Line #127 Main/OneToMillionToOne


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4	[[quoteright:350:[[Film/DraculaUntold https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dracula_bat_swarm_transform.png]]]]
5
6	A person has just been hit by a [[EnergyWeapon laser beam]], or a [[CarFu truck]]. The person doesn't [[ATwinkleInTheSky fly off into space]], though. Instead, he shatters into hundreds of... animals? Which then [[HiveMind flock over in unison]] to a different spot? Then regroups into that person again, whole and unscathed?
7
8	Alternatively, the person may not be in imminent danger of being splattered into pieces involuntarily, and merely decide to scatter himself into many many tiny bits which then fly away elsewhere. And even then, the go-elsewhere part is also optional; the person may just scatter into dust lest a truck runs him over.
9
10	Most of the time, the person in question has a superpower, or may also be supernatural, or may be in fact TheWormThatWalks. Or they're just a vampire (in which case the animals are almost always bats) - a form they might weaponize against their enemies, as a BarrageOfBats.
11
12	Unlike in the case of LiterallyShatteredLives, those employing this trope don't die from being shattered. See also PullingThemselvesTogether, which is similar to the second half of this trope, and generally trauma-induced. BlobMonster and ElementalShapeshifter can do something similar to this. LiteralSplitPersonality may also result. Compare also DetachmentCombat if they just detach their body parts rather than breaking down to flying pieces. Related is DestructiveTeleportation that employs a method similar to this, i.e breaking the subject into atoms and then reconstructing them in another place; people who have this as an ability might achieve long-distance movement similar to a teleport this way. Compare MesACrowd and AsteroidsMonster.
13
14	Not to be confused with MillionToOneChance.
15
16	----
17	[[foldercontrol]]
18
19	!!Examples for trauma-induced variants
20
21	[[folder:Advertising]]
22	* This happens with cars in an insurance commercial (Liberty Mutual?) The car would be rear ended, and fly into little pieces, before reforming a short ways away.
23	[[/folder]]
24
25	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
26	* ''Manga/{{Kinnikuman}}'': When Kinnikuman uses his Megaton Punch to shatter Akuma Shogun's body, it breaks into hundreds of razor-sharp pieces that [[DeathOfAThousandCuts fly though Kinnikuman's body]] before reforming.
27	* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Itachi Uchiha has a technique that creates a clone of himself that disperses into crows when damaged. But since he often combines it with his illusion techniques it's hard to tell whether he is using a clone or an illusion.
28	* This is the standard with characters in ''Manga/OnePiece'' with Logia powers: Because they embody [[ElementalPowers elements]], they can turn themselves (and their clothing and any nonliving things carried on them) into their element, which can then move around in midair and reform at will. These properties effectively render these users invulnerable to most forms of physical damage, but at the cost of near helplessness against their elemental weaknesses. For example, Sir Crocodile is able to scatter into sand and take the form of a living sand cloud, reforming anywhere he wants--but [[WeaksauceWeakness moisture will cause the grains of sand to pack together and be unable to separate]].
29	* ''Manga/PrincessResurrection'': Reirei, being a vampire, can turn into a smaller bats and reform back fairly easily. She uses it to mostly avoid attacks or get around her assailants with ease.
30	* Whenever the ''Anime/YuGiOh'' monster Revival Jam gets splattered by an attack, it quickly reforms itself. Marik combines this with the Jam Defender card to ensure that Yugi's attacks only hit Revival Jam, making his other monsters untouchable.
31	[[/folder]]
32
33	[[folder:Comic Books]]
34	* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'': The shattered god was split into many pieces long ago and has been slowly rebuilding themselves. Their individual pieces can each possess an animal or person individually, allowing them to at one point attack Diana as a flock of birds.
35	[[/folder]]
36
37	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
38	* Gabriel in ''Film/TheProphecy'' series sometimes teleports this way, as when a shot from a gun turns him temporarily into a murder of crows.
39	* Played in a hilarious fashion in the Disney sequel, ''[[Film/{{Halloweentown}} Halloweentown: Kalabar's Revenge]]''. Sophie and Dylan realize that Alex, believed to be Carl's father, is in fact a golem created from the villain Kalabar to distract Gwen. The golem (wearing a frog costume) eats a fly Sophie conjures with her magic, breaking the illusion. An angry Gwen then blasts him with magic, turning him back into a pile of frogs.
