of captive princesses.)
* The original Laputa appears in Jonathan Swift's ''Literature/GulliversTravels'', where it is a floating island inhabited by scholars. Their relationship with the peasants who live below is often strained, but they are not out-and-out evil.
* Literature/APracticalGuideToEvil: In the old days of FortheEvulz style villainy, these were a big thing, especially under [[TheEmperor Dread Empress Triumphant]] ([[TheDreaded may she never return]]). The [[PragmaticVillainy current leadership]] of [[TheEmpire Praes]] has stopped using them, due to the fact that they both take up valuable resources and have a tendency to crash, making them extremely inefficient.
** In book three, [[spoiler:[[AristocratsAreEvil Diabolist]] performs a ritual to raise the city of Liesse above the clouds to buy time for her time to finish her work on a MysticalPlague.]]
* The Flying Citadels in the ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'' novels.
* In the ''Literature/TheLegendsOfEthshar'' series, the same wizard mentioned under void of nothingness also created a flying castle in the skies, which was brought down by a FantasticNuke.
* In ''Literature/CastleInTheAir'' by Creator/DianaWynneJones, the castle of the title is the villain's base of operations.
* Umbriel fulfills this function in ''Literature/TheElderScrolls''. It is a massive chunk of land in a downward pointing conical shape. Everything that falls in it's shadow is turned into mincemeat.
* ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen''
** In the first book, ''Literature/GardensOfTheMoon'', the armies of the Malazan empire besieging the city of Pale face a flying fortress called Moon's Spawn under the command of a powerful sorcerer, Anomander Rake, who at first is presented as the antagonist -- what with a titles like Son of Darkness and Mane of Chaos.
** In book six, ''Literature/TheBonehunters'', a group of Malazans find several of those floating fortresses hanging in the sky of the Imperial Warren. They try to investigate but get stuck, and after Cotillion, the Patron God of Assassins, informs them the fortresses are full of [[LizardFolk K'Chain Nah'ruk]], they decide they've got more immediate problems.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E13LastOfTheTimeLords "Last of the Time Lords"]], the AirborneAircraftCarrier ''Valiant'' serves as one of these for {{the Master}} during his year-long rule of Earth.
* ''Series/{{Wizbit}}'': Professor Doom's castle is built on a giant stone fist hovering in the sky.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pinball]]
* Mingo in ''Pinball/FlashGordon'', seen hovering between the upper and lower playfields.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* Creator/GamesWorkshop games:
** ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' has a couple. The Floating Castle is a creepy location in the Realm of Chaos, doubtless home to daemons. There is also a rare good example - the Palace of Hothar the Fey - a powerful High Elf mage prince's palace that drifts gently through the clouds of the Elven province of Saphery.
** ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
*** The Silver Towers of Tzeentch float across the surface of a planet, held aloft by the power of its sorcerous residents and the energies of enslaved daemons. While they don't float far above the ground during a battle, they are spaceworthy and are often used as starships and {{Drop Ship}}s.
*** During the Second Battle of Damnos, the [[MechanicalLifeform Necron]] forces unleashed the Baleful Necropolis, a massive floating tomb complex that incorporated multiple Monoliths and a Tesseract Vault into its structure. The Necropolis did massive damage to the [[SuperSoldier Ultramarines]] before it was destroyed.
* Mobile floating castles were used in the War of the Lance, from the Literature/{{Dragonlance}} D&D setting. They were built by the bad guys, so qualify as ominous too.
* ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' being a reasonably magic-rich setting, it has:
** Netherese Enclaves (cut off and upturned top of a mountain)
*** There was an epic level spell (the most powerful magic in third edition) that let you do this. In previous editions it was a 10th level spell [[UpToEleven in a system where the most powerful spells are normally 9th level]].
** Flattery Wyvernspur's castle, Temple in the Sky and several cases when the top half of a wizard's tower remained [[ReinforceField in a good condition]] and in its proper place for several centuries after lower floors were completely ([[StuffBlowingUp and violently]]) removed. Starting with the one from which young Elminster, then ''[[GenderBender Elmara]]'', with her band of adventurers were kicked out in ''[[Literature/TheElminsterSeries The Making of a Mage]]''.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' has the (now ruined) Flying Fortress of Bagrash Köl, as well as the Titan fortresses. Which can quite cheerfully wipe a city off the map.
