History Main / ScaledUp

[[folder:Music]]
* In ''Music/TheMechanisms'' concept album "The Bifrost Incident", Odin turns into Jormungandr, the World Serpent, after being fully corrupted by [[EldritchAbomination The Old Gods]].

[[folder:Music Videos]]
* In the Music/RobbieWilliams music video "Radio", Robbie becomes something like this at the very end.
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* Draconis and Abazigal from ''[[VideoGame/BaldursGate Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal]]'' revert to their [[OneWingedAngel true forms]] -- adult dragons -- upon being whacked sufficiently while in human form. While you still kill them, the 'partial success' part is because Draconis' dragon form is a challenge (or at least a ''bloody'' annoyance) and is widely considered to be an actually difficult boss. Abazigal, however... Isn't.
* DarkIsNotEvil heroic example from the titular character from ''{{VideoGame/Bayonetta 2}}'' when she obtains the ability to [[{{Animorphism}} transform into a giant snake]] in order to swim quickly underwater, aptly named Snake Within. Her mother, [[SecretCharacter Rosa]], also gains a similar ability called Cobra Within.
* This is the main character's signature ability in the ''Franchise/BreathOfFire'' series. He usually starts out as a human from a LostTribe with the power to transform into dragons, and throughout the game, he gradually acquires bigger and more powerful dragon forms to use. In the [[VideoGame/BreathOfFireDragonQuarter fifth game]] he only has a single transformation and has to avoid overusing it.

* In ''[[VideoGame/GargoylesQuest Demon's Crest]]'', Phalanx uses the Crest of Heaven to transform into a giant demonic naga if you complete enough levels to make the game its longest.

* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', [[spoiler:Flemeth]] turns into a dragon and is one of the hardest fights in the game.
** She does it again in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', although that time she helps the player.
** In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' [[spoiler:Morrigan]] can potentially turn into a dragon at the climax [[spoiler:if she drank from the Well of Sorrows.]]
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'':

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''

* After being thrashed sufficiently by Isaac's team in ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'', antagonists Saturos and Menardi transform [[spoiler:into a single two-headed dragon. While the Fusion Dragon is a more powerful boss than either opponent separately]], team Isaac still wins. In the sequel, the final boss is actually [[spoiler:another fused dragon comprised of three of the heroes' parents.]]
** The Flame Dragons in TLA were [[spoiler:[[ForcedTransformation transformed]] Agatio and Karst, as the Wise One wanted to keep them from being the ones to restore Alchemy. The Wise One was successful. [[AlasPoorVillain Agatio and Karst were not]].]]
** In all these cases, the dragon shape really ''is'' far more powerful (especially in the case of the [[ThatOneBoss Doom Dragon]]), but results in a ''nasty'' case of [[HeroicRROD Antagonist RROD]] when it wears off. A line of Saturos's before his transformation suggests he knew about this [[spoiler:which would explain why he and Menardi were DrivenToSuicide after their defeat as the Fusion Dragon]]. In TLA, everyone who transformed was explicitly stated afterward to be too weak to withstand Mars Lighthouse's environmental hazards [[spoiler:which is how Agatio and Karst died. The heroes' parents were saved by DeusExMachina]].

* One of Liu Kang's finishers in the ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' series is to turn into a dragon and bite the opponent in two.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

[[folder:Web Original]]

* The ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' episode "Splicers" has the villains mix animal DNA with their own. While the lead villain uses DNA from several different animals, he winds up as basically an eight-foot-tall snake [[spoiler:(at least until Terry overloads him with injectors and he [[OneWingedAngel turns into a monster]])]]. He puts up a fairly decent fight against Batman (certainly better than he would have as a human), but still loses in the end.

* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars[=/=]WesternAnimation/BeastMachines'': Transmetal II[[=/=]Megatron. Considering all the bad guys who this doesn't work for, it seems ironic that he grows to hate his scaled up form despite it being responsible for his success.
** The Golden One transforms into a dragon and back in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' episode "Madman's Paradise".

* Malchior in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'', though he didn't so much transform into a dragon as he was transformed back to his real form. It still doesn't help him much (technically he was handing the entire Titan team [[CurbStompBattle their asses]], but it slipped his mind that Raven, the one who unsealed him in the first place due to his manipulations, knew both the spell to put him away again and had the will to do it until she already brought the sealing book up).

*** Of course, Beast Boy himself is also a heroic example: he ScaledUp into a pteranodon, tyrannosaur, or a ''Jurassic Park''-style velociraptor on occasion. One time he even ScaledUp into a T-Rex to fight his ScaledUp EvilTwin, [[Film/JurassicPark3 who turned into a spinosaur]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'', [[TheDragon Cedric's]] snake-man form is initially very effective; however, as the heroines become increasingly proficient in using their powers (and in battle in general) [[VillainForgotToLevelGrind he's increasingly left in the dust]].

* ''Manga/OnePiece'' has [[{{Animorphism}} Zoan]] Devil Fruits, so of course there are reptile-based ones. In fact, two specific "families" of reptile Zoan Devil Fruits have appeared in canon; the Snake-Snake Fruit, which turns the user into a specific kind of snake, and the Dragon-Dragon Fruit, which is actually a family of [[PrehistoricMonster Ancient Zoan]] Fruits that covers [[DinosaursAreDragons dinosaurs]].
** The first Snake-Snake Fruit-users were the Boa sisters Marigold (King Cobra) and Sandersonia (Anaconda). Ironically, their little sister Hancock breaks the theme by instead having a Paramecia that lets her [[TakenForGranite petrify anyone who thinks lustful thoughts about her]]. Marigold and Sandersonia actually fare pretty well against Luffy…up until the point where he [[LetsGetDangerous stops holding back]].
** A Mythic Zoan branch of the Snake-Snake Fruit tree, the [[{{Orochi}} Yamato-No-Orochi Model]], turns up in the Wano arc. [[spoiler:Fittingly, it's been consumed by the evil Shogun of Wano, Kozuki Orochi... although he's so pathetic that he's a complete waste of the fruit's powers. The main purpose of it turns out to be allowing 7 different people who have good reason to want Orochi dead to get their own turns at decapitating him before he dies for good]].

** Most of the other Dragon-Dragon Fruits appear during the Wano arc, in the hands of high-ranking members of Emperor Kaido's Animal Kingdom Pirates: King has the Pterodactyl fruit, Queen has the Brachiosaurus fruit, Sasaki has the Triceratops fruit, Ulti has the Pachycephalosaurus fruit, and Page One has the Spinosaurus fruit.
** Kaido himself has the ability to transform into a massive Eastern dragon. [[spoiler:Ironically, it turns out ''his'' fruit is classified as a Mythic Zoan model of the '''Fish-Fish Fruit'''! (A reference to the LegendaryCarp of Chinese and Japanese folklore.)]]