40	[[/folder]]
41
42	[[folder:Gamebooks]]
43	* In Book 14 of ''Literature/LoneWolf'', one boss is an [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot armored, fire-breathing, demonic monkey]]. After it is killed, its corpse turns into a swarm of man-eating insects for you to contend with. Notably, the insects are an illusion. At that point, Lone Wolf has achieved a level of mental discipline that allows him to simply ignore them.
44	[[/folder]]
45
46	[[folder:Literature]]
47	* Jim Butcher's ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'':
48	** In Dresden's debut short story, Harry and Murphy manage to smash a troll, which breaks into dozens of tiny trolls that escape into a storm drain. Harry notes that supernatural predators will catch most of the little ones before they can reach a threatening size again.
49	** In ''Literature/SmallFavor'', while the [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifted form]] of Tessa isn't actually made of bugs, she is a giant preying mantis with little praying mantises instead of blood that fly out when she gets shot.
50	* In ''Literature/{{Renegades}}'', Donna/Monarch can transform herself into a swarm of monarch butterflies, making her an excellent scout and spy.
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
54	* In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', Clark Kent battles a ComicBook/SpiderMan-esque villain named Greg Arkin in episode 2. When Greg gets crushed by falling debris, his body breaks up into dozens of beetles.
55	[[/folder]]
56
57	[[folder:Music]]
58	* Music/{{Madonna}}'s music video ''Frozen'' has one scene where she seemingly falls over and shatters into crows which then fly away.
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
62	* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
63	** From 3rd edition ''Unapproachable East'', a [[PrestigeClass Telflammar Shadowlord]] of at least 5th level, if dealt a killing blow while in shadows or darkness, has a chance to "discorporate" instead, turning into dozens of flitting shadows which vanish. The character basically cease to exist until the next sunset, where it reappears intact within a mile.
64	** From 3.5's ''Fiendish Codex I'', one of twenty random death effects for a demon is for the defeated infernal to collapse into a horde of inch-high duplicates of itself, which fight each other until one remains, which vanishes in a puff of smoke.
65	** In 4th Edition, the crystalline beings known as the ''Shardmind'' have an ability that lets them separate into individual pieces and reform a short distance away after being successfully attacked.
66	** The 5th Edition Swarmkeeper Ranger subclass can, at high levels, use their reaction to halve any damage they just took and teleport away by disappearing into their swarm.
67	[[/folder]]
68
69	[[folder:Video Games]]
70	* This is how the player character "dies" in ''VideoGame/CatPlanet''.
71	* Subverted in ''VideoGame/DungeonKeeper'': Vampires turn into a cloud of bats when defeated, but only when KilledOffForReal. If defeated in a way [[ResurrectiveImmortality they come back from]], they turn into mist instead which then reforms the vampire in your graveyard.
72	* ''VideoGame/TheForestQuartet'' have you playing as a ghost roaming a dark forest. One of your powers allows you to disperse into hundreds of butterflies made of light before reforming.
73	* This is an infuriating ability of the [[DemonicSpiders "Golden Knight"]] enemies in ''VideoGame/{{Karnov}}''.
74	* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' has Jalhalla, boss of the Earth Temple. Killing the smaller parts is what actually harms it, as evidenced by [[LifeMeter its lifebar]].
75	* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'':
76	** The mini-boss Deathsword (who, as the name suggests, appears to be a lich wielding a large sword) of Arbiter's Grounds disintegrates into a massive swarm of scarabs after being defeated.
77	** Armogohma, a truly spectacular and terrifying GiantSpider. After you beat her the first time, she disintegrates into an eye with legs and a swarm of smaller spiders, which you have to fight off while [[GoForTheEye going for the eye]].
78	* Boolossus, the third boss of ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion1'', is defeated by luring him into the horn of a nearby ice unicorn statue, causing him to pop into many smaller Boos, which you can then capture.
