History Main / ScaledUp

** 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, its for an assassination mission.

This trope is not strictly limited for the bad guys; indeed, there are arguably just as many places around the world that revere snakes as much as other places dislike them, and, if done properly, a serpentine hero can easily satisfy the RuleOfCool. However, when it's the good guys doing this, they typically turn into dragons instead of snakes. Note that since Disney's ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'', many villains have also turned into fire-breathing dragons.

-->-- EvilOverlordList, Rule #34[[note]]No, not [[RuleThirtyFour THAT one]][[/note]]

** 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''.

* 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 agains 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 the climax of ''[[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003 TMNT: The Lost Episodes]]'', the True Shredder demon transforms into a dragon to gain an advantage over the Turtles... At least, until the Turtles ''also'' transform into dragons. Because magic.

Of course, the result of all that symbolism is that when a villain turns into a snake there can be no doubt about the [[DesignatedVillain evil nature]] of a foe, and it gives TheHero a [[WhatMeasureIsANonCute comfortably scary]] and suddenly [[NotEvenHuman less human foe]] to kill.

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 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.

** 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. [[spoiler: After Rachel has defeated each of the minions, she bites Tom in half. She demorphs, exhausted, and another minion, transformed into a polar bear, kills her with a single blow.]]
* 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''.

This trope is not strictly limited for the bad guys. However, when it's the good guys doing this, they typically turn into dragons instead of snakes. Note that since Disney's ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'', many villains have also turned into fire-breathing dragons.

* In the 1973 b-movie ''Sssssss'', a MadScientist turns his lab assistants into king cobras.

** Many yuan-ti can also transform into full-on snakes--though their normal forms are ''already'' [[SnakePeople a mixture of serpentine and human features]], looking progressively snakier as you go up through the FantasticCasteSystem.

A [[SubTrope specific variant]] of OneWingedAngel. Villains transforming into a dragon can fall under DragonsAreDemonic. [[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.

* The main villain of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleOfSeasons'', General Onox, turns into a dragon in the final battle.

* 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 protuding from her hair, arms, bodi, and her lower body turning into multiple snake tails, which she use to brutally assault the heroes.

* 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 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!]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

** In Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', [[BigBad Jafar]] transforms into a humongous snake after gaining sorcerer powers from the Genie. 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.

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

* In ''Film/TheMummyTombOfTheDragonEmperor'', the Emperor turns into a three-headed dragon, kidnapping Lin and managing to evade the heroes. He doesn't return to that shape, though. Later on, he shifts into another giant animal and was similarly unbeatable. In fact, it's safe to say that had he not been goaded into a fair fight, he'd have succeeded.

* ''Series/OnceUponATime'': As fitting with her original tale, Maleficent can turn into a dragon. [[spoiler: Her daughter]] has the ability, too, though [[spoiler: she]] hasn't quite learned how to control it yet.

** Maleficent from ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'' is notable for upping the stakes of the final confrontation by [[OneWingedAngel turning into an enormous black dragoness]].

* 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". Cue the FridgeHorror at [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar what she could be implying...]]