History Main / SavageSetpiece

* ''MarioandLuigi'' introduced Oho Jees. These [TheDitz half-wit] NPCs are harmless until attacked with fire or thunder. Incidentally, defeating them in battle doesn't kill them; they simply return to normal, harmless mobs.

* GuildWars2 has a substantial amount of neutral fauna, ranging from roving herds of moa to lumbering oakhearts. They typically will not actively engage anyone, but if hit by anything (players or enemy mobs), they will defend themselves.

* The Big Daddies basically fill this role in {{Bioshock}}. They'll lumber past ignoring you all day long, but if you take a shot at them (or their Little Sister) they won't stop until one of you is dead. But if you do kill them, you can capture the Little Sister and loot their bodies for money and weapons.

* VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft has a neutral NPC named [[http://www.wowhead.com/npc=6466#comments:id=1200166 Gamon]] in the Horde capital. He used to be the general beating doll, then apparently TookALevelInBadass and can now deal enough damage to one-hit players attacking him.

* ''Super {{Metroid}}'' has a turtle-like creature and its adorable babies in certain areas of Zebes. While they're normally utterly harmless, I'm sure you can guess what happens if you [[MamaBear attack the little ones.]]

* ''{{Kirby}}'' has the Scarfies, adorable little floating cat-head things... which abruptly transform into cyclopean, razor-toothed monstrosities should you attempt to inhale them, or when you do minor damage. In some games they perform the more traditional mook role of only attacking when the player character is facing away.

* In the ''PokemonMysteryDungeon'' series, you can occasionally find shops in dungeons. Attempt to shoplift, and you'll face an army of extremely high-level Kecleon with max stats. Even if you're prepared, they'll probably wipe the floor with you. The worst part is that [[GottaCatchThemAll this is the only way to recruit a Kecleon for your Rescue Team.]]

* Most cashiers in the ''GrandTheftAuto'' games can be robbed at gunpoint, but those in the gun shops and high-class nightclubs carry shotguns and ''will'' bust a cap if you try anything funny. Oddly, this can work to your advantage as if you're trying to kill some annoying gang members and can't quite get the police to aggro them. Gunshots will attract the police, who'll kill the cashiers, which will cause cashiers to become more aggressive in their behavior, and probably shoot or beat to death the wandering gangers. Good for when your objective is to kill one of their number and they're mulling about near both the target and the gun store/nightclub. Just aim your gun at the cashier and duck behind someone else.
* In ''{{Temple of Elemental Evil}}'', there are several locations which automatically spawn groups of giant rats (such as the Moathouse entry hall). Unlike most rats you'll meet, these are not hostile. You can attack them, but if your party is low level (which is usually the case) you could end up with a couple of diseased characters. The rats mostly serve the purpose of indicating that a location is not healthy for sleeping.

** Similarly, the Long Guis and Shaolong Guis in ''FinalFantasyXIII'' and ''[[{{FinalFantasyXIII-2}} Final Fantasy XIII-2]]'' ignore you completely unless you deliberately pick a fight with them. They don't show up nearly as early as the FFXII example, but they are very powerful for when you first encounter them. By the postgame of XIII, however, you'll be farming them if you want to achieve OneHundredPercentCompletion.
* WorldOfWarcraft has a neutral NPC named [[http://www.wowhead.com/npc=6466#comments:id=1200166 Gamon]] in the Horde capital. He used to be the general beating doll, then apparently TookALevelInBadass and can now deal enough damage to one-hit players attacking him.

* In ''AgeOfEmpires'', elephants (except for King Elephants) only attack if you hurt them first. While they're dangerous to hunt as a result, you can safely ignore them. This is a big contrast to lions and crocodiles.
** Also, wild boars. Attempting to hunt one for food will likely end up with a few dead villagers (and boar) as a result.

* ''LegendOfZelda''

** ''Wind Waker'' replaces them with pigs. If you return to the first island you'll find that the pig you caught at the beginning of the game is now HUGE. It can be provoked just like the other pigs. It does more damage than any other enemy in the game when it attacks- including the FinalBoss!
** In the original ''LegendOfZelda'', if you attack [=NPCs=] with your sword they'll start flinging fireballs at you.