79	* Remilia Scarlet, the FinalBoss of the sixth ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' game, pulls off this move if you try to SmartBomb her during her final [[BulletHell Spell Card]] pattern. The compendiums elaborate upon this, revealing that Remilia can spawn thousands of bats and is capable of fully reforming in a day if so much as a single bat survives.
80	* In ''VideoGame/HollowKnight'', Troupe Master Grimm [[spoiler: and Nightmare King Grimm]] split into dozens of Grimmchild-like bugs upon getting staggered. One of the bugs, indicated by an aura, can still be hurt during this period. After a few seconds of random flying, all bugs converge in one place and the boss reforms.
81	[[/folder]]
82
83	[[folder:Webcomics]]
84	* ''Webcomic/{{Minus}}'': minus in the guise of a fairy godmother once saves a jumper from suicide by making him splatter into smaller copies of himself on impact after he wished it didn't have to end on the way down. He appears to be much happier with his life.
85	[[/folder]]
86
87	[[folder:Western Animation]]
88	* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': At the end of the early short "Hold Anything", Bosko falls from a great height and splits into several miniature copies of himself, which do a little dance before merging.
89	* In the WesternAnimation/{{Roger Rabbit short\|s}} "Trail Mix-Up", Roger is put through a wood shredder and emerges as over a dozen mini-Rogers; all but one of them merge back.
90	-->'''Roger:''' ''BABY...!''\
91	'''Mini-Roger:''' Herman!
92	* ''WesternAnimation/UglyAmericans'': When Mark Lily snaps his friend Wizard Leonard's wand, Leonard explodes into LudicrousGibs. Shocked by this, Mark fails to collect the globs of gore before they each transform into a mini-Leonard, each possessing a fraction of the original's personality and soul. As the episode progresses, each of the little Leonards is killed via their own startling naivete, their portion of Leonard's soul going to the rest until only one remains to become the revived Leonard.
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	!!Examples for at-will variants
96
97	[[folder:Advertising]]
98	* Similar to Emily from ''WesternAnimation/CorpseBride'', an earlier ad for the [[Creator/{{Syfy}} Sci Fi Channel]] had a lady transform into a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiyAoNnZ6B8 swarm of butterflies]].
99	[[/folder]]
100
101	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
102	* Movie villain [[RealityWarper Janenmba]] from ''Manga/DragonBallZ'' can teleport around by breaking his body into smaller, squared bricks that reform at the desired location, usually just behind the opponent. However, he cannot attack unless he has completely reformed.
103	* In ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureJoJolion JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: JoJolion]]'', Wu Tomoki's Stand, Doctor Wu, lets him disintegrate his body into tiny stone fragments and reform later. He can use these fragments to control other people if they get inside their body.
104	* In the manga version of ''Manga/{{Guyver}}'', Aptom [[ShapeshifterWeapon converts his own body into]] [[MacrossMissileMassacre Gaster's organic missiles]] to attack an enemy. After Aptom converts himself completely, the manga cuts to a distant rooftop, where it is revealed that while most of the missiles blew up, some of them flew away and recombined into a diminished Aptom.
105	* Arachne from ''Manga/SoulEater'' hid herself by turning her body into 3000 spiders that spread across the world, and then hid her soul inside a giant Golem.
106	* As befitting the King of All Vampires, Alucard from ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}'' can do this in spades. He does the traditional version with bats to regenerate from being beheaded, then changes into a swarm of centipedes after undoing [[PowerLimiter Restraint Level One]] and unleashing his familiars.
107	* Benisato in ''Anime/NinjaScroll'' does have a normal body, but she can use a writhing mass of snakes to hide or [[CombatTentacles fight with]].
108	* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', Gekko Moriah fights by sending his LivingShadow at his enemies. It can appear as a giant made of shadow, but can also split into many small globes of shadow to protect Moriah, and those globes can then sprout wings and fangs to attack as a swarm.
109	** Additionally Karasu has consumed a Devil fruit that allows him to turn into a murder of crows at will. The classification of this fruit is currently unknown.
110	* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Katsuyu can not only voluntary split into thousands of tiny versions of herself and reform, those who have signed the Slug contract (including Tsunade and Sakura) always summon portions of her. Whereas the Toad and Snake summons have entire families of differently-sized summons, there is only one slug, and she's at least big enough to be summoned at a size equal to other Great Summons, by both Tsunade and Sakura, ''at the same time.''
