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| 4 | %% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks! |
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| 8 | [[quoteright:400:[[Anime/BayonettaBloodyFate https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tscolopendrabloodyfates.png]]]] |
| 9 | [[caption-width-right:400:[[BigCreepyCrawlies Objects In Mirror Are]] CloserThanTheyAppear]] |
| 10 | |
| 11 | ->"A vile centipede hailing from Frejentonta, a river of boiling blood in the depths of Inferno, rumors speak of its body exceeding ten kilometers in length. Moving unlike anything its size, its deftness allows it to wrap around and constrict its prey in the blink of an eye." |
| 12 | -->--'''Book of Infernal Demons''', ''VideoGame/Bayonetta2'' |
| 13 | |
| 14 | For many people, {{spiders are scary}} and disgusting. For many other people, [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent snakes]] are scary and disgusting. For others still, it's [[CreepyCockroach cockroaches]]. So, what happens when you combine the three? |
| 15 | |
| 16 | In fiction, centipedes, caterpillars, and similar creatures are sometimes used as a fancy alternative for the everyday GiantSpider or ScaryScorpions, and even more so in eastern fiction. After all, they're known for their venom, some powerful enough to leave a person screaming on the ground in agony, they can slither into thin nooks and crannies that broader bugs can't, and they move in an unnaturally fluid manner that just gives off an aura of anxiety. Sometimes, a human-centipede hybrid will appear, usually sporting [[MultiArmedAndDangerous multiple limbs]] and a [[PoisonousPerson venomous bite]]. In VideoGame settings, expect to see it [[ArtisticLicenseBiology detach its own body parts]] and/or remove one body segment at time, as if it's some kind of organic train. Another apparent power is their ability to curl up like a ball and roll over their foe. They are particularly prevalent in Japanese media, due to centipedes being a common problem there, as well as being generally regarded as a symbol of impurity and uncleanliness. Other Asian cultures depict centipedes as a symbol of hidden danger (think of a centipede crawling in a shoe) and fear. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | Compare ScaryScorpions, SpidersAreScary, CreepyCamelSpider, BigCreepyCrawlies, AttackOfTheKillerWhatever, and SegmentedSerpent. Also BugWar if they come in mass. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | ---- |
| 21 | |
| 22 | !!Examples |
| 23 | |
| 24 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 25 | |
| 26 | [[folder:Anime & Manga]] |
| 27 | * An assassin codenamed "Mukade" (Japanese for "centipede") appears in ''Manga/{{Arachnid}}'', hiding in one of the girl's toilet stall while waiting in ambush for Alice. His modus operandi involves dangling from the ceiling and injecting his prey with a paralyzing toxin, emulating giant centipedes dangling from branches to attack bats and birds. Unfortunately for him, one of his "victims" is Sasori, who poisons him before he can poison her and murders him. |
| 28 | * Gakuhou Asano, the school chairman from ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'', has centipedes as his {{animal motif|s}}, symbolising his controlling and sociopathic personality. Visual imagery of centipedes are sometimes seen accompanying the Chairman's actions, such as centipedes entering [[spoiler:Takaoka]]'s throat as the Chairman stuffs a termination letter up his gullet, or centipedes latching onto his students' heads as he teaches their class. His son, Gakushuu, is also sometimes associated with centipedes. |
| 29 | * ''Manga/AstroBoy'' goes up against a robot monster known as Gadem in various continuities. He's usually a CombiningMecha made out of 47 headless androids, but in the 2003 series, he was redesigned as a collection of gold and jewels morphed into the shape of a centipede by a powerful electromagnet. |
| 30 | * ''{{Anime/Bakugan}}'' features a rather common centipede-like Bakugan called Centipoid. The handbooks for the anime and game even describe the toys outright as scary and creepy. |
| 31 | * Just like in her [[{{VideoGame/Bayonetta}} Video Game]], Bayonetta from ''Anime/BayonettaBloodyFate'' summons a [[BigCreepyCrawlies massive]] [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demonic]] centipede called Scolopendra to crush a [[OurAngelsAreDifferent car-shaped angel]] to death. |
| 32 | * [[DarkActionGirl Loly's]] release in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' is called "Escolopendra", and gives her poisonous CombatTentacles looking like giant centipedes. |
| 33 | * ''Literature/TheCaseFilesOfYakushijiRyoko'' featured large robotic centipedes built originally as counter-terrorist weapons. They included a plethora of weapons not normally associated with centipedes (since they were built for function, not necessarily for pure aesthetic appeal) including a [[SmokeOut Smokescreen]], a StaticStunGun, a FireBreathingWeapon, and a front-mounted [[GatlingGood Gatling Gun]]. |
| 34 | * The fifteenth ''Manga/{{Doraemon}}'' movie, ''Anime/DoraemonNobitasDiaryOfTheCreationOfTheWorld'' sees Doraemon and Nobita doing battle with a [[MultipleHeadCase two-headed]] centipede monster. Who turns out to be a "God" worshipped by a subterranean race of insect-people. |
| 35 | * In the original ''Franchise/DragonBall'' anime one of Korin's magic pots houses an immensely long centipede that bursts out when Goku opens it, coiling itself around him before the pot shows Goku visages of his past, present, and future. |
| 36 | * On the [[SingleBiomePlanet desert planet of Rudeeze]] in ''Anime/DragonBallGT'' there are the gargantuan Sandipedes, MixAndMatchCritters of centipedes and [[ScaryScorpions scorpions]] that have a BreathWeapon of [[DishingOutDirt sand]]. One in particular named Scorpulon attempts to kill Pan while she's suffering from heat exhaustion. |
| 37 | * From ''Manga/HunterXHunter'' there is a Chimera Ant soldier named Centipede. Probably born from a centipede, he did have eight pairs of arms and [[PoisonousPerson poisonous fangs]], as well as ant-proportionate strength, giving him a centipede look, especially when seen from the front. Another Chimera Ant, Welfin, can use his Nen powers to shoot missiles that do not explode, but rather release a bunch of "Black Centipedes" inside the target. The centipedes will burrow through the target's head with growing strength and frenzy the more it tries to fight Welfin. |
| 38 | * In Chapter 2 of ''Manga/ImStandingOnAMillionLives'', a centipede spawns out of a giant bug carcass which fell from the sky. |
| 39 | * The very first {{Youkai}} that appeared in ''Manga/InuYasha'' was the Mukade Joro (Mistress Centipede), who was a woman from the waist up, and a huge centipede from the waist down. Several huge centipedes appear as recurring CannonFodder among Naraku's hordes. The sequel features a similar mukade youkai with three eyes. |
| 40 | * Being a series where samurai fight against giant monstrous insects, ''Manga/JoujuuSenjinMushibugyou'' also features monstrous centipedes: |
| 41 | ** The very first giant insect encountered by Jinbee resembled a huge, plated, black caterpillar with a triangular head full of sharp teeth and long spidery legs. [[spoiler:We later learn that a huge amount of these Black Bugs destroyed the home town of the Mushikari and that they were spawned en mass by the Eternal Bug specifically to chase the Mushikari.]] |
| 42 | ** During her first appearence, [[TheVamp Mitsuki]] is shown controlling a monster called "Kaguramukade" (Sacred Dance Centipedes), thin, marked centipedes with squared mouths filled with fangs. Fitting the theme of hidden danger posed by those critters, she acts as an undercover mole against the heroes. |
| 43 | ** Halfway through in the series, a centipede Bugman attacks Edo and is fought by Jinbee. Unusually, the bugman had an incredibly big and though humanoid body with a jawless LampreyMouth and the centipede body forming a tai, showcasing the ability to create extra arms (either segmented humanoid arms or a bunch of centipede legs on his sides) and the cunning to use innocent bystanders as multiple human shields. |
| 44 | ** During the Edo Winter Campaign arc, Chousokabe Mourichika strides on the battlefield sitting on the back of a humongous, slavering giant centipede. Fittingly enough, he's the creepiest, ugliest and most ObviouslyEvil of the Five Braves of Osaka. |
| 45 | * The emblem of the secret villainous organization known as "Mushi" (Worm) in ''Manga/KenganAshura'' and ''Omega'' is a centipede tattoo, the members act in secret and have a centipede motif, including one of their fighters being nicknamed "Centipede" and carrying out "Gu" rituals, which originally referred to putting several centipedes in a pot to collect all the venom in the surviving bug. |
| 46 | * Centipiedes commonly appear in Meta Knight's flashbacks as one of several different types of soldiers of Nightmare's Demon Beast armies in ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa'', and two of them even appeared in present times twice in two episodes. An early episode had one of said flashbacks show it [[ShockAndAwe spitting lightning]] at a random Star Warrior, and the best way to see one in full-body is in another said flashback in Knuckle Joe's debut episode. |
| 47 | * Chimera Sylvia from ''Literature/{{Konosuba}}'' is a wicked general of the Demon King who's trying to wipe out an enitre village of mages and has a crush on the hero (who was enamored with her features before learning that, as a Chimera, [[{{Hermaphrodite}} she has male genitals as well]]) When she finally merges with the wizard-killing weapon, her entire lower body turns into the one of a rounded, plated centipede. |
| 48 | * ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'', Hero Centipeder resembles a perfectly normal, impeccably dressed man with a massive centipede's head and body from the neck up, while his Quirk Centicoil allows him to turn his arms into a long centipede's body. Despite looking rather creepy, he's one of the good guys through and through. |
| 49 | * In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' Sasuke kills an oversized centipede in the Death Forest. Later he realize that they're trapped in an illusion when he recognize the same dead bug. Also, one of [[AGodAmI Pain's]] summons is a colossal centipede with a snake head... who's [[SuperStrength offed by Sakura]]. |
| 50 | ** In the anime he summoned numerous centipedes, one of which fought Shikamaru. |
| 51 | * After Jubei in ''Anime/NinjaScrollTheSeries'' splits a random giant mook open with his RazorWind, it turns out that it had a giant centipede inside it. Then Jubei uses his RazorWind again and [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment that's that]]. |