* In ''[[VideoGame/GargoylesQuest Demon's Crest]]'', Phalanx uses the Crest of Heaven to transform into a giant demonic naga if you complete enough levels to make the game its longest.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Astyanax}}'', after defeating the BigBad Blackhorn in his standard EvilSorcerer form, you fight him again on the last screen of the game where he's turned into a giant dragon.
* The Wyrmic class in ''VideoGame/TalesOfMajEyal'' have skills that allow them to transform into several different kinds of dragon, including elemental, DracoLich (Undead Dragon), and DraconicAbomination (Scourge Dragon) types.
* ''VideoGame/DragaliaLost'' gives anybody who possesses the ability of "dragonblood" the ability to shapeshift into a dragon they've created a pactstone with. Most notably, all of the royal Alberian family has this ability, though there are a few exceptions, such as the twelve Wyrmclan leaders of Hinomoto (incidentally, they call pactstones "soulpacts" over there.) [[GameplayAndStorySegregation In-game, however,]] any playable character can shapeshift as long as they have a dragon equipped, forming the game's main "gimmick."
* Edgar Oinkie from ''VideoGame/AnarchyReigns'' invented a SuperSerum he calls "the Juice" that can temporarily give him the bulk, scales, and claws of the settings Mutants.

* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'': When [[EldritchAbomination cherubs]] [[BizarreAlienReproduction mate]], they each grow into a serpentine form that is ''one astronomical unit'' (149,597,871 km, the distance between the Sun and Earth) in length. Then, in great [[TheMasochismTango hatred]], they wage an epic battle around a black hole, and they conclude this battle with a position shaped like AURYN from ''Film/TheNeverendingStory''. It is implied, then, that this form is at least incorporated into Lord English's OneWingedAngel.
* ''Webcomic/SlightlyDamned'': [[spoiler:Moonshade transforms into a giant cobra with [[DishingOutDirt earth powers]] (which he [[VictorGainsLosersPowers acquired]] by killing his [[DivineParentage ancestor]] [[PhysicalGod Moku the Snake]]) to kill the guardians Melli the fire bee and Meeros the mortori bird and unlike most villainous versions he succeeds, slaying Melli and seemingly driving away Meeros.]]

* In ''[[WesternAnimation/HerculesTheAnimatedSeries Hercules: The Animated Series]]'', Hercules and Adonis visits Nereus, an elderly, grouchy shape-shifter able to turn into various creatures. While attacking Hercules, Nereus transforms into a gorilla, serpent, and giant spider.

* Malchior in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'', though he didn't so much transform into a dragon as he was transformed back to his real form. It still doesn't help him much (technically he was handing the entire Titan team [[CurbStompBattle their asses]], but it slipped his mind that Raven, the one who unsealed him in the first place due to his manipulations, knew both the spell to put him away again and had the will to do it until she already brought the sealing book up).
** Done again when Beast Boy gets an EvilTwin. It transforms into a cobra, just to show it's evil by using a form Beast Boy never would.
*** Of course, Beast Boy himself is also a heroic example: he ScaledUp into a pteranodon, tyrannosaur, or a ''Jurassic Park''-style velociraptor on occasion. One time he even ScaledUp into a T-Rex to fight his ScaledUp EvilTwin, [[Film/JurassicPark3 who turned into a spinosaur]].

* The EvilutionaryBiologist Grimsby Roylott turns himself into a giant snake-creature in order to slip into buildings [[AirVentPassageway through the air vents]] in the ''WesternAnimation/SherlockHolmesInTheTwentySecondCentury'' episode "Scales of Justice" (Holmes aficionados will recognize this plot as being just barely SuggestedBy "The Adventure of the Speckled Band"). It also helps in his fight with Holmes, but not as much as he'd hoped.

* The ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' episode "Splicers" has the villains mix animal DNA with their own. While the lead villain uses DNA from several different animals, he winds up as basically an eight-foot-tall snake [[spoiler:(at least until Terry overloads him with injectors and he [[OneWingedAngel turns into a monster]])]]. He puts up a fairly decent fight against Batman (certainly better than he would have as a human), but still loses in the end.
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'', [[TheDragon Cedric's]] snake-man form is initially very effective; however, as the heroines become increasingly proficient in using their powers (and in battle in general) [[VillainForgotToLevelGrind he's increasingly left in the dust]].
* Chase Young from ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown'' often turns into an anthromorphic lizard when the going gets tough.
* In ''[[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 TMNT: The Lost Episodes]]'', the True Shredder, a human merged with a demon, has the ability to manifest his spirit avatar, which takes the form of a hideous dragon. In the {{backstory}} regarding him, the Ninja Tribunal also transformed into dragons to do battle with and defeat him. In the climax of his battle with the Turtles, the Shredder once again transforms into a dragon, to which the Turtles, having trained under the Tribunal, ''[[HistoryRepeats also]]'' [[HistoryRepeats manage to manifest their avatars, which are dragons]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/TenkoAndTheGuardiansOfTheMagic'', Jana and Jason combine their starfire crystals to turn into a two-headed dragon.
* ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'': In "Scotsman Saves Jack", the burly Scotsman tries to help an amnesiac Jack by retrieving his lost memories from a trio of sirens who hypnotize unlucky travelers. In the final battle, they combine into a fiery, three headed snake like creature and almost defeat the Scotsman before Jack finally remembers who he is and beheads (threeheads) the creature.

* [[WesternAnimation/BeastWars Transmetal II]] [[WesternAnimation/BeastMachines Megatron.]] Considering all the bad guys who this doesn't work for, it seems ironic that he grows to hate his scaled up form despite it being responsible for his success.
** The Golden One transforms into a dragon and back in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' episode "Madman's Paradise".
* In the series finale of ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'', Father transforms into a giant, black dragon. Still gets knocked into a pit, but unlike most examples, doesn't die.
* Rare good guy example; the BadFuture episode of ''WesternAnimation/ConanTheAdventurer'' has Jesmine do this to try and hold off Set, having earlier in this timeline been forcibly transformed into a serpentwoman. As she does so, she screams about how Set will "never touch her again".

* The ''WesternAnimation/DefendersOfTheEarth'' episode "Dracula's Potion" also contains a rare example of one of the heroes turning into a snake, albeit involuntarily. The titular potion transforms most of the Defenders into the animals which best reflect their personalities; in Mandrake's case, the animal in question is a cobra.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' episode "Jurassic Jumble", when the villain uses a [[DevolutionDevice ray gun]] that de-evolves anthropomorphic ducks into dinosaurs, the main character gets turned into a Franchise/{{Godzilla}}-like dinosaur.

* In ''WesternAnimation/BigMouth'' and its spinoff ''WesternAnimation/HumanResources2022'', Love Bugs transform into "Hate Worms" when [[ThePowerOfHate fueled by their clients' hate or their own hate]]. While some Hate Worms just look like worms, if they consume enough hate, they can grow into massive destructive snakes.