* Floating fortresses in ''[[TabletopGame/ProseDescriptiveQualities Swashbucklers of the Seven Skies]]'', where everything is either on a FloatingContinent or free-floating in the Skies. Of particular note was the ''Astramorte'', an obvious {{Expy}} of the [[Franchise/StarWars Death Star]], destroyed in a daring raid taking advantage of seemingly inconsequential vulnerabilities.
* The nation of Breland in ''TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}'' has a pair of mobile, floating fortresses that are something of a subversion, as they are more like land-based aircraft carriers. They only float a short distance above the ground and move very slowly and were not as useful in the Last War as Breland had hoped, but were still powerful symbols of Breland's magical and military might. (Breland is one of the few unambiguously Good nations, as well, meaning the fortresses are not even particularly ominous.)
* ''TabletopGames/YuGiOh'' has a handful of these with varying degrees of ominousness, such as the Castle of Dark Illusions, Cloudcastle, and Skyfaring Castle of the Black Forest.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Not exactly owned by the villain, but the Advance Base Rakion at the Mesos Floor in ''VideoGame/AceOnline''[=/=]''Air Rivals'' can look rather intimidating to inexperienced pilots. It doesn't help that it's the largest map in the entire game and that players from ANI and BCU must fight for control of the Advance Base to put it into use.
** The [[AllThereInTheManual official website]] says it is a spy satellite of the Shrines, AKA [[AliensAreBastards the evil aliens that want to conquer the planet]]. ANI and BCU just borrow it during their skirmishes.
* The Floating Palace in ''VideoGame/ArcanaHeart'', which is where the final battles take place.
* Agua from the first ''VideoGame/{{Breath of Fire|I}}''. Obelisk too, but only after Tyr is released.
* The Shadow Shard in ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes''. Where do we ''start''... Well, it's got ''several'' Ominous Floating Castles, separated by {{Floating Continent}}s.
** As well as the base for Ouroboros, the "time travel agency"
* The Moonflower Palace of ''VideoGame/DarkChronicle'' used to be one, until it engaged the heroes' own flying fortress, [[HumongousMecha Paznos]], and it was sent hurtling right towards [[DoomedHometown Palm Brinks]]. Paznos' robot mode was barely able to ground it elsewhere.
* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'': The seventh level in the game, Creepy Castle, is this trope. A haunted castle floating in the clouds, where it's always rainy and dark, and besides the small island that the castle is on, there's nothing between it and a long, long way down.
* ''VideoGame/GigaWing'' 's fourth stage is set on a FloatingContinent, and the stage following it one-ups it with a floating city.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon'', most of the ancient Wingly cities were like this until the Dragon Campaign.
* Daos in ''VideoGame/LufiaIIRiseOfTheSinistrals'' had his castle on top of what was aptly named The FloatingContinent.
* Creator/{{Square|Enix}} likes this trope:
** The Black Omen in ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' floats in the air for thousands of years, such that when it appears, people comment on it regardless of the time period you visit. In fact, it's been around so long that people aren't even scared of it anymore, even though it is a obsidian floating {{Magitek}} imposing ''thing'' that's even named the ''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Black Omen]]''.
*** Sky Dragon's Isle takes to the skies and transforms into Terra Tower, aka Dinopolis, in ''VideoGame/ChronoCross''.
** Tiamat's Floating Tower in Final Fantasy, mentioned in Dissidia and it's sequel with the dungeon 'Dreams of a Flying Castle' and mentioned in the Cosmos Reports.
** The Castle of Emperor Palamecia in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyII''. It's kept aloft by a massively destructive Cyclone, and can only be reached with the help of a flying dragon.
** The [[MagiTek highly technological]] Tower of Zot of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', Golbez' personal base of operations until he moves to the [[EvilTowerOfOminousness Tower of Bab-Il]].
** The [[MagiTek Lonka Ruins]] of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'', sustained by the [[CosmicKeystone Earth Crystal]].
** Ultimecia's castle in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII''. It's so floaty that it has to be held down with improbably huge chains.
** Mt. Gulg from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' is an unusual example: It's a huge mountain that was quite literally ripped off the ground and sent floating in the sky thanks to the powers of the [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Lightwarden Innocence]]. However, as you start reaching the peak, the 'castle' part of the area starts to show itself, with huge white walls and pillars giving the players the feeling like they just stepped in the Pearly Gates! The 'ominous' part is that its utterly filled with [[LightIsNotGood Sin Eaters]].
