History Main / RetractableAppendages

Aside from those uses, Retractable Appendages can also serve the purpose of camouflage, whether for the purpose of avoiding FantasticRacism or as a way of DressingAsTheEnemy. Most common examples include the fangs of vampires, the horns and wings of [[DevilInDisguise demonic beings]], the abnormal features of {{mutant}}s, and the [[SpareBodyParts extra limbs]] of [[AlienAmongUs human-looking aliens]]. When PlayedForLaughs, expect PowerIncontinence to strike, with the character revealing their hidden appendages at the worst possible times, and trying desperately to hide them.

* Neiz from ''Anime/DragonBallZCoolersRevenge'' has the ability to retract his head into his body like that of a turtle.

* [[ComicBook/FantasticFour Mr.Fantastic]] [[RubberMan can retract everything]], turning into a sphere. That is how he survived exposure to space once.

** [[Characters/AbraxasHrodvitnonTitansAndOtherCreatures MaNi/Elder Brother]] reconstructs a broken bone in his arm into a bone spike for stabbing, which he can retract into the repaired arm at will.
** {{Downplayed}} by [[Characters/AbraxasHrodvitnonMonsterX Monster X]]: in their final form, they possess [[spoiler:giant wings which fold and reshape into an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elytron elytron]]-like bone casing when not in use]].

[[folder:Film - Animated]]
* In the film ''WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch'', Stitch demonstrates this ability when taking refuge in a dog pound as seen above.
* Toothless from ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon'' has retractable teeth, hence his name. In the [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon2 sequel]], he is revealed to also have retractable scales along his spine.

[[folder:Film - Live-Action]]

* In ''Film/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy2005'', Zaphod retracts one of his heads into his chest from time to time.
* {{Kaiju}} movies starring Film/{{Gamera}}, the flying turtle. Gamera can retract all four of his legs into his shell, then cause fire to spray out of the holes, allowing him to spin around and fly. He can retract his head into his shell the same way, and often does so while flying.
* An early Creator/StephenChow movie, ''The Royal Tramp'', involved a battle with the MadeOfIron villain who could even retract his manparts. But Stephen's character, having grown up in a brothel, learned how to counteract this by shoving something up the [[AssShove backdoor.]]
* The title characters of ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1990'' all have the ability to do this. During the final Foot battle of the film, Mikey retracts his head into his shell to keep it from being taken off by a Foot mook's axe. "God, I love being a turtle!"

* ''Literature/TheFutureIsWild'' has the Flish with a retractable second mouth.
** Slickribbons have the Flishes retractability brought up a notch.

* In the ''Literature/JamesBond'' book ''Literature/YouOnlyLiveTwice'', Bond visits a Japanese martial arts training facility, where the fighters have been trained to retract their testes, making them invulnerable to a groin attack. You really do this (if you're a male), but to a lesser extent than they show in the book.
* In ''Literature/TheCityAndTheStars'' by Creator/ArthurCClarke, future humanity has been engineered so that male genitalia are stored internally when not in use.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. Giant Snapping Turtles are noted as being able to retract their legs and head into their shell, thus improving their armor class.

* Sephiroth in ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' has a retractable black wing. Implied in the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' series that his black wing is the same as in ''Kingdom Hearts''.

* ''VideoGame/{{Pokemon}}'':

** One of [[OminousOwl Hoothoot's]] legs is retractable.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', the turtle monster Cagnazzo is a creepy example of this. He can collapse to invulnerable shell form, even though his beefy humanoid arms and legs are clearly too big to fit in his shell.
* [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Kefka]] from the ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' series has six retractable wings that only extend when he uses the attack "'''''Havoc Wing'''''".
* Algol from ''[[VideoGame/SoulCalibur Soul Calibur IV]]'' has [[NightmareFuel 3 retractable, kraken like, clawed, fingeresque tentacles on each side that extend from his chest.]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* ''WebAnimation/HazbinHotel'': [[Characters/HazbinHotel Angel Dust]] has a third pair of arms that he can retract into himself, while Katie Killjoy has four retractable insectoid limbs..
[[/folder]]

* A fun image on Website/{{Neopets}} reveals Cybunnies can retract their heads into their body.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{CatDog}}'' has the titular character retract its body like a snail, there's only one episode where the play it rather... [[NightmareFuel Gruesomely]].
* ''Franchise/LiloAndStitch'' has Stitch with retractable antennae, back spines, claws, and second pair of arms.
** [[Characters/LiloAndStitchExperiments Several of Stitch's "cousins"]] also have this ability.

