History Main / CorporateDragon

[[folder: Webcomics]]

** ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost'' has two [[TheFairFolk Gentry]] that control international corporations. Baron Fairweather, aka the Free Market Dragon, owns Max Mart. Dorian Hargrave, aka Dzarûmazh the Deathless, aka the Conqueror Worm, owns Hargrave Imports.

* ''Anime/YuGiOh'': Seto Kaiba, the president of Kaiba Corp, has a deck centralized around dragons, with the Blue-Eyes White Dragon being his signature Monster card. His company even worked as an ArmsDealer until he wrested control from his stepfather, Gozaburo Kaiba, at which point the business slowly shifted into the gaming industry, complete with theme parks and holographic projectors. He even flies a jet plane shaped like a Blue-Eyes.

* The symbolism part of the trope is {{lampshaded}} in ''VideoGame/ShadowrunReturns: Dragonfall''. Dietrich is a shaman of [[HotBlooded the Dragonslayer]], who is trying to push Dieter into slaying bigger and bigger opponents until he gets into a fight he can't win. The can advise Dietrich to try and negotiate with the Dragonslayer that there are other entities -- especially the {{Mega|corp}}s -- who fulfill a 'dragon' role that he can try fighting and 'killing' instead and are often lead by actual dragons. The Dragonslayer will agree to this interpretation.

* The symbolism part of the trope is {{lampshaded}} in ''VideoGame/ShadowrunReturns: Dragonfall''. Dieter is a shaman of TheDragonSlayer, who is trying to push Dieter into slaying an ''actual'' dragon ([[LordBritishPostulate this is a really bad idea]] in the ''Shadowrun''-verse). At the end of his personal quest the player can advise Dieter to try and negotiate with the Dragonslayer that there are other entities -- especially the {{Mega|corp}}s -- who fulfill a 'dragon' role that he can try fighting and 'killing' instead. The Dragonslayer will actually agree to this interpretation.

* ''TabletopGame/D20Modern'': In the ''Urban Arcana'' setting, where fantasy creatures have found themselves transported to the modern world, dragons often become [=CEOs=] of large companies -- to quote an official tagline, "dragons rule the boardrooms".

* The symbolism part of the trope is {{lampshaded}} in ''VideoGame/ShadowrunReturns: Dragonfall''. Dieter is a shaman of TheDragonSlayer, who is trying to push Dieter into slaying an ''actual'' dragon ([[LordBritishPostulate this is a really bad idea]] in the ''Shadowrun''-verse). At the end of his personal quest the player can advice Dieter to try and negotiate with the Dragonslayer that there are other entities -- especially the {{Mega|corp}}s -- who fulfill a 'dragon' role that he can try fighting and 'killing' instead. The Dragonslayer will actually agree to this interpretation.

Not all Corporate Dragons are tyrannical, however. Sometimes it's merely a businessman who seems nigh-untouchable compared to his peers, as a dragon is to a [[SavageWolves pack of wolves]] or screaming villagers... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysontheTin or perhaps they genuinely are a literal dragon]].

[[caption-width-right:350:"I'm going to need those TPS reports, Bill."]]

* In ''Anime/LittleWitchAcademia'', Luna Nova Academy once borrowed money from the dragon Fafnir, who runs his hoard like a venture capitalist and loan shark.

* ''Literature/DragonsWild'': The literal dragon protagonist Griffen Mc'Candles becomes the owner of a casino operation in modern day New Orleans.

In UrbanFantasy settings or medieval fantasy worlds undergoing their version of modernization, this may be included as traditional fantasy dragons' response to growing economies and emergent capitalism -- after all, capitalist wealth aggregation and economic control are likely going to be very appealing to creatures motivated by greed and a desire for control.

In western folklore, actual [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragons]] were often depicted as living incarnations of sin or calamity. [[note]] In the Western Hemisphere, that is. Eastern dragons are generally benevolent and generous. [[/note]] At their worst, they were the ultimate hoarders, jealously guarding what wealth and territory they saw as theirs by right of strength. But in modern times, the allegory of the dragon can be found not just in fairytales or tabletop games. It's the idea of a [[MegaCorp Corporation]] as this monolithic beast, whose domain is only limited by the shadow made from atop its tower as it spreads wide its wings to blot out the sun. The effects of such an organisation can bring desolation to natural resources or small businesses just to add more treasured assets to a mountainous hoard. If the company is a [[WarForFunAndProfit war-profiteer]], there might not even be a difference between actual beast and business, with distant lands being made barren or marred by fire-scorched ruins.

Not all Corporate Dragons are tyrannical, however. Sometimes it's merely a businessman who seems nigh-untouchable compared to his peers, as a dragon is to a [[SavageWolves pack of wolves]] or screaming villagers... [[ExactlyWhatItSaysontheTin or perhaps they genuinely are a literal dragon.]]