** The Mana Fortress in ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana'', which once destroyed the world.
** ''[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Sky Fortress]] Bahamut'' from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII''. Double bonus since it's also an EvilTowerOfOminousness, tall enough to reach the clouds with its upper decks while its bottom floats just a few hundred feet above ground level.
** Then there's the Soda Fountain from ''VideoGame/BraveFencerMusashi'', capital of the evil [[FoodThemeNaming Thirstquencher]] [[TheEmpire Empire]]. It's presumably kept aloft by the gigantic [[GreenRocks Binchotite crystals]] jutting out of the bottom, given that the ones you normally encounter in game constantly spin in midair.
* Bowser's castles in ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' (pictured) and ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]''.
** There's another example in ''VideoGame/YoshisIsland DS'', which has to be reached by space rocket (although it's shown in the clouds in the intro), and like most Mario examples, crashes to the ground after the FinalBoss is defeated.
** Both ''VideoGame/PaperMarioStickerStar'' and ''VideoGame/PaperMarioColorSplash'' repeat this with [[spoiler: Bowser's Sky Castle]] and [[spoiler:Black Bowser's Castle]] respectively. The former is not floating initially but instead [[spoiler:hidden in the Gate Cliff]] and is not destroyed on-screen while the latter [[spoiler: is turned into a card after Huey squeezes all of the black paint out of it. And yes, if you reload the game after the credits, [[ColonyDrop you can use it in battle]].]]
** [[NewNeoCity Neo]] Bowser Castle from ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'' is yet another example.[[spoiler:.. though it's brought down to earth by the time the Bros. can storm it.]]
** A completely different [[spoiler:Neo Bowser Castle]] appears in ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPaperJam'' [[spoiler:created when the Bowsers modify to castle to go airbourne]]. Unlike Dream Team's example, [[spoiler:you actually storm it while it's flying]].
* The Air Castle was this in ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarI''. It re-appeared in ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV'' as a space floater, given that the planet it was on was [[EarthShatteringKaboom destroyed]] in ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarII''.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'' gives us the Glorious Land of Eldrant. In a subversion, it crashes to earth ''before'' the BigBad is defeated when he attempts to [[RocksFallEveryoneDies squash the party]].
* Also from the Tales series, ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'' has the Ancient Tower of Tarqaron.
* Valen's Fortress in ''VideoGame/ThreadsOfFate'' manifests itself as a floating, pointy fortress.
* The end cutscene of ''VideoGame/ViewtifulJoe 2'' shows one of these, allegedly the source of the Black V-Watch and Black Film. [[OrphanedSeries However...]]
* The Scourge Necropoli in ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'', most notably Naxxramas in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' (an Instance that was revamped for ''Wrath of the Lich King''), and Acherus The Ebon Hold (The Death Knight's equivalent to Moonglade). They also showed up all over the place during the ZombieApocalypse event before the release of ''Wrath of the Lich King''.
** Tempest Keep and its satellite structures in ''The Burning Crusade'' float over the edge of Outland, above a drop into the Twisting Nether.
* Necron Monoliths in ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar: Dark Crusade''. The only Necron building that can produce units, once fully upgraded it flies, teleports decent distances, and brings enormous firepower to bear on anything unfortunate enough to get in its path. If it ends up being severely damaged, it teleports back to its original location. Not really ominous, as that implies that your doom is merely impending, Monoliths are the final seal on your tomb.
* While not so much ominous or a boss level, ''VideoGame/WarioLand Shake It!'' has Airytale Castle, Prism Prison and possibly Launchpad Labryinth in this kind of floating building.
* ''VideoGame/{{Ys}}'': Multiple:
** The lost city of Kefin in ''[[VideoGame/{{Ys}} Ys V]]''.
** Also, the Solomon Shrine on the FloatingContinent of Ys in ''II''.
* In the ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', Ganondorf does this to his eventual hideout of Hyrule Castle. Annoyingly, the void is only about 50 feet from the nearest cliff edge and you spend the latter two-thirds of the game only that far away from the final boss.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'', the whole plot and lots of other things revolve around the moon. The moon has a hideous face on it and [[BigBad Majora's mask]] is trying to crush the land with it. It also is the final dungeon and where you fight the Mask at the end.
