History Main / SneakySpider

* King UsefulNotes/LouisXI of France was known as "the Universal Spider" ("''l'Universelle Araigne''" in Medieval French) due to his [[TheChessmaster talent for plotting]] and the communications network he developed by improving postal roads.

[[folder:Comics]]

* Kumoko, the protagonist of ''LightNovel/SoImASpiderSoWhat'', is TrappedInAnotherWorld in the body of a [[BigCreepyCrawlies spider monster]]. As she steadily grows stronger, Kumoko opts away from the {{Evolution Power Up}}s that would turn her into an abomination the size of a building and opts to rely on speed and smarts, employing [[TrapMaster traps]], [[PoisonIsEvil poison]], ambush tactics and all sorts of other dirty strategies to survive a brutally unforgiving environment.

* ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'': Cydaea, the [[HornyDevils Maiden of Lust]], has the body of a woman but the legs of a spider. Deckard Cain describes her as both beautiful and grotesque. As her title implies, she tempts mortals ([[DepravedBisexual no matter their gender or sexuality]]) into her web with her sweet voice before devouring them alive.

* [[UsefulNotes/LetatCestMoi Louis XI]] of France was known as "the Universal Spider" ("''l'Universelle Aragne''" in Middle French) due to his talent for plotting and the communications network he developed by improving postal roads.

In many portrayls, they are more commonly evil, amoral, or morally ambiguous, and can also be cruel predators on top of being deceitful. Characters of this sort who are {{Guile Hero}}es may instead be {{Friendly Neighborhood Spider}}s

* ''Anime/MegaloBox'': The Megaloboxer "Spider" Iglesias is called "Spider" because of his use of ConfusionFu and a highly mobile style to trap opponents to the point that he can control their available movement.

* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice'': [[spoiler:Queen Ga'ran]] is associated with spiders through [[ArachnidAppearanceAndAttire her appearance and clothing once their true colors are revealed]], fitting her scheming and manipulative nature.

* The {{fable}} ''The Spider and the Fly'' by Mary Howitt features a spider luring a fly into its web through flattery and seduction, only to eat him once he decides to alight onto her web.

In many portrayls, they are more commonly evil, amoral, or morally ambiguous, and can also be cruel predators on top of being deceitful. Characters of this sort who are {{Guile Hero}}es may instead be {{Neighborhood Friendly Spider}}s

While characters of this sort could be {{Guile Hero}}es, they are more commonly evil, amoral, or morally ambiguous, and can also be cruel predators on top of being deceitful.

* Myth/JapaneseMythology: The [[{{Youkai}} tsuchigumo]] , a MasterOfIllusion GiantSpider who lures the hero Minamoto no Raiko into his web and would have eaten him had Minamoto not seen through the illusion.

Spiders are well-known for the webs they weave and lay as traps for unsuspecting prey. In line with this, fictional spiders and [[AnimalMotifs characters associated with them]] will be cast as witty tricksters and/or deceitful, manipulative schemers with ulterior motives, lying in wait in the shadows and use [[AllWebbedUp physical]] or metaphorical "webs" to outwit their opponents. Other times, they are portrayed as seducers ([[SeductiveSpider often particularly attractive ones]]) who attempt to lure in unsuspecting prey for the kill -- for an extreme example, the term BlackWidow is partially derived from [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrodectus a genus of spiders]] whose females occasionally devour the males after mating. For extra sketchiness, these can be compounded with how some spiders secrete venom (because [[PoisonIsEvil the usage of toxins is untrustworthy]]), or the weaving of spider webs can be related to [[MasterOfIllusion illusion]] powers.

Spiders are well-known for the webs they weave and lay as traps for unsuspecting prey. In line with this, fictional spiders and [[AnimalMotifs characters associated with them]] will be cast as witty tricksters and/or deceitful, manipulative schemers with ulterior motives. They lie in wait in the shadows and use [[AllWebbedUp physical]] or metaphorical "webs" to outwit their opponents, and web imagery can also used to portray their influence over either other individuals or their [[DomainHolder domains]]. Other times, they are portrayed as seducers who attempt to lure in unsuspecting prey for the kill -- for an extreme example, the term BlackWidow is partially derived from [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrodectus a genus of spiders]] whose females occasionally devour the males after mating. For extra sketchiness, these can be compounded with how some spiders secrete venom (because [[PoisonIsEvil the usage of toxins is untrustworthy]]), or the weaving of spider webs can be related to [[MasterOfIllusion illusion]] powers.

* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': Varys, the DeadlyDecadentCourt's cunning spymaster, is associated with spiders (his InUniverseNickname is even "the Spider") due to his secrecy and "web" of informants. Although he's ostensibly on the side of the crown, he appears to have his own agenda which the court is none the wiser to.

* Tarantulas and Blakarachnia of ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' both transform into spiders, and are easily the most cunning and duplicitous of the Predacons short of [[BigBad Megatron]] himself.

* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice'': [[spoiler:Queen Garan]] is associated with spiders through [[ArachnidAppearanceAndAttire their appearance and clothing once their true colors are revealed]], fitting their scheming and manipulative nature.

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