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** Yuuko who is often represented by a butterfly, which [[ButterflyOfTransformation symbolizes change]] and how she changes her customers, including the main characters. It also symbolizes [[ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth life and death]], [[spoiler:to reflect her undead nature]] and fate.
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** Yuuko who is often represented by a butterfly, which [[ButterflyOfTransformation symbolizes change]] and how she changes her customers, including the main characters. It also symbolizes [[ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth life and death]], [[spoiler:to reflect her undead nature]] and fate.
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*** The newsest revealed Warlord, [[SubmissiveBadass Edward Weevil]], is the Weevil, and you can connect the dots on the motifs because he's like a pest to a island scale: he destroyed several cities and racked over 600 casualities over tantrums of not being aknowledged as Whitebeard's legitimate son.
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*** The newsest newest revealed Warlord, [[SubmissiveBadass Edward Weevil]], Weevil, is the Weevil, and you can connect the dots on the motifs because he's like a pest to a island scale: he destroyed several cities and racked over 600 casualities casualties over tantrums of not being aknowledged acknowledged as Whitebeard's legitimate son.
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** Another subtle one is Mako, who has something of a bunny motif, given her rabbit pajamas (the ones she lent to Ryuuko), the pen topper she used in episode seven), and her bouncy, hyperactive personality.
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** Another subtle one is Mako, who has something of a bunny motif, given her rabbit pajamas (the ones she lent to Ryuuko), the pen topper she used in episode seven), seven, and her bouncy, hyperactive personality.
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* ''Manga/HimoutoUmaruChan'': Hamster for Umaru. And not only when she's indoors—even when outside Umaru sometimes has rodent mannerisms, such as the way she licks ice cream.
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* ''Manga/HimoutoUmaruChan'': Hamster for Umaru. And not only when she's indoors—even when outside Umaru sometimes has rodent mannerisms, mannerisms (more specifically hamsters), such as the way she licks ice cream.
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**Another subtle one is Mako, who has something of a bunny motif, given her rabbit pajamas (the ones she lent to Ryuuko), the pen topper she used in episode seven), and her bouncy, hyperactive personality.
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* The witches in ''Manga/ByrnhildrInTheDarkness'' in general seem to have a recurring association with cats. Neko Kuroha's name literally ''means'' "black cat", Shino sacrifices her life to save one, and Kazumi shows some stereotypically cat-like personality traits and mannerisms. There's even [[https://gelbooru.com/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=2418696 official artwork]] of the two main girls in cat costumes.
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* The witches in ''Manga/ByrnhildrInTheDarkness'' ''Manga/BrynhildrInTheDarkness'' in general seem to have a recurring association with cats. Neko Kuroha's name literally ''means'' "black cat", Shino sacrifices her life to save one, and Kazumi shows some stereotypically cat-like personality traits and mannerisms. There's even [[https://gelbooru.com/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=2418696 official artwork]] of the two main girls in cat costumes.
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* The witches in ''Manga/ByrnhildrInTheDarkness'' in general seem to have a recurring association with cats. Neko Kuroha's name literally ''means'' "black cat", Shino sacrifices her life to save one, and Kazumi shows some stereotypically cat-like personality traits and mannerisms. There's even [[https://gelbooru.com/index.php?page=post&s=view&id=2418696 official artwork]] of the two main girls in cat costumes.
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Linking directly instead of through redirect.
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** Yuki (rat) is a self-acknowledged coward, who prefers to hide behind his [[StepfordSmiler mask of politeness]] rather than risk being rejected by others. Kyo [[OneOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers (cat)]] is defensive and easily angered, and feels as out-of-place in the family as a cat would in the eastern zodiac. Momiji (rabbit) is playful and cute, with a whimsical personality that hides [[WiseBeyondTheirYears great insight]] into the pain of others. Haru (bull) is patient and a little stubborn; he ''looks'' placid on the outside, but has a bad temper that emerges if he's pushed too far. Kagura (boar) is impulsive and violent, persistent to a fault. Shigure (dog) is perverted, but lighthearted and a good friend. ([[spoiler:Well, except for his ManipulativeBastard tendencies, anyway.]]) Rin (horse) is proud and rebellious. Hatori (dragon/[[spoiler:[[SeahorsesAreDragons seahorse]]]]) is cryptic but highly knowledgeable, a guide to the rest of the Zodiac. Kureno (rooster/[[spoiler:sparrow]]) is mild and unobtrusive- loyal to Akito and trying to avoid conflict. Ayame (snake) finds it difficult to establish personal relationships, and Yuki feels that Ayame betrayed him in their childhood.
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** Yuki (rat) is a self-acknowledged coward, who prefers to hide behind his [[StepfordSmiler mask of politeness]] rather than risk being rejected by others. Kyo [[OneOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers (cat)]] is defensive and easily angered, and feels as out-of-place in the family as a cat would in the eastern zodiac. Momiji (rabbit) is playful and cute, with a whimsical personality that hides [[WiseBeyondTheirYears great insight]] into the pain of others. Haru (bull) is patient and a little stubborn; he ''looks'' placid on the outside, but has a bad temper that emerges if he's pushed too far. Kagura (boar) is impulsive and violent, persistent to a fault. Shigure (dog) is perverted, but lighthearted and a good friend. ([[spoiler:Well, except for his ManipulativeBastard tendencies, anyway.]]) Rin (horse) is proud and rebellious. Hatori (dragon/[[spoiler:[[SeahorsesAreDragons seahorse]]]]) is cryptic but highly knowledgeable, a guide to the rest of the Zodiac. Kureno (rooster/[[spoiler:sparrow]]) is mild and unobtrusive- loyal to Akito and trying to avoid conflict. Ayame (snake) finds it difficult to establish personal relationships, and Yuki feels that Ayame betrayed him in their childhood.
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*** Komi Shouko (the titular Komi) is consistently tied to cats. She is depicted with cat ears when startled or excited, her friends buy her a cat plush and she even goes to a cat cafe at one point. It ties in with her appearing aloof and stoic, but really being curious and affectionate.
*** Komi Akira, her younger cousin, also sprouts cat ears when excited, tying into her close relationship with Komi, being the kitten to her cat.
*** Natsukido Rei is depicted with cat-like eyes, and acts aloof, isolated, and independent.
** Agari Himiko has a dog motif. She refers to herself as Komi's dog, sprouts dog ears and a tail at times, and acts like an excitable, if nervous, puppy.
*** Komi Akira, her younger cousin, also sprouts cat ears when excited, tying into her close relationship with Komi, being the kitten to her cat.
*** Natsukido Rei is depicted with cat-like eyes, and acts aloof, isolated, and independent.
** Agari Himiko has a dog motif. She refers to herself as Komi's dog, sprouts dog ears and a tail at times, and acts like an excitable, if nervous, puppy.
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*** Komi Shouko Komi (the titular Komi) Komi of the title) is consistently tied to cats. She is depicted with cat ears when startled or excited, her friends buy her a cat plush and she even goes to a cat cafe at one point. It ties in with her appearing aloof and stoic, but really being curious and affectionate.
***Komi Akira, Akira Komi, her younger cousin, also sprouts cat ears when excited, tying into her close relationship with Komi, being the kitten to her cat.
*** Rei NatsukidoRei is depicted with cat-like eyes, and acts aloof, isolated, and independent.
**Agari Himiko Agari has a dog motif. She refers to herself as Komi's dog, sprouts dog ears and a tail at times, and acts like an excitable, if nervous, puppy.
***
*** Rei Natsukido
**
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* ''Manga/KomiCantCommunicate:''
** Three different characters share a cat motif:
*** Komi Shouko (the titular Komi) is consistently tied to cats. She is depicted with cat ears when startled or excited, her friends buy her a cat plush and she even goes to a cat cafe at one point. It ties in with her appearing aloof and stoic, but really being curious and affectionate.
*** Komi Akira, her younger cousin, also sprouts cat ears when excited, tying into her close relationship with Komi, being the kitten to her cat.
*** Natsukido Rei is depicted with cat-like eyes, and acts aloof, isolated, and independent.
** Agari Himiko has a dog motif. She refers to herself as Komi's dog, sprouts dog ears and a tail at times, and acts like an excitable, if nervous, puppy.
** Three different characters share a cat motif:
*** Komi Shouko (the titular Komi) is consistently tied to cats. She is depicted with cat ears when startled or excited, her friends buy her a cat plush and she even goes to a cat cafe at one point. It ties in with her appearing aloof and stoic, but really being curious and affectionate.
*** Komi Akira, her younger cousin, also sprouts cat ears when excited, tying into her close relationship with Komi, being the kitten to her cat.
*** Natsukido Rei is depicted with cat-like eyes, and acts aloof, isolated, and independent.
** Agari Himiko has a dog motif. She refers to herself as Komi's dog, sprouts dog ears and a tail at times, and acts like an excitable, if nervous, puppy.
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* In ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', Shinji is regularly likened to a puppy by other characters, particularly in the ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion'' films, the implication being that he is desperate for attention from his superiors and wants to be recognized by his "pack leader"--that is, his father. For example, in ''Rebuild'' new pilot Mari nicknames him "Puppy Boy" as a joke about his meekness. In the original series the comparisons often occurred through background TV and radio broadcasts that the characters listened to. One such broadcast talks about a dog who can supposedly solve mat problems, when in reality all it does is say "Wan" ("Woof" in Japanese, which sounds like "One"). This is clearly a reference to how Shinji feels as though he is being praised for doing nothing special.
** ''Rebuild Of Evangelion'' also gives Asuka a much more prominent animal theme--cats, possibly as a [[CatDogDichotomy contrast to Shinji's "puppy" motif]]. She wears both a hat and a helmet with cat ears on them, and when she takes her Eva into [[SuperMode "Beast Mode"]] it looks like a gigantic saber-toothed cat. Anno himself even specified that she have a "cat-like smile" in her concept art for the third movie. Interestingly, Mari also has her share of cat motifs (e.g. making meowing noises when she sings, and also wearing a cat-eared helmet). [[LesYay The fans have taken this to its obvious conclusion]].
** ''Rebuild Of Evangelion'' also gives Asuka a much more prominent animal theme--cats, possibly as a [[CatDogDichotomy contrast to Shinji's "puppy" motif]]. She wears both a hat and a helmet with cat ears on them, and when she takes her Eva into [[SuperMode "Beast Mode"]] it looks like a gigantic saber-toothed cat. Anno himself even specified that she have a "cat-like smile" in her concept art for the third movie. Interestingly, Mari also has her share of cat motifs (e.g. making meowing noises when she sings, and also wearing a cat-eared helmet). [[LesYay The fans have taken this to its obvious conclusion]].
to:
* In ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', Shinji is regularly likened to a puppy by other characters, particularly in the ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion'' films, the implication being that he is desperate for attention from his superiors and wants to be recognized by his "pack leader"--that is, his father. For example, in ''Rebuild'' new pilot Mari nicknames him "Puppy Boy" as a joke about his meekness. In the original series the comparisons often occurred through background TV and radio broadcasts that the characters listened to. One such broadcast talks about a dog who can supposedly solve mat math problems, when in reality all it does is say "Wan" ("Woof" in Japanese, which sounds like "One"). This is clearly a reference to how Shinji feels as though he is being praised for doing nothing special.
special, and also that he pilots EVA Unit 01.
** ''Rebuild Of Evangelion'' also gives Asuka a much more prominent animaltheme--cats, theme--felines, possibly as a [[CatDogDichotomy contrast to Shinji's Shinji's]] [[FemaleFelineMaleMutt "puppy" motif]]. She wears both a hat and a helmet with cat ears on them, and when she takes her Eva into [[SuperMode "Beast Mode"]] it looks like a gigantic saber-toothed cat. Anno himself even specified that she have a "cat-like smile" in her concept art for the third movie. Interestingly, Mari also has her share of cat motifs (e.g. making meowing noises when she sings, and also wearing a cat-eared helmet). [[LesYay The fans have taken this to its obvious conclusion]].
** ''Rebuild Of Evangelion'' also gives Asuka a much more prominent animal
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* In [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlood Part One]] of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', Jonathan Joestar is compared to a Lion, for his courage and nobility
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* In [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlood Part One]] part one of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlood Phantom Blood]]'', Jonathan Joestar is compared to a Lion, lion for his courage and nobilitynobility.
** Jolyne Cujoh of part six ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]'' has insect motifs, with special focus on spiders and butterflies. Her outfit is covered in [[ArachnidAppearanceAndAttire web-like patterns]] and she has [[KnowsTheRopes string powers]] that she uses like Spider-Man. As for butterflies, she has a butterfly on her chest, one with a knife for a body in her tattoo, as HairDecs when she was younger in ''[[VideoGame/JojosBizarreAdventureEyesOfHeaven Eyes of Heaven]]'', and [[spoiler: she ultimately dissolves into a swarm of [[ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth butterflies]] after Pucci kills her]].
** Jolyne Cujoh of part six ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]'' has insect motifs, with special focus on spiders and butterflies. Her outfit is covered in [[ArachnidAppearanceAndAttire web-like patterns]] and she has [[KnowsTheRopes string powers]] that she uses like Spider-Man. As for butterflies, she has a butterfly on her chest, one with a knife for a body in her tattoo, as HairDecs when she was younger in ''[[VideoGame/JojosBizarreAdventureEyesOfHeaven Eyes of Heaven]]'', and [[spoiler: she ultimately dissolves into a swarm of [[ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth butterflies]] after Pucci kills her]].
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* The assassins from ''Manga/{{Arachnid}}'' and ''Manga/{{Caterpillar}}'' have insect motifs. The plot often pauses to compare the techniques of the characters to the behaviour of insects. ''Manga/KillingBites'', written by the same author, has a similar premise with more common animal motifs.
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* The assassins from ''Manga/{{Arachnid}}'' and ''Manga/{{Caterpillar}}'' ''Caterpilar'' have insect motifs. The plot often pauses to compare the techniques of the characters to the behaviour of insects. ''Manga/KillingBites'', written by the same author, has a similar premise with more common animal motifs.
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** Unohana is ray-themed. Her shikai form even takes the form of a giant ray of indeterminate species. Akin to the mixed mythology of the ray as both aggressive, dangerous poisoner and killer, and a more benign healer and antidote, Unohana has been portrayed as a benign healer but hints occur occasionally that there's a much more dangerous side to her.
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** Unohana is ray-themed. Her shikai form even takes the form of a giant ray of indeterminate species. Akin to the mixed mythology of the ray as both aggressive, dangerous poisoner and killer, and a more benign healer and antidote, Unohana has been portrayed as a benign healer but hints occur occasionally that there's a much more dangerous side to her. [[spoiler: And there is, indeed; she was the first Kenpachi, and one of the most diabolical criminals to ever exist in the Soul Society]].
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** Szayel Aporro Grantz is a parasitic worm; strange, maybe even good-looking but incredibly vile and with a variety of powers that rely on drawing health from hurting/killing another organism. On a more fantastic level, he's also associated with the phoenix which is again appropriate for parasitic worms.
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** Szayel Aporro Szayelaporro Grantz is a parasitic worm; strange, maybe even good-looking but incredibly vile and with a variety of powers that rely on drawing health from hurting/killing another organism. On a more fantastic level, he's also associated with the phoenix which is again appropriate for parasitic worms.