| 52 | * Epoida from ''Manga/OnePiece'' is a minor character who appears to be able to turn in a giant caterpillar-man. One of the movies shows a huge centipede-like Sea Monster and several of the recurring Sea Kings have a centipedean design. |
| 53 | * ''WebComic/OnePunchMan'': The Centipede line of monsters are a bunch of giant centipedes with grotesque human faces on the front of their centipede heads. Centikohai/Junior Centipede is larger than a person with a single human face. Centisenpai/Senior Centipede is a Demon-level monster as tall as a building with two human faces [[FacialHorror one inside the mouth of the other]]. Centichoro/Elder Centipede is a Dragon-class monster several ''miles'' long and wouldn't be out of place in a {{Kaiju}} movie, complete with several old man faces [[FacialHorror inside each mouth]] atop a "centipede" head that looks more like some snarling insectoid demon. [[spoiler:And finally there's Centisennin/Sage Centipede, an ''Unknown''-class monster whose jaws are wider than the entire Monster Association base and length that reaches into space, with a nested skull-dragon-''thing'' for a face, and human-like arms as its legs. Hopefully that's the last of them.]] |
| 54 | * The very first [[WasOnceAMan Taboo]] encountered by Ageha Yoshina in ''Manga/{{Psyren}}'' resembles a giant centipede with a humanoid torso whose head sported a mouth full of tentacles, as if it wasn't creepy enough. |
| 55 | * In ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' the giant submarine mecha Daigankai controlled by Aidine the Elegant resembles a giant centipede, though one that fights underwater. Fitting, considering that Aidine's own mecha can turn into a scorpion form. |
| 56 | * ''Manga/SandLand'': at the beginning of their trek across the desert, the heroes are spotted and chased by a colossal Dragon Centipede, a giant green centipede with spikes for legs and draconic head + front paws. Apparently it's a monster so ferocious not even Beelzebub feels like he can fight it. |
| 57 | * In ''Manga/TheSevenDeadlySins'', Green Demons take the appearence of grostesque, muscular humanoids with eyestalks and a lower body with resembles that of a centipede, held by thousands of arm-shaped legs. During Gowther's intrusion in [[spoiler: Mael's]] mind, the personification of the Commandment of Truth takes the form of a giant, centipede-shaped BlobMonster with a featureless head and human arms in lieu of legs. |
| 58 | * In ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'', Kaneki comes to be associated with them as his AnimalMotif starting with the [[BreakTheCutie Aogiri Arc]]. Many chapters of that arc feature a seemingly-random shot of a centipede, leading up to [[TortureTechnician Yamori]] sticking one in Kaneki's ear while torturing him. After the timeskip, he begins wearing an EyepatchOfPower with a centipede pattern on it and is given the alias "Centipede" by [[HunterOfMonsters CCG]] after [[spoiler: developing an insect-like partial Kakuja form]]. |
| 59 | * In ''Manga/{{Toriko}}'', [[TheBeastmaster Tommyrod]] of the Gourmet Corps can also breed and spit out of his mouth several centipede-like monsters to fight for him, specifically a winged one called "Butterfly Worm" which [[spoiler: gruesomly kills Yun's parents]] and is killed with a certain difficulty by the combined effort of Toriko, Takimaru and Match. Other huge centipedes/millipedes monsters exists in the world of Toriko, though they're rarely seen. |
| 60 | ** Another member of the Gourmet Corps named Boneless ''wears'' a centipede-like bug on his head and all around his body and can apparently sprout legs all over his body. |
| 61 | * In ''Manga/UshioAndTora'' the first serious threat, the Stone Eater, is a demon in the form of a large stone samurai concealing two large centipedes. As a nod to Tawaratota's myth, Tora states that they can only be killed by stabbing their eyes with something made wet with saliva. |
| 62 | * ''Manga/{{Yaiba}}'' meets a Centipede-Man during the Underworld Arc, wielding several swords at once. However, despite his fierce look he was a mere EliteMook. |
| 63 | * An episode of ''Anime/YokaiWatch'' featured Irewig, a centipede {{Youkai}} that is basically a living BerserkButton. It uses its angry influence on Nathan's mom, causing her to become instantly annoyed at every little thing. |
| 64 | [[/folder]] |
| 65 | |
| 66 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 67 | * In the ''ComicBook/AtariForce'' first series, Martin Champion fights with a giant alien centipede-like creature. It's a rather subtle ShoutOut to Atari's arcade game ''VideoGame/{{Centipede}}''. |
| 68 | * Minor {{Franchise/Batman}} villain, the WitchDoctor named the Obeah Man, kept large carnivorous centipedes as 'pets'. Batman actually uses this fact to deduce that the Obeah Man was a Haitian cult leader due to their history for having an affinity for the arthropods. |
| 69 | * Made much less creepy (but not much less menacing) in DC Comics' own pack-in comic book for the Atari 2600 ''VideoGame/{{Centipede}}''. |
| 70 | * Some of the illustrations in ''ComicBook/TheCrawlingKing'' could be contenders for this trope's page image. |
| 71 | * ''ComicBook/DialHForHero'' has Floyd Bergson, a SuperVillain called Centipede. Although he doesn't actually have any stereotypical centipede powers, he instead has the powers of [[MesACrowd Self-Replication]] and SuperSpeed. This means if you see him coming at you while he's using his powers, he looks like a fast-moving humanoid monstrosity of multiple limbs, much like a centipede. He does eventually don a giant centipede-head mask though, playing this trope more straight. |
| 72 | * In ''ComicBook/{{Lucifer}}'', one assassin antagonist is a demon with a humanoid torso on a centipede body. |
| 73 | * In ''ComicBook/UltimateXMen'' there was a sub-group of mutant terrorists called the Animal Evolutionaries who were all [[HalfHumanHybrid animal-based mutants]], directly affiliated with the Brotherhood of Mutant Supremacy. Among their small ranks was Kathleen, a mutant who's head was that of a beautiful woman, but had the body (from the neck down) of a centipede. |
| 74 | * ''ComicBook/UsagiYojimbo'' |
| 75 | ** ''My Lord's Daughter'' has Usagi fighting his way through a gauntlet of monsters to rescue his lord's daughter from a {{Oni}}. In the forest, he meets a monstrous giant centipede (Mukade), which he defeats by blocking its body under a log before slicing it to pieces. Compared to the other monsters, he was much more creepy-looking and threatening. |
| 76 | ** Another Oomukade reappears in the ''Inn of Moon Shadow Hill'' short story, but this time [[spoiler: the bug, along with all the other monsters, is a puppet controlled by the innkeeper's daughter to scare people and draw customers.]] |
| 77 | ** In ''Sumi-e Part 1'', a monstrous, giant Mukade appears to threaten Usagi and Jotaro, but is killed by Demon-Queller Sasuke, who slays it with an arrow whose head was dampened with saliva, referencing the myth of Hidesato Tawaratota. This time, it was a monster created with [[ArtInitiatesLife a cursed sumi-e painting set]] and, given the series of [[{{Expy}} suspisciously]] {{Kaiju}} like monster that come later, could be a nod to the Kaiju Megapede (see below). |
| 78 | * ''Franchise/WonderWoman'': |
| 79 | ** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Part of Wondy's rogue's gallery in [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks The Silver Age]] included the Crimson Centipede, an abomination of a man with [[GreenAndMean green skin]] and [[MultiArmedAndDangerous 100 arms and legs]] with GunsAkimbo, created by [[BigBad Ares, the God of War]]. |
| 80 | ** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': As originally designed Cottus is essentially a giant centipede made of humanoid arms of shadow with different sized faces all down his stomach/front and a back made up of rectangular bone pieces that are mistaken at one point as a marble staircase while he's asleep. |
| 81 | [[/folder]] |
| 82 | |
| 83 | [[folder:Comic Strips]] |
| 84 | * ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes''. Calvin almost learns how creepy centipedes are the hard way while playing a game of Twenty Questions involving guessing what he has in his hands. |
| 85 | -->'''Hobbes:''' Is it loathsome? |
| 86 | -->'''Calvin:''' Yes! |
| 87 | -->'''Hobbes:''' Is it some big centipede with poison pincers? |
| 88 | -->'''Calvin:''' ...Centipedes have poison pincers? |
| 89 | -->'''Hobbes:''' I think so. |
| 90 | -->''[Calvin climbs on Hobbes' back and looks very scared.]'' |
| 91 | -->'''Calvin:''' Man, it's a good thing you guessed it so fast! |
| 92 | [[/folder]] |
| 93 | |
| 94 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 95 | * In ''Fanfic/EquestriaDivided'' one of the monster species [[MonsterFromBeyondTheVeil Pinkie Pie]] brings with her from the Astral Plane looks like a cross of one of these with a MonsterClown. |
| 96 | * ''VideoGame/FiendFolio'': Centipedes are enemies in the Caves that have segments each about the size of Isaac, attacking by chasing after him. They're one of the less-threatening enemies added in the mod, but they have the unique ability to crawl in and out of pits, making tracking them difficult. |
| 97 | * Subverted with Felix and Melancholia the arthropleura in ''Fanfic/PrehistoricParkReimagined''. Whilst they are large and intimidating, they're portrayed as placid herbivores that arguably end up losing their creep factor as a result of their massive size instead of getting it enhanced by said size. |
| 98 | * In ''Fanfic/SonOfTheSannin'', Tayuya's Level 3 Cursed Seal fuses her legs into a long tail that sprouts several pairs of legs very similar to a centipede. |
| 99 | [[/folder]] |
| 100 | |
| 101 | [[folder:Films -- Animated]] |
| 102 | * A giant centipede can be seen chasing the explorers out of an underwater cave at one point during their journey to Atlantis in ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire''. |
| 103 | * ''Franchise/MonstersInc'': |
| 104 | ** Randall Boggs is a lizard/snake-y creature with a long body and multiple pairs of legs. Basically, his design is a hybrid of Creepy Centipedes and ReptilesAreAbhorrent. |
| 105 | ** Dean Hardscrabble from ''WesternAnimation/MonstersUniversity'' has a centipede bottom half, her top half is somewhat draconic, so she is a hybrid of Creepy Centipedes and OurDragonsAreDifferent. Downplayed, though, in that she's not so much evil as just strict. |
| 106 | [[/folder]] |
| 107 | |
| 108 | [[folder:Films -- Live-Action]] |
| 109 | * In ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'', after the failed assassination attempt with explosives, Zam tries to assassinate Amidala with two centipede-like bugs. |
| 110 | * The Chinese fantasy-action film, ''Candle In The Tomb: The Wrath Of Time'': the titular tomb is infested with swarms and swarms of deadly centipedes, which devours numerous RedShirts in a treasure hunting party when they attempt to infiltrate the underground mausoleum (in a scene ripping off the scarab bits from ''Film/TheMummy1999''). Later in the climax, the surviving heroes have to do battle against the tomb's guardian, a ''massive'' winged centipede. |