* [[spoiler:Mister Monday]] transforms into a giant snake in the first book of the ''Literature/KeysToTheKingdom'' series, He ALMOST succeeds in killing Arthur, until Arthur [[spoiler:gets Suzy to write on him with her fingers and a bottle of ink, causing him to be attacked by hundreds of text-destroying, acid-spitting, Nithling-snakes.]]
** Made creepier by having his face perfectly intact on top of the snake's head with the normal snake mouth beneath it.
* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', Cassius's Denarian form is a snake-man. He manages to present a significant threat for a while, until [[spoiler:two very angry Knights of the Cross and a wizard corner him and he [[ISurrenderSuckers gives up his coin to avoid being killed]].]]
** ... upon which said wizard [[spoiler:breaks Snakyboy's newly re-acquired kneecaps.]]
* In ''Literature/CurseOfTheWolfGirl'' the BigBad's [[TheDragon dragon]] really can turn into a dragon and manages to put up a good fight and has Malveria's army on the ropes. Of course, there remains the issue that the reason there are no true dragons left is because Malveria killed them all years ago, and [[CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass turned them into dragon-scale outfits]]. It ends about as well as can be expected when Malveria turns up to take charge personally.
* Averted, [[spoiler:as well as inverted]], in the ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' series. In a world where wizards can, with hard work, learn to [[{{Animorphism}} transform into an animal]] that (arguably) fits their personality, Voldemort is: the last descendant of a man known for [[SpeaksFluentAnimal talking to snakes]], an [[InTheBlood inheritor of this ability]], member of a House whose symbol is a snake, commander of a giant serpent, owner of the pet snake Nagini, and wearer of a face repeatedly described as "snake-like". At no point does he turn into a snake. (Although events in [[spoiler:''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Order of the Phoenix]]'']] may confuse one into thinking so.) However, in ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Deathly Hallows]]'', [[spoiler:Nagini is at one point disguised as a human.]]
* The novel ''[[Literature/{{Dragonlance}} Brothers in Arms]]'' inverts this trope: the DarkActionGirl Kitiara is trying to kill a dragon and her only chance to do so is when he is in his vulnerable ''human'' form, rather than in his nigh-invincible natural shape.
* In the fourth ''Literature/{{Fablehaven}}'' book, [[spoiler:[[InvertedTrope inverted]] with [[TheMole Gavin]], Kendra's "boyfriend," turns back into his true self, the demonic dragon Navarog. He could have easily killed all the heroes then, but he decides to revert to his human form and capture Kendra, allowing the small fairylike dragon Raxtus to [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe bite him in two]].]]

* During ''Literature/GalaxyOfFear'', the heroic shapeshifter Hoole has at least two snake forms, one for stealth and the other suitable for combat. Bad things happen more than once when he does, notably while on [[GhostPlanet Kiva]]. He once fights another shapeshifter, [[spoiler:his own clone]], and both take snake forms during their ShapeshifterShowdown. The battle is a draw and ultimately the deciding factor is another character going SpotTheImpostor.
* The Dragonlord Chronicles books from ''TabletopGame/{{Mystara}}'' feature Sir George Kirbey, a seemingly human knight who is actually a sort of small were-dragon called a drake. Further, it is eventually revealed that [[spoiler:the hero Teldin is a descendent of the [[PhysicalGod dragons' gods,]] and he becomes one himself.]]
* Inverted in ''Literature/GoodOmens'': Crowley was originally known as Crawly, aka the snake that told Eve about the Fruit of Knowledge. In modern times, he takes on the appearance of a human male (with shades to hide his snake eyes and has a tendency to hiss) but never turns into a snake.
* ''Literature/{{Underworlds}}'': Loki transforms into the eponymous Ice Dragon to battle the kids in ''The Ice Dragon''.
* In ''Literature/TheWarOfEmbers'' a character is permanently turned into a dragon. Doubles as RuleOfCool and CursedWithAwesome as he also gains their magic but has to deal with the social and mental consequences of being a dragon.

* In Creator/RobinJarvis' ''[[Literature/DeptfordMice Thomas]]'', the villainous adepts of a [[ReligionOfEvil serpent cult]] known as the Scale have the ability to tear off their mammalian flesh and assume the forms of reptiles.
* ''Literature/TheFindersStoneTrilogy'': The second book, ''The Wyvern's Spur'', has heroic and villainous examples of this. On the heroic side, anyone who possesses the titular spur (and [[OnlyTheChosenMayWield meets certain other criteria]]) can use it to transform themselves into an abnormally large, red-scaled wyvern. On the villainous side, the BigBad Flattery Wyvernspur can turn himself into a blue dragon using his magic. The climax of the novel is a HighAltitudeBattle between the two beasts.

* ''Series/OnceUponATime'': As fitting with her original tale, Maleficent can turn into a dragon. [[spoiler:Her daughter]] has the ability, too, though she hasn't quite learned how to control it yet.
* Very rare heroic example: in ''Series/{{Manimal}}'', to get his girlfriend [[WillTheyOrWontThey (?!?)]] out of a [[QuicksandSucks quicksand peril]]. The girl is a bit ophidiophobic, maybe a giraffe would have been a better idea...rats, not enough money for the FX. Played with in another episode: [[spoiler:the snake is actually real and the girl, who played Fearless Snakecharmer, promptly faints when Manimal comes to the scene.]]

* In the Robbie Williams music video "Radio", Robbie becomes something like this at the very end.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'': The [[OneWingedAngel real form]] of the Unconquered Sun (the de-facto and [[CelestialBureaucracy de-jure]] BigGood of the settings) is a gigantic golden dragon with tons of HP and an attack that does [[WaveMotionGun unlimited points of damage]].
* Chuubo, the titular character of ''TabletopGame/ChuubosMarvelousWishGrantingEngine'', has the ability to turn into a giant 108-meter snake at will. The name of that power? "It Probably Wouldn't Help." Sure enough, there is an actual law of physics in that game (backed by the rules) which states that turning into a snake cannot help you.
* Parodied in ''TabletopGame/{{Munchkin}}'' with a monster modifier card "...That Turns Into a Giant Snake." Even monsters that would logically be ''more'' powerful in their original forms, like a Plutonium Dragon or ''Cthulhu itself'', gain an advantage by scaling up.

* In the ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' series, Maleficent sometimes turns into a dragon at times of danger. She'd tried it [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep ten years earlier]] against an ActionGirl with the same type of weapon, as well as [[WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty Prince Phillip]] himself. The result? She survives. Barely.

* ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'': The FinalBoss first fights you in his human form, which is a tricky fight because his attacks are fast and unpredictable and can hit very hard. Then he turns into a giant snake, which is generally easier because its attacks are much slower and easier to avoid. Then he turns into an even bigger dragon and [[FloatingInABubble traps all your partners in bubbles]].
* ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce'': LovableAlphaBitch Luna turns into Queen Ophiuca when she [[DealWithTheDevil accepts the FMian Ophiuchus' offer]] and allows herself to be possessed. The possession turns her into a [[SnakePeople lamia]]-esque being, complete with a snake-like tail.
* The MacGuffin in ''VideoGame/TombRaiderII'' was a magical dagger that would turn those who stabbed themselves through the heart with it into a dragon. Having said dagger removed would kill them. In the intro, the ancient emperor who originally owned the dagger is killed when he gets too close to a wounded monk, while the BigBad of the game is killed when Lara shoots him a bunch of times, then pulls out the dagger.
* ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVAbsenceMakesTheHeartGoYonder''. The showdown with Mordack involves him shapeshifting into various forms, which Graham must counter with some spells he learned very conveniently about five minutes earlier. One of which is a dragon (defeated by turning into a rabbit, too nimble for the dragon to hit). Straight after, it's a snake (obviously countered by a mongoose).
* ''VideoGame/SimonTheSorcerer''. At one point, you partake in a [[WizardDuel "wizard's duel"]] (read: magical rock-paper-scissors) with a witch. Upon winning three rounds, the witch transforms into a dragon (breaking the rule she set at the start). This is completely ineffective, of course -- you just transform into a mouse and escape through the small mouse hole in the wall.
* Draconis and Abazigal from ''[[VideoGame/BaldursGate Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal]]'' revert to their [[OneWingedAngel true forms]] -- adult dragons -- upon being whacked sufficiently while in human form. While you still kill them, the 'partial success' part is because Draconis' dragon form is a challenge (or at least a ''bloody'' annoyance) and is widely considered to be an actually difficult boss. Abazigal, however... Isn't.

* In a heroic version, Aelia of ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile'' turns into a dragon briefly during her FinishingMove to fire a giant beam at enemies. It only partially works because it's a bit weaker than most anyone else's finishing move, and is even less useful when you consider the one hit does little to help the {{Combos}}.
* One of the minor villains in ''VideoGame/ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura'' is Kraka-Tur, a human who, tired of being bullied for his weakness, killed Arcanum's last dragon by feeding him poison and used his blood in a magic ritual which turned him into a dragon, a crime for which he was banished. While the transformation gives him impressive strength and fighting prowess, he still has the personality of a coward.
* The top-tier transmutation spell in ''VideoGame/DungeonCrawl'' is Dragon Form which [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin turns the player into a dragon]]. Whether or not it ''helps'' depends on the player's skill. On the one hand, the player is rendered vulnerable to cold and loses the benefits of any magical items other than rings. But the player is also a dragon, and, capable of breathing fire on enemies and, with sufficient skill in unarmed combat, tearing even ''other dragons'' to shreds in hand-to-claw combat.
* The FinalBoss of every ''Franchise/{{Aladdin}}'' LicensedGame has Jafar transform into his giant snake form from the movie, including ''VideoGame/AladdinVirginGames'' (where the snake really is his final form) and ''VideoGame/AladdinCapcom'' (Where the snake is so big that his body makes up the entire ground you fight him on).
* This is the main character's signature ability in the ''Franchise/BreathOfFire'' series. He usually starts out as a human from a LostTribe with the power to transform into dragons, and throughout the game, he gradually acquires bigger and more powerful dragon forms to use. In the [[VideoGame/BreathOfFireDragonQuarter fifth game]] he only has a single transformation and has to avoid overusing it.
** Major antagonists in the series usually have a similar power: Emperor Zod in the first game, Teepo in the third, and Fou-lu in the fourth all fight the party in their dragon forms, the last [[SequentialBoss more than once]]. The situation in the fifth installment is more complicated, but the technical final boss and the {{Superboss}} are still both dragons.
* The Manaketes in ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' provide both heroic and villainous examples of this in the dragon variety, and are a force to be reckoned with for those not fortunate enough to have a dragon-slaying weapon on hand. They're not so much ''becoming'' dragons as they are ''reverting'' back into dragons, though, having been forced to take human forms to avoid losing their minds.
* In ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'', the dragonite item turns one character into a dragon and damages every enemy for a ton of damage.
* One of Liu Kang's finishers in the ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' series is to turn into a dragon and bite the opponent in two.
** Likewise, Shang Tsung's animality from ''VideoGame/MortalKombat3'' had him turn into a glowing green giant cobra that swallowed the victim whole.
* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', [[spoiler:Flemeth]] turns into a dragon and is one of the hardest fights in the game.
** She does it again in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', although that time she helps the player.
** In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' [[spoiler:Morrigan]] can potentially turn into a dragon at the climax [[spoiler:if she drank from the Well of Sorrows.]]

* In ''Mystaria: The Realms of Lore'', one character, Ashe, can change into a dragon at will. While he doesn't have quite the variety of abilities as a dragon as he does while human, he's so ridiculously powerful as a dragon that there's almost literally no reason not to be a dragon at all times.
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''
** The Ka Po' Tun, an [[{{Wutai}} Akaviri]] race of "[[CatFolk tiger folk]]", hold dragons in high reverence. Their ultimate goal is to ''become'' dragons, with their leader, Tosh Raka, being the first and (so far) only one known to succeed. He now rules them as a GodEmperor and, once their ArchEnemy [[SnakePeople Tsaesci]] are eliminated, he intends to invade Tamriel. (The continent where all of the games to date in the series have taken place.) ''Maybe'' -- the only source for this is the book ''Mysterious Akavir'', which both reads as unreliable and by the time of ''Skyrim'' is over two hundred years old with no sign of a Tosh Raka-led invasion.
** This trope plays into why the [[LizardFolk Argonians]] subject to FantasticRacism by the other races.
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollSIVOblivion Oblivion]]'', [[spoiler:Martin]] pulls a ''heroic'' version of this at the end of the main quest, becoming[[note]]it's possible he also ''summoned'' the avatar, but in such a way that his own body was destroyed[[/note]] the avatar of Akatosh, the draconic [[TopGod Chief Deity]] of the [[SaintlyChurch Nine Divines]] pantheon, in order to defeat the [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]] [[OmnicidalManiac Mehrunes]] [[BigBad Dagon]]
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' contains plenty of ''actual'' dragons, but the only thing that comes close to this trope downplays it. Dragon Aspect is a Shout that -- true to form -- is the SignatureMove of [[EvilCounterpart Miraak]], the BigBad of the ''Dragonborn'' expansion, and [[PlayerCharacter The Last Dragonborn]] can learn it as well. While the user does not literally become a dragon, an ethereal outline of dragon scales and horns does surround them and they gain dragon-like features -- a tough hide that boosts armor, a boost to physical strength that empowers melee attacks, higher resistance to fire and frost elemental damage and more powerful Shouts with a shorter cooldown.
* In ''VideoGame/GuitarHero: Warriors of Rock'', this is Casey Lynch's powered-up form.
* In the [=PS1=] StrategyRPG ''Saiyuki: The Journey West'', one of the characters is a dragon princess who can transform into her true form in combat. One of the other playable characters can turn into a monstrous turtle in the same way. (And if fish scales count, yet another of the playable characters transforms into a fish monster) On the villain's side, there's a dragon queen and a snake man, who you fight in both forms in separate battles.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2'', the BigBad Caius Ballad has the ability to become his [[SummonMagic Eidolon]] [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Bahamut]], a process that is normally fatal but doesn't bother him at all because he is [[CompleteImmortality immortal]]. As the FinalBoss he becomes a different more powerful dragon and summons two more to aid him for good measure.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Faria}}'', after the BigBad's first form is defeated, he uses the powers of the King's scrolls to transfer his soul into a dragon.