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** Yuki (rat) is a self-acknowledged coward, who prefers to hide behind his [[StepfordSmiler mask of politeness]] rather than risk being rejected by others. Kyo [[OddOneOut (cat)]] is defensive and easily angered, and feels as out-of-place in the family as a cat would in the eastern zodiac. Momiji (rabbit) is playful and cute, with a whimsical personality that hides [[WiseBeyondTheirYears great insight]] into the pain of others. Haru (bull) is patient and a little stubborn; he ''looks'' placid on the outside, but has a bad temper that emerges if he's pushed too far. Kagura (boar) is impulsive and violent, persistent to a fault. Shigure (dog) is perverted, but lighthearted and a good friend. ([[spoiler:Well, except for his ManipulativeBastard tendencies, anyway.]]) Rin (horse) is proud and rebellious. Hatori (dragon/[[spoiler:[[SeahorsesAreDragons seahorse]]]]) is cryptic but highly knowledgeable, a guide to the rest of the Zodiac. Kureno (rooster/[[spoiler:sparrow]]) is mild and unobtrusive- loyal to Akito and trying to avoid conflict. Ayame (snake) finds it difficult to establish personal relationships, and Yuki feels that Ayame betrayed him in their childhood.
to:
** Yuki (rat) is a self-acknowledged coward, who prefers to hide behind his [[StepfordSmiler mask of politeness]] rather than risk being rejected by others. Kyo [[OddOneOut [[OneOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers (cat)]] is defensive and easily angered, and feels as out-of-place in the family as a cat would in the eastern zodiac. Momiji (rabbit) is playful and cute, with a whimsical personality that hides [[WiseBeyondTheirYears great insight]] into the pain of others. Haru (bull) is patient and a little stubborn; he ''looks'' placid on the outside, but has a bad temper that emerges if he's pushed too far. Kagura (boar) is impulsive and violent, persistent to a fault. Shigure (dog) is perverted, but lighthearted and a good friend. ([[spoiler:Well, except for his ManipulativeBastard tendencies, anyway.]]) Rin (horse) is proud and rebellious. Hatori (dragon/[[spoiler:[[SeahorsesAreDragons seahorse]]]]) is cryptic but highly knowledgeable, a guide to the rest of the Zodiac. Kureno (rooster/[[spoiler:sparrow]]) is mild and unobtrusive- loyal to Akito and trying to avoid conflict. Ayame (snake) finds it difficult to establish personal relationships, and Yuki feels that Ayame betrayed him in their childhood.
*** The first new Warlord revealed post-timeskip, [[CreepyGood Trafalgar Law]], according to WordOfGod, is a Spotted Seal, although merchandise-wise he's represented by a snow leopard. In fact, the most prominent members of his crew (barring Jean Bart) and some others (Ikkaku, Uni, and Clione -this one means a genus of Sea Slugs-) are themed after cold-climate animals; no bonus points for guessing which animals are Bepo, Shachi and Penguin supposed to represent.
*** The newsest revealed Warlord, [[SubmissiveBadass Edward Weevil]], is the Weevil, and you can connect the dots on the motifs because he's like a pest to a island scale: he destroyed several cities and racked over 600 casualities over tantrums of not being aknowledged as Whitebeard's legitimate son.
*** The newsest revealed Warlord, [[SubmissiveBadass Edward Weevil]], is the Weevil, and you can connect the dots on the motifs because he's like a pest to a island scale: he destroyed several cities and racked over 600 casualities over tantrums of not being aknowledged as Whitebeard's legitimate son.
Changed line(s) 204,205 (click to see context) from:
* In ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', Shinji is regularly likened to a puppy by other characters, particularly in the ''Film/RebuildOfEvangelion'' films, the implication being that he is desperate for attention from his superiors and wants to be recognized by his "pack leader"--that is, his father. For example, in ''Rebuild'' new pilot Mari nicknames him "Puppy Boy" as a joke about his meekness. In the original series the comparisons often occurred through background TV and radio broadcasts that the characters listened to. One such broadcast talks about a dog who can supposedly solve mat problems, when in reality all it does is say "Wan" ("Woof" in Japanese, which sounds like "One"). This is clearly a reference to how Shinji feels as though he is being praised for doing nothing special.
** ''Film/RebuildOfEvangelion'' also gives Asuka a much more prominent animal theme--cats, possibly as a [[CatDogDichotomy contrast to Shinji's "puppy" motif]]. She wears both a hat and a helmet with cat ears on them, and when she takes her Eva into [[SuperMode "Beast Mode"]] it looks like a gigantic saber-toothed cat. Anno himself even specified that she have a "cat-like smile" in her concept art for the third movie. Interestingly, Mari also has her share of cat motifs (e.g. making meowing noises when she sings, and also wearing a cat-eared helmet). [[LesYay The fans have taken this to its obvious conclusion]].
** ''Film/RebuildOfEvangelion'' also gives Asuka a much more prominent animal theme--cats, possibly as a [[CatDogDichotomy contrast to Shinji's "puppy" motif]]. She wears both a hat and a helmet with cat ears on them, and when she takes her Eva into [[SuperMode "Beast Mode"]] it looks like a gigantic saber-toothed cat. Anno himself even specified that she have a "cat-like smile" in her concept art for the third movie. Interestingly, Mari also has her share of cat motifs (e.g. making meowing noises when she sings, and also wearing a cat-eared helmet). [[LesYay The fans have taken this to its obvious conclusion]].
to:
* In ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', Shinji is regularly likened to a puppy by other characters, particularly in the ''Film/RebuildOfEvangelion'' ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion'' films, the implication being that he is desperate for attention from his superiors and wants to be recognized by his "pack leader"--that is, his father. For example, in ''Rebuild'' new pilot Mari nicknames him "Puppy Boy" as a joke about his meekness. In the original series the comparisons often occurred through background TV and radio broadcasts that the characters listened to. One such broadcast talks about a dog who can supposedly solve mat problems, when in reality all it does is say "Wan" ("Woof" in Japanese, which sounds like "One"). This is clearly a reference to how Shinji feels as though he is being praised for doing nothing special.
**''Film/RebuildOfEvangelion'' ''Rebuild Of Evangelion'' also gives Asuka a much more prominent animal theme--cats, possibly as a [[CatDogDichotomy contrast to Shinji's "puppy" motif]]. She wears both a hat and a helmet with cat ears on them, and when she takes her Eva into [[SuperMode "Beast Mode"]] it looks like a gigantic saber-toothed cat. Anno himself even specified that she have a "cat-like smile" in her concept art for the third movie. Interestingly, Mari also has her share of cat motifs (e.g. making meowing noises when she sings, and also wearing a cat-eared helmet). [[LesYay The fans have taken this to its obvious conclusion]].
**
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** And if various WildMassGuessing theories are to be believed: [[MsFanservice Blair]], for cats.
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** And if various WildMassGuessing theories are to be believed: [[MsFanservice Blair]], for cats. She reveals she is a Bakeneko in the manga, after all.
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* ''Manga/VampireKnight'': Kaname transforms parts of himself into bats and occasionally a wolf, Yuuki is often shown with a plushy rabbit in covers (her [[EasternZodiac Zodiac animal]] and personality according to it) and portrayed with butterfly wings (gentleness, arguably re/birth), while Zero's loyal and self sacrificing personality very much reminds of his Zodiac, the Dog, along with having a white horse to compliment his debatable role as the Knight.
** [[spoiler:Sara]] frequently uses spiders as her spies, and is once even seen transforming her entire body into a big pile of the creatures. It's nothing new that spiders are usually associated with bad omens when used in such a manner.
** [[spoiler:Sara]] frequently uses spiders as her spies, and is once even seen transforming her entire body into a big pile of the creatures. It's nothing new that spiders are usually associated with bad omens when used in such a manner.
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* ''Manga/PlusAnima'' is a manga about children who obtain animal powers in a situation of intense danger, so naturally all of the +Anima we see have an Animal Motif fitting with the animal they derive their powers from, and it's even reflected somewhat in their personalities:
** Cooro has crows, manifesting as a pair of black wings sprouting from his back. Though he's not quite as smart as a crow, he's shown to be curious (sometimes to his own detriment) and insightful, fitting with his motif. Many people mistake him for an omen if bad luck or doom as well.
** Husky has fish, manifesting as a merman-like tail and gills. He borrows the least noticeable traits from his animal, though he is shown to have a fondness for pretty or shiny gems, similar to how fish can be easily lured in by shiny things.
** Senri has bears, manifesting as a furry claw on his right arm. Whereas Husky borrows the ''least'' from his animal, Senri borrows the ''most'', being a mostly quiet and unassuming GentleGiant who will absolutely [[BewareTheNiceOnes rip you to pieces]] if you hurt people he cares about.
** Nana has bats, manifesting as large ears and a pair of wings on her back. Nana is mostly friendly, but also has the easily panicked and/or jittery nature of a bat, as well as the [[TheCutie cuteness]] of one.
** Rose has cats, manifesting as claws, fangs and slitlike pupils. She's shown to be laid-back and snarky, but like Senri, can be vicious if you hurt people she cares about.
** Mr. Bison has...well, [[CaptainObvious bison]], manifesting as thick fur and horns on his head. He's shown to be a GentleGiant, similar to Senri, but slightly more aggressive.
** Kazana has hawks, manifesting as wings on his back and talons on his feet. He's shown to be proud and powerful, but also a little bit aggressive.
** Sheriff Hopps from the parallel works manga has [[spoiler:an alligator]] anima, manifesting as [[spoiler:his head transforming into that of an alligator]]. He's shown to be capable of hiding his status as a +Anima much better than most of the characters we see, fitting with how [[spoiler:alligators are masters of ambush and camouflage]].
** Cooro has crows, manifesting as a pair of black wings sprouting from his back. Though he's not quite as smart as a crow, he's shown to be curious (sometimes to his own detriment) and insightful, fitting with his motif. Many people mistake him for an omen if bad luck or doom as well.
** Husky has fish, manifesting as a merman-like tail and gills. He borrows the least noticeable traits from his animal, though he is shown to have a fondness for pretty or shiny gems, similar to how fish can be easily lured in by shiny things.
** Senri has bears, manifesting as a furry claw on his right arm. Whereas Husky borrows the ''least'' from his animal, Senri borrows the ''most'', being a mostly quiet and unassuming GentleGiant who will absolutely [[BewareTheNiceOnes rip you to pieces]] if you hurt people he cares about.
** Nana has bats, manifesting as large ears and a pair of wings on her back. Nana is mostly friendly, but also has the easily panicked and/or jittery nature of a bat, as well as the [[TheCutie cuteness]] of one.
** Rose has cats, manifesting as claws, fangs and slitlike pupils. She's shown to be laid-back and snarky, but like Senri, can be vicious if you hurt people she cares about.
** Mr. Bison has...well, [[CaptainObvious bison]], manifesting as thick fur and horns on his head. He's shown to be a GentleGiant, similar to Senri, but slightly more aggressive.
** Kazana has hawks, manifesting as wings on his back and talons on his feet. He's shown to be proud and powerful, but also a little bit aggressive.
** Sheriff Hopps from the parallel works manga has [[spoiler:an alligator]] anima, manifesting as [[spoiler:his head transforming into that of an alligator]]. He's shown to be capable of hiding his status as a +Anima much better than most of the characters we see, fitting with how [[spoiler:alligators are masters of ambush and camouflage]].
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* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' uses the "dog of the military" motif, which is what Ed is constantly referred to as. It's mostly used as a derogatory nickname given to state alchemists by people who believe alchemists should not be involved in state affairs.
** In [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime version]], after defecting when [[spoiler:his brother becomes the philosopher's stone]], Ed voices to his commander, Mustang, that he is now a stray.
** In [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime version]], after defecting when [[spoiler:his brother becomes the philosopher's stone]], Ed voices to his commander, Mustang, that he is now a stray.
to:
* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' uses the "dog of the military" motif, which is what Ed is constantly referred to as. It's mostly used as a derogatory nickname given to state alchemists by people who believe alchemists should not be involved in state affairs.
**affairs. In [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime version]], after defecting when [[spoiler:his brother becomes the philosopher's stone]], Ed voices to his commander, Mustang, that he is now a stray.stray.
** As her name suggests, Riza Hawkeye has a hawk motif, due to her stoic, dignified demeanor, sharp eyesight befitting a sniper and her loyalty to her commanding officer. This is further reflected in her hairstyle, which is tied up in a ponytail to resemble a bird's tail feathers and has bangs that are swept sideways, resembling a wing.
** In both versions, the shapeshifting Homunculus Envy has a slight reptile motif. Both his true forms in the manga resemble lizards and he turns his arm into a snake while trying to kill Ling Yao at one point, while in the first anime he takes on the form of an enormous serpent and gets trapped in that form permanently when he [[spoiler:crosses the gate into the real world]]. This fits both with his "sin" (the deadly sin of Envy is often associated with snakes and its patron demon is the sea monster known as Leviathan) and his duplicitous personality.
**
** As her name suggests, Riza Hawkeye has a hawk motif, due to her stoic, dignified demeanor, sharp eyesight befitting a sniper and her loyalty to her commanding officer. This is further reflected in her hairstyle, which is tied up in a ponytail to resemble a bird's tail feathers and has bangs that are swept sideways, resembling a wing.
** In both versions, the shapeshifting Homunculus Envy has a slight reptile motif. Both his true forms in the manga resemble lizards and he turns his arm into a snake while trying to kill Ling Yao at one point, while in the first anime he takes on the form of an enormous serpent and gets trapped in that form permanently when he [[spoiler:crosses the gate into the real world]]. This fits both with his "sin" (the deadly sin of Envy is often associated with snakes and its patron demon is the sea monster known as Leviathan) and his duplicitous personality.
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* ''Manga/LuckyStar'': The characters start wondering which animal motif suits them best. Joking unflappable otaku Konata gets a fox, cute and innocent Tsukasa a puppy, soft-mannered and peaceful Miyuki a sheep (although Konata would quip that she's more suited to a cow due to her...[[GagBoobs ahem... bust size]])... and resident {{Tsundere}} and StraightMan Kagami is to her endless shame given a bunny (due to her underlying emotionality and her tendency to hide it from the world, and, apparently, because her pigtails look like rabbit ears according to Konata).
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* ''Manga/LuckyStar'': The characters start wondering which animal motif suits them best. Joking unflappable otaku Konata gets a fox, cute and innocent Tsukasa a puppy, cool and mysterious Minami a hawk, soft-mannered and peaceful Miyuki a sheep (although Konata would quip that she's more suited to a cow due to her...[[GagBoobs ahem... bust size]])... and resident {{Tsundere}} and StraightMan Kagami is to her endless shame given a bunny (due to her underlying emotionality and her tendency to hide it from the world, and, apparently, because her pigtails look like rabbit ears according to Konata).
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*** [[MasterSwordsman Dracule Mihawk]]: the Hawk, having sharp, narrow eyes, similar to those of a hawk.
to:
*** [[MasterSwordsman Dracule Mihawk]]: the Hawk, having sharp, narrow eyes, similar to those of a hawk. It's the sorce of his title "Hawkeye".
*** The newest Warlord [[EvilCounterpart Blackbeard]] is less obvious, though merchandise gave him an association with a hippopotamus. Large and deceptively goofy looking while truly unpredictable and one of, if not THE most dangerous animals in the world.
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*** Kumadori is a lion.
to:
*** Kumadori is a lion.lion, though the Straw Hats mistake him for an octopus because of his PrehensileHair.
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Alphabetical order.