Sometimes, this theme includes a KnightInShiningArmor - intent on [[TheDragonSlayer slaying the dragon]] - appearing in the form of a PrivateDetective, a straight-arrow cop, a [[TheInformant whistleblower]], or similar protagonist.

* Seto Kaiba from ''Anime/YuGiOh'' is the president of Kaiba Corp, his deck centralized around dragons, with the Blue-Eyes White Dragon being his signature Monster card. His company even worked as an ArmsDealer until he wrested control from his stepfather, Gozaburo Kaiba, at which point the business slowly shifted into the gaming industry, complete with theme parks and holographic projectors. He even flies a jet plane shaped like a Blue-Eyes.
* Elma, from ''Manga/MissKobayashisDragonMaid'', is a high ranking Harmony Dragon who is capable of facing [[PersonOfMassDestruction Tohru]] on even footing and works at an IT company... as a low level software engineer.

* In Robert Lynn Asprin's ''Literature/DragonsWild'', the literal dragon protagonist Griffen Mc'Candles becomes the owner of a casino operation in modern day New Orleans.
* ''Literature/TheInvisibleLibrary'': Despite the fact that Dragons are based mainly on Eastern dragon tropes, in ''Literature/TheMaskedCity'', Irene meets the King of the Northern Ocean in a cyberpunkish dimension where he and his court take the form of the CEO and executives of a {{Megacorp}}.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Starfinder}}'', multiple dragons rule entire countries and corporations on the planet of Triaxus.
** An ancient green dragon named Dretchnyliax, after getting beaten up for aggressive expansion efforts, settled down and started a [[{{Nepotism}} family-run]] business centered on dragon-flesh augmentation. She is also now a {{Cyborg}}, being triple her original size, and more mecha than flesh.
* Leviathan Investment Group in ''TabletopGame/GURPSTechnomancer'' is the setting's biggest MegaCorp, with divisions in many branches of industrial magic. Its reclusive chairman, Joshua Rain, is a dragon, although this is not publicly known.
* "Dragons rule the boardrooms" was a tagline used to describe ''[[TabletopGame/D20Modern Urban Arcana]]''.

* Dev in ''[[https://parttimedragons.com/ Part-Time Dragons]]'' is just a low-level programmer and indie game developer fighting depression, though his [[https://parttimedragons.com/comics/comic/title-159/ sister]] can be scary sometimes.

** The Great Dragon Celedyr used his hoard of treasure to take over the Mega Corp Transys Neuronet. After it merged with the corporations Erika and Novatech, he became Director of Research and Development for the combined corporation NeoNET.

In western folklore, actual [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragons]] were often depicted as living incarnations of sin or calamity. At their worst, they were the ultimate hoarders, jealously guarding what wealth and territory they saw as theirs by right of strength. But in modern times, the allegory of the dragon can be found not just in fairytales or tabletop games. It's the idea of a [[MegaCorp Corporation]] as this monolithic beast, whose domain is only limited by the shadow made from atop its tower as it spreads wide its wings to blot out the sun. The effects of such an organisation can bring desolation to natural resources or small businesses just to add more treasured assets to a mountainous hoard. If the company is a [[WarForFunAndProfit war-profiteer]], there might not even be a difference between actual beast and business, with distant lands being made barren or marred by fire-scorched ruins.

Not all Corporate Dragons are tyrannical, however. Sometimes it's merely a businessman who seems nigh-untouchable compared to his peers, as a dragon is to a [[SavageWolves pack of wolves]] or screaming villagers... [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin or perhaps they genuinely are a literal dragon.]]

Not all Corporate Dragons are tyrannical, however. Sometimes it's merely a businessman who seems nigh-untouchable compared to his peers, as a dragon is to a [[SavageWolves pack of wolves]] or screaming villagers... or perhaps they genuinely are a literal dragon.

Not all Corporate Dragons are tyrannical, however. Sometimes it's merely a businessman who seems nigh-untouchable compared to his peers, as a dragon is to a [[SavageWolves pack of wolves]] or screaming villagers.

* "dragons rule the boardrooms" was a tagline used to describe ''[[TabletopGame/D20Modern Urban Arcana]]''.

* "dragons rule the boardrooms" was a tagline used to describe ''TabletopGame/D20Modern Urban Arcana]]''.

* "dragons rule the boardrooms" was a tagline used to describe ''TabletopGame/UrbanArcana''.

** An ancient green dragon named Dretchnyliax, after getting beaten up for aggressive expansion efforts, settled down and started a [[Nepotism family-run]] business centered on dragon-flesh augmentation. She is also now a {{Cyborg}}, being triple her original size, and more mecha than flesh.

** An ancient green dragon named Dretchnyliax, after getting beaten up for aggressive expansion efforts, settled down and started a family-run business centered on dragonflesh augmentation. She is also now a cyborg, being triple her original size, and more mecha than flesh.