* ''WesternAnimation/SkullIsland2023'': When the [[Characters/MonsterVerseSkullIslandKaijuAndOtherCreatures Kraken]]'s tentacles are injured during the final fight, they retract back inside the Kraken's torso.
* Gary from ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' also justified knowing he's a snail.
** Also happens to Craig Mammalton in the episode "Sun Bleached".
** Also happens to Patrick in the episode "Not Normal".

[[folder: Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': [=MaNi=]/Elder Brother reconstructs a broken bone in his arm into a bone spike for stabbing, which he can retract at will. {{Downplayed}} by Monster X in their final form, as they possess [[spoiler:giant wings which fold and reshape into an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elytron elytron]]-like bone casing when not in use]].

This trope is actually often found in RealLife. Among the most well-known examples are turtles and snails, which are able to retract their limbs within their shells[[note]][[CommonKnowledge Although in reality]], some species of turtles are only able to retract their neck, and some are even unable to retract at all.[[/note]], with the latter also able to retract their eyes and horns inside their body. On the same note, felines, especially cats, are known for their retractable claws. As such, if a fictional creature is based on one of these animals, they will most likely inherit this ability.

* In the ''Literature/JamesBond'' book ''Literature/YouOnlyLiveTwice'' Bond visits a Japanese martial arts training facility, where the fighters have been trained to retract their testes, making them invulnerable to a groin attack. You really do this (if you're a male), but to a lesser extent than they show in the book.

[[folder: Web Animation]]

* ''[[Film/InspectorGadget Inspector Gadget 2]]'' has this happen to Gadget when he ducks a punch in the face at a bar.

* In ''Film/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', Zaphod retracts one of his heads into his chest from time to time.

* Literature/TheFutureIsWild has the Flish with a retractable second mouth.

* WesternAnimation/{{CatDog}} has the titular character retract its body like a snail, there's only one episode where the play it rather... [[NightmareFuel Gruesomely]].

* [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Kefka]] from the ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' series has six retractable wings that only detract when he uses the attack "'''''Havoc Wing'''''".
* Algol from ''[[VideoGame/SoulCalibur Soul Calibur IV]]'' has [[NightmareFuel 3 retractable, kraken like, clawed, fingeresque tentacles on each side that detract from his chest.]]

* Goblin sharks have retractable mouths. They are able to extent their upper and lower jaws out of their head to give their bite extra reach.

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', Kaku's Giraffe form has a retractable neck. The Pasta Machine technique allows him to retract his neck fully, which then causes his limbs to extend to greater lengths. [[BlatantLies All normal parts of giraffe anatomy]].

** Slickribbons have the Flishes retractability brought UpToEleven.

* Cats, and some Civets have retractable claws.

* WesternAnimation/{{CatDog}} has the titular character retract its body like a snail, there's only one episode where the play it rather... [[NightmareFuel Gruesomely]].
* [[BigBad Shendu]] from ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'' normally has arms and legs, but for some reason he actually loses both after being turned into a statue thousands of years ago. He eventually gets his arms and legs back once he's been reverted back from his statue form.
* Plasmo and Parsty from ''WesternAnimation/{{Plasmo}}'' are able to pull their arms in and out of their body, as part of the abilities of their species. They often default to having them kept inside when not in use.

* The arms of {{Kappa}} are sometimes said to be connected inside their body, allowing them to pull in one arm to extend the other.

* Neiz from the Franchise/DragonBall movie Cooler's Revenge who has the ability to retract his head into his body like that of a turtle.

Aside from those uses, Retractable Appendages can also serve the purpose of camouflage, whether for the purpose of avoiding FantasticRacism or as a way of DressingAsTheEnemy. Most common examples include the fangs of {{vampire}}s, the horns and wings of [[DevilInDisguise demonic beings]], the abnormal features of {{mutant}}s, and the [[SpareBodyParts extra limbs]] of [[AlienAmongUs human-looking aliens]]. When PlayedForLaughs, expect PowerIncontinence to strike, with the character revealing their hidden appendages at the worst possible times, and trying desperately to hide them.

[[quoteright:350:[[Disney/LiloAndStitch https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stitch_retracts_appendages.jpg]]]]

* In the film ''Disney/LiloAndStitch'', Stitch demonstrates this ability when taking refuge in a dog pound as seen above.