* The Zombie Pigman from ''{{Minecraft}}'' will even walk right up to you ''and look at you'' without attacking. When you attack him, not only does he attack full-on with his sword, but any other Pigmen in range come in swinging. Wolves behave with a similar pack instinct, except you can also tame them so that they'll gang up on monsters that attack you. Spiders are hostile at night, but turn into this in the sunlight, albeit without the group attack. However, due to how the AI works, you can kill them without fear of reprisal by pushing them into harmful obstacles like cacti or fires.

** In the original ''LegendOfZelda'', if you attack NPCs with your sword they'll start flinging fireballs at you.

* In ''FinalFantasyXII'', you may see a large [[TyrannosaurusRex T-Rex]]-esque creature wandering around a very early area of the game. It's harmless as long as you leave it alone. If you're [[WhoWouldBeStupidEnough foolish]] enough to run up and [[BullyingADragon smack it]], [[CurbstompBattle don't expect to live for much longer]]...

* A not-really-an-enemy example. [[EarthwormJim Peter The Puppy]]. Just Peter The Pup-- ''*falls into the pit and becomes a flying buffed-up monster*''

* The Zombie Pigman from {{Minecraft}} will even walk right up to you ''and look at you'' without attacking. When you attack him, not only does he attack full-on with his sword, but any other Pigmen in range come in swinging. The newer wolf mobs are the same. Spiders also work this way, but only in the sunlight and without the group attack.

* In ''FinalFantasyXII'', you may see a large [[TyrannosaurusRex T-Rex]]-esque creature wandering around a very early area of the game. It's harmless as long as you leave it alone. If you're [[WhoWouldBeStupidEnough foolish]] enough to run up and [[BullyingADragon smack it]], [[CurbstompBattle don't expect to live for much longer]]...

* The [[EasilyAngeredShopkeeper Shopkeepers]] in {{Spelunky}} are like this. Even worse, killing one directly would cause all the other shopkeepers for the rest of the game to be hostile as well.

* In ''Left4Dead'', the Witch does nothing besides moan and cue creepy music. If you attack her, or in some case look at her too long or shine your flashlight at her, she'll run at you and kill you in seconds. In some versions she'll rampage against the the other party members too out of sheer spite.

** In the original ''LegendOfZelda'', if you shoot some of the shopkeepers with your sword, they'll start flinging fireballs at you.

* The Zombie Pigman from {{Minecraft}} will even walk right up to you ''and look at you'' without attacking. When you attack him, not only does he attack full-on with his sword, but any other Pigmen in range come in swinging. The newer wolf mobs are the same. Spiders also work this way, but only in the sunlight and without the group attack.

* The Zombie Pigman from {{Minecraft}} will even walk right up to you ''and look at you'' without attacking. When you attack him, not only does he attack full-on with his sword, but any other Pigmen in range come in swinging.

This creature normally doesn't look or act like an enemy, and [[EverythingTryingToKillYou unlike everything else]], it's not interested in your blood. It's simply there to provide flavor. However, if you attack it or otherwise provoke it, it will turn on you and dish out hurt the likes of which the BonusBoss only wishes he could achieve.

* The Big Daddies basically fill this role in {{Bioshock}}. They'll lumber past ignoring you all day long, but if you take a shot at them (or their Little Sister) they won't stop until one of you is dead. But if you do kill them, you can capture the Little Sister and loot their bodies for money and weapons.

* In the ''PokemonMysteryDungeon'' series, you can occasionally find shops in dungeons. Attempt to shoplift, and you'll face an army of extremely high-level Kecleons with max stats. Even if you're prepared, you will probably die. The worst part is that [[GottaCatchThemAll this is the only way to recruit a Kecleon for your Rescue Team.]]

** Also, wild boars. Attempting to hunt one for food will likely end up with a few dead villagers (and boar) as a result.

* A not-really-an-enemy example. [[EarthwromJim Peter The Puppy]]. Just Peter The Pup-- ''*falls into the pit and becomes a flying buffed-up monster*''

* In ''AgeOfEmpires'', elephants (except for King Elephants) only attack if you hurt them first. While they're dangerous to hunt as a result, you can safely ignore them. This is a big contrast to lions and crocodiles.