* ''Manga/XxxHolic'':
** Yuuko who is often represented by a butterfly, which [[ButterflyOfTransformation symbolizes change]] and how she changes her customers, including the main characters. It also symbolizes [[ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth life and death]], [[spoiler:to reflect her undead nature]] and fate.
** Watanuki is often represented by Foxes and/or birds. However, he selects the bird to be his signature, which is representative of his connection to [[Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle Tsubasa]], as well as his being Yuuko's successor (because birds can go farther than butterflies).
** Yuuko who is often represented by a butterfly, which [[ButterflyOfTransformation symbolizes change]] and how she changes her customers, including the main characters. It also symbolizes [[ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth life and death]], [[spoiler:to reflect her undead nature]] and fate.
** Watanuki is often represented by Foxes and/or birds. However, he selects the bird to be his signature, which is representative of his connection to [[Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle Tsubasa]], as well as his being Yuuko's successor (because birds can go farther than butterflies).
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* ''Manga/XxxHOLiC'':
** Yuuko who is often represented by a butterfly, which [[ButterflyOfTransformation symbolizes change]] and how she changes her customers, including the main characters. It also symbolizes [[ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth life and death]], [[spoiler:to reflect her undead nature]] and fate.
** Watanuki is often represented by Foxes and/or birds. However, he selects the bird to be his signature, which is representative of his connection to [[Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle Tsubasa]], as well as his being Yuuko's successor (because birds can go farther than butterflies).
** Yuuko who is often represented by a butterfly, which [[ButterflyOfTransformation symbolizes change]] and how she changes her customers, including the main characters. It also symbolizes [[ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth life and death]], [[spoiler:to reflect her undead nature]] and fate.
** Watanuki is often represented by Foxes and/or birds. However, he selects the bird to be his signature, which is representative of his connection to [[Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle Tsubasa]], as well as his being Yuuko's successor (because birds can go farther than butterflies).
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It's a chameleon, not a gecko
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*** Usopp is a armadillo, frightened easily and defensive and he is more recently pictured as a gecko. He's an owl in ''Unlimited Cruise'' as he's something of an inventor and owls are associated with knowledge.
to:
*** Usopp is a armadillo, frightened easily and defensive and he is more recently pictured as a gecko.chameleon. He's an owl in ''Unlimited Cruise'' as he's something of an inventor and owls are associated with knowledge.
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** On the other side of the spectrum, Mamushi Hojo is incredibly snake-like. She is very sharp tongued, condescending, and slippery like one; her name means pit viper; she even has the slitted snake-pupils for God's sake!
to:
** On the other side of the spectrum, Mamushi Hojo is incredibly snake-like. She is very sharp tongued, condescending, and slippery like one; her name means pit viper; she even has the slitted snake-pupils for God's sake!snake-pupils!
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* ''Anime/DarlingInTheFranxx'' opens with Hiro narrating about the jian bird, a creature that has only one wing and needs a partner to fly. He compares this to Franxx piloting, which cannot be done alone and is similarly important- [[ChildSoldiers a pilot with no partner is as useless as a bird that can't fly]].
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Jerkass Facade is being merged with Hidden Heart Of Gold. Hidden Heart of Gold means the Jerkass has a nice side that they keep hidden. Jerk with a Heart of Gold means the character openly shows Jerkass and Nice Guy approaches.
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*** [[DefrostingIceQueen Boa Hancock]]: the Snake, being [[ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful beautiful]] and [[JerkassFacade vain]]. She also resides on an island where serpents are the pet of choice.
to:
*** [[DefrostingIceQueen Boa Hancock]]: the Snake, being [[ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful beautiful]] and [[JerkassFacade vain]].vain. She also resides on an island where serpents are the pet of choice.
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* Harundo from ''Manga/{{Rabuta}}'' is often compared to a pig due to his appearance. This is where Kurume's "[[AffectionateNickname Boss P]]" nickname comes from.
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* ''Manga/XxxHoLic'':
to:
* ''Manga/XxxHoLic'':''Manga/XxxHOLiC'':
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* ''Manga/DetectiveConan'': The so called "Black Organization" has a raven motif and its members are well known to wear "raven-colored" outfits. The Boss of the Black Organization's email/text number uses the melody of ''Nanatsu no Ko'' ("Seven Children") which prominently has ravens in its lyrics. [[spoiler:Renya Karasuma had a raven as his symbol.]]
Changed line(s) 65 (click to see context) from:
** Izumi: [[BigCreepyCrawlies Bugs]].
to:
** Izumi: Koushirou: [[BigCreepyCrawlies Bugs]].
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** Master Roshi and Turtle School of martial arts.
to:
** Master The Muten Roshi and his Turtle School of martial arts.arts.
** The Muten Roshi's rival, the Crane Hermet, has a crane motif.
** The Muten Roshi's rival, the Crane Hermet, has a crane motif.
* [[SiblingYinYang Black and White]] from ''Anime/{{Tekkonkinkreet}}'' are collectively referred to as "the cats", and White is often seen wearing hats or hoods that mimic animal looks.
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* ''Anime/SpiritedAway'':
** Chihiro, the protagonist, finds it hard to turn without stepping on an Eastern dragon. This affinity for them saves her life several times.
** After gorging on the food of the spirits, Chihiro's parents are punished by being turned into pigs. The symbolism is obvious.
* [[SiblingYinYang Black and White]] from ''Anime/{{Tekkonkinkreet}}'' are collectively referred to as "the cats", and White is often seen wearing hats or hoods that mimic animal looks.
** Chihiro, the protagonist, finds it hard to turn without stepping on an Eastern dragon. This affinity for them saves her life several times.
** After gorging on the food of the spirits, Chihiro's parents are punished by being turned into pigs. The symbolism is obvious.
* [[SiblingYinYang Black and White]] from ''Anime/{{Tekkonkinkreet}}'' are collectively referred to as "the cats", and White is often seen wearing hats or hoods that mimic animal looks.
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* The assassins from ''Manga/{{Arachnid}}'' and ''Caterpillar'' have insect motifs. The plot often pauses to compare the techniques of the characters to the behaviour of insects. ''Killing Bites'', written by the same author, has a similar premise with more common animal motifs.
to:
* The assassins from ''Manga/{{Arachnid}}'' and ''Caterpillar'' ''Manga/{{Caterpillar}}'' have insect motifs. The plot often pauses to compare the techniques of the characters to the behaviour of insects. ''Killing Bites'', ''Manga/KillingBites'', written by the same author, has a similar premise with more common animal motifs.
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* ''Manga/MadeInAbyss'': All of the White Whistles have their titular whistle shaped in a motif about them; few are animals, but Ozen's stands out in particular. Ozen's whistle is shaped like an Ox head symbolizing her freakish strength and stubborn behavior. Even her appearance is ox like; her hair's styled like horns, her feet look like hooves, and her name's one letter away from Oxen.
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Changed line(s) 71 (click to see context) from:
* ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}'' has Monta with an uncanny appearance to a monkey. Patrick "Panther" Spencer is known to be one of the fastest people in the world. BloodKnight [[TheBerserker berserker]] Gaou is comparable to a Tyrannosaurus with the way he "devours" anyone who stands in his way. Rui has the appearance of a chamelion.
to:
* ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}'' has Monta with an uncanny appearance to a monkey. Patrick "Panther" Spencer is known to be one of the fastest people in the world. BloodKnight [[TheBerserker berserker]] Gaou is comparable to a Tyrannosaurus with the way he "devours" anyone who stands in his way. Rui has the appearance of a chamelion.chameleon.
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Changed line(s) 69 (click to see context) from:
** The Saiyajin (this includes Goku and his sons) have a monkey motif.
to:
** The Saiyajin (this includes Saiyans, such as Goku and his sons) Vegeta, and most of their respective families, have a monkey motif.motif, given their monkey like tails.
** Master Roshi and Turtle School of martial arts.
** Master Roshi and Turtle School of martial arts.
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Changed line(s) 217,218 (click to see context) from:
** Touka Kirishima (as well as her younger brother Ayato): Rabbits
** Yoshimura/[[spoiler: [[HalfHumanHybrid Yoshimura]] [[AntagonisticOffspring Eto]]]]: Owls
** Yoshimura/[[spoiler: [[HalfHumanHybrid Yoshimura]] [[AntagonisticOffspring Eto]]]]: Owls
to:
** Touka Kirishima (as well as her younger brother Ayato): [[CainAndAbel Ayato]]): Rabbits
**Yoshimura/[[spoiler: [[HalfHumanHybrid Yoshimura/[[spoiler:[[HalfHumanHybrid Yoshimura]] [[AntagonisticOffspring Eto]]]]: Owls
**
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Changed line(s) 217,218 (click to see context) from:
** Touka Kirishima: Rabbits
** Yoshimura: Owls
** Yoshimura: Owls
to:
** Touka Kirishima: Kirishima (as well as her younger brother Ayato): Rabbits
**Yoshimura: Yoshimura/[[spoiler: [[HalfHumanHybrid Yoshimura]] [[AntagonisticOffspring Eto]]]]: Owls
**
Deleted line(s) 223 (click to see context) :
** [[OminousOwl The]] [[HalfHumanHybrid One-Eyed]] [[HeroKiller Owl]]
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** [[spoiler:Nishiki Nishio]][=/=]Orochi: Serpents
to:
** [[spoiler:Nishiki Nishio]][=/=]Orochi: [[spoiler: [[MeaningfulName Nishiki Nishio]]]][=/=]Orochi: Serpents
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Changed line(s) 62,66 (click to see context) from:
** Taichi - [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs Dinosaurs]].
** Yamato - [[NobleWolf Canines]].
** Sora - [[GiantFlyer Birds]].
** Izumi - [[BigCreepyCrawlies Bugs]].
** Jou - [[AquaticAnimalTropes Sea Creatures]].
** Yamato - [[NobleWolf Canines]].
** Sora - [[GiantFlyer Birds]].
** Izumi - [[BigCreepyCrawlies Bugs]].
** Jou - [[AquaticAnimalTropes Sea Creatures]].
to:
** Taichi - Taichi: [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs Dinosaurs]].
**Yamato - Yamato: [[NobleWolf Canines]].
**Sora - Sora: [[GiantFlyer Birds]].
**Izumi - Izumi: [[BigCreepyCrawlies Bugs]].
**Jou - Jou: [[AquaticAnimalTropes Sea Creatures]].
**
**
**
**
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* In [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlod Part One]] of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', Jonathan Joestar is compared to a Lion, for his courage and nobility
to:
* In [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlod [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlood Part One]] of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', Jonathan Joestar is compared to a Lion, for his courage and nobility
* ''Anime/OsomatsuSan'': Merchandise associates each brother with a specific animal.
** Osomatsu: Red panda.
** Karamatsu: Tiger.
** Choromatsu: Sheep.
** Ichimatsu: Cat.
** Jyushimatsu: Dog.
** Todomatsu: Rabbit.
** Osomatsu: Red panda.
** Karamatsu: Tiger.
** Choromatsu: Sheep.
** Ichimatsu: Cat.
** Jyushimatsu: Dog.
** Todomatsu: Rabbit.
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* [[SiblingYinYang Black and White]] from ''Anime/{{Tekkonkinkreet}}'' are collectively referred to as "the cats", and White is often seen wearing hats or hoods that mimic animal looks.
to:
* [[SiblingYinYang Black and White]] from ''Anime/{{Tekkonkinkreet}}'' are collectively referred to as "the cats", and White is often seen wearing hats or hoods that mimic animal looks.looks.
----
----
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* In ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', Shinji is regularly likened to a puppy by other characters, particularly in the ''Film/RebuildOfEvangelion'' films, the implication being that he is desperate for attention from his superiors and wants to be recognized by his "pack leader"--that is, his father. For example, in ''Rebuild'' new pilot Mari nicknames him "Puppy Boy" as a joke about his meekness. In the original series the comparisons often occurred through background TV and radio broadcasts that the characters listened to. One such broadcast talks about a dog who can supposedly solve mat problems, when in reality all it does is say "Wan" ("Woof" in Japanese, which sounds like "One"). This is clearly a reference to how Shinji feels as though he is being praised for doing nothing special.
** ''Film/RebuildOfEvangelion'' also gives Asuka a much more prominent animal theme--cats, possibly as a [[CatDogDichotomy contrast to Shinji's "puppy" motif]]. She wears both a hat and a helmet with cat ears on them, and when she takes her Eva into [[SuperMode "Beast Mode"]] it looks like a gigantic saber-toothed cat. Anno himself even specified that she have a "cat-like smile" in her concept art for the third movie. Interestingly, Mari also has her share of cat motifs (e.g. making meowing noises when she sings, and also wearing a cat-eared helmet). [[LesYay The fans have taken this to its obvious conclusion]].
** ''Film/RebuildOfEvangelion'' also gives Asuka a much more prominent animal theme--cats, possibly as a [[CatDogDichotomy contrast to Shinji's "puppy" motif]]. She wears both a hat and a helmet with cat ears on them, and when she takes her Eva into [[SuperMode "Beast Mode"]] it looks like a gigantic saber-toothed cat. Anno himself even specified that she have a "cat-like smile" in her concept art for the third movie. Interestingly, Mari also has her share of cat motifs (e.g. making meowing noises when she sings, and also wearing a cat-eared helmet). [[LesYay The fans have taken this to its obvious conclusion]].
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* Ikki from ''Manga/AirGear'' is often compared to a crow, both by other characters and through imagery.
* The assassins from ''Manga/{{Arachnid}}'' and ''Caterpillar'' have insect motifs. The plot often pauses to compare the techniques of the characters to the behaviour of insects. ''Killing Bites'', written by the same author, has a similar premise with more common animal motifs.
* ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'':
** Centipedes for [[AffablyEvil Principal Asano]] and his [[BrokenAce son]].
** Visual metaphors depict [[HiddenDepths Nagisa]] as a snake: a [[WeakButSkilled small]], swift predator that hides in plain sight. More esoterically, Nagisa also has semi-hypnotic eyes- another trait commonly attributed to snakes.
** [[VillainProtagonist Koro]]-[[BadassTeacher sensei]] is routinely referred to as an "octopus" for [[CombatTentacles looking a lot like one]]. Aside from his appearance, he is a skilled multitasker who's strange in both function and appearance.
** [[TheAce Kataoka]] is a sea turtle -- a strong, peaceful animal that protects smaller fish.
* In a broader sense, in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', humans are domesticated livestock and the Titans are predators. The thematic goal of the protagonists is to become hunters and live free rather than be shut up in a pen.
** Some motifs are made explicit in some scenes. [[spoiler:Annie]] is muzzled like a wolf. Lord Balto, a selfish and gluttonous rich man, is seen as a pig.
* ''WebComic/AxisPowersHetalia'':
** There's Greece with his many cats. He himself wishes to be a cat, and has a cat army. He wears cat ears in one episode (Japan put them on him), after wishing he were one of his feline companions.
** There's [[FanNickname Usarisu]]. After a drawing on [[WordOfGod the author's blog]] of Chibirisu (the little kid version of England) with bunny ears, the trend spread of drawing little England with the ears became quite popular among fans. He's not the only character to have been drawn with them, though, and The Netherlands is very commonly associated with rabbits owing to toting his pet one everywhere.
** Lithuania can be compared to a dog. He's [[ButtMonkey always being ordered around by one person or another]], he has dog ears in a bonus comic [[LittleBitBeastly giving the characters animals characteristics]] and, possibly coincidentally, his human name Toris is supposedly a common name for dogs in Lithuania.
