History AnimalMotifs / LiveActionTV

* While Fox Mulder of ''Series/TheXFiles'' hates his [[EmbarrassingFirstName first name]], he's nevertheless equated with a fox on several occasions, such as when [[spoiler: the sister of]] a serial killer with a vendetta against him leaves him the message ''kitsunegari'', Japanese for 'fox hunt'.

* In ''Series/{{Gotham}}'', Oswald Cobblepot aka the Penguin. He has a beak-like nose and a distinctive waddle-limp while often wearing a formal suit. His mother is creepily overprotective of him (which is quite common among birds) and he has an antagonistic relationship with "Fish" Mooney.

* Mason Verger has pigs. His family owns a chain of slaughterhouses, Margot mentions his "understanding of piggishness", and much of his childhood was spent around them. Perhaps best of all, [[spoiler:Mason's nose post-disfigurement resembles a pig's snout]].

%%* Like everything else in the Hannibal Lecter series, ''Series/{{Hannibal}}'' has one. The Ravenstag in Season 1.

* In ''Series/CriminalMinds'', Gideon loves birds and is associated with them. When his successor Rossi debuts, the first thing he does is shoot a bird, to indicate that he's nothing like Gideon.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E1TheMasqueOfMandragora The Masque of Mandragora]]" associates the Fourth Doctor with the lion, with a nice scene of him making the 'rampant' pose from heraldry while wearing a lion mask. He has a mane of hair, a powerful deep 'roaring' voice, big teeth and plenty of regal charisma. There may also be an allusion to his Britishness — a lion appears on the British Royal Family's crest, and the Doctor's line while playing the lion is ''Remember the French at Agincourt!'' (a battle they lost to the British).
** Lampshaded in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E10Blink Blink]]", in which {{Muggle}} Sally Sparrow's best friend, Kathy Nightingale, advises they start a detective company based on their surnames. Sally says that that sounds too [=ITV=].
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS37E9ItTakesYouAway "It Takes You Away"]]: Frogs. [[spoiler:It turns out that Grace loved frogs, treasuring a frog necklace Graham gave her. And in the ending, the Solitract takes the form of a talking frog with Grace's voice.]]

%%* Like everything else in the Hannibal Lecter series, ''Series/{{Hannibal}}'' has one. The Ravenstag in season 1.

* ''Series/CobraKai'':
** Johnny and [[spoiler: Kreese]] both use plenty of snake imagery in their teachings, with Johnny teaching his students to break chokeholds by "slithering" and [[spoiler: Kreese]] comparing Cobra Kai to a bruminating rattlesnake, hiding and dormant but ready to awaken and strike at a moments notice.
** Eli Moskowitz rebrands himself as "Hawk" to draw attention from his cleft palette reconstruction scar by growing a mohawk and giving himself a hawk motif. He gets a full back tattoo of a hawk, and his FinishingMove (a superman punch) comes with the cry of a red-tailed hawk.
* ''Series/{{Fargo}}'': Season one has a motif of predators, particularly wolves. The widow Hess compares her sons to wolves. Lorne Malvo notes that in mythology, the vicious Romans were raised by wolves. The local ArmsDealer has documentary footage of wolves playing on televisions in his van. A wolf is lurking around in the finale.

** The tall and {{Adorkable}} Gwang Soo is the giraffe.

* In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', during [[spoiler:Lana Lang's]] return and last appearance, she gains a phoenix motif. She gets a phoenix medallion from her TrainingFromHell. Then when she gains superpowers, she also emits a [[BattleAura speed aura]] when she uses SuperSpeed. However, while all other speedsters usually leave behind a trail of translucent "shells" of themselves when they super speed, Lana has a solid, burning, orange aura, even though [[spoiler:she had a faint purple aura when she used SuperSpeed before]]. She bursts out of the containment chamber and waves her arms once to form the wings of a phoenix from the flames.

* In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', during [[spoiler:Lana Lang's]] return and last appearance, she gains a phoenix motif. She gets a phoenix medallion from her TrainingFromHell. Then when she gained superpowers, she also emits a [[BattleAura speed aura]] when she uses SuperSpeed. However, while all other speedsters usually leave behind a trail of translucent "shells" of themselves when they super speed, Lana has a solid, burning, orange aura, even though [[spoiler:she had a faint purple aura when she used SuperSpeed before]]. She bursts out of the containment chamber and waves her arms once to form the wings of a phoenix from the flames.

** Eli Moskowitz rebrands himself as "Hawk" to draw attention from his cleft palette reconstruction scar by growing a mohawk and giving himself a hawk motic. He gets a full back tattoo of a hawk, and his FinishingMove (a superman punch) comes with the cry of a red-tailed hawk.

* ''Series/CobraKai'': Johnny and [[spoiler: Kreese]] both use plenty of snake imagery in their teachings, with Johnny teaching his students to break chokeholds by "slithering" and [[spoiler: Kreese]] comparing Cobra Kai to a bruminating rattlesnake, hiding and dormant but ready to awaken and strike at a moments notice.
** Hawk's motif is... well, guess. While he originally got the name from the mohawk he got to draw attention from his facial scars, he soon embraced it, getting a full back tattoo of a hawk. Even the sound designers for the series got in on the fun, accompanying his FinishingMove (a superman punch) with the cry of a red-tailed hawk.

* In ''Series/{{Gotham}}'', Oswald Cobblepot aka the Penquin. He has a beak-like nose and a distinctive waddle-limp while often wearing a formal suit. His mother is creepily overprotective of him (which is quite common among birds) and he has an antagonistic relationship with "Fish" Mooney.