111	* Snake {{Youkai}} Tayura from ''Manga/UshioAndTora'' usually moves around by transforming his body into a whirlwind of razor-sharp splinters which he can also use to attack in tandem with his partner (a frog youkai)'s OverlyLongTongue. According to Tora, the weakness of this attack is that Tayura needs an open space to move properly, and is reduced to a sitting duck when cornered in an elevator.
112	* It isn't clear if it actually happened or not but Legosi of ''Manga/{{Beastars}}'' briefly appeared to transform into a swarm of moths during his final fight with Tem's killer. He never uses this ability again, making it a bit of a BigLippedAlligatorMoment.
113	* As a vampire, Rose from ''Manga/MyCheatSkillResurrectionRevivedMe'' is able to transform her body into numerous bats shown in manga chapter 10 and 21.
114	[[/folder]]
115
116	[[folder:Comic Books]]
117	* ''ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Season 10'': In the second issue, one vampire disperses into a [[ScaryStingingSwarm swarm of bees]] to avoid a crossbow bolt from Dawn. Spike deals with the bees using a BoozeFlamethrower.
118	* ''ComicBook/TransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'': The Ammonites are a race of transforming, combining robots similar to Cybertronians. Unlike Cybertronians, ''every'' Ammonite is a [[CombiningMecha Combiner]], with no limit to their combination ability beyond how many there are. This takes the Cybertronians who encounter them initially by surprise, as a large Ammonite suddenly splits into a bunch of smaller robots, each only slightly larger than a human, then merge back together into a ''different'' large robot.
119	[[/folder]]
120
121	[[folder:Fan Works]]
122	* ''Fanfic/DungeonKeeperAmi'': Vampires can do so, as seen in "Assault on Wemos":
123	--> the agile monster turned into a swarm of bats that was suddenly behind the reaperbot. The vampire returned to her true form
124	[[/folder]]
125
126	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
127	* ''WesternAnimation/CorpseBride'' has Emily dissolve into [[ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth butterflies by the film's end.]]
128	* ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'': The Genie and Abu's picnic is attacked by a swarm of spiders that pile together before turning back into Jafar. The bugs weren't his true form, however -- apparently [[ForTheEvulz he just wanted to freak them out]].
129	* A example in the ''WesternAnimation/DragonHunters'' movie with the "Red Swarm". Constitued of many small red flying creatures (looking like a cross of toad and bat), it can assemble into a large, fire-breathing dragon/ogre. Once, the dragon reconstitutes while the swarm is separated in several places; its head ends up stuck inside a barn, the body outside and one leg farther away, but still mobile and aware of its other body parts.
130	[[/folder]]
131
132	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
133	* The 2010 ''Film/{{Clash of the Titans\|2010}}'' has Hades teleport by having demon imps fuse into him (and he can fission into said imps). He also has a "conventional" VillainTeleportation where he appears from what is essentially a shadowy black hole that has sucked up a platoon of Argosian soldiers.
134	* ''Film/TheLeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'': The vampire [[Literature/{{Dracula}} Mina Harker]] can split up into a swarm of bats at will, travel some distance and reform into a human again.
135	* ''Film/SnowWhiteAndTheHuntsman'' gives this ability to the Evil Queen, who can disperse into crows.
136	* Film/LittleNicky once turned into a bunch of spiders to escape an angry mob, then reformed in his apartment.
137	* In ''Film/BramStokersDracula'', among other transformations, Dracula takes the form of a horde of rats to escape the protagonists.
138	* After being released from her bonds in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'', the sea goddess Calypso grows to about 30 feet tall then dissolves in a shower of crabs, to escape into the ocean.
139	* In the live-action modern version of ''Film/TheSorcerersApprentice'', the villain, Maxim Horvath, first appears as a swarm of cockroaches scurrying out of a matryoshka doll and assembling themselves into a human figure, complete with clothes.
140	* Upon becoming a vampire, Vlad III, the newly risen Dracula in ''Film/DraculaUntold'', is capable of doing this with bats, and does so very often, both to teleport and in a FlashStep. He adorns the page image.