| 111 | * The low budget BMovie ''Film/{{Centipede}}!'' involves a giant, mutated centipede along with her spawn dwelling in a cave in India. |
| 112 | * ''Film/CentipedeHorror'', in which we have an EvilSorcerer who uses centipedes as killing tools, at one point making a woman vomit some. |
| 113 | * Invoked in ''Film/FiveDeadlyVenoms'', where all the title characters are kung fu experts with AnimalThemeNaming based around venomous creatures, and Centipede is an unrepentant bad guy. His style of kung fu revolves around mimicking the many limbs of a centipede with his own quick movements. |
| 114 | * In a [[NeverTrustATrailer Teaser Trailer]] for the ''[[{{Film/Godzilla2014}} Godzilla (2014)]]'' film, it featured a gigantic Centipede-{{Kaiju}} [[WhatCouldHaveBeen that supposedly Godzilla would have fought]]. However, when the actual movie was released, [[MissingTrailerScene the Centipede-monster was nowhere to be found]]. |
| 115 | * ''Film/HeteromorphaCentipede'' is a modern-day B-movie where a kaiju-sized centipede goes on a rampage. It's head is the size of a human, for starters, as the main characters found out in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9cxdw5721Q the trailer]]. |
| 116 | * ''Film/TheHumanCentipede'': |
| 117 | ** The first film, despite not involving a real one, brings the "Hybrid" concept to a new horrific level. |
| 118 | ** [[Film/TheHumanCentipedeIIFullSequence The sequel]] ''does'' have a real one, though. One which the main character, Martin, uses to attack his mother. |
| 119 | * In ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'', Willie is afraid of reaching into a hole that contains a lot of bugs, including centipedes. Actually justified, as centipedes can be quite venomous. |
| 120 | * Giant centipedes appear in the Peter Jackson version of ''Film/KingKong2005''. According to ''[[AllThereInThemanual The World of Kong: A Natural History of Skull Island]]'', there are actually several species of giant centipedes on Skull Island, with the biggest ones being capable of killing and eating baby dinosaurs. |
| 121 | * A centipede and some spiders appear for added creepiness when the hobbits are hiding from the first Black Rider in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing''. Although they're less creepy in themselves as it's more like the bugs are trying to get ''away'' from [[WalkingWasteland the]] [[EnemyToAllLivingThings Ringwraith.]] |
| 122 | * Paying homage to classic era video games, ''{{Film/Pixels}}'' featured a scene fighting the huge centipedes from ''{{VideoGame/Centipede}}''. One of the enemy centipedes even [[BlackDudeDiesFirst kills one of the soldiers]] on-screen during their encounter. |
| 123 | * In the American horror movie ''Film/TheRing'' one of the scenes from the [[HauntedTechnology cursed videotape]] is of a giant centipede crawling out from under the table of the psychiatric hospital. What's particularly interesting is the original Japanese version, ''Ringu'', didn't have any centipedes, despite the concept of centipedes symbolizing evil being much more commonplace in Japan. |
| 124 | * In ''Film/ThroneOfBlood'', VillainProtagonist Lord Washizu has a centipede as his personal banner. |
| 125 | * The titular monster in ''Film/TheTingler'' very much resembles a big centipede. Its creepiness is also integral to the movie, since the tingler [[EmotionEater feeds on human fear]]. |
| 126 | * The Sea Serpent in ''Film/TheVoyageOfTheDawnTreader'' sports a centipedean body with lots of tiny legs. |
| 127 | [[/folder]] |
| 128 | |
| 129 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 130 | %%* The Taxxons in ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}''.%%ZCE%% |
| 131 | * At the climax of the Fimbulwinter Game from ''[[Literature/DreamPark The Barsoom Project]]'', the BigBad leader of the Cabal takes on the form of a ''terichik'': a gargantuan beast from Myth/InuitMythology that resembles a centipede designed by horror-anime artists. |
| 132 | * One short story by Bruce Coville involves a young kids throwing a shoe at a rather short centipede in his room. Every time he sees it afterwards it's apparently grown longer and longer until one day he wakes to find every surface in his room covered in centipedes of varying length and he's strapped to his bed by them. The story closes out with the boy experiencing a LaughingMad fit as the centipedes descend upon him. |
| 133 | * ''Literature/DocSavage'': In ''The Fantastic Island'', the BigBad uses venomous centipedes as his primary AnimalAssassin. In one scene, Doc has to wade through a veritable sea of them. |
| 134 | * ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles''; Harry fights a ''gigantic'' centipede in Lea's garden in ''Literature/{{Changes}}''. |
| 135 | * In ''Literature/DrNo'', the killer tries to murder Literature/JamesBond with a poisonous centipede. In [[Film/DrNo the movie adaptation]] it was discarded in favor of a tarantula. Probably they thought that the audience did not know that centipedes are poisonous. |
| 136 | * ''Literature/FengshenYanyi'', one of the Seven Monsters that the heroes have to overcome is Wu Long (lit. [[MeaningfulName Centipede Dragon]]), a sword-wielding warrior whose true form is that of a massive centipede. Yang Jian, however, beats him at his own game by turning in a giant rooster and pecking him to death. Earlier, the HeroKiller villain Gao Jineng wields a magic bag which can summon countless wasps and centipedes to harass his foes. The only positive example is Yang Jian turning himself in a winged centipede to bite a snake demon to death. |
| 137 | * Some of the ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' books feature giant centipedes as opponents, with notable examples seen in ''Literature/TempleOfTerror'', ''Literature/PortalOfEvil'' (implied to be a prehistoric one) and ''Literature/ThePortOfPeril''. |
| 138 | * Literature/FuManchu kills foes with a centipede that leaves a kiss-shaped blister where it bites (the Zayat Kiss) in his very first novel. |
| 139 | * Averted with the heroic giant centipede in ''Literature/JamesAndTheGiantPeach''. |
| 140 | * The Hundred Eyed Demon King from ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'' is a centipede-based demon, who can master [[LightIsNotGood light and fire]] and fight with a sword. Sun Wukong is forced to summon forth Pilanpo Boddhisatva, to whom he surrenders. Rather than being MultiArmedAndDangerous, he has multiple glowing eyes on the sides of his body, from which he fires EyeBeams. Later on, the way West is blocked because it's so infested with centipedes that none can pass safely. Again, after rescuing the local leader, Sun Wukong borrows all the chicken and roosters in the realm and sic them at the bugs, clearing the way. |
| 141 | * ''Literature/{{Newsflesh}}'' has a scene in ''Deadline'' wherein we discover that Rebecca "Becks" Atherton, who cheerfully goes into zones where zombies are still a threat, cannot deal with centipedes, even in closed-in lab setting. Just seeing them makes her flinch and twitch. |
| 142 | * [[ImplacableMan Prince Dhojakt]] from ''Literature/ThePrismPentad'' is part man and part cylops. That means that he has the body of a giant centipede from the knees down, and also unusual maws and bulging eyes. |
| 143 | * In ''[[Literature/LincolnRhyme The Skin Collector]]'', the titular serial killer has a tattoo of a red, human-faced centipede on his arm, kills hims victims by tattooing them with poisonous substances and moves in the underground to reach his victims. According to the experts called for the tattoo, the centipede represents fear, or something which looks safe but hides a danger (e.g, centipedes crawling hidden in shoes). |
| 144 | * ''Literature/WayOfTheTiger'': Mardohl, the [[SemiDivine Son of Nil]] encountered in the second book has the monstrous body of a bloated centipede, coupled with a scorpion tail, four humanoid arms and a humanoid head with an insectile mouth. |
| 145 | * In ''[[Literature/GarrettPI Wicked Bronze Ambition]]'', the sorceress Tara Chayne conjures a black supernatural centipede to fight and spy for her. |
| 146 | * Creator/PiersAnthony's ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'' series has nickelpedes. They're centipedes with 500 legs and pincers that can gouge out a slice of flesh the size of a U.S. nickel coin. They're very dangerous in large numbers. |
| 147 | ** There are also quarterpedes and dollarpedes, which are bigger, and dimepedes which are slightly smaller but gouge out twice as much flesh per bite as a nickelpede. |
| 148 | [[/folder]] |
| 149 | |
| 150 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 151 | * Invoked in ''Series/AgentsOfShield'' with the shady Project Centipede, that gives powers through [[http://agentsofshield.wikia.com/wiki/Centipede a centipede-shaped gizmo]]. |
| 152 | * During the 'Lost Comic' arc of the second season of ''{{Series/Beetleborgs}}'', new powerful allies known as the Astralborgs had their own set of PsychoRangers named the Mantrons; of which their ranks included their leader Scorpix (based on a [[ScaryScorpions scorpion]]), Mantix ([[SlayingMantis Praying Mantis]]), Hornix ([[WickedWasps Hornet]]), and, of course, Centix, who was based on a centipede. |
| 153 | * ''Series/LostTapes'' featured meter long centipedes for the "Death Crawler" episode. Implied to be distant relatives of ''Arthropleura'', they survived into the modern day on an isolated island. After killing an expedition crew in the 90s and a married couple the episode follows, several hitch a ride on the boat the latter took to escape the island and escaped into Florida's wilds. |
| 154 | * A number of centipedes put up their dukes on ''Series/MonsterBugWars''. They tend to win, too. |
| 155 | * ''Franchise/PowerRangers''/''Franchise/SuperSentai'' really likes this trope. |
| 156 | ** In the third season of ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', [[MookMaker Finster]] was attempting to make a Centipede-themed monster but when a football was accidentally added to his creation it instead made Centiback, a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Monster-Centipede Football-Player]] who had the ability to [[ForcedTransformation turn people into footballs]]. His ''Series/NinjaSentaiKakuranger'' counterpart was Oumukade (see Mythology below), who sought to ruin Christmas by hiding deadly centipedes in Santa's presents for all the good boys and girls. |
| 157 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersInSpace'' featured a MonsterOfTheWeek as a humanoid-alien centipede-abomination called the Destructipede, which had the [[MasterOfIllusion power to create illusions]]. His ''Series/DenjiSentaiMegaranger'' counterpart was called Centipede Nezire, and he was much the same. |