* In ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', Griffith is closely associated with the hawk; besides the name of the group of his followers, The Band Of The Hawks, his helmet is vaguely similar to that of a bird of prey, he often wears a cape (symbolising the wings), and is even called [[LightIsNotGood "The Hawk of Light"]]. [[spoiler:Eventually, once he becomes a member of the Godhand, his demonic form Femto resembles a black hawk with batlike CapeWings.]]
** His counter part, [[DarkIsNotEvil Guts]], however, is more closely associated with [[NobleWolf wolves]], most notably by his [[EnemyWithin "inner beast"]] Guts is also known as "The Dark Hawk", to counter Griffith. But Guts is truly a hound as Casca [[http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/berserk/images/6/67/Guts_Hound.png/revision/latest?cb=20170324083355 sees him]] in her mind.
** [[FauxActionGirl Casca]] herself is seen as chick hatching from a egg in Griffith's hand, other times she more dog-like with her [[BlankWhiteEyes eyes whiting out]] (like her lover Guts), though she is sees her herself as a doll in her mind.
** There's also Guts' TrueCompanions:
*** Isidro, monkey
*** Serpico, fox
*** Farnese, stoat
*** Schierke, owl
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
** Soifon's theme is the Asian Giant Hornet. She has the aggression to match, too.
** Gin's theme is predominantly the snake. However, some characters also compare him to a fox because of his tendency to play pranks on people. In the end, the manga does take the snake-plus-fox theme to its logical conclusion in chapter 414 where a colour picture of Gin depicts him as Inari (more famous for being fox themed, Inari has even older, but less well-known, snake associations).
** Unohana is ray-themed. Her shikai form even takes the form of a giant ray of indeterminate species. Akin to the mixed mythology of the ray as both aggressive, dangerous poisoner and killer, and a more benign healer and antidote, Unohana has been portrayed as a benign healer but hints occur occasionally that there's a much more dangerous side to her.
** Komamura is wolf-themed to such an extent that he's a humanoid wolf and has the stereotypical UndyingLoyalty (to Yamamoto) as well. It's a RunningGag [[AllThereInTheManual in-universe]] that characters mistake him for a dog instead of a wolf which works well as the fandom often mistakes him for a dog as well. He's also got the ability to communicate with dogs, owns a dog, and has a secret weakness for human shows about puppies.
** Tousen is themed on the bell cricket [[spoiler: to such an extent that when he finally gains resurreccion it takes an insect form reminiscent of the TheFly.]]
** Mayuri has, amongst a few other themes, a strong peacock theme from his name, to his colourful attire, to his [[MadScientist aptitude]] for poisons and antidotes.
** Ukitake is carp-themed. This includes the concept of the carp representing boys who can overcome adversity to become stronger. He gained an incurable lung disease as a child. Despite that, he's still [[{{Determinator}} managed]] to not just reach the captain rank but is one of the longest-serving captains of all.
** Rangiku is cat themed. She takes the seductress route with her cat themes being [[AllThereInTheManual officially]] the sexiest woman in the entire Gotei 13 and is also an example of TheTease. Her zanpakutou behaves like volcanic ash, conviently tying in to the concept of a slashing cat.
** Yumichika is peacock-themed to such an extent that, as well as having the vanity and obsession with beauty, he's also got the less well-known folklore traits of being extremely watchful (he tends to sense reiatsu when others don't or even as fast as captains), but he also has the ability to "bind" evil, as well as having rejuvenation abilities - powers also associated with the peacock which is why the peacock overlaps the phoenix in mythology.
** Yoruichi can ''turn'' into a black cat.
** Coyote Starrk is wolf-themed, specifically, lone-wolf themed. Appropriately, he has the unique power of being able to split his soul into companion beings, including a large pack of very dangerous wolves.
** Harribel is [[ThreateningShark shark-themed]]. Dignified and terrifying, she comes with obligatory water powers.
** Ulquiorra is bat-themed to go with his darkness, void and despair themes. His resurreccion has led to fandom-wide Batman jokes.
** Nnoitra Jiruga is Praying Mantis themed. Predatory, capable of being stealthy and underhanded or a whirlwind of brute force. Also, a lot of emphasis is made on the fact that he's not as strong as a certain female teammate and one of his resurreccion tricks is to produce multiple arms (four initially, with two extra hidden for ambush purposes to bring his total to a very six).
** Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, who is jaguar-themed, specifically panther (black jaguar) in keeping with the theme of him being the dark counterpart of Ichigo (who is sun and eclipse themed), who (as the jaguar symbolises in mythology) is obsessed with kingship. His sword is named ''Pantera'' and his released appearance becomes decidedly more feline. When he was a hollow, he ''was'' a cat.
** Zommari takes the prize as the weirdest. He's sea urchin-themed, and his resurreccion turns his lower body into one full of many eyes. He shows the author did the research as the sea urchin is associated in mythology with witchcraft just as Zommari's powers are.
** Szayel Aporro Grantz is a parasitic worm; strange, maybe even good-looking but incredibly vile and with a variety of powers that rely on drawing health from hurting/killing another organism. On a more fantastic level, he's also associated with the phoenix which is again appropriate for parasitic worms.
** Nel is antelope and goat-antelope themed right down to the ExtremeOmniGoat joke. Even her resurreccion takes the form of an [[OurCentaursAreDifferent antelope-based centaur]].
** Ggio is cat-themed, specific sabre-tooth cat and tiger-themed.
** Findor is crab-themed. In resurreccion his one arm even becomes a giant pincer. His powers are water-based.
** Avirrama is eagle-themed, even down to having wings and feather-based attacks.
** Nirgge is elephant-themed and his power lies with his physical strength.
** Poww is essentially a monstrous whale that masquerades as humanoid. In resurreccion he becomes monstrously large (not that he wasn't already) and gains a throat like a baleen whale.
** Harribel's three fraccions are all animal based (Mila-Rose is lion themed and has the Greek Amazon look to go with it, Sung-Sun is anaconda-themed and has snake-appropriate powers, Apacci is deer-themed. In resurreccion she is a deer-woman).
** Tesla is warthog themed and practically turns into the warthog equivalent of a minotaur in resurreccion.
** Loly is centipede-themed and her sword even has poison-based abilities.
** Pesche is stag beetle themed, to an extent where it's made a joke of in the manga. He's mistaken for an ant and he gets very indignant.
* In ''Manga/BlueExorcist'', Konekomaru is one of the main characters to be this. Part of his name, Neko, means cat. He loves hot milk, he hates being cold, and he is one of the smallest and cutest characters in the series.
** On the other side of the spectrum, Mamushi Hojo is incredibly snake-like. She is very sharp tongued, condescending, and slippery like one; her name means pit viper; she even has the slitted snake-pupils for God's sake!
* ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'': Aion is often associated with birds, particularly an eagle that is his familiar. He often sends his eagle ahead of him to communicate with others or make his presence known. He also refers to Chrono as "my bird who can't fly", and goes as far as to describe a character falling into his trap as a "turkey flying into the oven basted and ready to cook."
* ''Anime/DanceWithDevils'': The four boys of the student council that form the show's reverse harem, are themed as follows:
** Rem, ram.
** Urie, spiders.
** Mage, snake.
** Shiki, crow.
* ''Anime/DeltoraQuest'': ''"Barda The Bear"'' is what Barda was called as guard during days of peace in Del, for being the toughest out of all the guards, though Barda doesn't appreciate that moniker when Jinx calls him by it.
** Jasmine associated [[FriendToAllLivingThings many animals]] but mainly with birds since her connection with her pet black bird Kree and distaste for walls and stone, preferring freedom of the air. Lief is tied with Dragons and their majesty [[spoiler: as the Deltora royal family are connected to Dragons]].
* ''Manga/DescendantsOfDarkness'': The creator has often drawn the two main characters with animal traits, both in the manga and in extra art. For Happy-go-lucky, often childish, always energetic and loyal Tsuzuki, it's a puppy. This visual is used enough in the manga and anime that fans often reference Tsuzuki as going into "Puppy-mode". For the quiet, loner, bookish, easily angered, defensive and Tsundere Hisoka, it's a cat. While this isn't used nearly as much as the Puppy-Tsuzuki visual, it's no less apt.
* ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'': Most of the chosen children are associated with certain animals based off their crests and their Digimon partners.
** Taichi - [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs Dinosaurs]].
** Yamato - [[NobleWolf Canines]].
** Sora - [[GiantFlyer Birds]].
** Izumi - [[BigCreepyCrawlies Bugs]].
** Jou - [[AquaticAnimalTropes Sea Creatures]].
* ''Manga/DragonBall'':
** Yamcha has a wolf motif, fitting his Wolf Fang Fist.
** The Saiyajin (this includes Goku and his sons) have a monkey motif.
* ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}'' has Monta with an uncanny appearance to a monkey. Patrick "Panther" Spencer is known to be one of the fastest people in the world. BloodKnight [[TheBerserker berserker]] Gaou is comparable to a Tyrannosaurus with the way he "devours" anyone who stands in his way. Rui has the appearance of a chamelion.
** Gaou's teammates Marco and Kisaragi are a raptor and a pteranodon respectively.
* The various martial arts of the ''Nanto Seiken'' school in ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' are named after birds.
** Shin's ''Nanto Koshuken'' style is the "Long Eagle Fist"
** Rei's ''Nanto Suichoken'' style is the "Waterfowl Fist"
** Juda's ''Nanto Kokakuken'' style is the "Crimson Crane Fist"
** Shuu's ''Nanto Hakuroken'' style is the "White Heron Fist"
** Souther's ''Nanto Ho-oken'' style is the "Phoenix Fist"
** Haz and Gil's ''Nanto Soyoken'' style is the "Twin Hawk Fist"
** The only exceptions to this theme are the Golan Colonel's ''Nanto Muonken'' style ("Silent Fist") and the knife jugglers Beji and Giji's ''Nanto Sozanken'' style ("Twin Kill Fist"), as well as most of the anime-only styles from filler episodes. However, most of the styles from the ''Gaiden'' spin-offs follow the avian theme.
* ''Anime/{{Free}}'':
** The Iwatobi swim team has their own animal motifs in their swimming styles. Haruka's is the dolphin: Nagisa compares to him to one, and he has a toy dolphin in his home bathroom. Makoto's is the orca: notable in Episode 6 when his feelings about swimming reflect the nature of orcas conquering the largest distances as a pod. Nagisa's is the penguin, and he even has them printed in his underwear. Rei's motif is the butterfly, as it is also his preferred swimming stroke, which is the only swimming stroke he knows.
** The Samezuka team have their own animal motifs. Rin's is the shark, due to his competitive nature, and he even has pointy teeth. Nitori's is the duck. Sousuke's is the whale shark. Momotarou's is the sea otter.
* ''Manga/FruitsBasket'': The Sohma family are themed after the EasternZodiac, and most of them have personalities fitting the particular animal spirit they're cursed with. Some subvert or avert the trope though - [[spoiler:Shigure uses his appearance of civility and uselessness to manipulate the other thirteen.]]
** Yuki (rat) is a self-acknowledged coward, who prefers to hide behind his [[StepfordSmiler mask of politeness]] rather than risk being rejected by others. Kyo [[OddOneOut (cat)]] is defensive and easily angered, and feels as out-of-place in the family as a cat would in the eastern zodiac. Momiji (rabbit) is playful and cute, with a whimsical personality that hides [[WiseBeyondTheirYears great insight]] into the pain of others. Haru (bull) is patient and a little stubborn; he ''looks'' placid on the outside, but has a bad temper that emerges if he's pushed too far. Kagura (boar) is impulsive and violent, persistent to a fault. Shigure (dog) is perverted, but lighthearted and a good friend. ([[spoiler:Well, except for his ManipulativeBastard tendencies, anyway.]]) Rin (horse) is proud and rebellious. Hatori (dragon/[[spoiler:[[SeahorsesAreDragons seahorse]]]]) is cryptic but highly knowledgeable, a guide to the rest of the Zodiac. Kureno (rooster/[[spoiler:sparrow]]) is mild and unobtrusive- loyal to Akito and trying to avoid conflict. Ayame (snake) finds it difficult to establish personal relationships, and Yuki feels that Ayame betrayed him in their childhood.
** [[AvertedTrope Hiro, the sheep, doesn't really fit any of its associations, though.]]
* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' uses the "dog of the military" motif, which is what Ed is constantly referred to as. It's mostly used as a derogatory nickname given to state alchemists by people who believe alchemists should not be involved in state affairs.
** In [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime version]], after defecting when [[spoiler:his brother becomes the philosopher's stone]], Ed voices to his commander, Mustang, that he is now a stray.
* In ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'', during comedic moments, Sousuke's animal motif is a cute (albeit irritable looking) little dog. A more plot significant one for him, though, is a tiger (referring to the fact that he's the "son of Bdakshon's Tiger," being called "Tiger" by Gauron in the English dub, as well as his adopting a pet tiger that he loves). On the other hand, Gauron's animal motif can be seen as a dragon, derived from his name "Gauron" (meaning "nine dragons" in Chinese). Symbolism is rampant when one considers the antagonizing, spark-filled relationship between the tiger and dragon in Asian culture. In fact, the TigerVersusDragon trope page describes their relationship perfectly.
* ''Anime/FutureGPXCyberFormula'': Some racing teams' logos have these. For example, Team Sugo has {{Pegasus}} as their logo, Aoi has the Griffin as their logo and as for the team Albatross DDT... well, you can probably guess what they have as their logo.
** When Shinjyo uses his Peacock/Phoenix Wing boost, the fire in a shape of the fiery bird comes out of the booster's nozzles. And when Hayato uses his Super Asurada 01 boosters, an image of Pegasus appears while the car is being blasted in one episode of the TV series.
* ''Manga/GetBackers'': Ban is often associated with snakes. His eyes are slitty and look a ''lot'' like a snake's, and one of his trademark attacks is ''called'' "Snake Bite." Shido even calls him "Snake Bastard." Hey, even his proud, condescending attitude is rather reminiscent of [[SmugSnake a certain trope]]. Though physically, it's especially obvious in [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/get_backers/v14/c001.2/30.html this page of the manga]].
* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}:''
** [[spoiler:The Unicorn Banshee]] from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn'' has a lion motif.
** Many of the machines in ''Anime/GundamReconguistaInG'' have this, sometimes combined with MythicalMotifs or FairyTaleMotifs. The G-Self has bunny ears (and a bunny decal on its pilot suit), there's the Caitsith and Elf Bullock mobile suits, and the appropriately-named ''Megafauna'' deploys fishlike energy "fins" in flight mode.
* ''Manga/{{Haikyuu}}'': All teams have some kind of motif, most of them animals:
** '''''Karasu'''''no - crows.
** '''''Neko'''''ma - cats.
** '''''Shiratori'''''zawa - a white bird [eagle] (the literal translation of 'shiratori' rather than the idiomatic translation of swan).
** '''''Fukurou'''''dani - owls.
** No'''''hebi''''' - snakes.
** '''''Itachi'''''yama - weasels(? none of the players have appeared as of ch202).
* ''Manga/HajimeNoIppo'' uses this trope quite a lot. Ippo is a gazelle, Sendo a tiger, Vorg a wolf, Date a lion, Woli a monkey, Kimura a dragonfish... Notably, Takamura, despite being the 2nd main character, does not have a clear motif. He could be a hawk (his name reflects it and he wears a hawk costume for world title fights), a bear (won against one and has worn his fur) or a rhinoceros beetle (wore such a costume).