141	* [[BigBad Destoroyah]] from ''Film/GodzillaVsDestoroyah'' is a kaiju made of [[TheWormThatWalks multiple tiny crustaceans]] merged into a single gargantuan body. At the climatic battle, when [[SuperPowerMeltdown Burning Godzilla]] wrestles against him, Destoroyah is forced to briefly split on his aggregate form, medium-sized crab-like monsters, to tackle Godzilla as a group.
142	* In ''Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction'' this is how [=KSI=]'s line of mass-produced transformium-based products are able to change. They break down into numerous small cubes which can hover and reassemble into new shapes, then smooth out into the desired product. [[spoiler:This includes their "new and improved" line of attack drone robots based on the Autobots, which are actually being controlled by Megatron's consciousness inside their "Galvatron" model.]]
143	* Xianniang from ''Film/Mulan2020'' can turn into a swarm of bats.
144	[[/folder]]
145
146	[[folder:Literature]]
147	* In Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', a vampire can only change into a single bat if they've been feeding on human blood, since it takes great magical power to change one's body mass in the setting. Belonging to the [[VegetarianVampire beetotaler Black Ribboners]], Lance-Constable Sally von Humpeding, the first vampire to join the Ankh-Morpork City Watch in ''Literature/{{Thud}}'', turns into a flock of bats. This is theoretically easier than turning into a single bat since you don't have ShapeshifterBaggage problems. What you do have are "keeping track of where they all are" problems and, for female vampires, "making sure two of them carry your clothes for you" problems.
148	** Despite being very much not Black Ribboners, the Magpyr family transforms into a swarm of hundreds of magpies at the end of ''Literature/CarpeJugulum'', presumably because [[RuleOfCool it looks cool]].
149	* Played with in ''Literature/CastleHangnail''. As part of the demonstration Molly gives her new minions to convince them she's powerful enough to run the castle, she appears to disperse herself into a swarm of bats and fly away. (She can't actually; what she does is turn invisible at the appropriate moment while a friendly swarm of bats who live in the castle's belfry provide the effects.)
150	* In the ''Literature/WildCards'' novels ''Inside Straight'', ''Busted Flush'' and ''Suicide Kings'', Jonathan Hive has the power to turn himself into a swarm of wasps and back again.
151	* In Creator/StevenErikson's ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'', D'ivers are [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshifters]] who can turn and split into several animals of the same species at once, rather that just one. Some of them, like Gryllen or Mogora, can turn into hundreds of rats and spiders, respectively. Mogora in particular ''loves'' collapsing into a heap of spiders only to reassemble into her human form a short distance away and laugh.
152	* In ''Literature/GoodOmens'' by Creator/NeilGaiman and Creator/TerryPratchett:
153	** The demon Hastur bursts out of a phone line as a massive wave of maggots and eats a roomful of telemarketers.
154	** Also, Crowley scared the pants off a guy with a form that basically overloaded his brain. Aziraphale thought the maggots were a bit much, but that's angels for you; never appreciate a good maggot form.
155	* In ''[[Literature/{{Nightside}} Hex and the City]]'', a powerful demon takes the form of a huge swarm of biting flies.
156	* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' book ''Literature/SkinGame'', the Denarian Tessa (see Trauma section) attacks Harry in a secure bank vault by converting her body mass into a swarm of insects that attacks every inch of his exposed skin while trying to burrow into his orifices, while simultaneously [[MindRape whispering demonically into his mind]].
157	* The Lords and Court of ''Literature/CreatureCourt'' have the ability to transform into their signature animal based generally on their body mass, which leads to this if their animal form is small. The closest to swarming are Velody and Poet (mice and rats, respectively), but other Court members become multiple pigeons, bats, sparrows, cats etc.
158	[[/folder]]
159
160	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
161	* The Locust Undead in ''Series/KamenRiderBlade'' can split himself into multiple smaller locusts to attack the BOARD office before returning to a more humanoid locust form to fight Kenzaki as the titular Kamen Rider Blade.
