History Main / GodEating

* ''Series/OhsamaSentaiKingOhger''' features an example done in ignorance. [[spoiler:When he was a child, Gira was fed a food dish that he called "rainbow jururira", which in truth was God Kuwagata's crushed up soul given to him in order to turn Gira into a mindless weapon to use against Dugded Dujardin.]]

* ''Literature/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime'': [[TheHero Rimuru]] practically starts out doing this by absorbing the [[SealedBadassInACan sealed]] [[DragonsAreDivine Veldora Tempest]] via [Predator], though this was a willing act on both parties' ends as doing so would allow him and Veldora to analyze the [[SpaceMaster Unlimited Imprisonment]] at their leisure and eventually free Veldora. [[spoiler:In a much more serious manner, Rimuru ends up having to do this again on a BrainwashedAndCrazy Veldora during the war with the Eastern Empire to put him in a position to free him from the brainwashing. This time, the act of breaking down Veldora's potent magicules directly actually causes Rimuru (who has grown ''much'' stronger since then) physical and spiritual pain, but this also ends up in Rimuru properly assimilating Veldora's magicules and [[DeityOfHumanOrigin becoming]] a True Dragon/[[UltimateLifeForm Ultimate Slime]] himself. And then for good measure, Rimuru does the same thing to Veldora's {{brainwashed}} and [[BigSisterInstinct pissed-off sister]] Velgrynd to free her of the former and calm her down by showing her brother's okay.]]

* Creator/MarvelComics has a number of instances of gods eating each other, or being eaten:

-->'''Big Mac:''' How did you even [[HijackedDestiny wrest the power from Slaanesh]]?\\
'''Pinkie:''' It tried to read my thoughts, [[TooSpicyForYogSothoth so I shredded its mind]] until it believed that it was a fantastic idea to turn itself into a cupcake. Then I ate a chocolate frosted chaos god.\\
'''Big Mac:''' Eeyep, because that ain't terrifying at all.

* In ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', the EldritchAbomination and ExtremeOmnivore Ungoliant expressed an interest in consuming Morgoth, the GodOfEvil. He had to summon his balrog squad to fend her off.
* In ''Literature/TheShadowOfKyoshi'', [[spoiler:Yun]] ate [[EldritchAbomination Father Glowworm]] and gained his power.
* In Creator/JamesMorrow's novel ''Towing Jehovah'', God dies, and humans end up eating off His gigantic corpse.

** The origin of Athena proves Zeus isn't that different from his father. When it's foretold that the unborn child of his first wife Metis will one day overthrow him, Zeus eats her. Sometime later he complains of terrible headaches and asks either Prometheus or Hephaestus (depending on the version) to cut his head open, revealing Athena had been born inside him [[BornAsAnAdult and emerges fully grown]]. Unlike with Cronus and Zeus, Athena remains loyal to her father (the myth says that the unborn child would overthrow him ''if'' it was male, and Zeus wasn't willing to take the gamble; good thing for him it was a girl and without a grudge since the swallowing plot didn't stop her from being born).

* UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}: "This is my body, given up for you." The act of the Eucharistic Communion is a highly benign version of this trope, in which the act of Christ's sacrifice of his life for the forgiveness of mankind's sins is symbolized in the consumption of bread and wine, which stand for his flesh and blood respectively. The degree to which communion involves consuming his ''literal'' flesh and blood [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transubstantiation depends]] on the specific denomination of Christianity.

* [[BigBad Father]] of ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' [[spoiler: seeks to [[GodhoodSeeker achieve godhood]] by using a massive transmutation circle to absorb the Truth and the souls in Amestris to have the power to contain the Truth within him. Unfortunately for him, Hohenheim manages to reverse the transmutation that sucked out the Amestrian souls and return them to their bodies, leaving Father with only his original already depleted supply of souls to contain Truth. [[AssimilationBackfire It does not end well for Father]].]]

* ''Series/OhsamaSentaiKingOhger''' features an example done in ignorance. [[spoiler: When he was a child, Gira was fed a food dish that he called "rainbow jururira", which in truth was God Kuwagata's crushed up soul given to him in order to turn Gira into a mindless weapon to use against Dugded Dujardin.]]

* The fate of [[spoiler: Mr. Eaten]] from ''VideoGame/FallenLondon'', who was [[spoiler: offered to cannibalistic priest-kings in exchange for the Third City. The priest-kings [[ForcedTransformation didn't turn out so well]].]]