| 158 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy'' also had a centipede-themed monster that was only ever seen briefly in flashback, and wasn't even given a name. His ''Series/SeijuuSentaiGingaman'' counterpart however, Dreddredder, had the ability to [[EnergyAbsorption absorb electricity]] and wielded an [[LightningLash electrified whip]]. |
| 159 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder'' has a monster named Insectolite, who is a mash-up of a centipede, pansy flowers, and satellite radio-dishes. His ''Series/BakuryuuSentaiAbaranger'' counterpart was called Mukadenpanji, who used his radio dishes to manipulate TV waves and make the children of Tokyo all delinquents. |
| 160 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersJungleFury'' had Rantipede, member of the [[EliteMooks Five Fingers]] [[PoisonousPerson of Poison]] and master of [[RapidFireFisticuffs Centipede fighting-style]]. What makes him especially creepy is that he keeps his head hidden at first, before revealing it to the Jungle Fury Rangers as a coiled mass of a massively-long centipede tail, causing the Rangers [[EmotionEater enough fear to allow himself]] [[MakeMyMonsterGrow to grow giant-sized]]. His ''Series/JukenSentaiGekiranger'' counterpart was called Kademu and was basically the same. |
| 161 | ** ''Series/PowerRangersMegaforce'' had a [[PoisonousPerson Toxic]] [[{{Mutants}} Mutant]] named Mummy, who looked like a rotted corpse that was wrapped up in a long, albino centipede instead of mummy bandages. In ''Series/TensouSentaiGoseiger'' he was called Zeibu of the Mummy, and he had an episode which was not converted into ''Power Rangers'' where he used his centipede mummy bandages to [[MindManipulation brainwash the employees of a TV station]]. |
| 162 | ** ''Series/ShurikenSentaiNinninger'' had Advanced Yokai Oumukade, whose appearance was combined with a power strip and ability was to transform any location into a labyrinth strengthened by the uncertainty of anyone he trapped in it. His ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaSteel'' counterpart was Voltipede, who instead could [[EnergyAbsorption absorb]] [[ShockAndAwe electricity]] to become stronger. |
| 163 | ** ''Series/TaiyouSentaiSunVulcan'' featured a MonsterOfTheWeek called the Centipede Monger, who planned on destroying all the Earth's crops using his [[PoisonousPerson poison]] and his ability to [[MookMaker generate a swarm]] of tiny insect MechaMooks. |
| 164 | ** Non-MonsterOfTheWeek example: Tau Zant, BigBad of ''Series/NinpuuSentaiHurricaneger'', had the lower body of a gigantic centipede, with his throne actually being the coils of his body. Additionally, his SupervillainLair was called ''Centipede'', a huge spire-fortress that looked like it was entangled in the coils of a huge centipede. |
| 165 | * The TV series ''Series/{{Primeval}}'' also has an arthropleurid (thought by most fans to be an ''Arthropleura'', but probably a fictional species) in the first season. If centipedes weren't bad enough, this one is aggressive and afraid, making it very liable to lash out, has a deadly venomous bite, and is frakking ''fifteen feet long!'' It's also a herbivore, so it won't eat you; you're in for a long, slow death... |
| 166 | * An episode of ''Series/ElmosWorld'' on ''Series/SesameStreet'' taught kids about bugs (although inaccurately, since they refer to centipedes and spiders as bugs as well), and at one point features a superimposed cartoon centipede on the screen, crawling around Elmo while he urges the children at home to count his legs, although giving up when the bug runs off-screen by around 20 legs. Of course this may be a subversion of the trope since the segment tries not to refer to any of the bugs as inherently creepy, but instead that they exist and we can learn from them. |
| 167 | * ''Series/UltramanTaro'' had a vaguely centipede-like kaiju named Mukadender (derived from "mukade"; see Real Life), whose appearance looked like its head and tail had switched places. It was able [[LosingYourHead to detach its head from its body at will]] to fight Taro as two separate beings. |
| 168 | * The giant prehistoric relative of centipedes ''Arthropleura'' was featured in the Carboniferous Period segment of ''Series/WalkingWithMonsters'', where it was shown chasing off the titular [[SpidersAreScary Mesothelae]] and then facing off with an [[NeverSmileAtACrocodile unnamed crocodile-like amphibian]]. The "fight" with the amphibian ended with the Arthropleura [[EpicFail losing its balance]] [[UndignifiedDeath and impaling itself]] [[ArmorIsUseless on a]] [[CruelAndUnusualDeath bush stump]]. |
| 169 | * An episode of ''Series/{{Warehouse 13}}'' deals with an artifact called the Spine of the Saracen, a centipede-like metallic device that attaches itself to the spine of a person, amplifying aggression and endurance, causing the person to go after those he or she really hates. The person under the control of the Spine can kill with an extremely-powerful electric shock. The artifact was originally discovered in the '60s by a Warehouse agent, who was "taken" by the Spine. The agent [[HeroicSacrifice chose to entomb himself]] to keep the Spine contained. After being freed, the Spine, eventually, ends up taking control of Pete. Myka ends up using the Tesla to get the Spine to detach from Pete, at which point it's destroyed by smashing it with a fire extinguisher. |
| 170 | [[/folder]] |
| 171 | |
| 172 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 173 | * The music video for the Music/KnifeParty song "Centipede" features a couple trying to rid their apartment of giant, aggressive centipedes (who may or may not be hallucinations). [[spoiler: the woman succumbs to the centipedes, leading the man to kill himself with the gas he was using to exterminate the centipedes, hallucinating a centipede the size of a man as he dies.]] |
| 174 | [[/folder]] |
| 175 | |
| 176 | [[folder:Mythology and Religion]] |
| 177 | * Myth/JapaneseMythology: |
| 178 | ** Yomi, the land of the dead, is described as a dark and gloomy land below the earth where the dead continue their existence amidst centipedes and rot. There are also [[SnakesAreSinister venomous snakes]] down there. |
| 179 | ** In the Kojiki, centipedes crawl about in Susanoo (Lord of the Dead)’s hair. He makes Ōnamuji (someone trying to court his daughter) pick them out of his hair and eat them, but the poison fails to kill him (sometimes because he used clay shards to only pretend to eat the centipedes). Earlier in the story Susanoo had Ōnamuji sleep in a room full of centipedes (and bees), but Suseribime gave Ōnamuji a scarf to repel them. |
| 180 | ** The Oomukade (Great Centipede) from Japanese Folklore was said to prey on dragon's hatchlings and being as large as a mountain. It was slain by Hidesato Tawaratota who pierced his eye with an [[WeaksauceWeakness arrow made wet with drool]] and was rewarded by Ryuujin himself for it. |
| 181 | ** In general, large centipedes (in particular the Mukade, see Real Life below) are considered symbols of evil in Japan, heavily associated with filth, decay, and death. According to Michael Ashkenazi's "Handbook of Japanese Mythology", this is simply because they're ugly and poisonous. Consequently, some premodern military units used them on war banners for intimidation. |
| 182 | * Even normal sized centipedes scare Eastern Dragons, since centipedes like to [[OrificeInvasion crawl up dragons' nostrils]] to ''[[BrainFood feast on their brains]]''. |
| 183 | * There's a type of cryptid called a "Sea Centipede" that has been reported in some parts of the world, like the Mediterranean and Vietnam, but whether these things are actual giant oceangoing centipedes or some kind of multi-limbed sea creature is unclear. |
| 184 | [[/folder]] |
| 185 | |
| 186 | [[folder:Other Sites]] |
| 187 | * ''Website/SCPFoundation'' |
| 188 | ** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-363 SCP-363 ("Not Centipedes").]] These look like normal giant centipedes in the light. When the lights turn off, they grow to massive sizes and become hostile. Even worse, [[TheVirus they can turn humans into]] BodyHorror centipedes! |
| 189 | ** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-378 SCP-378 ("Brainworm").]] SCP-378 are centipede-like creatures that can enter a human being's skull and occupy the frontal lobe of the victim's brain. |
| 190 | ** [[http://scp-wiki.net/scp-870 SCP-870 ("The Maybe There Monsters").]] One of the forms that SCP-870 has been seen as is a scorpion with human arms instead of legs. |
| 191 | ** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1353 SCP-1353 ("Comforting Centipedes").]] SCP-1353 are felt centipedes about half a meter long. They can enter and move around inside the human body. |
| 192 | ** [[https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-006-j SCP-006-J ("WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT THING")]] is a joke SCP that plays this trope for laughs. It's a series of bugs that the staff are absolutely terrified of; SCP-006-J-1 in particular is a centipede, with the caption stating that "EVERY LEG WANTS TO DESTROY YOU". |
| 193 | [[/folder]] |
| 194 | |
| 195 | [[folder:Podcasts]] |
| 196 | * ''Podcast/AintSlayedNobody'': In "SCIENCE", the Investigators stumble across a time-portal to the Carboniferous Period and are promptly attacked by a giant centipede--likely an ''Arthropleura''--that tries to eat them. |
| 197 | * ''Podcast/TrialsAndTrebuchets'': |
| 198 | ** A colossal centipede-like being named Golapedra is the Second Eldest of the Plane of Isathil. |
| 199 | ** The frozen seas around the city of Troisle are inhabited by gigantic centipede-like monsters called Remorhaz. |
| 200 | [[/folder]] |
| 201 | |
| 202 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 203 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Arduin}}'' RPG, ''The Compleat Arduin Book 2: Resources'': The Yellow Peril is a bright yellow centipede up to 27 feet long. It can have up to 63 HitPoints and its bite can inject venom doing up to 126 HitPoints of damage. It can spew out a SuperSpit acid spray up to 30 feet long that does up to 31 HitPoints of damage. |
| 204 | * ''TabletopGame/BossMonster'': |
| 205 | ** There is a Room Card called the Centipede Tunnel, a lair with an enormous centipede with the power to swap the location of two rooms in any dungeon. This makes it quite painful when played against you as it can completely destroy the synergy of your dungeon. |
| 206 | ** The standalone expansion ''Boss Monster: Rise of the Minibosses'' features an Advanced Monster Room called Magipede, housing a massive, magical centipede who's damage power increases by +1 for every Spell Card in the player's hand. |
| 207 | * ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' features huge centipedes and also swarms of regular centipedes. They're pretty much on the top of the giant vermin heap thanks to their potent venom. |