* DarkIsNotEvil heroic example from the titular character from ''{{VideoGame/Bayonetta 2}}'' when she obtains the ability to [[{{Animorphism}} transform into a giant snake]] in order to swim quickly underwater, aptly named Snake Within. Her mother, [[SecretCharacter Rosa]], also gains a similar ability called Cobra Within.
* In ''VideoGame/KlonoaDoorToPhantomile'', during Joka's boss battle, he frequently transforms into a creature resembling a cross between a turtle and a lizard. What's worse is that Joka's clownish appearance carries over to his reptilian form, making it a literal MonsterClown.

* Blackhorn from the NES version of ''VideoGame/{{Astyanax}}'' transforms into a dragon upon his first defeat at the top of his tower, and is quite a bit harder to defeat.
* ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic III'': This turns out to be the Nighon Overlord Mutare's goal in her campaign in ''Armageddon's Blade'', which she succeeds at in the second-to-last mission. She turns up again in ''Heroes Chronicles'', leading an army of dragons to conquer more lands after establishing dominance over Nighon. For this trope, it was unusually successful -- it ''did'' lead to success for quite a while after her transformation, it just eventually led her to being too greedy and ambitious and overreaching.

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* Orochimaru from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' probably takes inspiration from his namesake {{Orochi}} and does this in the series. [[spoiler:He gets taken out by a certain IneffectualLoner after said loner's FaceHeelTurn]]. Though [[spoiler:his chances as a snake were probably better than a drugged-up old man who was near-dying, and he apparently didn't have a choice in the matter]].
** Rather, Orochimaru takes his inspiration from the original Orochimaru, who likely gets it from ''his'' namesake Orochi.
** Later, he takes on a Hydra form to fight an attack called Susano, named for the god that killed the eight-headed serpent Orochi. It doesn't go well for him -- he was mythologically doomed to lose that fight.
** In contrast to the above, [[spoiler:Kabuto]] turning into a snake let him escape a trap and kidnap someone on his way out. He later "evolves" this snake form into [[spoiler:an EvilCounterpart to [[TheHero Naruto]]'s [[SuperMode Sage Mode]], changing from a snake to a ''dragon'']].
* A MonsterOfTheWeek from ''Manga/InuYasha'' does this. Notable as he actually put up a pretty decent fight while in humanoid form, (thanks to a magic trident) but got carved up like a Thanksgiving turkey post-transformation. Played with in that the monster was a water snake spirit who stole the trident from the local river goddess, so he didn't change into a snake, he changed ''back'' from his assumed human form.
* ''Manga/OnePiece'' has [[{{Animorphism}} Zoan]] Devil Fruits, so of course there are reptile-based ones. In fact, two specific "families" of reptile Zoan Devil Fruits have appeared in canon; the Snake-Snake Fruit, which turns the user into a specific kind of snake, and the Dragon-Dragon Fruit, which is actually a family of [[PrehistoricMonster Ancient Zoan]] Fruits that covers [[DinosaursAreDragons dinosaurs]].
** The first Snake-Snake Fruit-users were the Boa sisters Marigold (King Cobra) and Sandersonia (Anaconda). Ironically, their little sister Hancock breaks the theme by instead having a Paramecia that lets her [[TakenForGranite petrify anyone who thinks lustful thoughts about her]]. Marigold and Sandersonia actually fare pretty well against Luffy…up until the point where he [[LetsGetDangerous stops holding back]].
** A Mythic Zoan branch of the Snake-Snake Fruit tree, the [[{{Orochi}} Yamato-No-Orochi Model]], turns up in the Wano arc. [[spoiler:Fittingly, it's been consumed by the evil Shogun of Wano, Kozuki Orochi... although he's so pathetic that he's a complete waste of the fruit's powers. The main purpose of it turns out to be allowing 7 different people who have good reason to want Orochi dead to get their own turns at decapitating him before he dies for good]].
** One of the Supernovas, the most formidable pirates to set sail during the timeframe of the series, is X Drake, who has the Allosaurus model of the Dragon-Dragon Fruit.
** Most of the other Dragon-Dragon Fruits appear during the Wano arc, in the hands of high-ranking members of Emperor Kaido's Animal Kingdom Pirates: King has the Pterodactyl fruit, Queen has the Brachiosaurus fruit, Sasaki has the Triceratops fruit, Ulti has the Pachycephalosaurus fruit, and Page One has the Spinosaurus fruit.
** Kaido himself has the ability to transform into a massive Eastern dragon. [[spoiler:Ironically, it turns out ''his'' fruit is classified as a Mythic Zoan model of the '''Fish-Fish Fruit'''! (A reference to the LegendaryCarp of Chinese and Japanese folklore.)]]
** [[spoiler:Momonosuke has the same ability as Kaido, as he's eaten an artificial replica of Kaido's fruit created by Dr. Vegapunk.]]

* ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'': During the climactic fight at the end of the first anime season, Beatrice summons meta-Kinzo, who immediately gives an EvilLaugh, turns into a ''dragon'', and tries to eat meta-Battler's face, only to be stopped by a non-magical explanation and blasted to pieces by a multitude of flying spikes that accompany Battler's signature dramatic gesture.
* Inverted by ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'''s Cobra Gundam, which starts off as a {{Naga}} and can separate into a humanoid HumongousMecha and a mechanical snake, operated by the pilot's pet snake.
* In ''{{Manga/Berserk}}'', the Apostle form of the Baron of Koka Castle is a disturbingly Freudian snake-monster who actually manages to land a few good hits on Guts ([[MadeOfIron although, pretty much every Apostle lands many good hits on him]]). He still doesn't last very long though, due to Guts unloading his ArmCannon right into the Baron's face and then hacking him in half in one blow with the [[{{BFS}} Dragon Slayer]].