162	** A [[BeeAfraid Bee Ganma]] also featured this power in ''Series/KamenRiderGhost'', dissolving into a swarm of bees when attacked.
163	* The '90s ''Dracula: The Series'' has the vampires break up into swarms of bats when making a quick getaway.
164	* On ''Series/{{Shadowhunters}}'', the [[DemonLordsAndArchdevils Prince of Hell]] Azazel can evade attacks by dissolving into a swarm of insects and flying away.
165	* In the ''Series/{{Crisis On Infinite Earths\|2019}}''' final battle, the heroes prepare to battle the horde of [[{{Mooks}} Shadow Demons]] until they merge into a cloud of dark energy from which the [[BigBad Anti-Monitor]] appears.
166	* Gorm, the BigBad of ''Series/{{Galidor}}'', has the ability to turn into a swarm of bat like creatures, which he uses to travel, in a way similar to VillainTeleportation.
167	[[/folder]]
168
169	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
170	* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' has the spell Flight of Separation, which turns the caster into a flock of birds.
171	* ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'': The Ananasi, werespiders who, in their animal form, turn into their weight in spiders. Since they can eventually regenerate their entire bodies from even one of those spiders, it makes for a great escape technique.
172	* In the ''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness'':
173	** The Changing Breeds can do this with a specific aspect. Werecrows turn into crows, werebats turn into bats, and werecats turn into a horde of small cats or kittens...
174	** In ''TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem'', vampires capable of [[{{Animorphism}} shapeshifting into animals]] can learn to become a swarm of tiny creatures like bats or rats instead. Unlike regular shapeshifting, the experience is confusing enough to leave them slightly deranged for hours afterwards.
175	* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
176	** In 3.5th Edition, the warlock can transform into a cloud of darkness and bats, but given any warlock's extremely limited skillset and how late this comes, nobody ever takes this power.
177	** What's worse than a druid who can turn into a giant bear and eat you? A druid who can turn into a swarm of 10,000 flesh-eating scarabs and eat you. Plus as a druid with the swarm ability you gain heavy resistance to melee and basic ranged attacks. The flavor art for the 4th edition Primal Swarm druid build depicts one such druid transforming into a bunch of cute, placid ''frogs'', humorously enough.
178	** Worse, there are some feats and magic items that turn you into a magic, resistant-to-all-damage walking colony of flesh-eating insects.
179	** The Swarmshifter template from 3.5 allows [=DMs=] to apply this trope to all sorts of monsters.
180	* The 2nd edition ''TabletopGame/DiscworldRoleplayingGame'' has the Alternate Form: Swarm Body meta-trait to represent Discworld vampires, above.
181	* ''TabletopGame/BigEyesSmallMouth'' has the Swarm power, which allows its user to transform into a swarm of insects or a flock of birds.
182	[[/folder]]
183
184	[[folder:Toys]]
185	* Toys/{{Bionicle}} has Zaktan, whose body is [[TheWormThatWalks composed of millions of microscopic organisms]] called protodites. His power was first triggered involuntarily when he was blasted by EyeBeams that were supposed to disintegrate him--which they did, technically. But since then, he's been able to do it any time he wants.
186	[[/folder]]
187
188	[[folder:Video Games]]
189	* One of the new Taken in ''VideoGame/AlanWake's American Nightmare'', the Birdman, turns into a flock of crows at will, but doesn't have the darkness shield of vanilla Taken.
190	* In ''VideoGame/AliceMadnessReturns'' Alice gains the ability to briefly turn into the swarm of butterflies to get back from BottomlessPits or just FlashStep around.
191	* In ''VideoGame/{{Awesomenauts}}'', Ix the Interloper can avoid attacks by splitting his body into many smaller crystals
192	* In ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'', by dodging an attack at the very last second, Bayonetta can [[BatOutOfHell shatter into bats]] upon getting hit, negating the attack and gaining increased amounts of [[BulletTime Witch Time]] in the process. For Jeanne she turns into a [[MacabreMothMotif swarm of moths]], and this is the only way she can get Witch Time normally. [[{{VideoGame/Bayonetta2}} In the sequel]], [[spoiler:[[SecretCharacter Rosa]]]] can also use this ability, turning into a [[ScaryStingingSwarm swarm of hornets]]. This carries into her ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' incarnations, too. When she attempts, but just barely fails, to dodge an attack, she bursts into a cloud of bats and reforms at her intended destination, taking reduced damage from the attack and none of the knockback.
193	* In ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'', the Zealots of the Lady (also known as "Crows") are a series of EliteMooks that are able to use [[SuperpoweredMooks the "Murder of Crows" vigor]] to transform into a flock of crows, avoiding all damage before reforming to attack. Weirdly, the player can also obtain the Murder of Crows vigor, but they don't get this ability (instead they get [[TheBeastmaster the power to summon a horde of crows to swarm enemies]]).
194	* The fire elemental boss from ''VideoGame/{{Cadash}}'' looks like a big demon standing still in a pit of fire, that shatters in a multitude of fireballs before reforming into another fire pit.
195	* ''VideoGame/{{Carrion}}'': After the VillainProtagonist monster obtains the Hydrophilia upgrade, it becomes able to transform into a swarm of worms when it enters the water and reform into its usual amorphous flesh structure when it exits the water. This allows it to fully bypass the "metal square" barriers whose gaps are normally too small to pass through, but it only works while underwater.
196	* ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'':
197	** {{Dracula}} occasionally {{teleport\|spam}}s this way. Being the good ol' Drac, he becomes a mass of bats. Curiously, the ability was first seen in [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaIIIDraculasCurse an NES-era boss fight]] with {{Alucard}}, who uses Drac's classic pattern from the other games.
198	** Some games, such as ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaChronicles'', also give this ability to the [[WarmupBoss Phantom Bat]]. Similarly, ''VideoGame/SuperCastlevaniaIV'' gives this ability to the mummy boss, Akmodan II, who teleports as a stream of loose bandages.
199	** In ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaLordsOfShadow2'', [[VillainProtagonist Dracula]] can do this with a plague of rats when hiding in shadows, and [[{{Deuteragonist}} Alucard]] can teleport himself with a swarm of bats.
200	* The SuccubiAndIncubi of ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' make their clothes out of souls, which manifest as bats. They can occasionally turn themselves into bats as well, an ability Morrigan makes use of to help her {{distract\|edByTheSexy}} and then [[SpinningPiledriver get the jump on]] ComicBook/IronMan in one of the trailers for ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3''.
201	* Nevan from ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'' teleports across her room/battle arena by dissolving into bats.
202	* In ''VideoGame/TheDishwasher: Vampire Smile'', Yuki gains the ability to dodge attacks by instantly shredding herself into a full body version of PinkMist then reforming elsewhere.
203	* The Ultimate form of the [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Shapeshifter]] mage subclass in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' is a swarm of bees. Taking a master level in Shapeshifter turns them into parasitic insects.
204	* Vampire Lords in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' can turn into bursts of bats to travel short distances.
205	* This tactic is imitated by the Dragon Devil in ''VideoGame/IWannaBeTheGuy''.
206	* ''VideoGame/KhimeraPuzzleIsland'': The mastermind, when Chelshia tries to punch them in their reveal cutscene, dodges by turning into four bats that reform away from the starting location.
207	* Beelzebub in ''VideoGame/LaMulana'' alternates between being a swarm of flies, being more-or-less normal humanoid, and being one giant fly.
208	* Storyline example from ''Videogame/LeagueOfLegends'' -- Naafiri is a Darkin whose SoulJar was bitten by multiple desert hounds simultaneously, causing her to reincarnate as a HiveMind of feral dogs. "She" can effectively be as many or as few dogs as she needs to be: yes, she can do more with a full pack, but if even one dog survives, she lives.
209	* This is Kain's favorite method of transportation in ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKain: Blood Omen'' and ''Defiance''. Being a vampire he transforms into a flock of bats.
210	* ''VideoGame/LinksCrossbowTraining'': After its outer layer of armor is knocked off, the Darknut demonstrates the ability to dissolve into thousands of flies and reform at will. Although this allows him to teleport around the room and avoid Link's attacks, it also reveals his weakness: [[spoiler:There are three white flies among the black ones, and if they are destroyed, the Darknut can be killed in his humanoid form.]]
211	* [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiSuperstarSaga Cackletta]] and [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam Antasma]] of the ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'' series are both capable of splitting into a cloud of {{bat\|OutOfHell}}s and rushing the brothers. Notably, in the case of the latter, jumping on and destroying the individual bats will deduct from his HP when he reforms.
212	* The Yellow Devil and its many, many successors throughout the ''Franchise/MegaMan'' franchise fights by sliding square segments of its body across the screen one at a time until it reforms on the other side.
213	* The Dimitrescu Daughters in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilVillage'' can turn into swarms of flies to move around and evade attacks. Their only weakness is cold temperatures which kill the flies very quickly.
214	* This is one of the abilities of [[BeeAfraid Swarm]], the [[BlowYouAway Air]]-elemental giant in ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}''. He can turn into a swarm of bees at will, and since he is a [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever massive]] humanoid bee, it grows into a massive cloud that damages opponents that touch it. One upgrade path allows him to improve on this, letting him unleash shockwaves or even form the swarm into a giant axe for massive damage.
215	* Being Western-inspired vampires (as opposed to [[ChineseVampire more conventional Eastern vampires]]), ''Franchise/TouhouProject'''s Remilia and Flandre Scarlet are able to turn into and reform from a swarm of bats. Interestingly, Flandre's bats have normal wings, even though she herself has bizarre metal/crystal wings.
216	* ''VideoGame/XCom2: War of the Chosen'' introduces the Spectre, a robotic humanoid that reverts to a cloud of {{Nanomachines}} when it moves. This allows it to fly over difficult terrain, and grants it the [[DodgeTheBullet Lightning Reflexes]] perk, making the first Overwatch shot against it miss.
217	* Vagullion, the WarmUpBoss from ''VideoGame/YsOrigin'', will sometimes transform into a flock of bats and fly toward the player to attack. After taking enough damage, it splits into two beings, both of which use the swarming attack. It likewise appears in ''VideoGame/YsIAncientYsVanishedOmen'', to which Origin serves as a prequel, where it is [[ThatOneBoss most definitely not a warm-up boss]], coalescing into its singular form for only a split-second at a time.
218	[[/folder]]
219
220	[[folder:Webcomics]]
221	* ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'': Gog-Agog is a HiveMind of TheWormThatWalks and capable of assembling and disassembling bodies from her component worms at will (she has a ''lot'' of worms, and can teleport). She pulls the trick several times during ''King of Swords'' and ''Breaker of Infinities'', usually in ways full of BodyHorror.
222	* In ''Webcomic/PepsiaPhobia'', Krphxyzwlps the Neitherbeast is a shapeshifter who can take many forms, but always with the same total mass. This can include several humans, or in one case a swarm of mice to slip through a small hole.
223	[[/folder]]
224
225	[[folder:Web Videos]]
226	* ''Series/FlandersCompany'': In the season 5 finale superhero battle royale, [[spoiler:Kevin, in a spectacular case of NewPowersAsThePlotDemands, spew some green silk from his mouth and wraps himself in a cocoon. It later breaks open, releasing a swarm of Kevin-headed butterflies which fly around before reforming anew into Kevin as human-butterfly hybrid]]. Nadège is ''very'' disturbed by the whole sight.
227	[[/folder]]
228
229	[[folder:Western Animation]]
230	* The ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'' show has a TheWormThatWalks villain called Mmoboro who is a swarm of hornets merging into a giant anthropomorphic hornet.
231	* The series finale of ''WesternAnimation/KassaiAndLuk'' shows [[spoiler:two of the setting's gods]] turning into flocks of birds.
232	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS9E4TreehouseOfHorrorVIII Treehouse of Horror VIII]]", [[WitchClassic Witch Marge]] can turn her [[BeehiveHairdo hair]] into a swarm of bats.
233	[[/folder]]
234
235	[[folder:Real Life]]
236	* Slime molds break apart into individual amoeba-like cells that forage for microscopic food, then merge together into much larger [[TheWormThatWalks colony organisms]] that ooze around, feeding on decomposing plant matter as they prepare to reproduce.
237	[[/folder]]

Context Main / OneToMillionToOne