| 208 | ** One of the earliest monsters introduced in Dungeons & Dragons is the Carrion Crawler, a bloated four-foot-long EldritchAbomination centipede with eight drooling paralytical tentacles on its maw. Luckily, as their name implies they're normally scavengers ... but will attack adventurers if food is scarce or [[MamaBear if its young is threatened]]. |
| 209 | ** Another ''D&D'' classic is the Remorhaz, a forty-foot-long centipede-like monster found in polar regions that has a body temperature rivaling ''molten iron'' and eats nearly any living creature it can find, up to and including frost giants and woolly mammoths. When you get SwallowedWhole by this thing (one of its favourite tactics), you're not only digested by its acids, but burned by its scalding insides. |
| 210 | ** The ''TabletopGame/DarkSun'' setting has a couple. |
| 211 | *** Cilops: 15+ feet long, with an amazing sense of smell, who don't have to sleep and [[SuperPersistentPredator will track and pursue you for weeks]]. |
| 212 | *** The Megapede is 100-150 feet long and has a poisonous bite. They [[SandWorm hide beneath the sands of Athas]], rising above them only to devour other creatures. |
| 213 | ** The stegocentipede from ''D&D'' 1st edition is a colossal monster with an armor-plated hide and dorsal spikes. |
| 214 | ** In 3rd Edition centipedes could grow up to 120 feet long. |
| 215 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Godforsaken}}'': Devilworms are six-foot-long millipedes with a venomous bite and surrounded by toxic gases, native to the Wilds of the West in the Firmament. |
| 216 | * ''TabletopGame/HollowEarthExpedition'' supplement ''Mysteries of the Hollow Earth'' |
| 217 | ** The Arthropleura is 6 foot long, has 50 pairs of legs and a vicious bite. |
| 218 | ** The giant centipede grows up to ten feet long and two feet wide and has a pair of forcipules (poison-injecting pincers). |
| 219 | * Midkemia Press' ''Heart of the Sunken Lands''. The Spotted Green Centipede will crawl onto a {{PC}}'s body and bite them, injecting a lethal poison. The poison causes a high fever which reaches its peak 2-12 hours after the bite. |
| 220 | * ''TabletopGame/RuneQuest'' |
| 221 | ** ''Heroes'' magazine Volume I #3 article "Creepy Critters: Insects for ''TabletopGame/RuneQuest''". Centipedes can grow up to 20 meters long and their bite can inject a lethal poison. |
| 222 | ** ''Trollpak'' boxed set, "Book of Uz" Book 2. Centipedes can grow up to 40 paces (33 yards) long and weigh up to 3,800 lbs. |
| 223 | * ''TabletopGame/{{Traveller}}'' Classic supplement ''Spacefarer's Guide to Alien Monsters''. |
| 224 | ** The Crawler is a 4.8 meter long centipede which can run as fast as a human being and whose bite inflicts a deadly poison. |
| 225 | ** Drake's Centipede is 2.1 meters long, can sprint as quickly as a person, and has a BreathWeapon: a nausea-causing gas that can reach up to two meters away. |
| 226 | ** The phuolinc is a two meter long centipede that pounces on its prey and will attack any creature if it can achieve surprise. |
| 227 | * ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' gives us the Necron [[http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Tomb_Stalker Tomb Stalker]], a CreepyCentipede that can move like a SandWorm. |
| 228 | ** The [[https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Catachan_Devil Catachan Devil]] is a Train-sized centipede-looking alien beast from [[DeathWorld Catachan]]. |
| 229 | [[/folder]] |
| 230 | |
| 231 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 232 | * ''VideoGame/AkaManto'': A centipede the size of a snake you need to avoid crawls throughout the vents in the school. |
| 233 | * ''VideoGame/AlteredBeast2005'' has massive, mutated Centipedes living inside the abandoned mines. They're as long as Luke's tall, and can attack either by spitting poison or by forming a ring and slash at the enemies with their legs. |
| 234 | * The Voracious Centipede boss from ''VideoGame/AmericanMcGeesAlice''. The wise Caterpillar is a notably aversion, as he's a good guy. |
| 235 | * ''VideoGame/ArkSurvivalEvolved'' has giant millipedes, genus ''Arthropleura'', that have become carnivorous and highly aggressive, with highly acidic blood they will intentionally spray at you to ruin your armor. |
| 236 | * From the ''{{VideoGame/Bayonetta}}'' franchise is the [[OurDemonsAreDifferent massive Infernal Demon centipede]], Scolopendra, [[BossSubtitles Eradicator of Paradise]], which the titular character will occasionally summon to crush her enemies to death. It's described as making it's home in a river of boiling blood and can grow ''over 10 kilometers in length!''[[note]]That's over 6 miles long![[/note]] Scolopendra makes a reappearance in the sequel as well, this time in a swarm as enemies attacking Bayonetta after she enters [[{{Hell}} Inferno]]. Also from ''{{VideoGame/Bayonetta 2}}'', [[SecretCharacter Jeanne]] gets her own version of Bayonetta's aquatic [[ScaledUp snake transformation]], her's instead a giant aquatic centipede (aptly called Centipede Within) which very well may be a reference back to the Scolopendra. |
| 237 | * ''VideoGame/BlasterMaster: Overdrive'' has a giant centipede as the boss of Area 2. |
| 238 | * The Fluorescent Flower from ''{{VideoGame/Bloodborne}}'' is an enormous centipede EldritchAbomination that is a mass of chitinous limbs and a huge vertical-split maw with MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily. It can [[PlayingWithFire attack with fire up close]] and spit {{Fireballs}} from a distance, and fitting for being a centipede also has a BreathWeapon of [[PoisonousPerson poison]]. |
| 239 | * ''VideoGame/BloodstainedRitualOfTheNight'' has Valac, a pair of serpentine demons with eight arms on each body, which evokes the centipede part, and two rows of ''teeth'' on their undersides running across the entire bodies, simulating the creepy part. |
| 240 | * ''VideoGame/{{Bug|1995}}'' and its sequel ''VideoGame/BugToo'' had caterpillar and centipede enemies respectively: |
| 241 | ** Caterpillars in ''Bug!'' weren't exactly caterpillars. Rather, they were a purple bug sitting atop many individual segments which they fired out at Bug as bouncing projectiles, and could be destroyed. Once they lose all their segments, the bug on top would then run towards Bug. |
| 242 | ** Centipedes in ''Bug Too!'' were found in the quicksand areas of [[{{Qurac}} Lawrence]] [[ShiftingSandLand of]] [[BuildLikeAnEgyptian Arachnia]]. These sported UsefulNotes/SaddamHussein's beret and mustache, shouted "DIE WESTERN INSECT" in stereotypical Middle Eastern accent, attacked with a rifle if Bug was close, and fired insects in Arab garb from of a rocket launcher if Bug was in the distance. Basically, [[UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar Iraqi Soldier]] centipedes in an K-A-rated game. |
| 243 | * ''VideoGame/BugFables'' has [[HeroKiller The ]][[TheDreaded Beast]], a giant centipede and the boss of the [[BubblegloopSwamp Wild Swamplands area.]] It's Kabbu's ArchEnemy for [[spoiler:killing his old friends]] and seems to get some kind of sadistic joy out of attacking the party. |
| 244 | * Bigger-than-normal centipedes are a minor enemy in some ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' games, including ''VideoGame/SuperCastlevaniaIV''. |
| 245 | ** The [[ThatOneBoss Undead Parasite]] from ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLamentOfInnocence'' resembles a giant hybrid part caterpillar [[BreathWeapon part dragon]]. |
| 246 | * ''VideoGame/{{Centipede}}'' and its sequel, ''VideoGame/{{Millipede}}''. ''Centipede'' eventually got a VideoGameRemake in 2011 called ''Centipede: Infestation'', which re-imagined the game as an overhead ShootEmUp to take place AfterTheEnd in a world infested with BigCreepyCrawlies (the bosses of each level being the titular centipedes). |
| 247 | * ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberiumWars'' game features a buildable centipede unit for the Scrin in the ''Kane's Wrath'' expansion where the owner can customize the centipede by making each section a different type of weapon system. |
| 248 | * ''VideoGame/ContraHardCorps'' features a centipede monster early in the first level with really tall legs; only the head is vulnerable to damage. |
| 249 | * ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' has an optional boss called the [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Centipede Demon]] in the Demon Ruins living in a pool of magma, who has [[MultiArmedAndDangerous six demonic centipede heads as limbs]] and the ability to spit {{Fireballs}}. The Demon Ruins before the boss fight also hosts massive, demonic pill bug/centipede hybrids emerging from the floor/walls to attack at you with acid and their powerful jaws. At least one of them must be fought to access the second bonfire (barring SequenceBreaking). |
| 250 | * ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'', giant millipede-like monsters dwell in the Black Gulch deep below the Earth and attack by emerging from their nests and thrashing around. |
| 251 | * ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' has the Sewer Centipedes, fiends that will lay face-down in the water to give the illusion of being a drowned woman, before they attack with their multitude of long, spidery legs. |
| 252 | * [[ShockAndAwe Gigapede]] from ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'' is a giant, floating centipede with huge jaws and electrical powers. He falls to pieces when slain. |
| 253 | * ''VideoGame/DragonGun'' have a giant flying two-headed centipede monster. [[AHeadAtEachEnd One at each end]]. |
| 254 | * BigBad and FinalBoss Orgodemir from ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVII'' takes the form of a giant, [[MyBrainIsBig big-brained]], [[DragonsAreDemonic draconic]] half-centipede monstrosity in combat. |
| 255 | * ''VideoGame/EldenRing'' features some centipede-inspired monsters. The most notable among them are the Kindred of Rot, beings of pestilence and decay who resemble a cross between men, centipedes, and termites; and Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, who usually has a snake motif but by the time you meet him has so many writhing limbs along his torso (the limbs of his [[AndIMustScream undying victims]]) that he also resembles a centipede. Even his ''sword'' looks like a centipede. Fittingly, both the Kindred of Rot and Rykard are associated with impurity and defilement, fitting the Japanese mythological motif also present in From Software's ''Bloodborne'' and ''Sekiro'', the latter also sharing an association with unnatural immortality. The Cursemark of Death also looks like a centipede, something called out in-universe, and like the Rot and Serpent it afflicts the land with decay and a form of perverse, unnatural immortality. [[ZigZaggedTrope On the other hand]], golden centipedes, while still being an emblem of death, are beneficial crafting ingredients used to create rejuvenating boluses (remove buildup of deathblight, a status effect causing instant death when the bar fills up) and Sacred Order pots (thrown at enemies to inflict [=AoE=] Holy damage), and are used as emblems of hunters of Those Who Live in Death. |