* A recurring antagonist in ''Literature/ShakuganNoShana'' lives to be recurring only because he shapeshifts into a ''small'' snakelike creature to escape a losing battle.
* ''Manga/FairyTail:'' [[SubvertedTrope While it doesn't turn them into dragons,]] first-generation Dragon Slayers are capable of using an advanced magic ability called [[EleventhHourSuperpower Dragon Force,]] which ''immensely'' increases their magic power and gives them visible scales on their bodies. [[TheHero Natsu]] is first seen using it during his fight with [[ArcVillain Jellal,]] and [[spoiler:[[TagalongKid Wendy]] and [[ExtraOredinary Gajeel]] are seen using it against Ezel and Bloodman, respectively.]] However, the Dragon Slayer in question must consume ''A LOT'' of magical energy to enter this state. Second and third-generation Dragon Slayers, like [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Laxus,]] [[ThoseTwoGuys Sting and Rogue,]] are capable of using it at will, but it lacks a lot of "oomph" compared to the real deal.
** [[BigBad Acnologia]] and [[spoiler:[[TheBaroness Irene Belserion,]]]] however, are capable of turning into full-fledged dragons.
** In the sequel series the fifth-generation Dragon Slayers (or [[CannibalismSuperpower Dragon Eaters]]) are introduced, they do have Dragon Force but consider it a DangerousForbiddenTechnique: [[spoiler:they do gain a transformation and an incredibly powerful form, but they slowly and inexorably undergo Dragonization and irreversibly become true dragons.]]
* Medusa the Serpent Witch from ''Manga/SoulEater'' turns into a ''small'' snake to escape when her main body is cut in half. This is ''after'' her band succeeded in releasing the SealedEvilInACan; so definitely a win, while her opponent thinks he killed her [[DeaderThanDead so hard it destroyed her soul]].
* An inversion in ''Anime/YuGiOh'' in the Waking the Dragons arc: [[spoiler:the secret of the three dragons is that they were actually knights transformed by Dartz in an attempt to weaken them. Yami Yugi transforms them back into knights in order to defeat Dartz]].
* [[BigBad Yasha]] from ''Anime/CuteyHoney'' turns into a giant monstrous lamia in her final battle against Honey. She puts up a decent fight due to her impenetrable scales, but [[spoiler:it turns out gravity combined with the spikes at the bottom of Yasha's lair are enough to tear through her scales.]]
* Divine Ancestors in ''Literature/{{Campione}}'' have the ability to gain a massive increase in power by transforming into their primordial form, a dragon or serpent. This comes at a cost as doing so sacrifices their eternal youth and hampers their ability to regain their lost powers.
* In Part 7 of ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'', there is a Stand called "Scary Monsters" that allows its user Dr. Ferdinand and, later [[spoiler:Diego Brando]], to transform himself and anyone he injures into dinosaurs.

* In ''Manga/SazanEyes'' we have Hua She, a snake demons who spends the entire second series as the human consciousness of the protagonist, Pai. After she sacrifices herself to stop Benares, she undoes the spell and returns being a small harmless snake... only for Parvati to actually give her a human identity which plays a bigger role during the fourth act, Trinetra. Benares himself usually appears as a human (well, a [[EvilIsBigger really big human]]) but when Yakumo tries to seal him away with Genma Hoshin he forcibly assumes his true form: a colossal, mindless wyrm made of brilliant energy. [[spoiler:Benares willingly undergoes a draconic-snakelike transformation for the final battle.]]
* ''Manga/TalesOfWeddingRings'' has a heroic example in Saphir, who once used the Ring of Water to transform herself into an enormous dragon and devour the kraken that was menacing her friends.

* The Creator/MarvelComics character Moondragon, who despite her name was a human with psychic powers and {{Arrogant Kung Fu|Guy}}, turned into a literal dragon to save the day, and was "killed" (the whole {{Energy Being|s}} part) by Ultron, an evil robot that resembles a KnightInShiningArmor.

* In the video for the game ''TabletopGame/DragonStrike'', as well as its tie-in Marvel comic, Teraptus turns into the giant dragon Darkfyre.
* In the ''Comicbook/OmegaMen'' comic book, turning into a giant snake was Demonia's only real superpower. It did, however, make her quite tough in a fight. All things considered, it is unsurprising that Demonia turned out to be TheMole.

* Dragons in ''Comicbook/GoldDigger'' all have the ability to [[VoluntaryShapeshifting disguise themselves as humans,]] and several dragon characters have in fact been [[ModeLock Mode Locked]] in human form. Generally, the dragon population is divided on the opinion of whether a race of talking mammals like humans is adorable ("They're like little talking bunnies! I want to play at being a bunny too!") or disgusting ("They're like little talking rats!").

* ''ComicBook/LegendsOfBaldursGate'': As befits someone associated with the Cult of the Dragon, [[spoiler:Deniak]] turns into one. It's probably not quite what he was after -- he wanted draconic ''power'', not shape.
* In ''[[ComicBook/TeenTitans New Teen Titans]]'' #5, they were mind-controlled. One guess which form Changeling took when developing a crush (their pun, not mine) on ComicBook/{{Zatanna}}'.

* One of ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'''s longest-running foes is the Lizard, a kindly scientist who accidentally transformed himself into an evil lizard-like monster. How lizard-like and sapient he is tends to vary [[DependingOnTheWriter depending on writer]] and [[DependingOnTheArtist artist]], but he's always bad news - and sometimes he plans on turning others into lizards like himself. Spidey's also faced off with other, similar LizardFolk villains, including Iguana and Stegron.

* Protagonist example: This is how [[spoiler:[[Franchise/TheIncredibles Violet]], [[ShrinkingViolet of all people]]]] gains the power to stop the BigBad in ''Fanfic/RiseOfTheGaleforces''. A surprisingly interesting example in that [[spoiler:Ludlow was the one who gave Violet that power in the first place,]] attempting to turn her into his own personal {{Tykebomb}}. [[TheDragon Velociripper]] makes matters even worse (for the antagonists, anyway) when he gives Vi a dose of his [[DevolutionDevice devolution ray]], momentarily trapping her in her UsefulNotes/TyrannosaurusRex form. Needless to say, she immediately goes on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge, cripples Ripper in single combat, destroys most (if not all) of the villainous forces, and fights the BigBad's {{tank|sForNothing}}. [[CurbStompBattle Really!]]

* ActualPacifist Protagonist example: George in ''Fanfic/WithStringsAttached'' discovers he can become a red dragon at a very opportune moment about two-thirds of the way through the book. [[TheMindIsAPlaythingOfTheBody Though it does make him think of his wife as... tasty.]]

* In ''FanFic/TheDarknessSeries'' Harry learns how to transform into a sea krait using [[TheDarkArts "parselmagic."]]
* [[spoiler:Count Logan once Dr. Beljar takes over]] in ''FanFic/TheEndOfEnds''.
* Harry Potter also does this in ''FanFic/OhGodNotAgain'', having become a snake Animagus before getting [[PeggySue sent back in time]]. He only uses this to capture Wormtail, though.
* In the Madoka fanfic ''Seeing Clearly'', antagonist Anzu Anzai's witch form is a giant snake, and is named after the Egyptian snake god Apep.
* In ''Fanfic/HarryIsADragonAndThatsOK'', the climax involves Voldemort taking a leaf out of Harry's book and making a flash-grown Hungarian Horntail into his newest body.