** The original goal of the [[ScaryAmoralReligion Sarkic Cults]] was to {{kill|TheGod}} and eat the god [[AlmightyIdiot Yaldabaoth]], using the power gained from this act to create a paradise for humanity free from the gods.

* ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'': When Tyche is [[https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2011/11/25/the-conflux-part-two1 giving Gabe advice]] on keeping his ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' game fresh with maximum-level characters, he advises him to kill the [=PCs=]' gods. Gabe says they've already killed their ''own'' gods, in order to "ingest their godseeds".

* ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'': Aldrich, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Devourer of Gods]], was once a human who discovered that he had a CannibalismSuperpower, and proceeded to eat people until he became obese, then kept eating people until he dissolved into a BlobMonster. Then he decided people weren't enough for him anymore and turned to eating gods. [[spoiler:He succeeded at eating Gwyndolin, whose top half he uses as a puppet to fight you with. He may have also eaten Nito, as he has tipped Gwyndolyn's Tin Darkmoon Catalyst with an ethereal Gravelord Sword, using it as a BladeOnAStick]].

* ''LightNovel/ThatTimeIGotReincarnatedAsASlime'': [[TheHero Rimuru]] practically starts out doing this by absorbing the [[SealedBadassInACan sealed]] [[DragonsAreDivine Veldora Tempest]] via [Predator], though this was a willing act on both parties' ends as doing so would allow him and Veldora to analyze the [[SpaceMaster Unlimited Imprisonment]] at their leisure and eventually free Veldora. [[spoiler:In a much more serious manner, Rimuru ends up having to do this again on a BrainwashedAndCrazy Veldora during the war with the Eastern Empire to put him in a position to free him from the brainwashing. This time, the act of breaking down Veldora's potent magicules directly actually causes Rimuru (who has grown ''much'' stronger since then) physical and spiritual pain, but this also ends up in Rimuru properly assimilating Veldora's magicules and [[DeityOfHumanOrigin becoming]] a True Dragon/[[UltimateLifeForm Ultimate Slime]] himself. And then for good measure, Rimuru does the same thing to Veldora's {{brainwashed}} and [[BigSisterInstinct pissed-off sister]] Velgrynd to free her of the former and calm her down by showing her brother's okay.]]

The idea of [[IAmAHumanitarian cannibalism]] is one of the oldest taboos in our history. As such, it's unsurprising that many [[CreationMyth creation myths]] and stories about gods have stories on them indulging in this act. Some gods have a habit of eating other deities, for various reasons. Sometimes [[CannibalismSuperpower it's to gain the power of the consumed divinity]], or it's a means of getting rid of the competition.

** ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'' has the appropriately named Demogorge the God-Eater. Originally Atum, [[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame he was created to fight]] off [[TheOldGods the Elder Gods]], who had devolved into demons from devouring each other for power themselves. Slaying and consuming them causes Atum to devolve into Demogorge, who absorbs the power of the deities he consumes. Thor manages to defeat him [[HeroicWillpower by using his willpower]] [[HijackingCthulhu to take control of the Demogorge]].

* ''Literature/{{Everworld}}'': Ka Anor is a god not from Earth but another dimension, who is particularly horrifying to the gods of Everworld because he ''eats'' them. We see him eat [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Ganymede]] onscreen, and is know to have eaten [[Myth/CelticMythology the Daghda]] and [[Myth/NorseMythology Thor]]. [[spoiler:Though the latter turns out to be alive]].
* ''Literature/TheFortressOfTheBlackCauldron'': If [[BigBad Virilus]] manages to [[GodhoodSeeker transcend his mortality]], he will become the incarnation of Hunger, fighting, killing and devouring the twelve major gods over the course of a millenium. In the end, the concepts these deities represented is lost to time, as he becomes the only constant in the universe, finally satiating his hunger.

[[folder: Live Action series]]

** The origin of Athena proves Zeus isn't that different from his father. When it's foretold that the unborn child of his first wife Metis will one day overthrow him, Zeus eats her. Some time later he complains of terrible headaches and asks either Prometheus or Hephaestus (depending on the version) to cut his head open, revealing Athena had been born inside him [[BornAsAnAdult and emerges fully grown]]. Unlike with Cronus and Zeus, Athena remains loyal to her father (the myth says that the unborn child would overthrow him ''if'' it was male, and Zeus wasn't willing to take the gamble; good thing for him it was a girl and without a grudge since the swallowing plot didn't stop her from being born).

* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series, this is how the [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]] Malacath came into being. Originally, Malacath was the Aldmeri (ancestors of the modern [[OurElvesAreDifferent races of Mer]]) "ancestor spirit" Trinimac and champion of the Auri-El, TopGod of the Aldmeri pantheon. However, the Daedric Prince of [[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder Plots]], Boethiah, "devoured" Trinimac in order to speak with his voice and convince Trinimac's followers (the Aldmer who would become the Chimer, later Dunmer) to leave for Morrowind. Boethiah would late "excrete" Trinimac, with his remains becoming Malacath and his remaining followers mutating into the [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Orsimer (also called "Orcs")]]. Malacath admits there is some truth in the story, but frequently complains that mortals take it too literally.

* ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2's Mask of The Betrayer'' expansion pack is about your PlayerCharacter inheriting a HorrorHunger curse called "The Spirit-Eater". There are a few points in the story when you are given the chance to use the curse to devour gods, or god-like beings:
** You first discover the curse after defeating Okku, a powerful NatureSpirit who is effectively the god of bears, and the sight of his injured body in front of you causes a strange hunger to stir within you. You can either give in to the hunger and devour Okku, or suppress it with HeroicWillpower.

[[quoteright:268:[[Webcomic/HappleTea https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/god_eating.png]]]]
[-[[caption-width-right:268:Baby Poseidon is Cronus' favorite type of seafood.]]-]

** The “cannibal hymn”, part of the funerary Pyramid Texts intended to prepare a deceased pharaoh for the journey through the afterlife, describes the pharaoh butchering and consuming the gods to gain their power.

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'':

* Utsuho Reiuji from ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' was once a relatively normal hell raven, until Kanako Yasaka told her to consume the corpse of the sun god Yatagarasu. As a result, she has the power to manipulate [[ILoveNuclearPower nuclear]] [[ThePowerOfTheSun fusion]]. [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity The rapid gain in power caused her to go mad with power and try to destroy the world]] until the protagonists knocked some sense into her, after which, she runs a nuclear power plant in hell, providing electricity for Gensokyo.

* The fate of [[spoiler: Mr. Eaten]] from ''VideoGame/FallenLondon'', who was [[spoiler: offered to cannibalistic priest-kings in exchange for the Third City. The priest-kings [[BalefulPolymorph didn't turn out so well]].]]

** The origin of Athena proves Zeus isn't that different from his father. When it's foretold that the unborn child of his first wife Metis will one day overthrow him, Zeus turns her into a fly and eats her. Some time later he complains of terrible headaches and asks either Prometheus or Hephaestus (depending on the version) to cut his head open, revealing Athena had been born inside him [[BornAsAnAdult and emerges fully grown]]. Unlike with Cronus and Zeus, Athena remains loyal to her father (some versions of the myth say that the unborn child would overthrow him ''if'' it was male, and Zeus wasn't willing to take the gamble; good thing for him it was a girl and without a grudge since the swallowing plot didn't stop her from being born).

* ''Fanfic/TheMLPLoops'': In a bit of DeathByIrony on the part of the victim, this is half of how, in a ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' loop, Pinkie ascended as the Chaos Goddess of Parties. The other half was throwing a party for the entire Eldar Empire.

* Utsuho Reiuji from ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' was once a relatively normal hell raven, until Kanako Yasaka told her to consume the corpse of the sun god Yatagarasu. As a result, she has the power to manipulate [[ILoveNuclearPower nuclear]] [[ThePowerOfTheSun fusion]]. [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity The rapid gain in power caused her to go mad with power and try to destroy the world]] until the protagonists knocked some sense into her, after which, she runs a nuclear power plant in hell, providing electricity for Gensokyo.

* In Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons Jagganoth, one of the Demiurges and a lord of the Multiverse, includes "The God Eater" in his title. Given what we know of [[DestroyerDeity him]] it's unlikely to be a metaphor.

[[folder. Live Action series]]

** ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'' has the appropriately named Demogorge the God-Eater. Originally Atum, he was created to fight off [[TheOldGods the Elder Gods]], who had devolved into demons. Slaying and consuming them causes Atum to devolve into Demogorge, who absorbs the power of the deities he consumes. Thor manages to defeat him [[HeroicWillpower by using his willpower]] [[HijackingCthulhu to take control of the Demogorge]].

* ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammeriii''; the goal of [[OurOgresAreHungrier the Ogre Kingdoms]] in their campaign is to breach the Malestrom and find Ursun so they can eat him and sacrifice the remains to the Great Maw. Greasus seems particularly eager to eat god-flesh, a type of meat he's never had before.