| 256 | * The ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series introduces the Ankheg, monstrous centipede enemies. They first premiered in the first ''VideoGame/FinalFantasy'' (where they were also known as Centipede, or simply PEDE) and their attacks caused poison. They also make an appearance in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyType0'', and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyDimensions''. |
| 257 | * Also premiering in the first ''VideoGame/FinalFantasy'' are the Crawlers, who throughout their appearances have varying aspects of centipedes, millipedes, caterpillars, and slugs. They've also appeared in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'', and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2''. |
| 258 | * ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyAdventure'' features the Megapede enemy. Ironically, despite not actually being a true Final Fantasy game, when the game was rereleased in 2003 as ''Sword of Mana'' the Megapede was renamed the Ankheg (as mentioned above). They also feature the Crawler enemy, also mentioned above. |
| 259 | * From ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' there's [[http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/c/cf/Sinspawn_Gui_Artwork.JPG/revision/latest?cb=20140409025916 Sinspawn Gui]], an [[BigCreepyCrawlies enormous monster centipede]] that is the result of a FusionDance of smaller Sinspawns from the massive MookMaker [[BigBad Sin]]. ''Final Fantasy X'' also features a Crawler enemy, [[InNameOnly but it isn't a centipede at all]], instead being an unrelated {{Mecha Mook|s}}. |
| 260 | * ''VideoGame/FlashOfTheBlade'' have Ōmukade enemies in two areas, firstly crawling through the mouth of a living face growing from a wall. They reappear in River Styx, this time crawling out the lava river which they're somehow immune towards. |
| 261 | * ''VideoGame/GaiaCrusaders'' have man-sized centipedes as relatively minor enemies in underground caves, who goes down in just one hit, but their RollingAttack can knock the players down in an instant. |
| 262 | * ''VideoGame/{{Ganryu}} 2'' has a massive ''omukade'' as a BackgroundBoss whose head is larger than you, where you spend the fight shooting it's head until it's defeated. |
| 263 | * ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar 3'' features Serapedes, massive centipede-like creatures which the Locust use as war beasts. |
| 264 | * In ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'', Zappa, the gentleman who functions as a boarding house for ghosts, uses a twisting orb of giant centipedes as his transition between the ghosts he's using. |
| 265 | * ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'': The eastern/rightmost part of [[BlackoutBasement Deepnest]] is full of centipede enemies, ranging from big, invincible ones that shoot across set paths to smaller ones that pop out of the ground and can climb up wall after you. There are even foreground silhouettes of centipedes that dart across the screen from time to time. |
| 266 | * The first boss of ''[[VideoGame/MontyMole Impossamole]]''. |
| 267 | * ''VideoGame/JustShapesAndBeats'': The TrueFinalBoss is [[spoiler: a warped, twisted, power-crazy version of the BigBad who seems to no longer be fully itself,]] and many of its attacks resemble centipedes. |
| 268 | * ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'' has Pot Centipede, a centipede made of spiders (Pot Spiders, pots with spider legs sprouting) as a miniboss of the [[Franchise/{{Aladdin}} Agrabah]] world. |
| 269 | * In ''VideoGame/KingdomRush Origins'', one Dark Elf boss from an extra scenario rides a huge centipede monster, which is slow but occasionally can curl on itself and slide forward, taking no damage and recovering health as he does. The achievement to defeat him is a ShoutOut to the Japanese myth of Hidesato Tawaratota ("My Lord Bag of Rice"). |
| 270 | * In the horro videogame ''VideoGame/{{Kuon}}'', caterpillars from a special pair of Mulberry trees are the source of the titular Kuon curse: anyone wrapped in their silk will come back to life, but will slowly rot and go mad with HorrorHunger unless he merges with another being inside a cocoon. Also, [[ApocalypticLog Lady Fujiwara's diary]] mentions her waking up with a centipede besides her, which apparently merged with her body via said cocoons. When faced in combat, she sprouts a giant centipede body where her neck should be. |
| 271 | * ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': |
| 272 | ** Centipede enemies known as the Lanmola first appear as basic {{Mooks}} in the first ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI Legend of Zelda]]'' game, only appearing in the Death Mountain Labyrinth. They reappear as a [[BossBattle Dungeon Boss]] in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' guarding the Pendant of Power in the Desert Palace, and again in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'' as a MiniBoss in the Yama Desert. Oddly, this "centipede", named Moldorm, is not venomous, but instead just has a tendency to push Link off the boss arena into pits, and being knocked off means restarting the battle from the beginning. |
| 273 | ** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' features the AttackOfThe50FootWhatever DualBoss known as Twinmold, a pair of massive masked centipede-like insects that corrupt the Stone Tower Temple. |
| 274 | ** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' features Magtails and Gohma, centipede-like monsters that live in '''molten lava'''. The Magtails are about the size of a human adult, but Gohma is ''huge'' and fills most of the chamber you fight it in ''while still partially submerged in a lava pool''. |
| 275 | * In the ''Franchise/MegaMan'' series: |
| 276 | ** In ''VideoGame/MegaManAndBass'', Ground Man's level has some robotic centipedes as normal enemies and as a miniboss. |
| 277 | * Magna Centipede from ''VideoGame/MegaManX2''. He can grab X with his tail and glitch him, causing X to lose his charge shot, dash and jump ability. He's also [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot an anthropomorphic ninja robot centipede]], which cuts down his creepy factor a bit. |
| 278 | ** A more standard fare ([[BigCreepyCrawlies But giant]]) centipede shows up as a miniboss in ''VideoGame/MegaManX3''. |
| 279 | * Huge caterpillar appears as enemies in ''VideoGame/MetalSlug 3''. |
| 280 | * ''[[VideoGame/{{Momodora}} Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight]]'' has the Arthropod Demon Edea, who appears as the first boss in the game. |
| 281 | * ''VideoGame/MonsterWorldIV'' has an Oomukade as the boss of the Tower of Silence. She's a WarmUpBoss, as she only has one attack and goes down with a dozen stabs. |
| 282 | * Several Oomukade appear as a boss fight in [[{{Ninja}} Kisuke's]] story mode in ''VideoGame/MuramasaTheDemonBlade''. In that case, the body of the monster function as his own health bar. And unusually for a Vanillaware game, they're not stylized at all; [[NonStandardCharacterDesign just completely realistic centipedes at giant size.]] |
| 283 | * ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' for the X-Box featured the [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Greater Fiend]] Alma, who in her awakened form has the lower body of a centipede-like monstrosity. |
| 284 | * ''VideoGame/{{Nioh}}'' features the Oomukade/Giant Centipede as a boss, dwelling in the depths of an infested silver mine. Due to Amrita, the beast is seemingly composed of rocks, has a giant skull-shaped head with pincers protunding from the sides and attacks with poison and paralysis. Also, the first DLC features Date Shigezane, whose helmet and armor have an heavy centipede motif, to the point that his Guardian Spirit is a massive, masked Centipede called "Bishamukade", which is a symbol of perseverance and military prowess. Doesn't stop the creepiness as [[spoiler: Shigezane mutates into a grotesque demon with a giant centipede half-merged with his back and limbs.]] |
| 285 | * In ''VideoGame/OnimushaDawnOfDreams'', Mitsunari Ishida has a centipede theme in his clothes and armor, and can turn his arm in [[TentacleRope a bunch of centipedes]]. [[spoiler: As Claudius he's a gargantuan, flying Oomukade monster with huge scythe-shaped jaws and poisonous miasma.]] |
| 286 | * There is an Oumukade boss called Kudara in Sega's ''VideoGame/OtogiMythOfDemons'' for Platform/{{Xbox}}. Though referred to as a "giant insect," the "foul creature" resides in the "floating tomb." This recent desecration of "a holy graveyard of Sorcerers" tasks Raikoh to "expel the demon." In the first game it's an optional boss that will eventually leave the stage, in the second is fought alongside his mate Adara. |
| 287 | * ''VideoGame/ParasiteEve'' also features a burrowing centipede as a mid-game boss. This one takes damage as a whole, but then splits into multiple independent fighting parts after taking enough damage. At least only one section can inflict poison status on the main character. |
| 288 | * ''VideoGame/PeterJacksonsKingKong'' features gigantic centipedes as common enemies, able to slither out of holes and crawl over walls before delivering sudden leaping attacks. And if you think that river levels are save, bad news, the bastards can crawl on the water surface to get you. |
| 289 | * ''VideoGame/Pikmin3'': The first major BossBattle is against the Armored Mawdad, a centipede-like beast [[MixAndMatchCritters with lots of amphibious legs]] and a thick crystalline-armored carapace. |
| 290 | * AAF-04 Orchidee in ''VideoGame/{{PN 03}}'' is another robotic example, also from a Capcom game. |
| 291 | * ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': |
| 292 | ** ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' has the Venipede line. The final evolution Scolipede is an enormous centipede, in fact it's the second largest Bug-type Pokemon out there. [[{{Acrofatic}} And despite its bulk, it's fast with a speed of 112]] and now has Speed Boost as its hidden ability- good luck trying to outrun one. |
| 293 | ** To a lesser extent, Giratina's altered form looks a lot more like a centipede than it does a ghost or a dragon. |
| 294 | ** ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' has Sizzlipede and its evolution Centiskorch, which are centipedes mixed with a radiator, having yellow spots which they use to cook their prey alive. Centiskorch is also bigger than Scolipede and is described as being excessively hostile. Oh yeah, Centiskorch is also one of Pokémon with a [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever Gigantamax form]] where it transforms into an even longer form than regular Dynamax Centiskorch and the heat generated by it is enough to destabilize air currents. |