* In the ''Literature/WarriorCats'' MultipleAnimatorProject [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cwoup-e0lc "Serpent Sol"]], Sol transforms into a giant snake for his final confrontation with Squirrelflight and Feathertail.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
* The Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon makes loving use of this trope in stories where magic is an option:
** In Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', [[BigBad Jafar]] transforms into a humongous snake after gaining sorcerer powers from the Genie, as pictured above. He actually has Aladdin and company on the ropes for quite a while until Al tricks him into trying to gain even more power by using his last wish to [[BecomingTheGenie become a Genie, and Jafar is sealed inside a new lamp]]. In hindsight, Jafar should have stuck to the reptile form.
** Averted in ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'', the ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' games, and in some of the storybooks, however, where he is instead either fought as a human or immediately goes straight to becoming a genie. Played straight in the [[VideoGame/AladdinCapcom Super Nintendo]] and [[VideoGame/AladdinVirginGames Sega Genesis]] games, however, which both use his snake form as the FinalBoss and omit the second OneWingedAngel form of the Genie.
** Maleficent from ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'' is notable for upping the stakes of the final confrontation by [[OneWingedAngel turning into an enormous black dragon]].
---> "Now shall you deal with '''ME''', O Prince -- and all the powers of '''HELL!'''"
** ''WesternAnimation/TheSwordInTheStone'': At the beginning of Merlin and Madam Mim's wizard's duel, Mim explicitly forbids turning into "make-believe things like, uh, oh, pink dragons and stuff." [[LoopholeAbuse She later breaks this rule on a technicality]] in an attempt to beat Merlin by claiming she didn't specify ''purple'' dragons, only to have Merlin go in exactly the opposite direction and turn into an infectious bacterium. He makes her sick, which pushes her to bed rest. She also turns into a crocodile and a rattlesnake earlier in the fight, and Merlin himself starts off by transforming into a turtle.
** Although ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'' does a good job at subverting the ReptilesAreAbhorrent trope, even going as far as to feature a benevolent snake as the pet of the BigGood, a happy-go-lucky alligator as one of the main protagonists and a pair of frogs as the central leads (not reptiles, but [[ColdBloodedWhatever close enough insofar as fiction tends to care]]), [[BigBad Dr. Facilier]]'s LivingShadow briefly turns into a snake during the "[[VillainSong Friends on the Other Side]]" scene. Since ''Princess'' is from the same directors as Aladdin, this may have been a nod to Jafar.

* In ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeTheMovie'', Cobra Commander, former leader of Cobra, is punished by his masters in Cobra-La for his repeated failures in conquering the world by being turned into a humanoid snake that eventually devolves into a full, but human-sized, snake, with limited speech capacity. This somewhat bites Golobulus and co. in the ass towards the end of the film, when a vengeful Cobra Commander attacks Serpentor, CC's usurper and Cobra-La's new favorite, just when the Cobra Emperor is about to finish off new hero Lt. Falcon.
* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanVsTheTeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'', ComicBook/TheJoker mutates into a snake after being sprayed with Ooze.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/{{Enchanted}}'': Narissa pulls a Maleficent-crossed-with-''Film/KingKong'' when she turns into a dragon, [[JamesBondage kidnaps Robert]], and climbs a skyscraper during a thunderstorm. Bad idea. The result is impressive, though. Still a strange move, though, considering that being GenreSavvy was one of her more dangerous villainous traits until that point.

* The villainess in ''Film/TheLairOfTheWhiteWorm'' turns into a snake shortly before the good guys kill her.
* In ''Film/{{Dreamscape}}'', villain Tommy gets the bright idea of turning into a snake-like monster, quickly resulting in his decapitation. By the President of the United States, no less. And not a [[OurPresidentsAreDifferent President Action]], either, but an old, overweight, out-of-shape President Target who hits him from behind with a shovel.

* In the climax of ''Film/{{Maleficent}}'', the titular fairy transforms [[NotHisSled her raven/servant Diaval]] into a dragon to do battle with King Stephan and his knights. After a brief tangle with some chains around the maw, he proceeds to wreak vengeance upon the throne room.
* Sorceress Irendri in the ending of the fantasy film ''Film/OnceUponAWarrior'', befitting her as a snake-themed villain, have her turning into a green, snake-human hybrid monster, having snakes protruding from her hair, arms, and her lower body turning into multiple snake tails, which she use to brutally assault the heroes.
* In ''Film/TheKidWhoWouldBeKing'', Morgana has a humanoid snake-dragon form she becomes to fight Alex and his knights.
* ''Film/MortalKombatAnnihilation'' infamously worked the Animalities from the third game into the plot, with Liu Kang transforming into a dragon to fight Shao Kahn, who likewise becomes a hydra. In a subversion, neither really benefits from the arrangement, with the encounter not even lasting two minutes before they revert to their mortal bodies to continue the fight.
* ''Film/FortySevenRonin'': Mizuki, the witch who serves Lord Kira, is normally a [[AsianFoxSpirit Kitsune]], but in the final battle, she transforms into a dragon to fight Kai.

* In ''Literature/TheOnceAndFutureKing'' Scaling Up is explicitly described as being the ordinary strategy of a wizards' duel:
-->At the first gong Madam Mim immediately turned herself into a dragon. It was the accepted opening move...

* In ''Literature/TheBelgariad'', the kingdom of Nyissa is heavily snake-themed, with their patron god Issa having been a snake god (who's NotQuiteDead, but not particularly active), and their Queen Salmissra -- originally Issa's handmaiden, who he fell in love with, then, unfortunately, forgot to make immortal, meaning that when each dies (after their lifespan and youth is dragged out as long as possible via some very weird drugs), they're replaced by an IdenticalStranger. Since they're conditioned for the role from childhood, they tend to end up with broadly the same personality, enough that the immortal Polgara tends to treat them as all being the same person -- though as the prequels show, this isn't invariable, and some are quite different. The latest Salmissra, in the second book, decides to interfere with Garion, having him drugged and kidnapped since he is TheChosenOne, and she's got ambitions to have him as her consort and gain immortality that way. Polgara, [[MamaBear his many times great aunt and foster mother takes very poorly to this]] and decides to give Salmissra immortality by turning her into a giant snake. As it turns out, though, everyone from palace eunuchs to Salmissra herself is actually quite happy about this, as Nyissans love snakes and the lack of drugs means that she's much more rational and easy to manage.

* In the ''DragonKnight'' series, James actively avoids turning into his dragon form during battle unless he needs to intimidate his enemies. While he ''is'' big and scary, he's also extremely vulnerable and unable to move as quickly or nimbly as a human foe.
* In ''Literature/DrFranklinsIsland'', [[{{Jerkass}} Arnie]] is turned into a [[MixAndMatchCritter creature that resembles a thick snake]] and is extremely fast and powerful, [[TailSlap striking with its tail]] and head to great destructive effect.
* During a ShapeShifterShowdown in an early Literature/{{Discworld}} novel, at one point the wizard transforms into a snake. Granny Weatherwax transforms herself into a ''snake charmer's basket'' as a counter.
* Doing this is the villain's primary goal in Creator/OrsonScottCard's ''The Magic Box'', and a pretty well {{justified|Trope}} one too, given that dragons are ''extremely'' powerful in this book. [[spoiler:It almost works, but a minor character with a gun realized that [[TransformationIsAFreeAction transformation]] [[SubvertedTrope needn't be]] [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim a free action]].]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeTheMovie'', Cobra Commander, former leader of COBRA, is punished by his masters in Cobra-La for his repeated failures in conquering the world by being turned into a humanoid snake that eventually devolves into a full, but human-sized, snake, with limited speech capacity. This somewhat bites Golobulus and co. in the ass towards the end of the film, when a vengeful Cobra Commander attacks Serpentor, CC's usurper and Cobra-La's new favorite, just when the Cobra Emperor is about to finish off new hero Lt. Falcon.

