History Main / DropPod

* The pods used by the Saiyans and Frieza's troops in ''Anime/DragonballZ''.

* Seemingly a favorite deployment method for the machine armies in ''VideoGame/{{Ultrakill}}''. Airdropped in large, bombshell shaped pods, acting as an alternate method of spawning enemies, introduced in the Violence layer of Hell.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'': Although it's not designed to inflict damage, Mr. Incredible is launched from Mirage's plane in one of these. Later, the Incredibles improvise one using an RV and a rocket.

* ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds'' By H.G. Wells has the Martians using drop pods that contain the materials necessary to build their [[TripodTerror tripods]].

** The series is probably best known for the SOEIV (Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle), or HEV (Human Entry Vehicle), each designed to deliver a single soldier at the battlefield. These are launched in large numbers; the idea is that if one gets shot down, you lose one troop rather than the dozens that would be aboard a dropship. The troops who use this are the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODST), with their most famous division known as "Helljumpers", and are the second best the human military has to offer, after the [[SuperSoldier Spartans]]. In ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}'', the ''In Amber Clad'' deploys the Chief and a squad of Helljumpers onto Halo Installation 05 this way, prompting this remark from Cortana:

** ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 1}}'': The Crimson Lance arrive in these.

** ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 3}}'': Ellie loads the Vault Hunter into a drop pod whenever you need to land on a new planet. "It's mostly safe." The pod comes equipped with a digistruct teleporter so that after landing, it can be hooked up to the local Fast Travel network. Maliwan troops often arrive this way, with the unmanned pod coming down and then teleporting troops in.

* VideoGame/MachinesWiredForWar has a giant drop pod as the start of your base.
* Virons in [[VideoGame/GroundControl Ground Control 2: Operation Exodus]] can drop a few pods with their basic infantry.

* The Freelancer Saga of ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' used these a few times. It was usually used to provide weaponry and gear to the Freelancers, but at one point was used to drop in Agent Maine.

* The titular player-characters in {{VideoGame/Helldivers}} are deployed in this manner, along with most of their gear and weapons.

* ''Videogame/DeepRockGalactic:'' Since the titular company's main base in the planet is in orbit (Hoxxes IV is [[DeathWorld far too nasty]] for any kind of permanent planetbound installation), drill-equipped drop pods designed to tunnel deep into the earth where minerals have been detected then rocket back into the orbital station are a fundamental part of mining operations.
Those come in several flavors, either as a DropShip, to insert the players in the mission at the start, and retreive them at the end, or as individual pods for late joiners. A few variations exist as supply drops, or heavy equipment delivery. Almost all of those tend to inflict massive damage to whatever is underneath when they land.

[[folder:Film - Animated]]
* Though it is not designed to inflict damage, [[WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles Mr. Incredible]] is launched from Mirage's plane in one of these.
** Later, the Incredibles improvise one using an RV and a rocket.
* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanAssaultOnArkham'', the ''ComicBook/SuicideSquad'' are dropped from a plane to Gotham City in pods that break apart when their parachutes are deployed.

[[folder:Film - Live Action]]
* The aliens use them in ''Film/{{Battleship}}''.
* In ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', probe droids are deployed to different systems by drop pods.

* Like many SpaceMarine tropes, the TropeMaker here is ''Literature/StarshipTroopers''. Little has changed since Creator/RobertAHeinlein invented the trope. It is worth noting that in the book, the pods were launched by being fired out of a tube like torpedos, in the opposite direction the ship was orbiting, to help them slow down enough for reentry.

* The gun turrets ''VideoGame/IronBrigade'' are fired from the ship and drill into the ground where they are requested.

* The [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Mandalorians]] from ''Franchise/{{Star Wars|ExpandedUniverse}}: VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' use Basilisk war droids to drop themselves onto planet surface from space. The Exile gets to repeat the feat on Onderon in the sequel.
* ''Videogame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'': A ship's [[EscapePod Escape Pods]] are used this way, for the Eternity Vault Operation (Raid).
* The ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSeries'' features this in two iterations of the SupportPower variety. The ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSun Tiberian Sun]]'' iteration crash drops a handful of [[WeakButSkilled veteran low-tier]] GDI infantrymen on the battlefield. The ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberiumWars Tiberium Wars]]'' variant, on the other hand, lands a commander a few squads of veteran GDI Zone Troopers which are powerful enough to turn a pitched battle into a devastating curb-stomp.

* Literature/ArtemisFowl inverts this by having fairies that live near the Earth's core climb into metal pods and ride magma flares up to the surface.

** The Protoss have no need for drop pods, because unlike the Terrans or Zerg they can simply teleport Warp Gate units to any location within the psionic matrix of a Pylon or Warp Prism. Despite this, during Legacy of the Void Talandar can be deployed to the battlefield via speed, not teleportation. His landing deals significant damage to anything too close, being enoguh to destroy tanks unlucky enough to be under him.

** The Protoss have no need for drop pods, because unlike the Terrans or Zerg they can simply teleport Warp Gate units to any location within the psionic matrix of a Pylon or Warp Prism.