* ''Manga/HimoutoUmaruChan'': Hamster for Umaru. And not only when she's indoors—even when outside Umaru sometimes has rodent mannerisms, such as the way she licks ice cream.
* ''LightNovel/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'': Bell is often compared to a WhiteBunny because he's an [[HeroicAlbino albino]] with a LightningBruiser style of combat.
* In [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlod Part One]] of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', Jonathan Joestar is compared to a Lion, for his courage and nobility
* ''Anime/{{K}}''
** The way Shiro holds his pink parasol may have been designed to invoke peacock imagery, mostly notable because as a symbol, the peacock connotes royalty, refinement, spirituality and holiness, immortality and incorruptibility, and enlightenment and awakening. In western culture, the peacock also symbolizes the heavens and stars. It makes sense in the latter part of the series because [[spoiler: Shiro is actually Adolf K. Weissmann, the first King and the Silver King.]]
** Kuroh is nicknamed the "Black Dog" and is fiercely loyal to the former 7th King, Ichigen Miwa and later becomes just as loyal to [[spoiler: Shiro. Shiro's other clansman is Neko, and, as her name implies...]]
** Mikoto is the lion, being very apathetic, usually seen sleeping and very powerful and naturally charismatic. When fighting an enemy who attempted to invade his mind, Mikoto is represented by a lion made of fire that easily repels the enemy.
** Misaki Yata, a.k.a. Yatagarasu (crow), and Saruhiko Fushimi (monkey), have the series' standard mythology-reference names that also reference animals. Their character designs, however, reflect each others' names' animals. [[ShipTease Take that as you wish.]]
** Rikio Kamamoto is a turtle.
** Upon [[spoiler:becoming the new Red King]], Anna's motif is a phoenix, [[spoiler: symbolizing the rebirth of HOMRA.]]
* ''Manga/KOn'' appears to have a thing for turtles and tortoises. For one, there are the statues on the school staircases, based on the fable of the tortoise and the hare. In the opening of the first season, the girls are seen hopping over stones in a river, some of which are turtle-shaped (both are from [[RealPlaceBackground real locations]], by the way). Ui owns a large turtle plushie. And then there's Ton-chan, a turtle living in an aquarium in the club room.
* ''Manga/KatekyoHitmanReborn'' takes this concept to the logical conclusion. It is easier to list the amount of characters who don't have an animal associated with them. That number is 0.
* ''Anime/KillLaKill'': The Elite Four, corresponding with the respective characters in their surnames.
** Ira Gamagoori: Toads (or frogs), which inflate themselves to look [[YourSizeMayVary bigger and more intimidating]].
** Uzu Sanageyama: Monkeys, he is by far the most agile of the Elite Four, and may be based on Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.
** Houka Inumuta: Dogs and, as the president of the Information Committee and a skilled hacker, he is very good at metaphorically "sniffing out" enemies an finding clues that otherwise might have been ignored.
** Nonon Jakuzure: Snakes and she is indeed the most cruel, ill-tempered member of the Four.
** Similarly, while this is subtle, Satsuki, their leader, seems to be associated with eagles, if her "Ask not the sparrow how the eagle soars" is a clue, along with the fact that she is usually high up on some kind of perch and, in general, looks fierce and intimidating, along with having [[spoiler:fake, but otherwise sharp, talons]].
* ''Manga/KiriNoMoriHotel'' has cats as its motif. Several cats live in the hotel and are often the ones who lead guests to the hotel when they need it.
* In ''Kodomo no Jikan'' (manga only) Kuro is occasionally drawn as a black cat (and in both anime and manga she often sports/sprouts cat ears) and Mimi is drawn as a white rabbit. Also, Aoki compares the cat he had been feeding to Rin. When it scratched him, she justified it by saying that it [[NoticeThis might have been abused.]]
* In ''Manga/KodomoNoOmocha'', whenever Hayama's feeling especially mischievous, he gains the ears and tail of a [[CatsAreMean cheetah]].
** Sana's also referred to him as a "Lone Wolf" and "The Monkey King" (with appropriate {{Imagine Spot}}s for both), and imagined him as an ill-tempered chick.
* In ''Manga/KotouraSan'', Manabe's perversion is usually emphasized by having him act like and occasionally turn into a Wolf.
* ''Manga/LuckyStar'': The characters start wondering which animal motif suits them best. Joking unflappable otaku Konata gets a fox, cute and innocent Tsukasa a puppy, soft-mannered and peaceful Miyuki a sheep (although Konata would quip that she's more suited to a cow due to her...[[GagBoobs ahem... bust size]])... and resident {{Tsundere}} and StraightMan Kagami is to her endless shame given a bunny (due to her underlying emotionality and her tendency to hide it from the world, and, apparently, because her pigtails look like rabbit ears according to Konata).
* ''Anime/LupinIIITheWomanCalledFujikoMine'': Fujiko is associated with both peacocks and butterflies. Those who work with/for Count Almeida have owls - especially the Count's castle.
* Satsuki Yotsuba from ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v09/c073/11.html is commonly drawn with a Koala behind her]] and is the only [[LoadsAndLoadsofCharacters one]] drawn quite [[OnlySixFaces different]] clearly inspired by a Koala.
* ''Manga/MakenKi'': Inaho typically fashions her hair into a short pair of bobbles.. But, [[ArtEvolution in later chapters]], they're drawn as [[http://readpanda.net/Maken-ki/10/20/ triangular ear-like wedges.]] Which, along with her perpetual {{cat smile}}, gives her the appearance of [[http://readpanda.net/Maken-ki/18/11/ a squirrel girl.]]
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha are odd cases of having ''two'' Animal Motifs each. First are ones which [[GenerationXerox they "inherited" from their teachers]] (which are really too blatant in their cases to even count as motifs) and the second are ones unique to them. Naruto has toads and foxes (resemblance to a fox, a prankster but [[IGaveMyWord always keeps his promises]]), while Sasuke has snakes and hawks (what he names his team, an illusion he uses is represented with feathers pierces the person, [[spoiler:he learned to summon a hawk]], ''[[AnimeHair his hair]]'').
** Also, Itachi has a raven motif-thing going on, which is interesting if you consider that Sasuke's motif is the hawk...
** The rest of the Konoha clans save for the Senju have their own, too: Hyuuga--birds, Inuzuka--dogs, Aburame--insects, Yamanaka--boars, Nara--deer, Akamichi--butterflies, Sarutobi--monkeys, [[spoiler:Uzumaki--foxes]].
** The same can be applied to several Akatsuki members: Deidara- bird, Kisame-shark, Sasori- scorpion.
** The Second Mizukage can summon a Giant Clam and styled his outfit and hair to resemble said shellfish.
** Neji Hyuuga has a bird theme. He was trapped in the cage of destiny like a bird, but gets free of it thanks to Naruto. [[spoiler:When Neji died, a flying bird was killed by Obito as well.]]
** Hinata Hyuuga has been associated with lions (or lionesses) after her fight with Pain. Lions are seen as symbols of bravery and protection. Throughout the series, Hinata stood up for her beliefs, fearlessly faced her foes, and has displayed her willingness to protect her loved ones. Her SignatureMove is even named "Gentle Step Twin '''Lion''' Fists."
** Tsunade has slugs - she can even summon a giant one to ride.
* ''Manga/OnePiece''
** The original Seven Warlords of the Sea have an animal in their names and can often identify with the animal's characteristics:
*** [[MasterSwordsman Dracule Mihawk]]: the Hawk, having sharp, narrow eyes, similar to those of a hawk.
*** [[DefrostingIceQueen Boa Hancock]]: the Snake, being [[ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful beautiful]] and [[JerkassFacade vain]]. She also resides on an island where serpents are the pet of choice.
*** [[BearsAreBadNews Bartholomew Kuma]]: the Bear, appearing to be frightening and extremely large.
*** [[PeoplePuppets Donquixote Doflamingo]]: the Flamingo, wearing a pink, flamboyant clothes and walking like a flamingo.
*** [[LivingShadow Gecko Moria]]: the Gecko, his clothing resembling a gecko. Or alternatively, the Bat, given his general shadow theme, and that his name is very close to, or at least contains, the Japanese word for bat (koumori).
*** [[MagnificentBastard Crocodile]]: the Crocodile, keeping monstrous crocodiles as pets and having a scar that resembles a crocodile's smile
*** [[FishPeople Jimbei]]: the Shark, being a whale shark fishman.
** This also applies to the [[BadassCrew Straw Hats]] themselves (Chopper goes without saying), as [[WordOfGod Oda]] said. They get alternate motives with the outfits in ''VideoGame/OnePieceUnlimitedCruise''. But more literally get animal counterparts in this [[https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/46/f1/e8/46f1e8cfa02df1b2cc680afe7556089f.png colorspread]].
*** Luffy is a monkey, happy-go-lucky and hyperactive and even acts likes monkey in some of his earlier battles. Lion in ''Unlimited Cruise'', since he wants to be King of the Pirates and lions are associated with kings.
*** Zoro is a shark, terrifying and hard to approach, more recently he was pictured as a tiger (corresponding with a few of his attack names). Zoro is a Dragon in ''Unlimited Cruise'' .
*** Nami is a cat, sly and sneaky. Tropical fish in ''Unlimited Cruise'' because such fish are usually beautiful and Nami has a lot of sex appeal. Nami is also called a "swan" a lot by Sanji, in reference to her graceful beauty and more literally when Mr 2 uses her image.
*** Sanji is a duck, loud and loving, but more recently pictured as a Ram for his kicking power in ''Unlimited Cruise''. Sanji also gets pictured with wolves and dogs a lot, attracting wolves in Upper Yard, fighting [[TheBigBadWolf Jabra]] and [[spoiler: he was also savaged by a dog when he was boy bringing food to his sick mother and later Luffy]].
*** Usopp is a armadillo, frightened easily and defensive and he is more recently pictured as a gecko. He's an owl in ''Unlimited Cruise'' as he's something of an inventor and owls are associated with knowledge.
*** Robin is a crane, tall and graceful, she more recently pictured as a falcon (for her piercing eyes) and a butterfly in ''Unlimited Cruise''.
*** Franky is a bull, boisterous and short-tempered and an Rhinocerous in ''Unlimited Cruise'' and colorspread.
*** Brook is a horse (Skeleton Horse), affectionate and friendly. Swallow in ''Unlimited Cruise''.
*** Chopper normally doesn't have one as he's already a reindeer, but everybody confuses him for Tanuki (raccoon) so he is pictured as one as a gag. Chopper was also a cat in an Omake and a dinosaur in ''Unlimited Cruise''.
** The same goes for [[http://i26.mangareader.net/one-piece/522/one-piece-65141.jpg the members of the CP9]]:
*** Spandam is a Panda.
*** Rob Lucci is a leopard.
*** Kaku is a giraffe.
*** Jabra is a wolf.
*** Blueno is a bull.
*** Kumadori is a lion.
*** Fukuro is an owl.
*** Kalifa is a sheep.
*** Nero is a weasel.
** And a few other characters, like Mr. 2 (a swan), the marine captain Nezumi (a rat) and every [[{{Animorphism}} Zoan]] [[AppliedPhlebotinum Devil Fruit]] user (their respective animal).
** [[PowerTrio The three Admirals]] are based of MomotarÅ legends, they are a pheasant, a dog and a monkey assisted the boy hero, MomotarÅ, on his adventures. Coincidentally, each personality fits the aliases (Aokiji, the pheasant, is somewhat lazy; Kizaru, the monkey, is quite absent-minded and irresponsible; and Akainu, the dog, is very loyal).
* ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'':
** The friendly, loyal, hyperactive Tamaki as a dog (he is also a dog lover).
** Haruhi is teased by the others for resembling a "tanuki" (raccoon dog).
** The twins are portrayed as sneaky and "devilish" as cats, which adds humor to their relationship with Tamaki.
* ''Manga/PeacemakerKurogane'': Tetsu is frequently referred to as a "pup" since he is still just a child among a den of "wolves", the Shinsengumi.
* ''LightNovel/ThePetGirlOfSakurasou'': The girls have different animal motifs; Mashiro's motif is a cat, Nanami's is a tiger (which shows up a bit as her favourite stuffed toy), and Misaki's a bear (she seems to be a fan of a nameless bear mascot).
* ''Manga/PetShopOfHorrors'': The animals are usually connected to both their owner's "fatal flaw" and a possible means of redemption. The man who deceived his new bride gets a highly possessive (and [[ImAHumanitarian hungry]]) mermaid; the selfish drifter gets a sweet little kitten to soften his nature.
* ''Anime/PrincessTutu'': Being an anime about ballet and fairy tales that was heavily influenced by ''Theatre/SwanLake'', there are several of these, along with references to AnimalStereotypes. In particular, Princess Tutu is heavily associated with swans (as is Mytho in his true, princely form), the girl that transforms into her is named Ahiru ("duck") and is really a duck disguised as a human, the villain is a Raven (see CreepyCrows), and Princess Kraehe ("crow" in German) is associated both with crows (obviously) and black swans. The opening intro goes as far as to show Ahiru in her duck form flying into the sky as she transforms into a beautiful swan--an "Ugly Duckling" reference that has not been lost on the fandom.
* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' is full of animal motifs: Kenshin is the Dragon, Sano the Rooster, Saitou the Wolf, and Enishi the Tiger. It also makes an extended joke concerning women's face shapes: in Japan, women are considered to be Tanuki ("raccoon-dog", round and open features, implying naivete) or Kitsune ("fox", long and narrow, implying mischief). When Saitou meets Misao for the first time, he has an ImagineSpot: If Kaoru = Tanuki and Megumi = Kitsune, then Misao = Itachi (weasel). Misao was ''not'' pleased.
* ''Franchise/SailorMoon'': Usagi Tsukino with rabbits. Even her name means "rabbit", and [[{{Odango}} her hair]] is meant to mirror the ears of one. This relates back to the astrological motif as well, from the Japanese myth of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_rabbit the rabbit on the moon.]] Chibi-Usa is designed to look even more like a rabbit, with her pinkish eyes and bunny ear-shaped {{Odango}}. Taken to [[ExaggeratedTrope ridiculous extremes]] with Kousagi, Usagi's second daughter in a non-canon short story titled "Parallel Moon"; everything she has is bunny-themed, even her transformation brooch and {{Odango}} protectors, not surprisingly since said story is a huge self-parody of the manga.
* ''Anime/ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman'':
** G-1 is [[TheHero the Eagle]], the leader.
** G-2 is [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold the Condor]], loyal, but grumpy and off-putting.
** G-3 is [[ActionGirl the Swan]], pretty, but will kick your tail.
** G-4 is the Swallow, very much the hyperactive kid.
** G-5 is [[TheBigGuy the Owl]], tough and calm.
* ''Manga/{{Shigurui}}'': Kogan Iwamoto and after him Gennosuke Fujiki symbolise the Tiger while Seigen Irako symbolises the Dragon.
* ''Manga/SlamDunk'' uses this trope pretty frequently in combination with chibi. Centers that are big and ugly are nicknamed some variation of "gorilla" (Gori, Bald Gori, Ape King), while someone who's annoyingly energetic is called a monkey (Redheaded Monkey, Wild Monkey). Similarly, Shohoku is often portrayed as a team full of monkeys who follow a gorilla, with the exception of Rukawa who's called a fox.
* In the original ''Manga/SomedaysDreamers'', Yume uses a dolphin as her magic sign.