** Series author Creator/KAApplegate seems to have a thing for giving snake morphs to SmugSnake characters. Marco (admittedly a hero, but his ego can sometimes get the better of him) and [[BastardUnderstudy Tom]] both have cobra morphs, while [[SixthRangerTraitor David]] acquires a rattlesnake for maximum heel factor in ''The Solution''. Ax meanwhile has a rattlesnake morph, but rarely uses it. The first time he does, it's for an assassination mission.

** The Tzimisce have as the most powerful ability of their powerset the ability to transform themselves into dragons, winged and fire-breathing and all.

* In Chapter 33 of ''WebOriginal/BusterGirls'' we're introduced to [[spoiler:Saya's Heartless form, Saydra, a giant multi-bodied hydra.]]

** This also plays into the final book. Rachel has snuck aboard Tom's ship, hoping to defeat his rogue Yeerk army. She [[SuperMode transforms into a Grizzly Bear]] and he sends his minions after her after they have each changed into equally fearsome and tough creatures. Rachel has ''just'' enough of an opportunity during the battle to check on Tom as he hangs back and transforms -- into a very small but very poisonous snake. Rachel defeats each of the minions, but his small size and her poor vision makes it difficult for her to track him. [[spoiler:He successfully bites and poisons her, but she (with help) impales him on her claws and then bites him in half. She demorphs, exhausted, and another minion, transformed into a polar bear, kills her with a single blow.]]

* Protagonist example: This is how [[spoiler:[[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles Violet]], [[ShrinkingViolet of all people]]]] gains the power to stop the BigBad in ''Fanfic/RiseOfTheGaleforces''. A surprisingly interesting example in that [[spoiler:Ludlow was the one who gave Violet that power in the first place,]] attempting to turn her into his own personal {{Tykebomb}}. [[TheDragon Velociripper]] makes matters even worse (for the antagonists, anyway) when he gives Vi a dose of his [[DevolutionDevice devolution ray]], momentarily trapping her in her UsefulNotes/TyrannosaurusRex form. Needless to say, she immediately goes on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge, cripples Ripper in single combat, destroys most (if not all) of the villainous forces, and fights the BigBad's {{tank|sForNothing}}. [[CurbStompBattle Really!]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Klonoa}}'': In ''Door to Phantomile'', during Joka's boss battle, he frequently transforms into a creature resembling a cross between a turtle and a lizard. What's worse is that Joka's clownish appearance carries over to his reptilian form, making it a literal MonsterClown.

* The classic ''WesternAnimation/BettyBoop'' cartoon "Snow White" ends with the Evil Queen turning into a dragon after her magic mirror blows up, and promptly being taken down by Betty, Koko the Clown and Bimbo the Dog. Considering that the highlight of the cartoon involves Koko being turned into a ghost-like creature singing "St. James Infirmary Blues" with the voice of Cab Calloway, this can be seen as [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs the least bizarre moment in this cartoon]].

* The Manaketes in ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' provide both heroic and villainous examples of this in the dragon variety, and are a force to be reckoned with for those not fortunate enough to have a dragon-slaying weapon on hand. They're not so much ''becoming'' dragons as they are reverting to dragons, though, having been forced to take human forms to avoid losing their minds.

A [[SubTrope specific variant]] of OneWingedAngel. Villains transforming into a dragon can fall under DragonsAreDemonic. This can also overlap with the ReptilianConspiracy in instances when SnakePeople [[TheyLookLikeUsNow make themselves]] look {{human|Disguise}} before revealing their true forms. [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant If you're looking for]] video game characters being shown as grotesquely oversized compared to their surroundings on an overview map, that's over at UnitsNotToScale. Also not to be confused with MakeMyMonsterGrow.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' includes a versatile spell, Form of the Dragon, with three variations for Medium, Large, and Giant dragons, and the user choosing which dragon to turn into. [[InTheBlood Draconic]] [[HeroicLineage sorcerers]] get access to all three versions as bloodline spells. Characters with the Dragon Disciple prestige class -- which generally, but not always, requires being a draconic-blooded sorcerer or bloodrager to start with -- slowly transform into dragons as they level up.

* ''Literature/ChroniclesOfNarnia'':

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'': [[spoiler:In the final battle, Ganondorf swallows Queen Sonia's stone to transform into the [[AlmightyIdiot mindless]], serpentine [[DragonsAreDemonic Demon Dragon]]. ''Tears of the Kingdom'' also has a heroic example in Princess Zelda herself, who underwent a similar process after being sent 10,000 years in the past in order to take TheSlowPath back to Link. The result is Link riding atop Zelda as a PowerUpMount, taking her high into the air so he can land atop the Demon Dragon's body and {{attack its weak point}}.]]

* Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda:

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'': [[spoiler:In the final battle, Ganondorf swallows Queen Sonia's stone to transform into the [[AlmightyIdiot mindless], serpentine [[DragonsAreDemonic Demon Dragon]]. ''Tears of the Kingdom'' also has a heroic example in Princess Zelda herself, who underwent a similar process after being sent 10,000 years in the past in order to take TheSlowPath back to Link. The result is Link riding atop Zelda as a PowerUpMount, taking her high into the air so he can land atop the Demon Dragon's body and {{attack its weak point}}.]]

* Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda

* Jafar does this as the FinalBoss of every ''VideoGame/{{Aladdin}}'' LicensedGame, including ''VideoGame/AladdinVirginGames'' (where the snake really is his final form) and ''VideoGame/AladdinCapcom''.

* In ''VideoGame/EarthBound'', the dragonite item turns one character into a dragon and damages every enemy for a ton of damage.

* A recurring antagonist in ''LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana'' lives to be recurring only because he shapeshifts into a ''small'' snakelike creature to escape a losing battle.

* Divine Ancestors in ''LightNovel/{{Campione}}'' have the ability to gain a massive increase in power by transforming into their primordial form, a dragon or serpent. This comes at a cost as doing so sacrifices their eternal youth and hampers their ability to regain their lost powers.

* Near the end of [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime adaptation]] of ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', [[spoiler:Envy turns into a giant serpent in order to cross the Gate and kill his father, Hohenheim. He ends up getting stuck in [[UsefulNotes/WeimarRepublic Germany]], where he's captured by the Thule Society and used as a giant Ouroboros to activate their transmutation circle and open a portal to Amestris]]. However, this process does accomplish the one thing he really wanted: [[spoiler:killing Hohenheim.]]

** Major antagonists in the series usually have a similar power: Emperor Zod in the first game, Teepo in the third, and Fou-lu in the fourth all fight the party in their dragon forms, the last [[SequentialBoss more than once]]. The situation in the fifth installment is more complicated, but the technical final boss and the BonusBoss are still both dragons.