* Every Wesen in ''Series/{{Grimm}}'' so far has had one:
** Bauerschwein are Pig or Boarlike
** Daemonfeuer are similar to Dragons
** Blutbaden are Wolflike.

** The exception so far have been Hexenbiests (eyeless hag-like creatures) and Siegbarstes (ogres).

** Hawk's motif is... [[CaptainObvious well, guess.]] While he originally got the name from the mohawk he got to draw attention from his facial scars, he soon embraced it, getting a full back tattoo of a hawk. Even the sound designers for the series got in on the fun, accompanying his FinishingMove (a superman punch) with the cry of a red-tailed hawk.

%%* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' and ''SuperSentai'' use animal themes often. This is most obvious with the mecha.

* ''Series/{{GARO}}'': The helmets of Makai Knights are modeled after wolves baring their teeth.
* In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', during [[spoiler:Lana Lang's]] return and last appearance, she gains a phoenix motif. She gets a phoenix medallion from her TrainingFromHell. Then when she gained superpowers, she also emits a [[BattleAura speed aura]] when she uses SuperSpeed. However, while all other speedsters usually leave behind a trail of translucent "shells" of themselves when they super speed, Lana has a solid, burning, orange aura, even though [[spoiler:she had a faint purple aura when she used SuperSpeed before]]. She bursts out of the containment chamber and waves her arms once to form the wings of a phoenix from the flames.
* ''Series/{{Elementary}}'' deliberately uses bees to represent Sherlock's relationships with people and tortoises as a metaphor to his friendship with Watson.

** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E1TheMasqueOfMandragora The Masque of Mandragora]]" associates the Fourth Doctor with the lion, with a nice scene of him making the 'rampant' pose from heraldry while wearing a lion mask. He has a mane of hair, a powerful deep 'roaring' voice, big teeth and plenty of regal charisma. There may also be an allusion to his Britishness - a lion appears on the British Royal Family's crest, and the Doctor's line while playing the lion is ''Remember the French at Agincourt!'' (a battle they lost to the British).

* ''Series/{{Kings}}'' seems to have a new one every episode, from butterflies to pigeons to deer.

* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' and ''SuperSentai'' use animal themes often. This is most obvious with the mecha.
* In ''Series/CriminalMinds'', Gideon loves birds and is associated with them. When his successor Rossi debuts, the first thing he does is shoot a bird, to indicate that he's nothing like Gideon.

* Each [[TheSentinel Sentinel]] has a spirit animal that appears to guide them; Jim's is a black jaguar, and [[TheMentor Blair's]] is a grey wolf.
* Like everything else in the Hannibal Lecter series, ''Series/{{Hannibal}}'' has one. The Ravenstag in season 1.
* The ''Series/ShoeboxZoo'' were transformed into animal-shaped LivingToys. Fittingly, the proud, excitable Hunter became a horse.
* In ''Series/{{Gotham}}'', Oswald Cobblepot aka the Penquin. He has a beak-like nose and a distinctive waddle-limp while often wearing a formal suit. His mother is creepily overprotective of him (which is quite common among birds) and he has an antagonistic relationship with "Fish" Mooney.

* ''Series/ElChapulinColorado'' means Red Grasshopper in Spanish and his uniform and some of his superpowers are related to the insect.
* ''Series/ElChavoDelOcho'' several of the nicknames given to the characters are based in animals and related to the person’s physical appearance, of course this nicknames are intended to be derogatory for the characters:
** Don Ramon: ''Cara de chimpancé rabioso'' (rabid chimp's face) for his ape-like traits and ''Lombriz de agua puerca'' (dirty water earthworm) for his thinness.
** Doña Florinda: ''Patas de canario'' (canary's feet) for the shape of her legs.
** Kiko: ''Cachetes de marrana flaca'' (skinny pig's cheeks) because of his big cheeks.
** Chilindrina: ''Pulga'' (flea) for her small size and ''Tarantula'' for her personality.
*** Exceptions are Ñoño (a reference to the pig’s squeal in Spanish, equivalent to Oink) and Profesor Jirafales (Giraffe) both have the animal motif in their official name and are not offended by it, they do have some other offensive nicknames.[[note]] Ñoño and his father Sr. Barriga all related to their weight and Profesor Jirafales nickname is ''Maestro Longaniza'' (Teacher Sausage) because of his height. Also, the main nickname of some characters is not animal-related, Doña Clotilde is ''bruja del 71'' (witch of the 71) and Doña Florinda is ''Vieja chancluda'' (gawky old woman).[[/note]]

* ''Series/{{American Horror Story Hotel}}'' has the Countess/Elizabeth Johnson with a snake motif. The Countess has a snake ring and a snake brooch. Iris refers to Elizabeth as a snake in ''Mommy."

** "The Masque of Mandragora" associates the Fourth Doctor with the lion, with a nice scene of him making the 'rampant' pose from heraldry while wearing a lion mask. He has a mane of hair, a powerful deep 'roaring' voice, big teeth and plenty of regal charisma. There may also be an allusion to his Britishness - a lion appears on the British Royal Family's crest, and the Doctor's line while playing the lion is ''Remember the French at Agincourt!'' (a battle they lost to the British).
** Lampshaded in the episode "Blink", in which {{Muggle}} Sally Sparrow's best friend, Kathy Nightingale, advises they start a detective company based on their surnames. Sally says that that sounds too [=ITV=].

* In TheLeagueOfGentlemen, Tubbs & Edward have porcine features, live in filth, and Tubbs even breast-feeds a piglet in one scene. Also, Harvey Denton is obsessed with & raises toads, and his appearance and household reflect this.

* Every Wesen in ''{{Grimm}}'' so far has had one: