| 1 | %% |
| 2 | %% The examples on this page have been sorted alphabetically. Please help keep this page tidy by adding new ones in order. Thank you! |
| 3 | %% |
| 4 | %% Zero-context examples are not allowed on wiki pages; all such examples have been commented out. |
| 5 | %% Please add proper context before uncommenting them -- a good example should explain *how* it's an example. |
| 6 | %% |
| 7 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1297402391020120100 |
| 8 | %% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread. |
| 9 | %% |
| 10 | [[quoteright:300:[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bat_out_of_hell.jpg]]]] |
| 11 | [[caption-width-right:300:It may look scary, but don't worry. [[Music/MeatLoaf It'll be gone when the morning comes.]]]] |
| 12 | |
| 13 | ->''"For something is amiss or out of place\ |
| 14 | When mice with wings can wear a human face."'' |
| 15 | -->-- '''Theodore Roethke''', "The Bat" |
| 16 | |
| 17 | Bats are creepy for many people. They often seem like [[YouDirtyRat rats]] with wings to us, they can spread rabies, and apparently like to hang out in all sorts of dark, foreboding places (caves, bell towers, abandoned houses, castles, crypts, etc). Three species (out of over 1,000!) are infamous for [[BloodsuckingBats drinking blood]], and have led to a strong association between bats and vampires. As such, bats frequently show up as antagonists in horror themed media. Can be roughly divided into a few types that can sometimes overlap: |
| 18 | |
| 19 | # Normal bats: Frequently depicted as TheSwarm; a [[BatScare shrieking mass of menacing wings]], regardless of whether or not they pose any actual danger to the cast. May be controlled or conjured by someone to form a BarrageOfBats. |
| 20 | # Dire bats: Larger and more vicious than normal bats, and menacing even without TheSwarm to back them up. |
| 21 | # BatPeople: Monstrous, anthropomorphic creatures with a mixture of bat and human features. |
| 22 | # Robo bats: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Robotic bats]]. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Vampires can sometimes]] transform into these. Bat wings are also a frequent model for [[GoodWingsEvilWings winged creatures of an Evil alignment.]] |
| 25 | |
| 26 | In RealLife bats aren't actually all that bad, and probably among the most unfairly maligned animals. Most bat species only eat insects or fruit, and many species are very useful to mankind as pest-eaters, pollinators and so on. The "shrieking" is often closer to benign chirping/clicking. [[http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanmenagerie/3219755204/ Sometimes,]] they're even {{Ridiculously Cute Critter}}s. In spite of being the largest bats, due to WhatMeasureIsANonCute and HerbivoresAreFriendly, fruit bats and flying foxes are rarely played for horror and more likely to be portrayed positively in fiction compared to their "uglier" yet much smaller microbat cousins. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | The part about them spreading rabies is sort of true, though; the species is a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_reservoir natural reservoir]] for the virus, and if a bat's found in somebody's living space it's standard protocol to treat them for rabies just in case, especially since it's possible for a bat to bite you without you noticing, particularly if you're intoxicated or asleep. Only about 0.5% of bats in the United States actually have the rabies virus, but the small yearly number of human cases in the country can mostly be divided into people who got bitten by mad dogs and people who got bitten by infected bats. |
| 29 | |
| 30 | This trope also applies when one or more bats accidentally get into a house or similar place that is not their usual habitat and cause havoc. If someone spooks one or more bats in their lair, that would be BatScare. |
| 31 | |
| 32 | This is ''not'' GoddamnedBats (which is about any kind of annoying video game enemy), but the two categories frequently overlap. |
| 33 | |
| 34 | See GoodWingsEvilWings; evil wings tend to be batlike, while good wings are usually more feathery. |
| 35 | |
| 36 | Not to be confused with [[BatterUp the baseball kind of bat]] or the [[Music/BatOutOfHell album]] by Music/MeatLoaf (though the cover art does contain an example). |
| 37 | ---- |
| 38 | !!Examples |
| 39 | |
| 40 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 41 | |
| 42 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 43 | %%* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Ulquiorra Schiffer is one of these.%%ZCE -- how? |
| 44 | * ''Anime/BloodPlus'': The Chiropterans take the vampire/bat comparison and run with it. Even the humanoid chiropterans get batlike features when they go OneWingedAngel. |
| 45 | * ''Anime/{{Dogtato}}'': Both played straight and inverted in an episode where a bat/apple hybrid visits the Veggie residents. Although sweet and kind in the day, during the night the bat/apple gets a SplitPersonalityTakeover that causes it to bite all the veggie-hybrids, turning them into apples that roll up and gather together in the branches of a nearby apple tree where the bat holds residence. They return to normal in the morning. |
| 46 | * ''Manga/InuYasha'' has a clan of bat {{youkai}} who repeatedly attack humans and suck their blood out. But Tsukuyomaru and Shiori are [[WhiteSheep not like the others]]. |
| 47 | * ''Manga/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaVivid'': One of Fabian's [[OurDemonsAreDifferent devils]] is a cartoony looking bat [[spoiler:[[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever that can grow greatly in size]] and subsequently [[IncredibleShrinkingMan shrink any unfortunate mage]] that it [[SwallowedWhole swallows whole]]]]. |
| 48 | * ''Anime/TransformersVictory:'' Hellbat the Decepticon, who as one of the Breastforce ([[UnfortunateName don't laugh]]) has a bat-themed partner. Fortunately, despite his hypnotism power, Hellbat's less of a threat thanks to being a cowardly schmuck, though his bat partner is creepy looking, and has an OverlyLongTongue it can use to drain energy from enemies. |
| 49 | * ''Anime/TheUltraman'' has an alien bat monster called a Goadarion as one of Ultraman Joneus' lesser foes. |
| 50 | * ''Manga/WeddingPeach'': Blackie, a minor demon, is a bat. |
| 51 | * ''Manga/{{Yaiba}}'': The strongest of the Hakki is the Batman (or Bat-Guy in the anime). See also OurVampiresAreDifferent. |
| 52 | [[/folder]] |
| 53 | |
| 54 | [[folder:Asian Animation]] |
| 55 | * ''Animation/HappyHeroes'': A Season 8 episode demonstrates summoning a swarm of bats as one of the abilities used by the villain Huo Haha. The bats swirl around Happy S. as he is trying to fight Huo, distracting him. |
| 56 | [[/folder]] |
| 57 | |
| 58 | [[folder:Card Games]] |
| 59 | * ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' has a few bats of the huge and monstrous variety under the domain of Black, such as the [[https://scryfall.com/card/gpt/102/blind-hunter Blind Hunter]] and the predatory [[https://scryfall.com/card/dst/45/grimclaw-bats Grimclaw Bats]]. |
| 60 | ** The [[https://scryfall.com/card/c13/82/marrow-bats Marrow Bats]] are a flock of skeletal, undead chiropterans. |
| 61 | ** [[https://scryfall.com/card/lci/88/aclazotz-deepest-betrayal-temple-of-the-dead Aclazotz]], the Ixalani bat-god of the night, death, and betrayal, is a profoundly malevolent entity who seeks to snuff out the sun and plunge the world into an age of eternal darkness. His servants and agents likewise take the form of demonic bats, such as the [[https://scryfall.com/card/xln/92/blight-keeper Blight Keeper]]. |
| 62 | [[/folder]] |
| 63 | |
| 64 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 65 | * ''ComicBook/TheAutumnlandsToothAndClaw'' has a tribe of human-sized warrior bats. |
| 66 | * ''ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': The comics show a new breed of vampires that is [[DaywalkingVampire immune to daylight]] and has [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]]. They also have the ability [[VoluntaryShapeshifting to turn themselves into animals]] and the leader, Vicki, turns into a giant bat. |
| 67 | * ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': Bruce Wayne chose the bat as his symbol due to its fear-inducing properties (because bats specifically scared him as a child, and/or the superstitious nature of criminals in general). One of his villains, Man-Bat, is a Were Bat. |
| 68 | ** [[ElaborateUndergroundBase The Batcave]] is appropriately named, not only because of its owner but for the many, many bats that live down there. [[FridgeLogic Gotta wonder how Batman keeps the place clean with one butler...]] |
| 69 | ** His "[[FinishingMove Heroic Brutality]]" in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatVsDCUniverse'' is attaching a sonic device to his foe's chest that attracts a swarm of bats to torment them. He also does this to some Thanagarian mooks in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' when they attack the Batcave. He did the same to a large crowd in broad daylight as early as ''ComicBook/BatmanYearOne''. |
| 70 | --->'''Thanagarian:''' Your weapons are pitiful!\ |
| 71 | '''Batman:''' Wait for it... |
| 72 | ** ''ComicBook/BatmanVampire'': Batman becomes Vampire Batman. |
| 73 | *** This was predated by a 1982 storyline in Creator/DCComics. |
| 74 | *** He can also do it in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' as a combat upgrade, though it just stuns mooks. |
| 75 | * ''ComicBook/ALoveLikeBlood'': As the trueborn son of [[MonsterProgenitor first vampire Karkossa]], Jacques is able to summon swarms of bats to swamp his enemies. |
| 76 | * ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'': |
| 77 | ** Batwing, who mainly shows up in ''Comicbook/UntoldTalesOfSpiderMan'', a Man-Bat homage by Kurt Busiek. |
| 78 | ** {{Dracula}} can transform himself into a giant bat or a bat/human hybrid. |
| 79 | ** In his 3rd solo series, ComicBook/{{Morbius}} starts turning more and more into a bat after an attempt to cure himself of [[ArtificialHybrid his]] [[OurVampiresAreDifferent affliction]] goes wrong. He's also seen in a monstrous bat form in various other universes: in a ''ComicBook/{{Exiles}}'' story arc (transformed when a sorcerer used magic to bring out the worst in him); in ''Spider-Man Heroes and Villains Collection'' published by Eaglemoss; in ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries''; and in the ''[[WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012 Ultimate Spider-Man]]'' cartoon. |
| 80 | * ''ComicBook/MissileMouse'' has Blazing Bat, an anthropomorphic bat alien BountyHunter who was hired to take out Missile Mouse in "Rescue on [=Tankium3=]". |
| 81 | * ''ComicBook/{{Vampirella}}'': Count {{Dracula}} is pretty much the only vampire depicted who is able to turn into a giant bat. The rest, Vampirella herself included, merely grow wings while retaining their human appearance. |
| 82 | [[/folder]] |
| 83 | |
| 84 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 85 | * ''Fanfic/{{Beginnings}}'': Corbel fights a large bat monster in a (seemingly) abandoned house. |
| 86 | * ''Fanfic/BoldoresAndBoomsticks'': PlayedForLaughs, where Team WebAnimation/{{RWBY}} runs into Nox the [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Zubat]] in the fourth chapter. It's lampshaded that a featureless face with no eyes, no nose, and a massive mouth with prominent fangs ''should'' be horrifying... and yet, the little fellow somehow manages to look ''cute'', especially for [[AllLovingHero Ruby Rose]]. |
| 87 | * ''Fanfic/{{Daemorphing}}'': {{Defied}}. Cassie is horrified at first when Quincy settles as a vampire bat shortly after the Animorphs kill David, but her dad tells her that vampire bats are altruistic despite having to do harsh things to survive. |
| 88 | * ''Fanfic/DannyPhantomVisited'': Vlad sends a large ghost bat to attack Danny at the dinner party. |
| 89 | * ''Fanfic/GettingBackOnYourHooves'': When the CMC get lost in the Everfree, they are attacked by a Ropen, [[BlindBats a giant, blind batlike monster that hunts by sound]]. Since it's blind, [[spoiler:Fluttershy's Stare has no effect on it, but Trixie temporarily crippled its echolocation using a fireworks spell]]. |
| 90 | * ''Fanfic/TheKeysStandAlone'': The laser-eyed robo-bats (aka the Flitters) in the cliff dwelling in ''The Soft World''. |
| 91 | * ''Fanfic/MyInnerLife'': A giant bat-like creature attacks Link and Jenna in the final completed chapter, apparently on the orders of the DarkLord Ariakis. |
| 92 | * ''Fanfic/TheNewAdventuresOfInvaderZim'': One of [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Norlock's]] most frequently seen powers is the ability to transform into a giant demonic bat. |
| 93 | * ''Art/RealisticPokemon'' portrays [[http://arvalis.deviantart.com/art/Gengar-334476729 the Gengar line]] as this. Gastly is depicted as a floating version of the Normal Bat variant, which develops into a Dire Bat upon evolving into Haunter and eventually becomes a flightless version of the Dire Bat when it becomes Gengar. He also did a gorgeous portrayal of [[http://arvalis.deviantart.com/art/Noivern-460782149 the below mentioned Noivern]]. |
| 94 | * ''Fanfic/ShinjiTheCasanova'': Cupid's physical form looks like a walking, four-legged, blood-red bat with a scorpion tail. It is only one-tenth the size of an Evangelion, which means it is still huge from a human perspective. Subverted, since it ends up being friendlier than its brethren. |
| 95 | * ''Fanfic/TotalDramaComebackSeries'': When Noah has to go down into the Pit of 100 Screams to retrieve a gemstone, he comes face to face with a giant bat. He almost runs for it, but remembers that most bats aren't carnivorous, eating insects and fruit, and successfully retrieves the gem from under it. |
| 96 | [[/folder]] |
| 97 | |
| 98 | [[folder:Films -- Animated]] |
| 99 | * ''Creator/{{Disney}}'': |
| 100 | ** ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove'': When Kuzco and Pacha are attempting to climb out of the chasm they have fallen into, Kuzco (as a llama) rams his mouth and nose into a small cave opening, which is of course revealed to be full of bats. The bats all immediately attempt to flee, leading to... [[TastesLikeFeet blech!]] |
| 101 | ** ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'': {{Inverted|Trope}} for some viewers. Viewing Chernabog as a big bat may serve as NightmareRetardant. |
| 102 | ** ''WesternAnimation/Fantasia2000'': The Black Triangles of the Symphony No. 5 segment invoke this with their darker colors and more jagged shapes, while the Colorful Triangles resemble PrettyButterflies. |
| 103 | ** ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'': Fidget the bat may be overshadowed as a threat and as a villain by Professor Ratigan, but he's still the BigBad's primary henchman. |
| 104 | ** ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'': Giant, multi-eyed bats are seen, based on Pe'ape'a. |
| 105 | %%* ''WesternAnimation/Epic2013'': The Boggans' favorite mammals.%%ZCE -- is this a negative portrayal of bats? |
| 106 | * ''WesternAnimation/FernGullyTheLastRainforest'': Batty the giant bat was actually a normal bat who just looks huge in comparison to [[OurFairiesAreDifferent fairies]]. He's also friendly, if a little [[TheDitz addled]]. |
| 107 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Plumiferos}}'': Subverted. Clarita the bat frightens Feifi the sparrow at first during her new life of freedom out of her cage, but the misunderstanding is cleared up and they become good friends. |
| 108 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheSwanPrincess'': Rothbart's OneWingedAngel form of "The Great Animal" is abominable and deadly creature that manly looks like a giant monstrous bat, with a pensile tail and sharp bird of prey feet. |
| 109 | [[/folder]] |
| 110 | |
| 111 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 112 | * In ''Film/TheAbominableDrPhibes'', one of the not-so-good Doctor's methods of execution is releasing a swarm of bats to nibble their victim to death. However, the [[TerrifyingPetStoreRat flying foxes shown in the movie]] are fairly docile and prefer fruit and nectar to humans. And they're kind of cute, too. |
| 113 | * ''Film/AceVentura'': Ace loves all animals... except bats, which he fears and loathes. "DIE, DEVIL BIRD!" "TAKE THAT, YOU WINGED SPAWN OF SATAN!" (No, it's not that the bats are actually creepy, but hell, his reaction is hilarious.) |
| 114 | %%* ''Film/TheAngryRedPlanet'': The [[MixAndMatchCritters rat-bat-spider]] creature. |
| 115 | * ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': |
| 116 | ** ''Film/BatmanForever'': A deleted scene, [[MissingTrailerScene which showed up in the trailers]], has Bruce Wayne confront a giant bat in a secret, hidden chamber in the Batcave. |
| 117 | ** ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' (being [[AdaptationDistillation a reappropriation of the most iconic elements]] of the ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'' mythos) milks this trope for most of its worth, most especially in ''Film/BatmanBegins'' and ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''. Notably {{averted|Trope}} in ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' though, as it's the first Batman film not to feature any bats (either live-action ''or'' CG). |
| 118 | * ''Film/{{Bats}}'': People start to die in a small Texas town and the prime suspects are bats. A specialist in bats is called in, and reveals that the bats have been engineered to be become a deadly human-hunting cooperative. A Direct-To-TV sequel to this film, ''Bats: Human Harvest'', was made by the [[Creator/{{Syfy}} Sci-Fi Channel]] in 2007. |
| 119 | * ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods'': One of the more prominent threats in the MonsterMash climax is a tiger-sized batlike predator, listed on the betting board as a "dragonbat". |
| 120 | %%* ''Film/TheDarkCrystal'': The "crystal bats" .%%ZCE |
| 121 | * In ''Film/{{Daybreakers}}'', a virus which started in bats caused some of the human population to become vampires, eventually resulting in 95% of the human population becoming vampires. These vampires cannot transform into bats, but, if deprived of blood, they become batlike, animalistic creatures. |
| 122 | * ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'': The giant bats are actually [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pteropus real bats]] -- but not vampire bats, contrary to what Indy says. Many large bats in RealLife have been saddled with taxonomic names containing vampire references, so Indy might well have been misled by this -- or he was just trying to screw with Willy. Just listen to his voice when he says that line. |
| 123 | * ''Film/{{Gamera}}'': The Gyaos are [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever giant man-eating bats]]. It should be noted, however, that the Heisei Gamera films refer to them as genetically engineered ''birds'', despite retaining bat-like ears and wings. |
| 124 | * ''Film/GraveyardShift'' climaxes with a giant bat-like monster under the textile mill. The intent is probably supposed to be [[RodentsOfUnusualSize giant rat]] that has evolved bat-like wings, as in the Creator/StephenKing short story that inspired the movie, but you'd be forgiven for thinking it was just a big ol' bat. |
| 125 | %%* ''Film/JeepersCreepers2'': [[HumanoidAbomination The Creeper]] is Invoked as this. |
| 126 | * ''Film/KingKong2005'' features a cave of Dire Bats. Technically, ''A Natural History of Skull Island'' identifies these creatures as winged carnivorous rodents, not true bats. Their looks still play off the killer-bat-from-hell trope, however. |
| 127 | * In ''Film/Lifeforce1985'' the vampiric aliens' (they steal our energy rather than blood) true form is giant bats. Oddly, in the source book ''Space Vampires'' (subtle) their form is more like octopi, which makes no sense whatsoever. |
| 128 | * ''Film/TheLostWorld1998'': The researcher Maple White and his assistant Azbek, discover a world populated by dinosaurs situated on a Mongolian plateau. Soon after the pair are attacked by what are supposed to be Eudimorphodons ( a soecies of pterosaur) but which are depicted as more like a swarm of large, vicious vampire bats. |
| 129 | * ''Film/{{Nightwing}}'' has a swarm of killer plague infected vampire bats summoned by a vengeful Native American shaman. |
| 130 | * ''Film/TheRoost'': Aggressive Dire Bats infect humans with vampirism by biting. |
| 131 | * ''Film/TaleOfTales'': Elias finds Jonah wounded in a cave where they're threatened by a large bat-like monster, which Elias slays in self-defense [[spoiler: and reveals to be the his mother, the Queen of Longtrellis, who gained this OneWingedAngel form for the sake of attempting Jonah's life]]. |
| 132 | * ''Film/TropicThunder'': A giant bat steals Jeff Portnoy's bag of "jellybeans" (actually cocaine). |
| 133 | * ''Film/Underworld2003'': Marcus Corvinus is the very first vampire, and significantly more bat-like than every other vampire. However, this is only after his corpse ingests Lycan blood, and his becoming a hybrid was overridden by his vampire genes, making him able to change into a batlike form. |
| 134 | * ''Film/VanHelsing'': Dracula and his wives can turn into a werebat. Their children are also bat creatures. |
| 135 | * In ''Film/WildHorsePhantom'', Fuzzy gets attacked by an enormous Dire bat while roaming the mine tunnels. He responds by biting it. |
| 136 | [[/folder]] |
| 137 | |
| 138 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 139 | * ''Literature/AfterManAZoologyOfTheFuture'': An island-chain that emerged after humans' extinction happened to be reached by bats before birds, and they came to dominate its ecosystems. Bat-descended animals found there include seal-like surfbats, flightless bug-eaters that [[ChestMonster imitate flowers]], and bizarre, [[BlindBats eyeless]], shrieking predators called "nightstalkers" that walk on their front limbs and claw with their back ones. |
| 140 | * ''Literature/TheButterflyBallAndTheGrasshoppersFeast'': The Long-Eared Bat in the poem of the same name is the only insectivore to be portrayed as [[CarnivoreConfusion actually preying on the insect characters]]. |
| 141 | * ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': This shows up from time to time in association with the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampire courts]]. |
| 142 | ** The Red Court vampires are large, slimy, flightless bat-creatures who hide behind idealised human flesh-masks. |
| 143 | ** The Winter Court also has an air-force largely composed of gigantic bats. |
| 144 | * ''Literature/ElfstonesOfShannara'': [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils The Dagda Mor]] mounts one of these for his final confrontation with the Roc-mounted [[BigGood Allanon]]. |
| 145 | * ''Literature/ANightInTheLonesomeOctober'': Played with. The evil vampiric Count can transform into a large bat, and also has a real bat as a {{familiar}}. Needle the bat, despite his employment status, is actually an amiable fellow and no danger to anybody except small insects and the occasional defenseless grape. [[spoiler:The Count himself never does anything to harm the heroes, and [[EvilVersusOblivion sides with them against the villains]].]] |
| 146 | * ''Literature/NobodyLivesForEver'': Literature/JamesBond is attacked by a hybrid giant vampire bat in a hotel bathroom. Its threat comes from the possible diseases it may carry and after killing it, Bond scrubs the bathroom with antiseptics so that no trace of said diseases are left behind. |
| 147 | * ''Literature/ThePrincessBride'': The King Bats. They're one of the few things of which Fezzik is actually afraid. |
| 148 | * ''Literature/QuantumDevilSagaAvatarTuner'': Just like in the [[VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga original video game]], Bat can transform into the Mayan god of death Camazotz, which looks like a deformed gigantic bat. And he's also a [[HorrorHunger cannibal]]. |
| 149 | * In ''Literature/TheReynardCycle'', bats are generally considered to be creatures of The Watcher, the [[TheGrimReaper god of death]], and are thus generally considered an ill omen. In ''The Baron of Maleperduys'', Hermeline recalls that the castle of Maleperduys had to be cleared of a [[TheSwarm swarm]] of them before Reynard and companions could call it home. |
| 150 | * ''Literature/TheSharingKnife'' features "[[EldritchAbomination malices]]" which create monstrous servants by magically twisting animals into more-or-less human bodies, with at least some semblance of human intelligence. In ''Horizon'' (the fourth and so far final book of the series) a malice gets hold of an enormous cave-ful of bats (one character notes there are ''millions'' of bats in some of the caves in that region) and winds up creating a flying army of creatures somewhere between "Dire Bats" and "Were Bats", while the malice itself takes the form of an especially large and eerily beautiful Were Bat. |
| 151 | * ''Literature/{{Silverwing}}'': Subverted with the bat protagonists, but played straight with the brutal and cannibalistic false vampire bats who serve as the main villains. The cannibalistic bats also worship the Mayan god Camazotz, a fiery bat who demands sacrifices. |
| 152 | * ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': The extinct House Lothston, whose sigil was a black bat, had an ill reputation in the Seven Kingdoms. Lady Danelle Lothston was rumored to have practiced black magic, bathed in blood, and presided over feasts of human flesh. Even decades after the fall of the Lothstons, their sigil is still feared by many, and mothers tell stories to their children about bats flying from Harrenhal to carry bad children to Mad Danelle's cooking pots. |
| 153 | * ''Literature/{{Spellsinger}}'': Subverted. Pog the bat (oversized and intelligent, like nearly all animals in that world) is one of the nicer characters in the series. |
| 154 | * Creator/StephenKing: |
| 155 | ** ''Literature/{{Cujo}}'': A rabid bat is what infects the titular dog with rabies. Downplayed, as the bat isn't really ''evil'' or even malicious, just diseased. |
| 156 | ** ''Literature/NightShift'': ''Graveyard Shift'' has giant bats that actually are [[ArtisticLicenseBiology mutant rats]]. TheFilmOfTheBook [[spoiler:does away with the bat/rat connection, and simply has a giant mutant bat sharing the toxic cavern with regular rats]]. |
| 157 | * ''Literature/{{Vespers}}'': The pair of giant mutant bats. They are also accompanied by huge swarms of normal bats, which are driven to attack by the influence of the giants. |
| 158 | %%* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': The Draghkar are essentially large werebats. |
| 159 | * ''Literature/TheMarvellousLandOfSnergs'': The bats inhabiting the Black Woods are large, noisy beasts with beaked snouts and a wingspan of two meters. Fortunately, they are very loud but not aggressive. |
| 160 | [[/folder]] |
| 161 | |
| 162 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 163 | * ''Series/DarkShadows'': The witch Angelique Bouchard summons a vampire bat to transform the wealthy Barnabas Collins (her former lover who broke her heart to marry her employer) into a vampire, leading to the town's pursuit of him. |
| 164 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'': |
| 165 | ** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS18E4StateOfDecay State of Decay]]", Aukon commands a swarm of blood-sucking bats. |
| 166 | ** In "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS24E1TimeAndTheRani Time and the Rani]]", the Rani's Tetrap {{mooks}} are large vampire bat-like creatures. |
| 167 | * ''Series/TheFutureIsWild'': In the ice age five million years in the future, a group of American bats have evolved into predators named deathgleaners that grow to the size of birds of prey. |
| 168 | * ''Series/GilligansIsland'': In "[[Recap/GilligansIslandS3E1UpAtBat Up at Bat]]", Gilligan is bitten by a large, nasty-looking bat and thinks he's turning into a vampire. |
| 169 | * ''Series/{{Grimm}}'': The Murcielago are bat-like Wesen with the ability to emit a screech that can rupture windows, lungs, ear-drums and eyes. |
| 170 | * ''Franchise/KamenRider'': Bats are one of the most popular stock motifs for monsters in Kamen Riders, where like the vast majority of monsters, they serve a primarily villainous role. Bats are a fairly popular motif for Riders too. Almost no bat-themed Rider is portrayed as a complete villain, though this trend was broken by Kamen Rider Brali (see below). |
| 171 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderRyuki'': Ren Akiyama/Kamen Rider Knight is the secondary protagonist of the series. While he is cold, aloof and willing to kill others to save his lover [[ThouShaltNotKill (or so he tells himself)]], he has a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold hidden-heart of gold]] and is one of the few Riders to even make an attempt to save civilians from monster attacks. |
| 172 | *** ''Series/KamenRiderDragonKnight'': Ren's American counterpart, Len/Kamen Rider Wing Knight, is even more blatantly heroic than Ren, and lacks Ren's selfish though understandable motivations. |
| 173 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderKiva'': Wataru Kurenai/Kamen Rider Kiva is the protagonist of the series, and is generally a moral well-meaning person. |
| 174 | *** In the same series, we have Kamen Rider Dark Kiva. While the Dark Kiva armor's first user, [[VampireMonarch King]], is a villain through-and-through, the armor's later users, [[PapaWolf Otoya Kurenai]] and [[RedeemingReplacement Taiga Nobori]] both use the armor for good (though Taiga takes a few steps towards getting to that stage). |
| 175 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderDecade'': Natsumi Hikari becomes Kamen Rider Kivala in the finale movie, and is instrumental in stopping a (seemingly) rampaging Decade. |
| 176 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderBuild'': Nariaki Utsumi/Kamen Rider Mad Rogue. Initially starts off as a subordinate to [[BigBad Evolt]] before revealing his true intentions to defeat Evolt. When he appears in later media, he fights alongside the other heroic Kamen Riders. |
| 177 | *** While not officially a Kamen Rider, Night Rogue does superficially resemble one and is wholly villainous for his entire tenure. While his main user, Gentoku Himuro does indeed eventually redeem himself, he only does so after permanently adopting the crocodile-themed Kamen Rider Rogue identity. |
| 178 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderRevice'': Kagerou/Kamen Rider Evil and Daiji Igarashi/Kamen Rider Live. While Kamen Rider Evil is, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin evil]], its powers are nothing more than a mirror to Kamen Rider Live who is in contrast, purely heroic. |
| 179 | ** ''Series/KamenRiderGeats'': Kazuo Numabukuro/Kamen Rider Brali is a ''huge'' trend breaker for bat-themed Riders. Not only is he a complete one-off character, but he's also the first of the bat Riders to be a complete villain, being an unrepented SerialKiller who [[WouldHurtAChild murders children]] for money and ''[[ForTheEvulz kicks]]''. Needless to say, most fans aren't ''too'' unhappy to see him gone, while most of the other characters in the series outright ''abhor'' him. |
| 180 | * ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'': One episode has a throw-away gag where Peg opens one of the cabinets in the family's kitchen to reveal a mass of cobwebs and a large bat flapping around. She wisely just closes it again. |
| 181 | * ''Series/MonsterWarriors'': In "Megabatua", the Monster Warriors attempt to combat gigantic vampire bats which have invaded Capital City Hospital and depleted its blood supply. |
| 182 | * ''Series/MyWorldAndWelcomeToIt'': John and the new housekeeper Mrs. Simkins are frightened by a frantic bat that gets trapped in the house in "Maid in Connecticut." |
| 183 | * ''Series/TheOfficeUS'': In one episode, a bat winds up loose in the titular office. Jim, playing to Dwight's usual GenreBlindness, convinces him that he was bitten and is turning into a vampire. |
| 184 | * ''Series/PowerRangersMegaforce'' has "Zombats", cyborg creatures used to [[MakeMyMonsterGrow make monsters grow]]. They have black, serpentine bodies which end in {{b|ewareMyStingerTail}}lades and a single large eye for a head. |
| 185 | * ''Series/{{Primeval}}'': The Future Predators are highly evolved, flightless bats, and apparently inspired by the flightless bats of ''Literature/AfterManAZoologyOfTheFuture''. Rather than being creepy or blood-drinking, they're ferocious, strong and agile predators. |
| 186 | * In Season 4 of ''Series/StrangerThings'', [[BigBad Vecna]]'s realm in the [[DarkWorld Upside Down]] is patrolled by nasty bat-like creatures, who swarm the party after they come through the lake portal and are fought off with great difficulty ([[TeamMom Steve]] kills one by biting its head off, which resident {{Metalhead}} Eddie comments is "extremely [[Music/OzzyOsbourne Ozzie]] of you"). Later, in order to infiltrate the house where Vecna dwells, they need to distract the bats, which Eddie does with an ''utterly epic'' rendition of [[Music/{{Metallica}} Master of Puppets]] on his electric guitar from atop his trailer. [[spoiler: [[TearJerker Sadly]], they ultimately claim Eddie's life, when he decides to (successfully) [[HeroicSacrifice buy more time]] by leaving the trailer and facing the swarm.]] |
| 187 | * The ''Franchise/UltraSeries'', given its colorful myriad of different monsters, inevitably have a few bat-themed kaiju, including Alien Carmilla Dracula's from ''Series/ReturnOfUltraman'', Batton from ''Series/UltramanLeo'', and Kyuranos from ''Series/UltramanTiga''. The first and third even displayed properties similar to vampires, including biting Ultramen in their necks to drain them of energy and getting severely weakened by sunlight. |
| 188 | [[/folder]] |
| 189 | |
| 190 | [[folder:Magazines]] |
| 191 | * ''Franchise/TheLionKing'': One [[ExpandedUniverse Hakuna Matata story]] subverts this. The plot involves a [[SnakesAreSinister snake]] kidnapping a baby monkey into his cave to eat, with scary-looking bats as scenery presumably to highlight the mood. But the [[ChekhovsGunman bats]] turn out to be the ones to save the monkey from the snake by purposefully distracting it. |
| 192 | [[/folder]] |
| 193 | |
| 194 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 195 | * Music/MeatLoaf: All three albums of the trilogy of the same name include cover art of a demonic bat in a hellish background and a musclebound hero on a magic flying motorcycle. The animated music video for one of the songs, "The Monster Is Loose", brings all three album covers together by telling the story of the man with the motorcycle who rescues his (literally) angelic girlfriend from a giant bat. She narrowly escapes DamselInDistress territory by saving him herself at one point. |
| 196 | * Roger Glover's concept album based on ''The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast" features a song, "Watch Out For the Bat", where the bat is not only a threat to would-be attendants of the Butterfly Ball, but seems to be an embodiment of the fear of mortality. |
| 197 | -->''Watch out for the Bat now\ |
| 198 | Or that'll be that now\ |
| 199 | The price you will pay is dear\ |
| 200 | So don't be ashamed to fear\ |
| 201 | That is what makes you care\ |
| 202 | Makes you beware'' |
| 203 | [[/folder]] |
| 204 | |
| 205 | [[folder:Mythology]] |
| 206 | * Myth/AboriginalAustralianMyths: |
| 207 | ** Bats are very prominent. Some fit the classical bill (Narahdarn, the malicious bat in several South-eastern traditions), while others are more benevolent (the bat is one of the two sacred animals of the Worimi, for example) to complete weirdness by our standards (the flying fox is associated with the sun goddesses, which makes sense because, like all fruit bats, flying foxes are not nocturnal). Palian the bat is one of the two [[TopGod top gods]] (the other being his brother [[NobleBirdOfPrey Bunjil]]) in Kulin tradition and the benevolent ancestor of the people of the bat moeity. |
| 208 | ** The Garkain of Yolngu tradition is a bat/bird thing that envelops people with its leathery wings, which [[EvilSmellsBad smell so bad]] that it actually kills the poor victim. The souls are left to wander Arnhem Land forever. |
| 209 | * Myth/MayanMythology: The Camazotz is a bat-god associated with night, death and sacrifice. The name literally translates as "death bat". In the Literature/PopolVuh, Camazotz are the bat-like monsters encountered by the Mayan Hero Twins Hunahpu and Xbalanque during their trials in the underworld of Xibalba. The twins had to spend the night in the House of Bats where they squeeze themselves into their own blowguns in order to defend themselves. When Hunahpu stuck his head out of his blowgun to see if the sun had risen, Camazotz immediately snatched off his head and carried it to the ballcourt to be hung up as the ball to be used by the gods in their next ballgame. |
| 210 | * Myth/PacificMythology: In Hawaiian mythology, the god Maui battled a giant eight-eyed bat known as Pe'ape'a that kidnapped his wife. |
| 211 | [[/folder]] |
| 212 | |
| 213 | [[folder:Newspapers]] |
| 214 | * The "Moon-Hoax", a series of fake articles published in the New York ''Sun'' in the mid-19th century, convinced gullible readers that a new kind of telescope had revealed life forms on the moon's surface. At the climax of the series, a race of [[BatPeople intelligent bat-people]] were "sighted", and subverted this trope by being peaceful vegetarians. |
| 215 | [[/folder]] |
| 216 | |
| 217 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 218 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Crimestrikers}}'', which is set in a WorldOfFunnyAnimals, both {{subvert|edTrope}}s this and plays it straight. Nyx Marama, a member of the titular team of heroes, is one of the nicest characters in the game. Vladimir "Steelwing" Kavas, a deposed dictator who want his old job back, isn't. |
| 219 | * ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': |
| 220 | ** Dire bats are large, aggressive relatives of normal bats. |
| 221 | ** The Eyewing combines bat wings with a FacelessEye. |
| 222 | ** Several ''magical'' species of giant bat are found in the Forgotten Realms. |
| 223 | ** Subverted by ''D&D'' 3E's desmodu, bat-like subterranean humanoids which are actually among the few good-aligned races in the Underdark. Their smaller cousins, the nycters, are generally neutral-aligned. |
| 224 | ** Two of the minor domain lords in the ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' setting are werebats. |
| 225 | ** The mobat is basically a dire bat, only smart, with a spike on its tail. |
| 226 | ** Giant bats in Basic D&D are the size of hawks, and about 10% are giant vampire bats with a paralytic bite. |
| 227 | * Creator/GamesWorkshop games: |
| 228 | ** ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'': |
| 229 | *** Unsurprisingly, the Vampire Counts have several bat units, including Bat Swarms (regular bats), Fell Bats (flocks of bigger bats), Varghulfs (vampires who have (usually willingly) degenerated into ''huge'' flightless bat-like monsters), and Vargheists (vampires who were forcibly mutated into mindless flying bat monsters smaller than the aforementioned Varghulfs). The epitome of this trope in the setting is the Terrorgheist, the [[RaisingTheSteaks zombified remains of a dragon-sized bat]] that preys on horses and pegasi. It can also explode into a swarm of smaller bats if slain. |
| 230 | *** Many vampires, particularly those of the Strigoi bloodline, are capable of either turning into monstrous bats or growing bat-like wings. |
| 231 | ** ''TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar'': |
| 232 | *** Bats are the most common fauna of the Realm of Shyish, ranging from swarms of regular bats to the monstrous Fell Bats. These bats are often afflicted with the Soulblight curse turning them into bloodthirsty hunters who accompany the armies of the Soulblight vampires. |
| 233 | *** The Vargheists of the Soulblight armies and the Varghulf Courtiers of the Flesh-eater Courts are vampires who have lost their humanity, devolving into hideous bat-creatures. |
| 234 | ** ''TabletopGame/{{Necromunda}}'': |
| 235 | *** Some areas of the Necromundan Underhive are infested with swarms of carrion bats. These scavengers have ferocious piranha-like jaws that they use to steal mouthfuls of flesh from corpses and living Underhivers alike. |
| 236 | *** Ripper Jacks are bat-like alien creatures that inhabit abandoned domes in the Underhive. Ripper Jacks attack by enveloping their prey’s head with their wings while biting and gouging their eyes and throat. Many Beastmaster Wyrds are able to control Ripper Jacks and fight alongside them during battle. |
| 237 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': Besides [[TheSwarm swarms of regular bats]] and {{dire b|east}}ats the size of oxen, there are also mobats -- sapient giant bats native to [[BeneathTheEarth the Darklands]] -- and skavelings, [[NonHumanUndead mobat ghouls]] with the same paralyzing touch of the regular humanoid kind. Werebats are also presented as a type of lycanthrope. |
| 238 | * In ''TabletopGame/RocketAge'' Martian Devil Vultures are Type 2s, being hairless wolf-sized creatures with four grasping limbs and two wings. They're intelligent enough to make dead-fall traps. |
| 239 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'': |
| 240 | ** The rather inaccurately named birdman, also referred to somewhat more accurately as the manbat, is a type of Awakened bat the size of a bird of prey. While they don't normally go after humans, they're still quite aggressive when disturbed, naturally prey on creatures as big as owls, move in large swarms, and possess very sharp claws on their thumbs and saliva laced with contagious bacteria. |
| 241 | ** Stonebinders are large, but not unrealistically so, Awakened brown bats with long tails tipped with venomous stingers. Their real danger comes from their saliva, however, which causes living tissues it touches to rapidly calcify and turn into an immobile, stone-like state. Stonebinders can spit this saliva with great accuracy from a meter away, and its effects spread from the area of contact until the victim is entirely petrified within a few hours. |
| 242 | * In ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'', members of the Tzimisce clan are fond of using their signature Discipline in order to assume a horrible, batlike "war form" called the ''zulo''. More advanced practitioners of the Discipline can turn into a more powerful, flight-capable version called simply a "chiropteran marauder". |
| 243 | * ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'': Averted. Of all the various breeds that exist, including spiders, sharks and dinosaurs, the werebats are not one of them, having been wiped out several centuries ago. Mind you, the reason the Camazotz (the werebats) got eliminated in the first place is because [[ManipulativeBastard the Shadow Lords]] who were part of the expeditions to South America fell prey to this trope. While the Camazotz served as Gaia's nocturnal messengers (not unlike the Corax, or wereravens), the Shadow Lords pointed out that anything with a shape like ''that'' had to be in thrall to [[BigBad the Wyrm]] (they weren't, as it happened). With the South American Camazotz wiped out, Bat, their totem, ended up [[NiceJobBreakingItHero falling to the Wyrm]], dooming the surviving Australian Camazotz as their creation ritual became corrupted. The Shadow Lords have [[TheAtoner been trying to make up for that fuckup ever since]] and have even managed to free an aspect of Bat from the Wyrm's grip... but the Camazotz are still dead. |
| 244 | * ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheForsaken'', while lacking true werecreatures outside of werewolves, allows werebats in the form of bat-themed skinchangers. |
| 245 | [[/folder]] |
| 246 | |
| 247 | [[folder:Theatre]] |
| 248 | * ''Theatre/TheBat'' has a SerialKiller who uses images of bats as his CallingCard. At one point there is even an actual bat flying around. |
| 249 | [[/folder]] |
| 250 | |
| 251 | [[folder:Theme Parks]] |
| 252 | * One of the trails in Disney's Animal Kingdom lets you bypass the bat exhibit -- the bats ''alone'' among all the other animals. For perspective, this is the trail that walks you right by a KOMODO DRAGON without a similar warning. The bats, unlike the Komodo dragon, are in a small dark room, and going back out into the bright light ''can'' be disorienting, even if you don't have any fear of bats themselves. |
| 253 | [[/folder]] |
| 254 | |
| 255 | %%[[folder:Toys]] |
| 256 | %%* ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'': The Phantoka Makuta (Antroz, Chirox and Vamprah) are all physically based on and [[AnimalThemeNaming named after]] bats.%%Evil how? |
| 257 | %%[[/folder]] |
| 258 | |
| 259 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 260 | * ''VideoGame/AdventureQuest'': Vampires normally turn into Werebats, and more powerful Vampires are always Werebats (except the queen). Werepyres are part wolf, part bat, but they look more like a bat than a wolf. |
| 261 | * ''VideoGame/TheAdventuresOfMassmouth'' has the Stuka-Bats, inhabiting {{Abandoned Mine}}s on the planet Nemo. They are frighteningly fast and vicious, and their bizarre, scary screams don't help. |
| 262 | * In ''VideoGame/Afterlife1996'', one of the disasters that can attack the FireAndBrimstoneHell are Bats out of Hell, a swarm of bats who defecate on buildings. |
| 263 | * ''VideoGame/ArenaXlsm'': Bats are one of the many animal enemies. |
| 264 | * ''VideoGame/ArkSurvivalEvolved'': Giant bats are a common nuisance in the caverns. They can also be tamed, like most of the other creatures in the game. |
| 265 | * ''VideoGame/BattleForWesnoth'''s Vampire Bat line. Which are, handily enough, also GoddamnedBats. |
| 266 | * ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'': Bayonetta can use [[{{Animorphism}} Beast Within]] to transform into a swarm of bats when she evades just as she's about to take a hit, resulting in negated damage and extended [[BulletTime Witch Time]]. While the bats themselves aren't evil ([[DarkIsNotEvil and neither is Bayonetta, herself]]), the magic used to fuel them does come from a demonic contract, so they are literally bats powered by the forces of {{Hell}}. As a side note, in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosForNintendo3DSAndWiiU'' her ability to transform into bats (called Bat Within) is an alternate for her down special CounterAttack, [[DoWellButNotPerfect activated when she uses her down special too late]], allowing her to avoid damage just like in the game, but won't always activate Witch Time. In ''Smash'' this is her only animal transformation to be featured in the game. |
| 267 | * ''VideoGame/BlackAndWhite'': If the [[AGodIsYou divine player character]]'s KarmaMeter is solidly Evil, the "Miracle Flock" ability summons up a smokey swarm of black bats, rather than the usual flock of white birds. |
| 268 | * ''VideoGame/BloodRayne'': The pureblooded vampires are werebats. The first BossFight of ''VideoGame/BloodRayne2'' is against the classic cape-clad Count-type, who could turn into a swarm of [[GoddamnedBats unhittable bats]]. Not dangerous by themselves but could stun and knockdown, slowing the climbing/jumping puzzle and making it easier for the Mooks on the ground to ZergRush her. |
| 269 | * ''VideoGame/BrainDead13'': The bats in the Trophy Room. Downplayed when one of them (a giant bat) wraps around Lance and starts playfully chewing on his head while Lance gets a slightly irritated look, in one scene that is less of a death scene and more of a cutesy mosquito bite scene. |
| 270 | %%* ''VideoGame/CastleCrashers'' had the ridiculously huge vampire bat Pipistrello.%%Evil how? |
| 271 | * ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'': |
| 272 | ** A giant bat is a classic boss monster. It was, after all, the first boss monster at the end of level one for [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaI the first game]]. |
| 273 | ** ''Castlevania'' also had the [[OneWingedAngel werebat form]] for Dracula in a few of the games. |
| 274 | ** There's also the bat swarm boss in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDawnOfSorrow''. |
| 275 | ** Subverted and played straight in ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight Symphony of the Night]]''. The bats which attack you near the beginning are fairly weak enemies (ironically, the game has GoddamnedBats in many areas, but the ''actual'' bats aren't among them), and the giant bat boss appears, though it isn't a very strong boss. On the other hand, Alucard has a bat form (which you have to use to fully explore several areas and obtain various special items), and a bat familiar he can summon; bat-form Alucard can attack enemies with [[KillItWithFire fireballs]] and sonar waves. |
| 276 | ** For another heroic subversion in the same series, ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaAriaOfSorrow'' and ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaDawnOfSorrow'' protagonist Soma Cruz also gains the power to turn into a bat. Which makes sense, [[TomatoInTheMirror considering]]... |
| 277 | * ''VideoGame/CavernOfDreams'': The main antagonist is an anthropomorphic bat witch named Luna. |
| 278 | * In ''VideoGame/{{Chantelise}}'' and its sequel ''VideoGame/{{Recettear|AnItemShopsTale}}'', there are Eyebats, oculothoraxes with wings that shoot magic rings. |
| 279 | * ''VideoGame/CryptOfTheNecroDancer'' has multiple. They move erratically, and can catch you off guard. Worse, Direbats are a miniboss that can lay a serious smackdown. Finally, Nocturna can morph into a bat. |
| 280 | * ''VideoGame/CrystalsPonyTale'' has bats in the river level swooping in and out of the windows of the old bridge. |
| 281 | * ''VideoGame/DareToDream'': There's a monster bat in the first episode Tyler's afraid will attack him. He has to find some way to deal with it before he's brave enough to do anything in its room. |
| 282 | * ''VideoGame/{{Darksiders}}'' features not only enemy bats (occasionally fire breathing or using sound attacks), but also their mommy: Super-sized bat demon Tiamat. |
| 283 | * ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' has an enemy known as the "darkdweller" in the underground pirate cove that is No Man's Wharf. It's essentially designed to resemble a giant flightless bat, its wings tweaked into long arms ending in claws that inflict bleed, and there are points where you can run into two or three at once. Fortunately, they're BlindedByTheLight, meaning that a torch [[spoiler:or the Pharros contraption]] can give you an edge, but if you push them into a corner, it can end... badly... for you. |
| 284 | * ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga'': Bat can transform into the Mayan god of death Camazotz, who looks like a giant bat. |
| 285 | * ''Franchise/DonkeyKong'': |
| 286 | ** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' has the Flip-Flaps, which have been recurring nocturnal enemies since ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64''. |
| 287 | ** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' gives us the Squeeklies, which combine this trope with GoddamnedBats and {{exaggerate|dTrope}} them both. They are one of the major reasons the cave world is so reviled, particularly [[ThatOneLevel Crowded Cavern]], which is chock full of 'em. There's even a giant Squeekly that's ''as tall as the screen'' (DK is only about an 8th as tall by comparison), whose {{Super Scream}}s are one reason why the "Crowded Cavern" level is maligned by players for its [[NintendoHard intense difficulty]]. Fans were extremely amused when they played ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'' and saw [[TakeThatScrappy the giant Squeekly trapped in a block of ice]]. |
| 288 | * ''VideoGame/DragonsCrown'': Vampire Bats are common enemies found in most dungeons. They are large enough to bite adventurers to death as they converge on them in swarms, though this in turn also means that they're large enough for adventurers to consider them as potential hearty meals to be had around camp. |
| 289 | * ''VideoGame/DragonsLair'': One level has a swarm of bats, as well as a dire bat. |
| 290 | * ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'': |
| 291 | ** Bugbats are bat-like creatures with the heads of insects. They're fairly harmless alone, but a swarm can kill a dwarf in seconds. |
| 292 | ** Giant bats, found living BeneathTheEarth, are over three times the size of a dwarf and fill the Dire Bat niche. They’re quite capable of killing a lone dwarf by themselves, but can be captured and trained as hunting animals. Goblins sometimes bring them as [[HorseOfADifferentColor mounts]] to sieges. |
| 293 | ** Bat men also exist. They only have four limbs -- their arms double as wings like in real bats -- and live in tribes underground, being one of the few underground animal people capable of flight. They can also be found on the surface, where like the other surface-dwelling animal people they don’t form tribes and are essentially bipedal animals. |
| 294 | * ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': |
| 295 | ** [[OurWerebeastsAreDifferent Werebats]] are a form of were-creature found most commonly in the forests of Valenwood. They are massive human-sized fliers. After being mentioned in the lore several games before, they make an appearance in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsOnline Online]]''. |
| 296 | ** Winged Twilights are a form of [[OurDemonsAreDifferent lesser Daedra]] with humanoid female forms and large bat-like wings found throughout the series. They are most commonly found in service to Azura, the [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]] of Dusk and Dawn, which seems rather appropriate. |
| 297 | * ''VideoGame/FallenLondon'' has these in the form of [[spoiler:the Masters of the Bazaar. Turns out that they're AlienSpaceBats in both the trope sense and the literal sense]]. |
| 298 | * ''VideoGame/{{Fallout76}}'': The main antagonists of the game are Schorchbeasts, giant bats that carry [[TheVirus a disease]] that turns people and creatures infected with it into their monstrous servants. In combat they mainly attacks using echolocation systems that have evolved to fire damaging blasts of sound. |
| 299 | * ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'': A sort of Dire Bat exists, but they don't really swarm. The normal, small bats ''do'', however: three small bats are actually considered ''one'' monster. |
| 300 | * ''VideoGame/FortuneSummoners'': In caves, there are the Huge Bats, Monster Bats, Killer Bats, Vile Bats and Bat Giants. |
| 301 | * ''VideoGame/Gamer2'': Giant flying bats appear as enemies. |
| 302 | * ''VideoGame/GarfieldsNightmare'': The later castle levels have bats that fly back and forth, though they're easy to defeat. The real danger comes from their KingMook, Warren Baty, which serves as the boss of the first world. It frequently tosses bombs at Garfield, and then does a feint to try to run over him (at the right moment, Garfield can jump to stomp it). |
| 303 | * ''VideoGame/HauntedHouse'': The bat is one of the three enemies, along with the spiders and the ghost of Zachary Graves. |
| 304 | * ''VideoGame/HuntTheWumpus'': A giant bat can swoop down and carry the player to a new location in the Wumpus's cave. |
| 305 | * ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' has multiple examples, all as regular enemies: |
| 306 | ** The [[https://www.khwiki.com/Bit_Sniper Bit Snipers]] from the first ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'' are bat-like Heartless that can only be found in [[spoiler:the battle against Ansem in the World of Chaos at the End of the World, so they don't have an entry on Jiminy's Journal.]] |
| 307 | ** Both played straight and averted by the Komory Bat dream eater in ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance''. The creepy red eyes and dark colors their evil Nightmare versions possess give them a rather unsettling appearance, and they're [[GoddamnedBats the other kind of bat]] as well. On the other hand, the brightly colored friendly Spirit version is adorable and a surprisingly helpful ally in combat despite being one of the two starter dream eaters. |
| 308 | ** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' introduces the Hook Bat Heartless, which appears in swarms and uses sound attacks. Reaction commands let you use them to pull GrievousHarmWithABody. The ''Final Mix'' version of the game introduces its PaletteSwap, the Beffudler. ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts02BirthBySleepAFragmentaryPassage'' introduces the Fluttering, which lives in the Realm of Darkness. |
| 309 | * The Nightwing from ''VideoGame/MonsterSanctuary'' is a monstrous bat known for flying through the night stealthily and drinking blood from its prey. They were primal monsters during the early days of humanity until their homes were pushed out by progress. They were more than eager to move into the Monster Sanctuary. |
| 310 | * The ''VideoGame/OfPenAndPaper'' series: |
| 311 | ** ''VideoGame/KnightsOfPenAndPaper'': There's Bats and Dark Bats in the Den of Devil. |
| 312 | ** ''VideoGame/KnightsOfPenAndPaper2'': A Cave Bat is first seen when investigating The Rift in the Meadows. |
| 313 | * ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': |
| 314 | ** The Keese are common enemies resembling regular bats in most regards, except for their common habit of being shrouded in [[FireIceLightning fire, electricity or icy energy]], which [[GoddamnedBats really helps these Goddamned Bats be a nuisance]] (alongside their generally small size and constant movement making them relatively difficult to hit in many appearances). Some in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' are undead, and the ones in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' are flying {{Oculothorax}}es more than anything else. |
| 315 | ** Vires are stronger enemies resembling humanoid bats (having been described as "a devil that controls the Keeses"), and [[AsteroidsMonster split into multiple Keese when killed]]. |
| 316 | ** ''VideoGame/ZeldaIITheAdventureOfLink'' has Aches and Achemen, one-game enemies that resemble Keese and Vires in almost all respects save that Aches can transform into seemingly regular humans to spy for Ganon's forces. |
| 317 | ** Not content with just having Keese, ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' alone also features [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Bad Bats]], slightly larger jet black bat enemies with [[RedEyesTakeWarning glaring red eyes]] to give them a spookier appearance. In Termina, Bad Bats are usually found in outdoor areas like hanging from trees around the Southern Swamp, while Keese dwell mainly within dungeons and act as they did in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]''. Bad Bats are also prevalent throughout [[BigBoosHaunt the Ikana region]] and dungeons there, adding an extra layer of ghostliness to them over their smaller counterparts. |
| 318 | *** Introduced along with Bad Bats is the vampire-like MiniBoss Gomess, who doesn't so much resemble a bat-like creature as much as a ghoulish scythe-wielding figure that's ''comprised'' by swarming Bad Bats, who cover its [[AttackItsWeakPoint glowing core]] and have to be fended off with Light Arrows to damage the boss. Gomess is somewhat to Bad Bats what Vires are to Keese, and naturally it hasn't appeared outside of ''Majora's Mask'' alongside the bats that comprise it. |
| 319 | ** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', Ganon transforms into a giant bat after emerging out of Agahnim when Link beats him a second time. He can also create fire bats during his second phase. |
| 320 | * ''VideoGame/Macbat64JourneyOfANiceChap'': [[PlayerCharacter Macbat]] is, of course a bat. He is also a nice chap. |
| 321 | * ''VideoGame/Metro2033'': The [[BossInMookClothing Demons]], large, flying surface predators, allegedly evolved from tigers, though they resemble bats more than anything else. |
| 322 | * ''VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus'': Seerook sprites look like bats that don't flap their wings, though official art makes them look like Samus's visor, the "ears", "wings" and "teeth" all being spikes. Drivel sprites look even more like bats given they do flap their wings, although official art makes them look much more alien. By contrast, gulluggs do have bat like wings in their official art, but not their sprites, which look like mosquitoes. Samus Returns give them models that are even more batty. |
| 323 | * ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic'': Several games have enemy bats. They are not particularly dangerous, but they ''are'' rather unfriendly (and in ''Might & Magic VII'', the most dangerous variant ''can attack you with fire''). |
| 324 | * ''VideoGame/MonsterEye'' have bat swarms in the caves and mines level which the player need to shoot at before they can be bitten. There's also a ''kaiju'' giant bat the size of a small aircraft serving as a boss. |
| 325 | * ''VideoGame/{{Mother}}'': A bat enemy by the name of Mr. Batty is a recurring {{mook|s}} throughout the trilogy. They seem to be more PlayedForLaughs, especially considering its battle theme in ''MOTHER 3'' is a SuspiciouslySimilarSong version of the ''Series/Batman1966'' theme... |
| 326 | * ''VideoGame/NetHack'', despite its deserved [[EverythingTryingToKillYou reputation]], is another game that features bats who are fairly weak enemies. The offshoot ''Slash'EM'' includes some more deadly varieties. |
| 327 | * ''VideoGame/NexusWar'': ''Nexus Clash'' has the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Revenant]] class, which can summon a swarm of bats as a pet, turn into a small bat for faster travel, or turn into a werebat for increased strength and the ability to see invisible characters with echolocation. |
| 328 | * ''VideoGame/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanOnline'': Bats can be found in some caves and forests. Most of them aren't really a threat, but one variety -- the Fire Bat -- [[DefeatEqualsExplosion will explode upon death]], causing moderate damage even to a high-level player. |
| 329 | * ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': |
| 330 | ** Zubat and its evolutions, which are also literal GoddamnedBats. They are often used by the various villainous teams in the series, with the team leaders for the third and fourth generation games using a Crobat as a sign of PetTheDog (since Golbat only evolves with a high level of friendship). |
| 331 | ** Gligar and Gliscor appear to be a [[MixAndMatchCritters a cross between a bat]] and a ''[[RuleOfCool scorpion]]''. Funnily enough, the anime used Gligar rather than Zubat for its Franchise/{{Batman}} parody. |
| 332 | ** Woobat and Swoobat are subversions. In the games, Swoobat gives off ultrasonic waves that actually put people in a better mood. |
| 333 | ** ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' introduce Noivern, a bat crossed with a ''[[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon]]'' and a boombox along with its pre-evolution, Noibat. |
| 334 | ** ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'': One of the mascot legendaries, Lunala, is a massive celestial bat a good ''four meters'' (13.01 ft) tall, with a proportionally larger wingspan. |
| 335 | * ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'': |
| 336 | ** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil0'' has Billy and Rebecca fight a giant bat, for bonus points in a church graveyard. |
| 337 | ** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'' has some kind of giant bat/insect creature as the boss for the second mission. |
| 338 | * ''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand'' featured three bats... as '''weapons'''! You catch them and use them against your enemies. However they are also known to have a chance of rebellion, unless Serene uses them. Serene herself also works with the iconography, bat wings and a large scythe like the grim reaper. |
| 339 | * ''VideoGame/SagaFrontier'' has an OptionalBoss in the form of the Abyss Bat. |
| 340 | * ''VideoGame/ShantaeAndThePiratesCurse'' has the Cacklebats, which are Risky's [[{{Mooks}} Tinkerbats]] after they are mutated into human-sized werebats by the Pirate Master's Dark Magic. |
| 341 | * ''VideoGame/{{Smite}}'': Camazotz, a Mayan bat deity, is playable as an Assassin-style God. |
| 342 | * ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'': |
| 343 | ** In ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1 Sonic 1]]'', Batbrain is a robotic bat who inhabits [[LethalLavaLand Marble Zone]]. He hangs upside down, but flies toward Sonic when the latter approaches him. |
| 344 | ** Batbot was an enemy conceived for ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'', being a robot bat who inhabits [[UndergroundLevel Hidden Palace Zone]] and swoops down at the player if they get close to him. Although he was cut from the game's final product, he was eventually incorporated into the 2013 IOS remake. |
| 345 | ** In ''VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles'', Batbot is a robotic bat who inhabits [[AmusementParkOfDoom Carnival Night Zone]]. He hangs motionless in mid-air either by himself or groups, but starts following the playable characters in circular patterns when they get close to him. |
| 346 | ** ''[[VideoGame/Sonic3DFlickiesIsland Sonic 3D Blast]]'' has Bat, a robotic bat who inhabits [[LethalLavaLand Volcano Valley Zone]]. He hovers around a fixed area of the stage and can only harm Sonic if the hedgehog bumps right into him. |
| 347 | ** Played with with Rouge the Bat. She's a ClassyCatBurglar (with rather [[MonumentalTheft improbable goals]]) and generally on the evil side (especially in spinoffs), but closer to TrueNeutral and often acting as an AntiHero. She's a lot more like a real bat than usual, much like [[Website/{{Neopets}} Korbat]]. |
| 348 | * ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' has a lot of giant bat type enemies (Swoopers, Swampires, Swoopulas, Fangs, etc), most being roughly Mario or playable character sized and in some cases, annoying as they either swoop down or drain Mario's health. Antasma, the primary villain of ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'', is an anthropomorphic one, and is known as "the Bat King". Similarly, the ''VideoGame/WarioLand'' series has various kinds of creepy bats, from the annoying flying bomb-shaped bats which explode after attaching themselves to Wario, the bats in ''VideoGame/WarioLand4'' which turn him into a vampire just by touching him, the ones in ''VideoGame/WarioLandShakeIt'' which just swarm him, and whatever the heck Catbat is actually meant to be (some kind of flying cat thing with bat wings for ears, a mechanical bat head on it's head, that floats like a ghost). |
| 349 | * ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'' has many varieties of bats that all attack the player. Including ''literal'' bats out of hell in the game's Underworld. |
| 350 | * ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammer'': |
| 351 | ** The Vampire Counts can field a large number of monstrous bats, with one unit so far representing the swarm of shrieking bats variety, with the rest being increasingly horrifying Dire Bats. |
| 352 | *** Fellbats are "small" (bird of prey-sized), expendable, and attack in large groups, used to harass and "tarpit" units. |
| 353 | *** Vargheists and the flightless, tank-sized Varghulfs are degenerate vampires who have lost themselves to their bloodthirst, the first through centuries of imprisonment and the second willingly. |
| 354 | *** Terrorgheists are the terrifying, undead husks of dragon-sized bats that live in the Sylvanian wilderness. |
| 355 | ** The undead pirates of the Vampire Coast use flocks of undead bats similar to the Counts', alongside much bigger, living bats that roost within their ships and which in battle carry zombie gunners in their claws. |
| 356 | ** Drycha's subfaction of the Wood Elves cannot recruit elven units but instead has access to a variety of bestial replacements, including flocks of gigantic cave bats. |
| 357 | * ''VideoGame/AVeryLongRopeToTheTopOfTheSky'': There are bats in the caves that you fight. |
| 358 | * ''VideoGame/VivaPinata'' has Sherbat. While sour it looks like a horror movie bat and makes other pinatas sick with its bite. Once you cure it (with garlic) it becomes... a rabbit-like thing with hilariously tiny wings. |
| 359 | * ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'': |
| 360 | ** Dreadlords are demonic heroes with giant bat wings who can summon clouds of bats against enemies and regain life by attacking (and spread this to allied melee units). Despite the emphasis on melee combat, their race's hat is closer to TheChessmaster, what with manipulating heroes and villains to work for them. |
| 361 | ** The expansion introduces troll batriders, support fliers who can prevent buildings from being repaired and do massive damage to enemy fliers with a kamikaze move. |
| 362 | ** ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': |
| 363 | *** One quest has you kill a giant bat named Duskwing. Giant bats are common in lots of places, and some are used as flying mounts. |
| 364 | *** [[TheUndead The Forsaken]] and the Darkspear Trolls seem to have a particular affinity for bats, as their flight routes use them instead of the [[MixAndMatchCritters wyverns]] that the rest of the Horde prefers. They even use bats as ''bomber planes'' and Troll Druids transform into bats as their Flight Form instead of the usual birds that other Druid races use. |
| 365 | *** The ''Legion'' expansion adds felbats, which are giant, humanoid-ish bats used as attack beasts by the Burning Legion. Demon Hunters can get one as their class mount. |
| 366 | * ''VideoGame/WitchHunt'': There is a gigantic monstrous bat flying around the woods. It won't attack you, [[spoiler:but you can shoot it down for a free skill book if you have nice aim.]] |
| 367 | %%* ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'': Vespertillo Canor and Pteropus Canor. |
| 368 | * ''VideoGame/ZombieInfection'' contains zombified Ipanema bats as the only airborne zombie enemy who attacks in swarms. |
| 369 | [[/folder]] |
| 370 | |
| 371 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 372 | * ''Webcomic/ABeginnersGuideToTheEndOfTheUniverse'': One of the [[AlwaysChaoticEvil void beasts]] that the Everyman had to fight was [[http://mspfanventures.com/?s=132&p=92 a massive void bat]] with the wingspan of a hang glider that used high-pitched screeches to disorient its foes. |
| 373 | * ''Webcomic/CharbyTheVampirate'': One of Charby's preferred forms is of a red-eyed white bat and he starts off the series proper as an unrepentant murderer that Kellwood's vampire hunters have been warned to avoid who casually kills people in relatively secluded places all over the city. |
| 374 | * Skully from ''Webcomic/FurryFightChronicles'' is a powerful bat Combagal and one half of the Tendonchi Champions. |
| 375 | * ''Webcomic/GirlGenius:'' A colony of "blood bats" make a brief appearance while the protagonists are in Castle Heterodyne. Fortunately, the heroes are able to leave the area before the creatures take flight. Also, one of the novelizations of the comic mention a "particularly large and grumpy" bat which managed to acquire something of a reputation before being shot down by one of Baron Wulfenbach's airships. |
| 376 | * ''Webcomic/{{Sparklecare}}'': Invoked with Kid Dies, a cute little bat girl. It's just her luck that she has a disease that causes her to vomit blood and dead fetuses. This scares the crap out of [[OnlySaneMan Barry]] the first time he's unlucky enough to witness it. |
| 377 | * ''Webcomic/{{Supercell}}'': [[spoiler:Fiida Shfisgara, at least with her wings]]. |
| 378 | [[/folder]] |
| 379 | |
| 380 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 381 | * ''WebAnimation/{{Dreamscape}}'': Vampire Lord can send out a swarm of bats from his cape to attack. |
| 382 | * Website/GaiaOnline's vampires can turn into bat swarms according to the comics and single bats according to the vampire-themed items. The ones that appear in ''[=zOMG!=]'' have bat wings, but don't transform. ''[=zOMG!=]'' also has the bat-winged Clutch and Purse Animated, though they're [[GoddamnedBats not the worst of the Animated in Deadman's Pass]]. |
| 383 | * ''Website/{{Mortasheen}}'' has three, created by vampires to protect their larder of humans. There's [[http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/bullysnag.htm Bullysnag]], a gorilla-like bat that is trained to always go for the kneecaps when hunting, [[http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/clawsimon.htm Clawsimon]], a spotlight-like bat designed to stop escaping humans, and [[http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/chiraptor.htm Chiraptor]], who is the vampire equivalent of a hunting falcon. The actual bat vampire, [[http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/sinister.htm Sinister]], as it prefers to be left alone amongst its hordes of mind-controlled bats. |
| 384 | * ''Website/{{Neopets}}'': Korbats are, in general, very cute. This makes them more like RealLife bats than usual! It's also played with in the case of the most prominent character who happens to be a Korbat, [[DarkIsNotEvil Lord Darigan]]. Introduced as the apparent BigBad in the ''Champions of Meridell'' plot, we later learn that he and his people were victimized by the supposed "heroes", Meridell, when they stole the Orb, and [[MoralEventHorizon cast a curse on them, despite Darigan's kingdom being pacifistic]]. Despite looking like a mixture of [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Man-Bat]] and a [[OurLichesAreDifferent lich]], Lord Darigan and his people are merely fighting to reclaim what is rightfully theirs. Although they won the war, a DiabolusExMachina ended with Darigan going BrainwashedAndCrazy when the orb failed to work. Not only did [[KarmaHoudini King Skarl]] get away scot-free and earned a position in the Gallery of Heroes while Darigan was placed in the Gallery of Evil, Darigan's [[DragonAscendant successor]], [[FeatheredFiend Lord Kass]], [[KnightOfCerebus was]] [[PuttingOnTheReich far]] [[TheSociopath more monstrous]]. Fortunately, Lord Darigan [[BackFromTheDead returned from the dead]] [[BigDamnHeroes and saved Meridell, forgiving them and trying to usher in a new era of peace]]. [[UngratefulBastard And yet Darigan's still in the Gallery of Evil with Kass and the like]]. |
| 385 | * ''Website/{{Serina}}'': The tribbats -- a lineage of flying tribbets, mammal analogues descended from ray-finned fish -- include a few species of this sort. Some, like the flightless shadowstalker and steppestalker are a ShoutOut to After Man, see above. |
| 386 | ** The nightbiters are parasitic tribbats that are basically flying cookiecutter sharks, gnawing chunks of flesh off from giant herbivores. They are in turn preyed upon by the flapsnapper, a predator that devours other flyers whole and on the wing, but who in a bit of a subversion is actually beneficial to the nightbiters' victims as it keeps the pest populations down. |
| 387 | ** The aeracuda is a large, diurnal forest predator that uses its NestedMouths to snap up prey both on the ground and the air, and can also take on much larger quarry. |
| 388 | [[/folder]] |
| 389 | |
| 390 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 391 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfPussInBoots'': AncientEvil the Bloodwolf has an army of wolves with bat wings. Given that they come out of a portal to the "Netherworld", they are as close to literally being bats out of hell as it gets. |
| 392 | * ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': [[MixAndMatchCritters Wolf-bats]]. They're vampire bats with the legs, paws, and tail of wolves, and are very aggressive and territorial. In "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheCaveOfTwoLovers The Cave of Two Lovers]]", the ones living in the titular tunnel system attack or startle the characters on two occasions. In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', one of the Pro-Bending team's names is the White Falls Wolf-bats. They even pull off a Wrestling/{{WWE}}-like entrance before their match. |
| 393 | * ''WesternAnimation/Ben10'': Dr. Animo uses the Omnitrix's faceplate to mutate an ordinary bat with Heatblast's DNA, resulting in a giant, infernal bat. |
| 394 | * ''WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017'': {{Dracula}}'s army includes some fairly literal bats from Hell among its demonic ranks: |
| 395 | ** The weakest and most common members of the army, and the first seen, resemble twisted humanoid bats with both clawed arms and wings sprouting from their backs. |
| 396 | ** Demons more closely resembling actual bats, but the size of oxen and capable of running on all fours with their wings folded, are among the monsters that attack the Belmont manor in Season 2. |
| 397 | * ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'' |
| 398 | ** Subverted in the episode "Good Times, Bat Times": Yes, Foxglove is a bat. And yes, she is a witch's {{familiar}}. But no, she is anything but horrifying. Instead, she is a cute and lovable bat the size of a chipmunk and in love with Dale. |
| 399 | ** While the UsefulNotes/{{Jamaica}}n fruit bats from "Battle of the Bulge" may work for Fat Cat, they are more like some quite messy comic relief with their emphasis on "Jamaican". |
| 400 | * ''WesternAnimation/FillyFuntasia'': Battiwigs, of the dire variety; though to say that he's scary would be a big overstatement. He does work on the side of evil, but he's a HarmlessVillain – and small potatoes compared to his boss. |
| 401 | * ''WesternAnimation/GodzillaTheSeries'': Godzilla has fought a {{Kaiju}}-sized monster bat that could weaponize its echolocation. |
| 402 | * ''Franchise/MyLittlePony'': |
| 403 | ** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyAndFriends'': In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyAndFriendsE11TheGhostOfParadiseEstate1 The Ghost of Paradise Estate, Part 1]]", to scare the baby ponies, the ghost turns itself into a fearsome bat larger than they are. |
| 404 | ** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' has a few varieties of bats. Normal bats, though "dark and mysterious", are perfectly viable pets, and Fruit Bats (literally bats with fruit-like features) are entirely harmless, though inconveniently ravenous at times -- a flock may chew on your fruit salad hat if you're not careful. Both kinds aren't any less cute than any other small animal in the series. Vampire bats are larger and have a more frightening appearance and don't stay in only a section of the orchard, though they're still not malicious. However, [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E7Bats "Bats!"]] gave us Flutterbat, a bat-pony with a thirst for apples. |
| 405 | * Camazotz from Myth/MayanMythology appears as a one-episode monster in ''WesternAnimation/OnyxEquinox''. |
| 406 | * In ''WesternAnimation/Primal2019'', the protagonists Spear and Fang are attacked by a flock of monster bats during a [[BadMoonRising blood moon]]. The bats are [[AmazingTechnicolorWildlife blood-red]], several times bigger than a human, strong enough to carry off dinosaurs, and surprisingly intelligent [[spoiler:as well as loyal servants of an even more monstrous spider]]. |
| 407 | * In ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'', the 2018 version of Hordak has bat-like features, including long bat-like ears, a bat-like nose, fangs, and claws. [[spoiler:The cloned fetuses in his lab also have bat wings.]] |
| 408 | * The ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats2011'' version of Mumm-Ra is a type three [[BeastMan bat humanoid]], complete with leaf-nosed snout, gaining bat wings in his OneWingedAngel form. |
| 409 | * ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'': Ratbat, one of [[FadSuper Soundwave's]] cassettes, turns into a bat (as his name belies). In the comics, as a fuel auditor (who later spent some time [[KlingonPromotion leading the original Earthbound Decepticons]]) he was obsessed with using Energon efficiently. Decepticon hypnotist Mindwipe falls into this as well, complete with a Hungarian Accent. Soundwave also has a bat-themed action master partner and later second cassette, Wingthing, whose later toys are Ratbat recolors. Averted with the Convobat/original Optimus Primal toy, Nightscream from ''Beast Machines'', and Nyx in IDW's 2021 Beast Wars comic, who all share bat alternate modes but are firmly heroic. |
| 410 | [[/folder]] |
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