| 295 | * Optional boss Megapede in ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankGoingCommando'', in the arena on Joba, is a giant, robotic centipede. Interestingly, it flies around the outside of the arena with its legs nowhere to be found during the fight; said legs are only seen in its [[MonsterCompendium Monsterpedia entry image]] and on its segments once you blast them off and they stay ground-bound to blast at you. |
| 296 | * ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil0'' offers us [[MeaningfulName Centurion]], aka this [[http://residentevil.wikia.com/File:Centurion3.JPG fellow]]. Furthermore, the [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 stage-two Plagas]] and [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil5 Cephalo]] are centipede-like. Bosses with similar attributes include [[BeardOfEvil Bitores Mendez]] (the Ganado village's mayor from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'') and the [[BatOutOfHell Popokimaru]] in ''4'' and ''5'' respectively. |
| 297 | ** In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'', one of the arm-mutations that J'avo can suffer transmutes the limb into CombatTentacles that look kind of like this. Though the creature design artbook claims it was actually based off of a silkworm. |
| 298 | * The first boss of ''VideoGame/RocketKnightAdventures'' is a colossal robotic centipede that ambushed Spakster in the burning ruins of the castle. |
| 299 | * ''VideoGame/SekiroShadowsDieTwice'' has the fallen Buddhist monks of Senpou Temple trying to achieve immortality by becoming infested with grotesque centipedes, a symbol of decay in Shinto. Due to these immortal centipedes (that, more often than not, [[BodyHorror slither out of their hosts]]), it's impossible to permanently kill the hosts without the Mortal Blade. Other victims infested by the centipedes include [[spoiler:Hanbei the Undying, the Corrupted Monk guarding the entrance to Fountainhead Palace, and the Guardian Ape]]. There are also the semi-feral humans referred to as Centipedes, who seek to mimic their namesake to the point where they have metal prongs protruding from all over their bodies in order to imitate a centipede's appendages. |
| 300 | * One of bosses in ''VideoGame/SenranKagura 2'' are the Mikami, a pair of giant, half-centipede women what can fly. |
| 301 | * ''VideoGame/ShadowHeartsCovenant'' has a giant, mutated, flesh-eating centipede appearing in the Wine Cellar in France. |
| 302 | * ''VideoGame/ShantaeHalfGenieHero'' has a colossal, one-eyed centipede monster living in the ruins of the deserted city of Tassel Town called [[FluffyTheTerrible Wilbur]], encountered first as an AdvancingBossOfDoom and later as a proper PivotalBoss, coming out the center of a tower and attacking as Shantae runs around. Holly reveals that Wilbur eats memories, and she fed him the memories of Scuttle Town's inhabitants. Killing Wilbur releases the memories and causes Holly to vanish. |
| 303 | * ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' has the magatama, centipede-like creatures that serve as the source of the player character's demonic power. You get your first one when [[spoiler:Lucifer]] [[EyeScream inserts it into your eye]], which the game presents from a first-person perspective. |
| 304 | * ''VideoGame/SilentHillHomecoming'': The boss Asphyxia is a centipede composed of human female torsos, a manifestation of the deceased [[spoiler: Nora Holloway, out for revenge against her mother for sacrificing her]]. Its appearance is based on [[spoiler: Nora's love of the Caterpillar from ''Literature/AlicesAdventuresInWonderland''.]] |
| 305 | * ''Videogame/TheSims4'' expansion "Snowy Escape" features those as one of thing that gave your Sim uncomfortable moodlet as they travel around [[{{Wutai}} Mt. Komorebi]]. |
| 306 | * In ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' there are the Crawlton, MechaMooks created by Dr. Eggman that burst out of the walls to attack. After being absent from the series for years, they finally make a reappearance in ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld''. |
| 307 | * ''VideoGame/SpiritualAssassinTaromaru'' have an Ōmukade as a MiniBoss halfway through the first level. |
| 308 | * In the ''VideoGame/StarControl'' saga we've the caterpillar-like Ur-Quan [[spoiler: and their even nastier brothers the Kohr-Ah]]. |
| 309 | * The Red Light from the ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' mobile app game ''VideoGame/AttackTheLight'' takes the form of a massive, three-headed centipede monster, somewhat reminiscent of the Centipeedle Mother from the actual series. [[spoiler:Its made a bit less creepy once its discovered all the light monsters aren't actually evil, just confused.]] |
| 310 | * ''VideoGame/{{Strider}}'' |
| 311 | ** The first boss of the [[VideoGame/StriderArcade arcade game]], Ouroboros, is a mechanical centipede composed of Soviet politicians. |
| 312 | ** The [[Strider2014 HD reboot]] brings in a giant mutant Millipede and a [[PlayingWithFire fiery]] variant "Magmapede" as two of its bosses. |
| 313 | * The Wiggler from the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' franchise combines the concept of a Creepy Centipede with a RidiculouslyCuteCritter ... although Wigglers get a lot less cute if you [[BerserkButton knock off their head flowers]]. The Mecha-Wiggler in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'', on the other hand, is the stuff of nightmares. And it can create portals to ambush Mario from angles where he least expects it. |
| 314 | * ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'' features an enemy called a Wirbel, a rather odd example of MixAndMatchCritters that has the body of a [[SavageWolves wolf]] and the carapace and tail of a centipede. |
| 315 | * The {{Creator/Nickelodeon}} [[WebGames web browser game]] ''[[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Dark Horizons]]'' features a giant mutant centipede called the Centibeast as one of its bosses. |
| 316 | * ''VideoGame/{{Terraria}}'' has two centipede enemies unique to the Lunar Events: |
| 317 | ** The Solar Pillar has Crawltipedes among its guards. They fly around, ignoring grounded players, but [[AntiAir as soon as a player goes airborne]] they rapidly home in like a missile on crack, dealing incredible CollisionDamage to them ''per hit''. Their only weak spot is [[AttackTheTail the tail]]. |
| 318 | ** The Stardust Pillar has Milkyway Weavers, smaller and weaker than the Crawltipedes, but more numerous and without the restriction of only attacking players in the air. Their weak points are their heads. |
| 319 | * ''VideoGame/TitanQuest'' finally introduces giant Centipede monsters in Act V, lurking in the forests of northern Europe and among the roots of Yggdrassil. Previously, oversided, venom-spitting giant maggots were encountered as enemies in Egypt. |
| 320 | * ''VideoGame/TwinCaliber'' have a gigantic centipede monster serving as the sewer's boss, who slinks in and out of the water while clicking it's mandibles trying to chomp the players. |
| 321 | * ''VideoGame/VividConceptions'' has a centipede as a boss menacing the miniature protagonist, along with many, many other bugs. |
| 322 | * [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] and played straight in the PC Game ''VideoGame/TheWitcher'', which features an enemy called the Giant Centipede which are aggressive, 12-foot-long venomous insects that see prey through vibrations in the earth. However, townsfolk actually believe these creatures to be curses upon them, completely invincible and able to reproduce into two if split, which the beastiary calls out as complete rubbish. |
| 323 | * ''[[VideoGame/YokaiWatch Yo-Kai Watch 2]]'' introduces the Irewig (''Mukamukade''), one of the many {{Youkai}} {{Mons}} that's based on the Asian red-headed centipede, and has the ability in [[EmotionControl insight annoyance]] [[BerserkButton and anger]] in any human it bites. It also has the [[EvolutionPowerUp ability to evolve]] into the Firewig (''Geki Doragon''), a Centipede-[[OurDragonsAreDifferent Dragon]] that can cause people to fly into an UnstoppableRage with its venomous bite. |
| 324 | * ''VideoGame/YoshisStory'' features a very long, [[TheSpiny Spiked]] InvincibleMinorMinion centipede, fortunately they only ever appear in a single level. |
| 325 | * Nygtilger, the second boss in ''VideoGame/YsIAncientYsVanishedOmen''. It also appears in ''VideoGame/YsOrigin'', with even more detail and attack patterns. |
| 326 | [[/folder]] |
| 327 | |
| 328 | [[folder:Web Animation]] |
| 329 | * In the ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'' episode featuring Deadpool vs The Mask, after The Mask pulls out a massive bomb out of HammerSpace he looks at the timer through a magnifying glass, reversing the angle the audience see's The Mask's psychotic smile through the same magnifying glass with a centipede crawling around in his mouth and through a hole in his rotted teeth. |
| 330 | * ''WebAnimation/{{Dreamscape}}'': Keedran's abomination form looks like a Creepy Centipede with CreepyLongArms, one of which is a snake and the other that looks like a bear's. |
| 331 | * In ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'', a subspecies of [[AnimalisticAbomination Grimm]] resembling centipedes exists. Called Centinels, they are essentially Mooks to be devastated in hordes by the heroes with ease. However, a more powerful variant called the Cenitaur exists. Cenitaurs have bloated bodies, bladed arms, and can spit acid. One was able to nearly kill [[CatNinja Blake Belladonna]] before its death at the hands of [[TheHero Ruby Rose]]. |
| 332 | [[/folder]] |
| 333 | |
| 334 | [[folder:Web Comics]] |
| 335 | * ''Webcomic/ILogInAlone'' The first dungeons after the test dungeon Jung entered are full of nothing but giant centipedes. |
| 336 | * In ''Webcomic/ManlyGuysDoingManlyThings'', Commander Badass doesn't like millipedes thanks to multiple tours on the Millipede Planet during Millipede season. Highlights include swarms of millipedes in his bunk, swarms of millipedes in his boots, swarms of millipedes in his cereal box, and a giant millipede that vomited swarms of millipedes on his head. He's a good enough dad that he let his daughter buy a millipede despite his issues with them, though he wishes she would stop trying to make him play with her hideous new pet. |
| 337 | * In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' Pompey use a lesser Summon Monsters to call forth several giant spiders and centipedes. When Julia face them it quickly degenerates to a ShoutOut of ''VideoGame/{{Centipede}}''. |
| 338 | [[/folder]] |
| 339 | |