* The Kirby series does it on occasion (not too surprising considering the series is fond of [[StormingTheCastle a close trope]].
** ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand2'' has Dark Castle, the last of the Rainbow Islands and the source of the clouds that are covering them. The area boasts 7 stages (with almost half being [[RemixedLevel harder versions of the first 3]], a battle with a [[DemonicPossession sleeping King Dedede]] and, if you got all the Rainbow Drops, a showdown with [[spoiler: [[TrueFinalBoss Dark Matter]]]].
** ''VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe'' has Royal Road, a fancy castle found at the top of the Dreamstalk. It is the destination of Dedede's kidnapper Taranza and the home of his boss [[spoiler: [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen Sectonia]]]].
* Both ''VideoGame/LegendOfLegaia'' and its sequel do this, although the first one does score extra points for [[spoiler:having the tower being a piece of junk made to fly ''specifically'' to invoke this trope and lure the player's to a LoadBearingBoss fight.]]
* The ''Lair of the Shadow Broker'' in the ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' {{DLC}} of the same name turns out to be a unique spaceship constructed to be permanently hidden inside a massive storm in the skies above a planet that is searing hot on the day side and freezing cold on the night side.
* ''VideoGame/PowerStone 2'' takes place in a castle in the sky. In addition to collecting the titular wish-granting [[MacGuffin MacGuffins]], the objective of the game is for the player characters to fight their way out of the castle. [[spoiler:True to the form of this trope, defeating [[BigBad Dr. Erode]], the master of the castle, in the FinalBattle leads to the destruction of the castle.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Strider}}'' has the Ballog/Balrog Flying Fortress, and the [[ThatsNoMoon Third Moon]].
* [[BigBad Malefor]] has this as his lair in the final ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro'' game. Between the second and third game, Malefor retook the Dragon Temple after being set free, then used his magic to lift it high about the ground and use it as his castle. For added ominousness, it's over a ''volcano''.
* This is a somewhat popular model of base to build in ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}''. Due to gravity not working on most blocks, it can be made out of dirt, stone, brick, wood, metal or even, theoretically, [[SerialEscalation water and ice]].
* The Sky Palace in ''VideoGame/AlisiaDragoon''.
* In ''VideoGame/BillyHatcherAndTheGiantEgg'', Giant Palace initially comes off across this way in its first mission. It's subverted though when Billy and his chums boot [[BigBad Dark]] [[FinalBoss Raven]] out, [[CueTheSun bringing morning]]. As a result Giant Palace becomes a much nicer place.
* The ''[[VideoGame/{{Glider}} Glider PRO]]'' house "Castle o' the Air."
* The first ''VideoGame/BatenKaitos'' has [[spoiler:Cor Hydrae]], TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.
* Killorn Keep in ''VideoGame/UltimaUnderworld II'', suspended above a desert, serves as an outpost to the BigBad and a MirrorUniverse to Britannia. Due to the technical limitations of the game you can't see outside it, so you have to take the developer's word for it. It's kept afloat by two brain creatures, and if you kill them it comes crashing to the ground.
* ''VideoGame/AliceMadnessReturns'' has [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Card Castles in the Sky]], which actually is pretty much the only pleasant, non-hostile area in the game.
* Though technically a flying mansion, Comstock House in VideoGame/BioshockInfinite certainly counts. Its probably the biggest most intimidating structure in Columbia, never mind the lightning storm and the gigantic statues of the founding fathers it rests upon. In addition to being the house of Big Bad [[spoiler: It becomes an Insane Asylum run by the inmates, albeit in the future of 1984.]] Concept art makes the building look even more Gothic (as in the architecture with sharp towers and flying buttresses).
* The Ivory Tower in ''VideoGame/NiNoKuni'': ''Wrath of the White Witch'' floats above a mountain range in the Summerlands once the White Witch makes her existence known to the world.
* ''VideoGame/{{Robopon}}'' has Dr. Zero's Death Gaia in the second game.
* A Japanese Ninja adventure game called "VideoGame/ShounenKinindenTsumuji" has the final area called "Demon Castle" which floats in the sky filled with demons.