* The witches from ''Manga/SoulEater'': not only do their motifs tie in with their outer appearances and powers, but a good deal of them have tie-in ''names'' as well:
** [[MagnificentBastard Medusa]], for snakes.
** Arachne, for spiders.
** Eruka, for frogs.
** [[FusionDance Mizune]], for mice.
** [[CuteWitch Angela]], for chameleons.
** [[spoiler:[[ImprobableWeaponUser Kim]]]], for raccoon-dogs.
** [[spoiler:[[Manga/SoulEaterNot Shaula]]]], for Scorpions
** [[spoiler:Lisa and Arisa (the witches-in-hiding who run Chupa Cabra's)]], have butterfly and firefly for their themes.
** And if various WildMassGuessing theories are to be believed: [[MsFanservice Blair]], for cats.
** While [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Free]] is male and not necessarily a witch, he does have a multitude of magical powers and has a wolf motif.
** [[spoiler:Another male non-witch character, [[TheCollector Eibon/Noah]],]] can be presumed to have a worm motif[[spoiler:, since "worm" is in his chanting and since he used one to bite an enemy to pieces. The fact that he wields a book, specifies it as a ([[BadassBookworm badass?]]) "[[NoPunIntended bookworm]]".]]
* In ''Anime/SpiritedAway'', all the characters from the spirit world are actually animal spirits, according to the WordOfGod. [[DeadpanSnarker Lin]] is a weasel. [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Kamaji]], with his beady LennonSpecs, multiple arms and fuzzy moustache resembles a tarantula. [[ItsAllAboutMe Several workers]] in the bath are fittingly frogs and slugs. [[MyBelovedSmother Yubaba]] takes the form of a dark bird, perhaps a crow. [[MysteriousProtector Haku]] is a [[spoiler:dragon.]]
* ''Manga/{{Subaru}}'' has a black cat as an important animal motif, in terms of symbolic and emotional meaning. A black cat is what Kazuma and Subaru wanted as kids, but couldn't because their home didn't allow pets and it's a black cat that repeatedly leads Subaru to people or places associated with dancing. It disappears during the second half of the story, when Subaru leaves Japan for America.
** ''[[Manga/MoonSubaruSolitudeStanding The sequel]]'' returns with the same black cat motif. Subaru took in a stray black cat.
* Metamorphic insects show up throughout ''Anime/ThisUglyYetBeautifulWorld'', foreshadowing Hikari's ultimate purpose.
* Most of the superheros in ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'' have an animal motif. Kotetsu is a tiger, Antonio an ox, Nathan a phoenix, Pao-Lin a dragon, and Barnaby has the honor of being frequently alluded to a [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking rabbit]]. He is not amused by this.
* ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'': Many Ghouls adopt animal motifs for their disguises or are given an animal-themed [[RedBaron alias]] by CCG.
** Ken Kaneki: Insects, in particular CreepyCentipedes.
** Touka Kirishima: Rabbits
** Yoshimura: Owls
** Renji Yomo: Ravens and Crows
** Kaya Irimi: Dogs
** Enji Koma: Great Apes
** Hinami Fueguchi: Butterflies
** [[OminousOwl The]] [[HalfHumanHybrid One-Eyed]] [[HeroKiller Owl]]
** Chie Hori: Rodents (hamsters, rats, and mice).
** [[spoiler:Nishiki Nishio]][=/=]Orochi: Serpents
* The main cast of ''Manga/UraraMeirocho'' were assigned with these, most comprehensively by Tokie in Episode 10:
** Chiya: Dog
** Kon: Fox (some of the cast would rather see her as {{Kitsune}}.
** Ko'ume: Cat
** Nono: {{Tanuki}}
** Nina: Sheep
** Saku: Deer
* ''Manga/XxxHoLic'':
** Yuuko who is often represented by a butterfly, which [[ButterflyOfTransformation symbolizes change]] and how she changes her customers, including the main characters. It also symbolizes [[ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth life and death]], [[spoiler:to reflect her undead nature]] and fate.
** Watanuki is often represented by Foxes and/or birds. However, he selects the bird to be his signature, which is representative of his connection to [[Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle Tsubasa]], as well as his being Yuuko's successor (because birds can go farther than butterflies).
* ''Manga/YuGiOh'':
** Insector Haga has an [[BigCreepyCrawlies Insect]] deck.
** Dinosaur Ryuuzaki has a [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs Dinosaur]] deck, with his ace cards being [[InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons dra]][[DinosaursAreDragons gons]].
** Rebecca later moved from her old deck to a [[InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons Dragon]] deck.
** Seto Kaiba's signature card is the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, the spirit of which [[spoiler:was his past incarnation's lover]] and occasionally sends him plot-relevant visions. He actually themes his clothes and a commissioned private jet around it.
* In ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', there's an animal motif on two points where Misawa and Judai clash. The artwork depicts a dragon coming from Judai, and a tiger coming from Misawa. This is a reference to tigers and dragons represented by Yin and Yang in Taoism. Dragon was Yang, and Yang went with rushing headlong into things on instinct, which is how Judai does everything. The tiger was Yin, going with thinking and planning, which Misawa does even with things like batting in baseball.
** For extra giggle points, Misawa eventually falls in love with Taniya, a tiger woman, and Judai with Yubel, who was transformed into a dragon to protect him.
* ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'':
** The six Signers have [[InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons dragons]] as their Signer monsters and ace cards, but none of them use a Dragon archetype.
*** [[MeaningfulName Crow]] Hogan uses the Blackwing archetype, a deck of Winged Beast-type monsters, so he has a crow and raven theme.
** There are seven Dark Signers and six of the Earthbound Immortals are animals (the seventh is a [[OurGiantsAreBigger giant]]), but only three of the Dark Signers use archetypes fitting to their Earthbound Immortal. Rudger has Uru the spider, so his deck is a Spider deck. Misty has Ccarayhua the lizard, so her deck is a Reptilliane deck. And Demak has Cusillu the monkey, so his deck is a monkey deck.
*** Kiryu has the giant Ccapac Apu, Carly has the hummingbird Aslla Piscu, Bommer has the killer whale Chacu Challhua, and Goodwin has the condor Wiracocha Rasca, but they use an Infernity deck, a Fortune Lady deck, a Reactor deck and an Inca deck, respectively.
* ''Anime/SpiritedAway'':
** Chihiro, the protagonist, finds it hard to turn without stepping on an Eastern dragon. This affinity for them saves her life several times.
** After gorging on the food of the spirits, Chihiro's parents are punished by being turned into pigs. The symbolism is obvious.
* [[SiblingYinYang Black and White]] from ''Anime/{{Tekkonkinkreet}}'' are collectively referred to as "the cats", and White is often seen wearing hats or hoods that mimic animal looks.
* The assassins from ''Manga/{{Arachnid}}'' and ''Caterpillar'' have insect motifs. The plot often pauses to compare the techniques of the characters to the behaviour of insects. ''Killing Bites'', written by the same author, has a similar premise with more common animal motifs.
* ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'':
** Centipedes for [[AffablyEvil Principal Asano]] and his [[BrokenAce son]].
** Visual metaphors depict [[HiddenDepths Nagisa]] as a snake: a [[WeakButSkilled small]], swift predator that hides in plain sight. More esoterically, Nagisa also has semi-hypnotic eyes- another trait commonly attributed to snakes.
** [[VillainProtagonist Koro]]-[[BadassTeacher sensei]] is routinely referred to as an "octopus" for [[CombatTentacles looking a lot like one]]. Aside from his appearance, he is a skilled multitasker who's strange in both function and appearance.
** [[TheAce Kataoka]] is a sea turtle -- a strong, peaceful animal that protects smaller fish.
* In a broader sense, in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', humans are domesticated livestock and the Titans are predators. The thematic goal of the protagonists is to become hunters and live free rather than be shut up in a pen.
** Some motifs are made explicit in some scenes. [[spoiler:Annie]] is muzzled like a wolf. Lord Balto, a selfish and gluttonous rich man, is seen as a pig.
* ''WebComic/AxisPowersHetalia'':
** There's Greece with his many cats. He himself wishes to be a cat, and has a cat army. He wears cat ears in one episode (Japan put them on him), after wishing he were one of his feline companions.
** There's [[FanNickname Usarisu]]. After a drawing on [[WordOfGod the author's blog]] of Chibirisu (the little kid version of England) with bunny ears, the trend spread of drawing little England with the ears became quite popular among fans. He's not the only character to have been drawn with them, though, and The Netherlands is very commonly associated with rabbits owing to toting his pet one everywhere.
** Lithuania can be compared to a dog. He's [[ButtMonkey always being ordered around by one person or another]], he has dog ears in a bonus comic [[LittleBitBeastly giving the characters animals characteristics]] and, possibly coincidentally, his human name Toris is supposedly a common name for dogs in Lithuania.
* In ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', Griffith is closely associated with the hawk; besides the name of the group of his followers, The Band Of The Hawks, his helmet is vaguely similar to that of a bird of prey, he often wears a cape (symbolising the wings), and is even called [[LightIsNotGood "The Hawk of Light"]]. [[spoiler:Eventually, once he becomes a member of the Godhand, his demonic form Femto resembles a black hawk with batlike CapeWings.]]
** His counter part, [[DarkIsNotEvil Guts]], however, is more closely associated with [[NobleWolf wolves]], most notably by his [[EnemyWithin "inner beast"]] Guts is also known as "The Dark Hawk", to counter Griffith. But Guts is truly a hound as Casca [[http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/berserk/images/6/67/Guts_Hound.png/revision/latest?cb=20170324083355 sees him]] in her mind.
** [[FauxActionGirl Casca]] herself is seen as chick hatching from a egg in Griffith's hand, other times she more dog-like with her [[BlankWhiteEyes eyes whiting out]] (like her lover Guts), though she is sees her herself as a doll in her mind.
** There's also Guts' TrueCompanions:
*** Isidro, monkey
*** Serpico, fox
*** Farnese, stoat
*** Schierke, owl
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
** Soifon's theme is the Asian Giant Hornet. She has the aggression to match, too.
** Gin's theme is predominantly the snake. However, some characters also compare him to a fox because of his tendency to play pranks on people. In the end, the manga does take the snake-plus-fox theme to its logical conclusion in chapter 414 where a colour picture of Gin depicts him as Inari (more famous for being fox themed, Inari has even older, but less well-known, snake associations).
** Unohana is ray-themed. Her shikai form even takes the form of a giant ray of indeterminate species. Akin to the mixed mythology of the ray as both aggressive, dangerous poisoner and killer, and a more benign healer and antidote, Unohana has been portrayed as a benign healer but hints occur occasionally that there's a much more dangerous side to her.
** Komamura is wolf-themed to such an extent that he's a humanoid wolf and has the stereotypical UndyingLoyalty (to Yamamoto) as well. It's a RunningGag [[AllThereInTheManual in-universe]] that characters mistake him for a dog instead of a wolf which works well as the fandom often mistakes him for a dog as well. He's also got the ability to communicate with dogs, owns a dog, and has a secret weakness for human shows about puppies.
** Tousen is themed on the bell cricket [[spoiler: to such an extent that when he finally gains resurreccion it takes an insect form reminiscent of the TheFly.]]
** Mayuri has, amongst a few other themes, a strong peacock theme from his name, to his colourful attire, to his [[MadScientist aptitude]] for poisons and antidotes.
** Ukitake is carp-themed. This includes the concept of the carp representing boys who can overcome adversity to become stronger. He gained an incurable lung disease as a child. Despite that, he's still [[{{Determinator}} managed]] to not just reach the captain rank but is one of the longest-serving captains of all.
** Rangiku is cat themed. She takes the seductress route with her cat themes being [[AllThereInTheManual officially]] the sexiest woman in the entire Gotei 13 and is also an example of TheTease. Her zanpakutou behaves like volcanic ash, conviently tying in to the concept of a slashing cat.
** Yumichika is peacock-themed to such an extent that, as well as having the vanity and obsession with beauty, he's also got the less well-known folklore traits of being extremely watchful (he tends to sense reiatsu when others don't or even as fast as captains), but he also has the ability to "bind" evil, as well as having rejuvenation abilities - powers also associated with the peacock which is why the peacock overlaps the phoenix in mythology.
** Yoruichi can ''turn'' into a black cat.
** Coyote Starrk is wolf-themed, specifically, lone-wolf themed. Appropriately, he has the unique power of being able to split his soul into companion beings, including a large pack of very dangerous wolves.
** Harribel is [[ThreateningShark shark-themed]]. Dignified and terrifying, she comes with obligatory water powers.
** Ulquiorra is bat-themed to go with his darkness, void and despair themes. His resurreccion has led to fandom-wide Batman jokes.
** Nnoitra Jiruga is Praying Mantis themed. Predatory, capable of being stealthy and underhanded or a whirlwind of brute force. Also, a lot of emphasis is made on the fact that he's not as strong as a certain female teammate and one of his resurreccion tricks is to produce multiple arms (four initially, with two extra hidden for ambush purposes to bring his total to a very six).
** Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, who is jaguar-themed, specifically panther (black jaguar) in keeping with the theme of him being the dark counterpart of Ichigo (who is sun and eclipse themed), who (as the jaguar symbolises in mythology) is obsessed with kingship. His sword is named ''Pantera'' and his released appearance becomes decidedly more feline. When he was a hollow, he ''was'' a cat.
** Zommari takes the prize as the weirdest. He's sea urchin-themed, and his resurreccion turns his lower body into one full of many eyes. He shows the author did the research as the sea urchin is associated in mythology with witchcraft just as Zommari's powers are.
** Szayel Aporro Grantz is a parasitic worm; strange, maybe even good-looking but incredibly vile and with a variety of powers that rely on drawing health from hurting/killing another organism. On a more fantastic level, he's also associated with the phoenix which is again appropriate for parasitic worms.
** Nel is antelope and goat-antelope themed right down to the ExtremeOmniGoat joke. Even her resurreccion takes the form of an [[OurCentaursAreDifferent antelope-based centaur]].
** Ggio is cat-themed, specific sabre-tooth cat and tiger-themed.
** Findor is crab-themed. In resurreccion his one arm even becomes a giant pincer. His powers are water-based.
** Avirrama is eagle-themed, even down to having wings and feather-based attacks.
** Nirgge is elephant-themed and his power lies with his physical strength.
** Poww is essentially a monstrous whale that masquerades as humanoid. In resurreccion he becomes monstrously large (not that he wasn't already) and gains a throat like a baleen whale.
** Harribel's three fraccions are all animal based (Mila-Rose is lion themed and has the Greek Amazon look to go with it, Sung-Sun is anaconda-themed and has snake-appropriate powers, Apacci is deer-themed. In resurreccion she is a deer-woman).
** Tesla is warthog themed and practically turns into the warthog equivalent of a minotaur in resurreccion.
** Loly is centipede-themed and her sword even has poison-based abilities.
** Pesche is stag beetle themed, to an extent where it's made a joke of in the manga. He's mistaken for an ant and he gets very indignant.
* In ''Manga/BlueExorcist'', Konekomaru is one of the main characters to be this. Part of his name, Neko, means cat. He loves hot milk, he hates being cold, and he is one of the smallest and cutest characters in the series.
** On the other side of the spectrum, Mamushi Hojo is incredibly snake-like. She is very sharp tongued, condescending, and slippery like one; her name means pit viper; she even has the slitted snake-pupils for God's sake!
* ''Manga/ChronoCrusade'': Aion is often associated with birds, particularly an eagle that is his familiar. He often sends his eagle ahead of him to communicate with others or make his presence known. He also refers to Chrono as "my bird who can't fly", and goes as far as to describe a character falling into his trap as a "turkey flying into the oven basted and ready to cook."
* ''Anime/DanceWithDevils'': The four boys of the student council that form the show's reverse harem, are themed as follows:
** Rem, ram.
** Urie, spiders.
** Mage, snake.
** Shiki, crow.
* ''Anime/DeltoraQuest'': ''"Barda The Bear"'' is what Barda was called as guard during days of peace in Del, for being the toughest out of all the guards, though Barda doesn't appreciate that moniker when Jinx calls him by it.
** Jasmine associated [[FriendToAllLivingThings many animals]] but mainly with birds since her connection with her pet black bird Kree and distaste for walls and stone, preferring freedom of the air. Lief is tied with Dragons and their majesty [[spoiler: as the Deltora royal family are connected to Dragons]].
* ''Manga/DescendantsOfDarkness'': The creator has often drawn the two main characters with animal traits, both in the manga and in extra art. For Happy-go-lucky, often childish, always energetic and loyal Tsuzuki, it's a puppy. This visual is used enough in the manga and anime that fans often reference Tsuzuki as going into "Puppy-mode". For the quiet, loner, bookish, easily angered, defensive and Tsundere Hisoka, it's a cat. While this isn't used nearly as much as the Puppy-Tsuzuki visual, it's no less apt.
* ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'': Most of the chosen children are associated with certain animals based off their crests and their Digimon partners.
** Taichi - [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs Dinosaurs]].
** Yamato - [[NobleWolf Canines]].
** Sora - [[GiantFlyer Birds]].
** Izumi - [[BigCreepyCrawlies Bugs]].
** Jou - [[AquaticAnimalTropes Sea Creatures]].
* ''Manga/DragonBall'':
** Yamcha has a wolf motif, fitting his Wolf Fang Fist.
** The Saiyajin (this includes Goku and his sons) have a monkey motif.
* ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}'' has Monta with an uncanny appearance to a monkey. Patrick "Panther" Spencer is known to be one of the fastest people in the world. BloodKnight [[TheBerserker berserker]] Gaou is comparable to a Tyrannosaurus with the way he "devours" anyone who stands in his way. Rui has the appearance of a chamelion.
** Gaou's teammates Marco and Kisaragi are a raptor and a pteranodon respectively.
* The various martial arts of the ''Nanto Seiken'' school in ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' are named after birds.
** Shin's ''Nanto Koshuken'' style is the "Long Eagle Fist"
** Rei's ''Nanto Suichoken'' style is the "Waterfowl Fist"
** Juda's ''Nanto Kokakuken'' style is the "Crimson Crane Fist"
** Shuu's ''Nanto Hakuroken'' style is the "White Heron Fist"
** Souther's ''Nanto Ho-oken'' style is the "Phoenix Fist"
** Haz and Gil's ''Nanto Soyoken'' style is the "Twin Hawk Fist"
** The only exceptions to this theme are the Golan Colonel's ''Nanto Muonken'' style ("Silent Fist") and the knife jugglers Beji and Giji's ''Nanto Sozanken'' style ("Twin Kill Fist"), as well as most of the anime-only styles from filler episodes. However, most of the styles from the ''Gaiden'' spin-offs follow the avian theme.
* ''Anime/{{Free}}'':
** The Iwatobi swim team has their own animal motifs in their swimming styles. Haruka's is the dolphin: Nagisa compares to him to one, and he has a toy dolphin in his home bathroom. Makoto's is the orca: notable in Episode 6 when his feelings about swimming reflect the nature of orcas conquering the largest distances as a pod. Nagisa's is the penguin, and he even has them printed in his underwear. Rei's motif is the butterfly, as it is also his preferred swimming stroke, which is the only swimming stroke he knows.
** The Samezuka team have their own animal motifs. Rin's is the shark, due to his competitive nature, and he even has pointy teeth. Nitori's is the duck. Sousuke's is the whale shark. Momotarou's is the sea otter.
* ''Manga/FruitsBasket'': The Sohma family are themed after the EasternZodiac, and most of them have personalities fitting the particular animal spirit they're cursed with. Some subvert or avert the trope though - [[spoiler:Shigure uses his appearance of civility and uselessness to manipulate the other thirteen.]]
** Yuki (rat) is a self-acknowledged coward, who prefers to hide behind his [[StepfordSmiler mask of politeness]] rather than risk being rejected by others. Kyo [[OddOneOut (cat)]] is defensive and easily angered, and feels as out-of-place in the family as a cat would in the eastern zodiac. Momiji (rabbit) is playful and cute, with a whimsical personality that hides [[WiseBeyondTheirYears great insight]] into the pain of others. Haru (bull) is patient and a little stubborn; he ''looks'' placid on the outside, but has a bad temper that emerges if he's pushed too far. Kagura (boar) is impulsive and violent, persistent to a fault. Shigure (dog) is perverted, but lighthearted and a good friend. ([[spoiler:Well, except for his ManipulativeBastard tendencies, anyway.]]) Rin (horse) is proud and rebellious. Hatori (dragon/[[spoiler:[[SeahorsesAreDragons seahorse]]]]) is cryptic but highly knowledgeable, a guide to the rest of the Zodiac. Kureno (rooster/[[spoiler:sparrow]]) is mild and unobtrusive- loyal to Akito and trying to avoid conflict. Ayame (snake) finds it difficult to establish personal relationships, and Yuki feels that Ayame betrayed him in their childhood.
** [[AvertedTrope Hiro, the sheep, doesn't really fit any of its associations, though.]]
* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' uses the "dog of the military" motif, which is what Ed is constantly referred to as. It's mostly used as a derogatory nickname given to state alchemists by people who believe alchemists should not be involved in state affairs.
** In [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime version]], after defecting when [[spoiler:his brother becomes the philosopher's stone]], Ed voices to his commander, Mustang, that he is now a stray.
* In ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'', during comedic moments, Sousuke's animal motif is a cute (albeit irritable looking) little dog. A more plot significant one for him, though, is a tiger (referring to the fact that he's the "son of Bdakshon's Tiger," being called "Tiger" by Gauron in the English dub, as well as his adopting a pet tiger that he loves). On the other hand, Gauron's animal motif can be seen as a dragon, derived from his name "Gauron" (meaning "nine dragons" in Chinese). Symbolism is rampant when one considers the antagonizing, spark-filled relationship between the tiger and dragon in Asian culture. In fact, the TigerVersusDragon trope page describes their relationship perfectly.
* ''Anime/FutureGPXCyberFormula'': Some racing teams' logos have these. For example, Team Sugo has {{Pegasus}} as their logo, Aoi has the Griffin as their logo and as for the team Albatross DDT... well, you can probably guess what they have as their logo.
** When Shinjyo uses his Peacock/Phoenix Wing boost, the fire in a shape of the fiery bird comes out of the booster's nozzles. And when Hayato uses his Super Asurada 01 boosters, an image of Pegasus appears while the car is being blasted in one episode of the TV series.
* ''Manga/GetBackers'': Ban is often associated with snakes. His eyes are slitty and look a ''lot'' like a snake's, and one of his trademark attacks is ''called'' "Snake Bite." Shido even calls him "Snake Bastard." Hey, even his proud, condescending attitude is rather reminiscent of [[SmugSnake a certain trope]]. Though physically, it's especially obvious in [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/get_backers/v14/c001.2/30.html this page of the manga]].
* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}:''
** [[spoiler:The Unicorn Banshee]] from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn'' has a lion motif.
** Many of the machines in ''Anime/GundamReconguistaInG'' have this, sometimes combined with MythicalMotifs or FairyTaleMotifs. The G-Self has bunny ears (and a bunny decal on its pilot suit), there's the Caitsith and Elf Bullock mobile suits, and the appropriately-named ''Megafauna'' deploys fishlike energy "fins" in flight mode.
* ''Manga/{{Haikyuu}}'': All teams have some kind of motif, most of them animals:
** '''''Karasu'''''no - crows.
** '''''Neko'''''ma - cats.
** '''''Shiratori'''''zawa - a white bird [eagle] (the literal translation of 'shiratori' rather than the idiomatic translation of swan).
** '''''Fukurou'''''dani - owls.
** No'''''hebi''''' - snakes.
** '''''Itachi'''''yama - weasels(? none of the players have appeared as of ch202).
* ''Manga/HajimeNoIppo'' uses this trope quite a lot. Ippo is a gazelle, Sendo a tiger, Vorg a wolf, Date a lion, Woli a monkey, Kimura a dragonfish... Notably, Takamura, despite being the 2nd main character, does not have a clear motif. He could be a hawk (his name reflects it and he wears a hawk costume for world title fights), a bear (won against one and has worn his fur) or a rhinoceros beetle (wore such a costume).
* ''Manga/HimoutoUmaruChan'': Hamster for Umaru. And not only when she's indoors—even when outside Umaru sometimes has rodent mannerisms, such as the way she licks ice cream.
* ''LightNovel/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'': Bell is often compared to a WhiteBunny because he's an [[HeroicAlbino albino]] with a LightningBruiser style of combat.
* In [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventurePhantomBlod Part One]] of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'', Jonathan Joestar is compared to a Lion, for his courage and nobility
* ''Anime/{{K}}''
** The way Shiro holds his pink parasol may have been designed to invoke peacock imagery, mostly notable because as a symbol, the peacock connotes royalty, refinement, spirituality and holiness, immortality and incorruptibility, and enlightenment and awakening. In western culture, the peacock also symbolizes the heavens and stars. It makes sense in the latter part of the series because [[spoiler: Shiro is actually Adolf K. Weissmann, the first King and the Silver King.]]
** Kuroh is nicknamed the "Black Dog" and is fiercely loyal to the former 7th King, Ichigen Miwa and later becomes just as loyal to [[spoiler: Shiro. Shiro's other clansman is Neko, and, as her name implies...]]
** Mikoto is the lion, being very apathetic, usually seen sleeping and very powerful and naturally charismatic. When fighting an enemy who attempted to invade his mind, Mikoto is represented by a lion made of fire that easily repels the enemy.
** Misaki Yata, a.k.a. Yatagarasu (crow), and Saruhiko Fushimi (monkey), have the series' standard mythology-reference names that also reference animals. Their character designs, however, reflect each others' names' animals. [[ShipTease Take that as you wish.]]
** Rikio Kamamoto is a turtle.
** Upon [[spoiler:becoming the new Red King]], Anna's motif is a phoenix, [[spoiler: symbolizing the rebirth of HOMRA.]]
* ''Manga/KOn'' appears to have a thing for turtles and tortoises. For one, there are the statues on the school staircases, based on the fable of the tortoise and the hare. In the opening of the first season, the girls are seen hopping over stones in a river, some of which are turtle-shaped (both are from [[RealPlaceBackground real locations]], by the way). Ui owns a large turtle plushie. And then there's Ton-chan, a turtle living in an aquarium in the club room.
* ''Manga/KatekyoHitmanReborn'' takes this concept to the logical conclusion. It is easier to list the amount of characters who don't have an animal associated with them. That number is 0.
* ''Anime/KillLaKill'': The Elite Four, corresponding with the respective characters in their surnames.
** Ira Gamagoori: Toads (or frogs), which inflate themselves to look [[YourSizeMayVary bigger and more intimidating]].
** Uzu Sanageyama: Monkeys, he is by far the most agile of the Elite Four, and may be based on Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.
** Houka Inumuta: Dogs and, as the president of the Information Committee and a skilled hacker, he is very good at metaphorically "sniffing out" enemies an finding clues that otherwise might have been ignored.
** Nonon Jakuzure: Snakes and she is indeed the most cruel, ill-tempered member of the Four.
** Similarly, while this is subtle, Satsuki, their leader, seems to be associated with eagles, if her "Ask not the sparrow how the eagle soars" is a clue, along with the fact that she is usually high up on some kind of perch and, in general, looks fierce and intimidating, along with having [[spoiler:fake, but otherwise sharp, talons]].
* ''Manga/KiriNoMoriHotel'' has cats as its motif. Several cats live in the hotel and are often the ones who lead guests to the hotel when they need it.
* In ''Kodomo no Jikan'' (manga only) Kuro is occasionally drawn as a black cat (and in both anime and manga she often sports/sprouts cat ears) and Mimi is drawn as a white rabbit. Also, Aoki compares the cat he had been feeding to Rin. When it scratched him, she justified it by saying that it [[NoticeThis might have been abused.]]
* In ''Manga/KodomoNoOmocha'', whenever Hayama's feeling especially mischievous, he gains the ears and tail of a [[CatsAreMean cheetah]].
** Sana's also referred to him as a "Lone Wolf" and "The Monkey King" (with appropriate {{Imagine Spot}}s for both), and imagined him as an ill-tempered chick.
* In ''Manga/KotouraSan'', Manabe's perversion is usually emphasized by having him act like and occasionally turn into a Wolf.
* ''Manga/LuckyStar'': The characters start wondering which animal motif suits them best. Joking unflappable otaku Konata gets a fox, cute and innocent Tsukasa a puppy, soft-mannered and peaceful Miyuki a sheep (although Konata would quip that she's more suited to a cow due to her...[[GagBoobs ahem... bust size]])... and resident {{Tsundere}} and StraightMan Kagami is to her endless shame given a bunny (due to her underlying emotionality and her tendency to hide it from the world, and, apparently, because her pigtails look like rabbit ears according to Konata).
* ''Anime/LupinIIITheWomanCalledFujikoMine'': Fujiko is associated with both peacocks and butterflies. Those who work with/for Count Almeida have owls - especially the Count's castle.
* Satsuki Yotsuba from ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' [[http://www.mangafox.com/manga/mahou_sensei_negima/v09/c073/11.html is commonly drawn with a Koala behind her]] and is the only [[LoadsAndLoadsofCharacters one]] drawn quite [[OnlySixFaces different]] clearly inspired by a Koala.
* ''Manga/MakenKi'': Inaho typically fashions her hair into a short pair of bobbles.. But, [[ArtEvolution in later chapters]], they're drawn as [[http://readpanda.net/Maken-ki/10/20/ triangular ear-like wedges.]] Which, along with her perpetual {{cat smile}}, gives her the appearance of [[http://readpanda.net/Maken-ki/18/11/ a squirrel girl.]]
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'':
** Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha are odd cases of having ''two'' Animal Motifs each. First are ones which [[GenerationXerox they "inherited" from their teachers]] (which are really too blatant in their cases to even count as motifs) and the second are ones unique to them. Naruto has toads and foxes (resemblance to a fox, a prankster but [[IGaveMyWord always keeps his promises]]), while Sasuke has snakes and hawks (what he names his team, an illusion he uses is represented with feathers pierces the person, [[spoiler:he learned to summon a hawk]], ''[[AnimeHair his hair]]'').
** Also, Itachi has a raven motif-thing going on, which is interesting if you consider that Sasuke's motif is the hawk...
** The rest of the Konoha clans save for the Senju have their own, too: Hyuuga--birds, Inuzuka--dogs, Aburame--insects, Yamanaka--boars, Nara--deer, Akamichi--butterflies, Sarutobi--monkeys, [[spoiler:Uzumaki--foxes]].
** The same can be applied to several Akatsuki members: Deidara- bird, Kisame-shark, Sasori- scorpion.
** The Second Mizukage can summon a Giant Clam and styled his outfit and hair to resemble said shellfish.
** Neji Hyuuga has a bird theme. He was trapped in the cage of destiny like a bird, but gets free of it thanks to Naruto. [[spoiler:When Neji died, a flying bird was killed by Obito as well.]]
** Hinata Hyuuga has been associated with lions (or lionesses) after her fight with Pain. Lions are seen as symbols of bravery and protection. Throughout the series, Hinata stood up for her beliefs, fearlessly faced her foes, and has displayed her willingness to protect her loved ones. Her SignatureMove is even named "Gentle Step Twin '''Lion''' Fists."
** Tsunade has slugs - she can even summon a giant one to ride.
* ''Manga/OnePiece''
** The original Seven Warlords of the Sea have an animal in their names and can often identify with the animal's characteristics:
*** [[MasterSwordsman Dracule Mihawk]]: the Hawk, having sharp, narrow eyes, similar to those of a hawk.
*** [[DefrostingIceQueen Boa Hancock]]: the Snake, being [[ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful beautiful]] and [[JerkassFacade vain]]. She also resides on an island where serpents are the pet of choice.
*** [[BearsAreBadNews Bartholomew Kuma]]: the Bear, appearing to be frightening and extremely large.
*** [[PeoplePuppets Donquixote Doflamingo]]: the Flamingo, wearing a pink, flamboyant clothes and walking like a flamingo.
*** [[LivingShadow Gecko Moria]]: the Gecko, his clothing resembling a gecko. Or alternatively, the Bat, given his general shadow theme, and that his name is very close to, or at least contains, the Japanese word for bat (koumori).
*** [[MagnificentBastard Crocodile]]: the Crocodile, keeping monstrous crocodiles as pets and having a scar that resembles a crocodile's smile
*** [[FishPeople Jimbei]]: the Shark, being a whale shark fishman.
** This also applies to the [[BadassCrew Straw Hats]] themselves (Chopper goes without saying), as [[WordOfGod Oda]] said. They get alternate motives with the outfits in ''VideoGame/OnePieceUnlimitedCruise''. But more literally get animal counterparts in this [[https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/46/f1/e8/46f1e8cfa02df1b2cc680afe7556089f.png colorspread]].
*** Luffy is a monkey, happy-go-lucky and hyperactive and even acts likes monkey in some of his earlier battles. Lion in ''Unlimited Cruise'', since he wants to be King of the Pirates and lions are associated with kings.
*** Zoro is a shark, terrifying and hard to approach, more recently he was pictured as a tiger (corresponding with a few of his attack names). Zoro is a Dragon in ''Unlimited Cruise'' .
*** Nami is a cat, sly and sneaky. Tropical fish in ''Unlimited Cruise'' because such fish are usually beautiful and Nami has a lot of sex appeal. Nami is also called a "swan" a lot by Sanji, in reference to her graceful beauty and more literally when Mr 2 uses her image.
*** Sanji is a duck, loud and loving, but more recently pictured as a Ram for his kicking power in ''Unlimited Cruise''. Sanji also gets pictured with wolves and dogs a lot, attracting wolves in Upper Yard, fighting [[TheBigBadWolf Jabra]] and [[spoiler: he was also savaged by a dog when he was boy bringing food to his sick mother and later Luffy]].
*** Usopp is a armadillo, frightened easily and defensive and he is more recently pictured as a gecko. He's an owl in ''Unlimited Cruise'' as he's something of an inventor and owls are associated with knowledge.
*** Robin is a crane, tall and graceful, she more recently pictured as a falcon (for her piercing eyes) and a butterfly in ''Unlimited Cruise''.
*** Franky is a bull, boisterous and short-tempered and an Rhinocerous in ''Unlimited Cruise'' and colorspread.
*** Brook is a horse (Skeleton Horse), affectionate and friendly. Swallow in ''Unlimited Cruise''.
*** Chopper normally doesn't have one as he's already a reindeer, but everybody confuses him for Tanuki (raccoon) so he is pictured as one as a gag. Chopper was also a cat in an Omake and a dinosaur in ''Unlimited Cruise''.
** The same goes for [[http://i26.mangareader.net/one-piece/522/one-piece-65141.jpg the members of the CP9]]:
*** Spandam is a Panda.
*** Rob Lucci is a leopard.
*** Kaku is a giraffe.
*** Jabra is a wolf.
*** Blueno is a bull.
*** Kumadori is a lion.
*** Fukuro is an owl.
*** Kalifa is a sheep.
*** Nero is a weasel.
** And a few other characters, like Mr. 2 (a swan), the marine captain Nezumi (a rat) and every [[{{Animorphism}} Zoan]] [[AppliedPhlebotinum Devil Fruit]] user (their respective animal).
** [[PowerTrio The three Admirals]] are based of MomotarÅ legends, they are a pheasant, a dog and a monkey assisted the boy hero, MomotarÅ, on his adventures. Coincidentally, each personality fits the aliases (Aokiji, the pheasant, is somewhat lazy; Kizaru, the monkey, is quite absent-minded and irresponsible; and Akainu, the dog, is very loyal).
* ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'':
** The friendly, loyal, hyperactive Tamaki as a dog (he is also a dog lover).
** Haruhi is teased by the others for resembling a "tanuki" (raccoon dog).
** The twins are portrayed as sneaky and "devilish" as cats, which adds humor to their relationship with Tamaki.
* ''Manga/PeacemakerKurogane'': Tetsu is frequently referred to as a "pup" since he is still just a child among a den of "wolves", the Shinsengumi.
* ''LightNovel/ThePetGirlOfSakurasou'': The girls have different animal motifs; Mashiro's motif is a cat, Nanami's is a tiger (which shows up a bit as her favourite stuffed toy), and Misaki's a bear (she seems to be a fan of a nameless bear mascot).
* ''Manga/PetShopOfHorrors'': The animals are usually connected to both their owner's "fatal flaw" and a possible means of redemption. The man who deceived his new bride gets a highly possessive (and [[ImAHumanitarian hungry]]) mermaid; the selfish drifter gets a sweet little kitten to soften his nature.
* ''Anime/PrincessTutu'': Being an anime about ballet and fairy tales that was heavily influenced by ''Theatre/SwanLake'', there are several of these, along with references to AnimalStereotypes. In particular, Princess Tutu is heavily associated with swans (as is Mytho in his true, princely form), the girl that transforms into her is named Ahiru ("duck") and is really a duck disguised as a human, the villain is a Raven (see CreepyCrows), and Princess Kraehe ("crow" in German) is associated both with crows (obviously) and black swans. The opening intro goes as far as to show Ahiru in her duck form flying into the sky as she transforms into a beautiful swan--an "Ugly Duckling" reference that has not been lost on the fandom.
* ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' is full of animal motifs: Kenshin is the Dragon, Sano the Rooster, Saitou the Wolf, and Enishi the Tiger. It also makes an extended joke concerning women's face shapes: in Japan, women are considered to be Tanuki ("raccoon-dog", round and open features, implying naivete) or Kitsune ("fox", long and narrow, implying mischief). When Saitou meets Misao for the first time, he has an ImagineSpot: If Kaoru = Tanuki and Megumi = Kitsune, then Misao = Itachi (weasel). Misao was ''not'' pleased.
* ''Franchise/SailorMoon'': Usagi Tsukino with rabbits. Even her name means "rabbit", and [[{{Odango}} her hair]] is meant to mirror the ears of one. This relates back to the astrological motif as well, from the Japanese myth of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_rabbit the rabbit on the moon.]] Chibi-Usa is designed to look even more like a rabbit, with her pinkish eyes and bunny ear-shaped {{Odango}}. Taken to [[ExaggeratedTrope ridiculous extremes]] with Kousagi, Usagi's second daughter in a non-canon short story titled "Parallel Moon"; everything she has is bunny-themed, even her transformation brooch and {{Odango}} protectors, not surprisingly since said story is a huge self-parody of the manga.
* ''Anime/ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman'':
** G-1 is [[TheHero the Eagle]], the leader.
** G-2 is [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold the Condor]], loyal, but grumpy and off-putting.
** G-3 is [[ActionGirl the Swan]], pretty, but will kick your tail.
** G-4 is the Swallow, very much the hyperactive kid.
** G-5 is [[TheBigGuy the Owl]], tough and calm.
* ''Manga/{{Shigurui}}'': Kogan Iwamoto and after him Gennosuke Fujiki symbolise the Tiger while Seigen Irako symbolises the Dragon.
* ''Manga/SlamDunk'' uses this trope pretty frequently in combination with chibi. Centers that are big and ugly are nicknamed some variation of "gorilla" (Gori, Bald Gori, Ape King), while someone who's annoyingly energetic is called a monkey (Redheaded Monkey, Wild Monkey). Similarly, Shohoku is often portrayed as a team full of monkeys who follow a gorilla, with the exception of Rukawa who's called a fox.
* In the original ''Manga/SomedaysDreamers'', Yume uses a dolphin as her magic sign.
* The witches from ''Manga/SoulEater'': not only do their motifs tie in with their outer appearances and powers, but a good deal of them have tie-in ''names'' as well:
** [[MagnificentBastard Medusa]], for snakes.
** Arachne, for spiders.
** Eruka, for frogs.
** [[FusionDance Mizune]], for mice.
** [[CuteWitch Angela]], for chameleons.
** [[spoiler:[[ImprobableWeaponUser Kim]]]], for raccoon-dogs.
** [[spoiler:[[Manga/SoulEaterNot Shaula]]]], for Scorpions
** [[spoiler:Lisa and Arisa (the witches-in-hiding who run Chupa Cabra's)]], have butterfly and firefly for their themes.
** And if various WildMassGuessing theories are to be believed: [[MsFanservice Blair]], for cats.
** While [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Free]] is male and not necessarily a witch, he does have a multitude of magical powers and has a wolf motif.
** [[spoiler:Another male non-witch character, [[TheCollector Eibon/Noah]],]] can be presumed to have a worm motif[[spoiler:, since "worm" is in his chanting and since he used one to bite an enemy to pieces. The fact that he wields a book, specifies it as a ([[BadassBookworm badass?]]) "[[NoPunIntended bookworm]]".]]
* In ''Anime/SpiritedAway'', all the characters from the spirit world are actually animal spirits, according to the WordOfGod. [[DeadpanSnarker Lin]] is a weasel. [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Kamaji]], with his beady LennonSpecs, multiple arms and fuzzy moustache resembles a tarantula. [[ItsAllAboutMe Several workers]] in the bath are fittingly frogs and slugs. [[MyBelovedSmother Yubaba]] takes the form of a dark bird, perhaps a crow. [[MysteriousProtector Haku]] is a [[spoiler:dragon.]]
* ''Manga/{{Subaru}}'' has a black cat as an important animal motif, in terms of symbolic and emotional meaning. A black cat is what Kazuma and Subaru wanted as kids, but couldn't because their home didn't allow pets and it's a black cat that repeatedly leads Subaru to people or places associated with dancing. It disappears during the second half of the story, when Subaru leaves Japan for America.
** ''[[Manga/MoonSubaruSolitudeStanding The sequel]]'' returns with the same black cat motif. Subaru took in a stray black cat.
* Metamorphic insects show up throughout ''Anime/ThisUglyYetBeautifulWorld'', foreshadowing Hikari's ultimate purpose.
* Most of the superheros in ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'' have an animal motif. Kotetsu is a tiger, Antonio an ox, Nathan a phoenix, Pao-Lin a dragon, and Barnaby has the honor of being frequently alluded to a [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking rabbit]]. He is not amused by this.
* ''Manga/TokyoGhoul'': Many Ghouls adopt animal motifs for their disguises or are given an animal-themed [[RedBaron alias]] by CCG.
** Ken Kaneki: Insects, in particular CreepyCentipedes.
** Touka Kirishima: Rabbits
** Yoshimura: Owls
** Renji Yomo: Ravens and Crows
** Kaya Irimi: Dogs
** Enji Koma: Great Apes
** Hinami Fueguchi: Butterflies
** [[OminousOwl The]] [[HalfHumanHybrid One-Eyed]] [[HeroKiller Owl]]
** Chie Hori: Rodents (hamsters, rats, and mice).
** [[spoiler:Nishiki Nishio]][=/=]Orochi: Serpents
* The main cast of ''Manga/UraraMeirocho'' were assigned with these, most comprehensively by Tokie in Episode 10:
** Chiya: Dog
** Kon: Fox (some of the cast would rather see her as {{Kitsune}}.
** Ko'ume: Cat
** Nono: {{Tanuki}}
** Nina: Sheep
** Saku: Deer
* ''Manga/XxxHoLic'':
** Yuuko who is often represented by a butterfly, which [[ButterflyOfTransformation symbolizes change]] and how she changes her customers, including the main characters. It also symbolizes [[ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth life and death]], [[spoiler:to reflect her undead nature]] and fate.
** Watanuki is often represented by Foxes and/or birds. However, he selects the bird to be his signature, which is representative of his connection to [[Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle Tsubasa]], as well as his being Yuuko's successor (because birds can go farther than butterflies).
* ''Manga/YuGiOh'':
** Insector Haga has an [[BigCreepyCrawlies Insect]] deck.
** Dinosaur Ryuuzaki has a [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs Dinosaur]] deck, with his ace cards being [[InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons dra]][[DinosaursAreDragons gons]].
** Rebecca later moved from her old deck to a [[InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons Dragon]] deck.
** Seto Kaiba's signature card is the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, the spirit of which [[spoiler:was his past incarnation's lover]] and occasionally sends him plot-relevant visions. He actually themes his clothes and a commissioned private jet around it.
* In ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'', there's an animal motif on two points where Misawa and Judai clash. The artwork depicts a dragon coming from Judai, and a tiger coming from Misawa. This is a reference to tigers and dragons represented by Yin and Yang in Taoism. Dragon was Yang, and Yang went with rushing headlong into things on instinct, which is how Judai does everything. The tiger was Yin, going with thinking and planning, which Misawa does even with things like batting in baseball.
** For extra giggle points, Misawa eventually falls in love with Taniya, a tiger woman, and Judai with Yubel, who was transformed into a dragon to protect him.
* ''Anime/YuGiOh5Ds'':
** The six Signers have [[InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons dragons]] as their Signer monsters and ace cards, but none of them use a Dragon archetype.
*** [[MeaningfulName Crow]] Hogan uses the Blackwing archetype, a deck of Winged Beast-type monsters, so he has a crow and raven theme.
** There are seven Dark Signers and six of the Earthbound Immortals are animals (the seventh is a [[OurGiantsAreBigger giant]]), but only three of the Dark Signers use archetypes fitting to their Earthbound Immortal. Rudger has Uru the spider, so his deck is a Spider deck. Misty has Ccarayhua the lizard, so her deck is a Reptilliane deck. And Demak has Cusillu the monkey, so his deck is a monkey deck.
*** Kiryu has the giant Ccapac Apu, Carly has the hummingbird Aslla Piscu, Bommer has the killer whale Chacu Challhua, and Goodwin has the condor Wiracocha Rasca, but they use an Infernity deck, a Fortune Lady deck, a Reactor deck and an Inca deck, respectively.
* ''Anime/SpiritedAway'':
** Chihiro, the protagonist, finds it hard to turn without stepping on an Eastern dragon. This affinity for them saves her life several times.
** After gorging on the food of the spirits, Chihiro's parents are punished by being turned into pigs. The symbolism is obvious.
* [[SiblingYinYang Black and White]] from ''Anime/{{Tekkonkinkreet}}'' are collectively referred to as "the cats", and White is often seen wearing hats or hoods that mimic animal looks.