| 340 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 341 | * ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' introduces the Crystal Citadel, a space prison that houses the worst Cosmic Criminals in the multi-verse, one of which is a large, legless centipede creature. To qualify to be imprisoned in the Crystal Citadel the prisoner has to be guilty of a crime ranging from [[OmnicidalManiac mass-genocide and head-eating]] to [[EarthShatteringKaboom vivisecting entire planets]]. |
| 342 | ** One episode showed Ice King owning a monstrous centipede made of ice named Ice-o-pede. It was actually quite unruly and was just as happy trying to clamp its pincers on Ice King's head as it was attacking Finn. |
| 343 | * ''WesternAnimation/AquaTeenHungerForce'' episode "The South Bronx Parasite Diet" sees the team's neighbor Carl consuming parasite-filled diet bars in order to lose an extraordinary amount of weight (also taking on disturbing habits such as crawling on the ceiling and consuming dead insects). In the final scene, Carl's body finally splits down the middle and a man-sized centipede creature bursts out. |
| 344 | * Koh the FaceStealer from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' looks like a giant centipede whose head was instead what looks like an eye socket with interchangeable faces inside of it, surrounded by a bunch of extra legs. |
| 345 | * ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse'' introduced the alien species known as the Tyrannopede, enormous MixAndMatchCritters of the UsefulNotes/TyrannosaurusRex and centipedes. It appeared as one of the many highly predatory species in the Nemetrix, being the natural enemies of the Vaxasaurians which is same species that's Ben's Humungousaur transformation. |
| 346 | * From the ''{{WesternAnimation/Daria}}'' episode "My Night at Daria's", Jake Morgendorffer eats some suspect sushi from Tokyo Toby's Sushi Restaurant, a place he hopes to become a consultant for. Later he complains that the sushi gave him a parasite, before a doctor pulls out a [[NightmareFuel several inch long centipede that was nesting in Jake's throat]]! It is by far one of the more disturbing scenes from the series. |
| 347 | * In ''WesternAnimation/DragonHunters'' episode ''It's a Dragon's Life'', Lian Chu fights a Dragon resembling a giant, four-legged yellow centipede with spikes on his back, a serpent-like mouth hidden under the pincers and the ability to roll in a spiky wheel to attack. As a subtle and possible nod to the Japanese Mukade, it's fought in a bamboo grove and dies by an arrow to the head. |
| 348 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince'' under [[spoiler: Aavros]]'s direction, [[WellIntentionedExtremist Viren]] conjures a creepy violet caterpillar that allows him to hear the former and talk to him. The creepiness factor increases when it's shown to be able to spin silk over Viren's eye, to allow him to see his benefactor's ghost, enter Viren's body through the ear and emerge through the mouth having grown to bigger size and being able to infect people it bites, allowing [[spoiler: Aavros]] to perform a brief GrandTheftMe on the victim. By the time we see him again, the thing is now large enough to wrap itself around Viren's neck and shoulders like a scarf. |
| 349 | * ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'' features a human-sized centipede-like creature as one of the alien races living on earth. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in they aren't overtly creepy or evil, although the one member of the species predominantly featured on the show was a LowerClassLout. |
| 350 | * ''WesternAnimation/GodzillaTheSeries'' featured a Centipede-{{Kaiju}} named Megapede, a creature with [[PoisonousPerson toxic barbs]] and an impenetrable exoskeleton. It eventually drops the centipede-motif when it cocoons itself and turns into a giant, flying Cicada, and its actually classified as neither a centipede nor a cicada, but a "mutated caterpillar". There was a second, unrelated and unnamed Centipede-Kaiju in another episode, this one fighting in the Monster Arena. |
| 351 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' Season 24 episode "The Fabulous Faker Boy" features the Springfield Elementary's CPR dummy "Resusci-Kate" nesting a rather large centipede in it's mouth, that crawls out and burrows back into the cavity of the dummy's ear. |
| 352 | * From the ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' episode "Quest Buy", the duo enter a magical item emporium and hear that there's a 25% off sale on all things that murder ... one of those things being a [[BigCreepyCrawlies massive centipede]] that snatches the salesman and drags him off. Another giant centipede shows up in the [[DoomyDoomsOfDoom Forest of Certain Death]] in the episode "Diaz Family Vacation", and yet another smaller and (sort of) cuter one crawls over Marco in his sleep in "Sleep Spells". |
| 353 | * In ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'', when Yoda enters the Sith crypt on Moraband in Season 6 he's greeted by a manifestation of the Dark Side/Sith lords in the form of a dark creature resembling an oversized, skull-headed centipede made of interwined worms and darkness, fitting with the image of menace and corruption. |
| 354 | * The first ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' episode, "Gem Glow", introduces the [[HollywoodAcid acid-spitting]] gem monster known as the Centipeetle Mother. She makes a reappearance in the episode "Monster Buddy" as well, although a bit less creepy as Steven attempts to befriend her. [[spoiler:To make her extra creepy, however, its revealed she used to be a fully sentient humanoid gem like the rest of the characters, but was corrupted over time and turned into a violent, semi-mindless monster.]] |
| 355 | ** Later we are introduced to Fluorite, [[spoiler:an "off-color" [[FusionDance gem fusion]] of six different gems. Subverted, in that although her appearance is meant to at least be semi-disturbing, she's actually incredibly kind and non-aggressive, and in fact resembles more of a caterpillar than a centipede]]. |
| 356 | * ''Westernanimation/TeenTitansGo'': |
| 357 | ** A special four-part episode called "The Day the Night Stopped Beginning to Shine and Became Dark Even Though it Was the Day" featured the punk band Music/FallOutBoy being transformed into a CombiningMecha in order to fight a giant [[MechaMook mechanical]] centipede. |
| 358 | ** Another episode called "Nature" had Beast Boy looking to go back to his roots in the forest, only to find a cute little bug on his ear. The bug suddenly shows its pincers before turning sideways and revealing itself to be a large centipede that burrows in and out of Beast Boy's ear canals, then turning to burrow up into his nose instead. Eventually Beast Boy had to reach into his own throat to eject the thing from his body. |
| 359 | * ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats1985'': The Technopede is a giant robotic centipede, armed to the teeth with lasers and other weapons. |
| 360 | [[/folder]] |
| 361 | |
| 362 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 363 | * Centipedes and millipedes[[note]]millipedes can't bite or sting but many species ''secrete'' poison[[/note]] ''are'' poisonous. It's just that most of them in the real world are tiny and so the bite contains a (usually) negligible amount of poison. |
| 364 | ** An exception is the ''Scolopendra gigantea'', who's 30 cm long and can prey upon birds, even going so far as to prey upon things as large as ''bats''. |
| 365 | ** Large centipedes called "Mukade" are common in Japan and (especially) South East Asia, and have an extremely painful bite, which would explain the prevalence of centipede monsters in Japanese fiction. Some common worries regarding the mukade include that they like to make homes in bed linens and in toilets, that they cling to ceilings and drop down on people, and that if they find a sleeping person they will like to crawl inside one of their open cavities (mouth, nose, ears, etc.) for warmth. [[FromBadToWorse And even worse]], if you try to kill it by smashing or cutting it the body will release a pheromone that'll attract more of them. [[KillItWithWater Hot to boiling water is usually recommended as the best way of dealing with the mukade]], although [[KillItWithFire burning them]] or using a [[BoringButPractical mosquito/bug spray]] works too. They are commonly known as the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scolopendra_subspinipes Asian red-headed centipede]] in English. |
| 366 | ** Millipedes avert this more often than centipedes do; they are mostly harmless compared to centipedes, as they aren't as aggressive and are not predators (they're [[HerbivoresAreFriendly herbivores]] and [[GentleGiant generally docile]] as long as you don't frighten them, which will prompt them to secrete poison depending on the species). Granted they also can't bite humans (their jaws are only useful for chewing on plant matter and are too small and weak to pierce human flesh) and are almost completely blind. |
| 367 | * ''Arthropleura'', an arthropod from the Carboniferous period and the largest known land-dwelling invertebrate, is basically a human-sized millipede, thanks to the higher amounts of oxygen in its time period. Up to 8.5 feet in length, it's practically Godzilla when compared to modern centipedes and millipedes. The largest true centipede ever was ''Euphoberia'', which reached a more modest three feet in length (but you still wouldn't want something like that living in your basement). |
| 368 | * Certain tribes use millipede poison to tip their arrows with for battle. |
| 369 | * And certain species of monkey will literally use millipede secretions to get high. |
| 370 | * Subverted by small, harmless centipedes that live in libraries, as they prey on silverfish that eat book-binding glue. All but the most squeamish of librarians are usually happy to have a few of them around. |
| 371 | * Regular centipedes not creepy enough? Meet the ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scutigera_coleoptrata Scutigera coleoptrata]]'' (house centipede). It lives in your house, hunts at night and has ''long, spiderly legs''. That's right, it's a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot spider centipede]]. In German it's even called ''Spinnenläufer'' (spider runner) and in Swedish ''husspindelfoting'' (house [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast spiderpede]]). On the flip side, it [[CreepyAwesome preys upon ]]''[[CreepyAwesome all ]]''[[CreepyAwesome your other creepy-crawly pests]] (bedbugs, silverfish, carpet beetles, termites, ants, cockroaches, wasps, flies, moths, earwigs, and spiders) while being completely harmless to humans, making them one of humanity's greatest allies. They are also constantly on the move, and are unlikely to spend more than a couple of days in your home. |
| 372 | [[/folder]] |
| 373 |
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