* While no one is entirely sure if its inhabitant is evil or not, the floating Wizard's Tower in ''VideoGame/GuildWars'' and ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'' has am ominous air about it. In the latter, while the nearby town is protected by elementals charmed by its inhabitant, the townsfolk are still fairly doubtful of the elementals despite praising the wizard.
* ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRanger Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs]]'' has the aptly named Sky Fortress that serves as the setting for the climax of the game against [[spoiler: the Societea]] and also an extra mission involving [[spoiler: Purple Eyes]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Chantelise}}'': The final level, which holds a Archdemon inside it.
* The [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon fifth Stratum]] of ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey II'', the Heavenly Keep, is a legendary flying castle hidden within the highest reaches of Yggdrasil.
* The KGB 'floating war factory' in the third ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxter'' game.
* Roper Klacks' castle in ''VideoGame/TheLongestJourney''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* [[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20030630 Castle Wulfenbach]] from ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'', since it's actually an [[AirborneAircraftCarrier extra-large airship]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Darigan's Citadel in ''Website/{{Neopets}}''.
* ''WebAnimation/{{Dreamscape}}'': The Overlord of Evil's base was more of a glorified turret than a full-on castle. He was intending to tear a hole in reality using it's laser beam.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* "Merlin" [[spoiler: actually Venger]] has one in the "The Day of No Tomorrow" episode of the ''[[WesternAnimation/DungeonsAndDragons Dungeons & Dragons]]'' cartoon.
* This trope is probably what the Magus from ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' had in mind, when he froze them in their stone form "until the castle rises above the clouds". The possibility that ''buildings'' would one day be tall enough for the place to become a clouddeck penthouse didn't occur to him.
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': [[spoiler: During [[EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt Weirdmageddon]], [[EldritchAbomination Bill Cipher]] creates an enormous floating pyramid to serve as his castle.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'''s Mordhaus was turned into a free-floating complex during renovations.
* The film version of ''[[Literature/ThePhantomTollbooth Phantom Tollbooth]]'' has one of these, although it's merely surrounded by an [[DeathMountain evil region]] rather than being evil in and of itself.
* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'': In [[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS3E21PadawanLost "Padawan Lost"]]/[[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS3E22WookieeHunt "Wookiee Hunt"]], the Trandoshan hunters have one as their base.
* Master Cyclonis ''WesternAnimation/StormHawks'' upgraded her Terra Cyclonia into one of these with massive [[PowerCrystal crystals that allowed it to fly]]. [[spoiler:She didn't get to enjoy it long before the heroes blew up said crystals in the finale and sent it all crashing to the ground]].
* Magneto's fortress Asteroid M. from ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution''.
[[/folder]]

Not to be confused with ''Roleplay/FloatingCastle''.

* ''FanFic/TheImmortalGame'': The boon that [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Nihilus]] asks for in exchange for serving [[BigBad Titan]] is a floating fortress, something her [[CoDragons Co Dragon]] [[BloodKnight Esteem]] views as tacky and cliche. [[spoiler: And true to form, it collapses when Nihilus is defeated by the Elements of Harmony.]]

* ''Franchise/{{Ys}}''

* The Castle in the Air from Norman Juster's ''Literature/ThePhantomTollbooth''. (Actually a floating prison, inhabited by a couple of captive [[EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses princesses]].)

On top of that, there are multiple versions with their respective associations. A FloatingContinent with this place on top will often be a rather mystical area, while various space-faring series usually have an enormous battleship in the centre or edge of the universe for the alien invaders. Then, of course, anything literally in a void has a pretty good chance of being a MindScrew. Nevertheless, it's relatively common, especially as a [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Very Definitely Final Dungeon]] in a videogame, providing the backdrop for many an extremely powerful evil force.

* The [[VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Collector Base]] from ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' - it and the [[PortalNetwork mass relay]] to access it are the only landmarks in the area at all. Of course, there's not ''nothing'' around - there's [[DerelictGraveyard the ruins of thousands upon thousands of ships]] that have tried and failed to enter Collector space over the millennia.

* Agua from the first ''VideoGame/{{Breath of Fire|I}}''. Obelisk too, but only after the Tyr is released.

* The first ''VideoGame/BatenKaitos'' has [[spoiler:Cor Hydrae,]], the VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.