History Main / JapaneseBeetleBrothers

** ''Series/JuukouBFighter'' and its American counterpart ''Big Bad Series/{{Beetleborgs}}'' has Blue Beet/Blue Stinger Beetleborg, G-Stag/Green Hunter Beetleborg, and Reddle/Red Striker Beetleborg. They also have a giant Hercules beetle-shaped walking tank, Mega Heracles/Gargantis.
** ''Series/BFighterKabuto'' and ''Series/{{Beetleborgs}} Metallix'': B-Fighter Kabuto/Chromium Gold Beetleborg, B-Fighter Kuwaga/Titanium Silver Beetleborg, and B-Fighter Tento/Platinum Purple Beetleborg.

** ''Series/KamenRider555'' has another villainous Allies example in the beetle Orphenochs introduced in episode 33.

** ''Series/NinpuuSentaiHurricaneger'' / ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaStorm'' has the one of the strongest examples of allies in recent history. The Kabuto Raiger / Crimson Thunder Ranger and Kuwaga Raiger / Navy (blue) Thunder Ranger are brothers whose entire motifs, changers, personal weapons and mecha revolve around the Kabuto/Kuwaga pair. The Thunders are adopted siblings instead of biological, but no less close for it.

** ''Series/TokumeiSentaiGobusters'', like ''Hurricaneger'' / ''Ninja Storm'', has a pair of {{Sixth Ranger}}s -- Beet Buster and Stag Buster in ''Go-Busters''. They don't follow the theme ''quite'' as strongly as the Goraigers / Thunder Rangers did, but they're still one of the better examples. Stag Buster's unmorphed state, the robotic Beet J. Stag, covers both beetles at once, as half of his armor is actually Beet Buster's actual suit armor, cast off and transferred to Beet Buster during morphing. (''Series/PowerRangersBeastMorphers'' diverges from this, however, as the animal basis for Beet Buster's counterpart is changed to a SlayingMantis.)

** ''Series/KamenRiderRevice'' has a mix between Rivals and Coincidental. A major villain is Kamen Rider Vail, who uses Kabutomushi armor. Some of the heroes later use technology based on Vail to give an upgrade to the Kamen Rider Demons powerset, giving it armor heavily based on Vail's only themed around a Kuwagata instead. Vail and "Over Demons", as it's called, are on opposite sides; but they don't fight each other (especially as Vail has abandoned the Rider equipment by the time that Over Demons appears) and the characters have nothing in common.

** ''Series/KamenRiderFaiz'' has another villainous Allies example in the beetle Orphenochs introduced in episode 33.

** ''Series/KamenRiderZeroOne'': Once again Coincidental, as Hercules and Stag Beetles are part of a wider assortment of animal-themed keycards. Instead, it's the Caucasus keycard that gets featured as one of the personal {{Transformation Trinket}}s of the villainous [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Kamen Rider Thouser]]. However, the three-horned Caucasus's image as a more powerful [[FusionDance fusion]] of Kabuto and Kuwagata is not only alluded to, but exaggerated - Thouser achieves his transformation (which he claims to be [[CatchPhrase 1000% stronger]] than the heroes') by using the ''Amazing Caucasus'' Progrise Key (a "good" key) and ''Awaking [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsinoitherium Arsino]]'' Zetsumerise Key (an "evil" key) [[YinYangBomb at the same time]], with a transformation jingle that goes:
--->''"Zetsumetsu Evolution! Break Horn! PERFECT RISE! When the five horns cross, [[GoldColoredSuperiority the golden soldier Thouser]] is born! [-[[SigilSpam Presented by ZAIA.]]-]"''
** ''Series/KamenRiderRevice'' has Vail (Kabutomushi) and Over Demons (Kuwagata), even though Demons' base form is a {{spider|s are scary}}.

* One ''ComicStrip/UltraZone'' skit (based on the ''Franchise/UltraSeries'') have [[Series/{{Ultraman}} Antlar]] (a two-horned stag beetle kaiju]] fighting [[Series/UltramanLeo Satan Beetel]] (a single-horned rhino beetle kaiju), in a clear reference to this trope.

[[quoteright:348: [[Series/KamenRiderKabuto https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/34db6c765906e28ede8ea8bd3ab17b5e.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:348:CHANGE BEETLE\\

* In ''VideoGame/YokaiWatch'', Beetler ("Kuwanobushi" in Japan) and Rhinoggin ("Musha Kabuto") are described as being both allies and rivals; with a friendly rivalry rather than an antagonistic one.

However, within Japanese media, two particular insects stand out: the Kabutomushi ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_rhinoceros_beetle Japanese rhinoceros beetle]], though often romanized by the Japanese as simply "beetle") and Kuwagatamushi ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stag_beetle stag beetle]]). Often, when something inspired by one of the two appears in some sort of media, the other is either with them, or not too far behind. Another common element is for the two beetle-inspired elements to be of contrasting colors, and there is often a RedOniBlueOni relationship between the two.

** The Kabuterimon and Kuwagamon families were both date back to the original generation of V-pets, and Kuwagamon's ''Digimon Book'' profile declares it a rival of Kabuterimon's. Both Digimon have appeared in anime and games, but in those adaptations there's very little personal relationship between them. Both of them can evolve from the ladybug Tentomon.

** A more subtle example occurs in [[VideoGame/DigimonWonderswanSeries Milleniumon]], a FusionDance of two {{Mix And Match Critter}}s with no obvious connections to bugs (though one of its components, Kimeramon, has a Kuwagamon arm). As Milleniumon progress through its multiple forms, a big feature of its MorphicResonance is that one head will have a single horn and the other will have two.

** A more subtle example occurs in [[VideoGame/DigimonWonderswanSeries Milleniumon]], a FusionDance of two {{Mix And Match Monster}}s with no obvious connections to bugs (though one of its components, Kimeramon, has a Kuwagamon arm). As Milleniumon progress through its multiple forms, a big feature of its MorphicResonance is that one head will have a single horn and the other will have two.

** ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'' has rivals in the form of the blue, rhinoceros beetle-like Kabuterimon and red, stag beetle-like Kuwagamon, though this is mainly in accordance with supplemental material. The anime makes it seem more like they are a coincidental. Plus there's Kabuterimon's and Kuwagamon's shared pre-evolution, the ladybug-like Tentomon, closing the aforementioned PowerTrio.
** An oblique reference exists in [[VideoGame/DigimonWonderswanSeries Milleniumon]], a {{fusion|Dance}} of two {{Hybrid Monster}}s already famous for being a combination of parts of other Digimon: the biological [[Anime/DigimonAdventure02 Kimeramon]] and the mechanical [[Anime/DigimonAdventure Machinedramon]]. As Milleniumon progress through its multiple forms, the one thing that will remain constant is that one head will have a single horn and the other will have two.
** Averted in ''Anime/DigimonFrontier''. One of the heroes has kabutomushi-themed forms Blitzmon (Beetlemon in the dub) and Bolgmon ([=MetalKabuterimon=]) forms, but he has no kuwaga-themed counterpart. However [=AncientBeetlemon=], the Digimon his powers come from, has a centauric body with features of both, and in the broader franchise is the MonsterProgenitor of both the Kabuterimon and Kuwagamon lines.
** ''Anime/DigimonFusion'' features Ballistamon, a robot with some kabutomushi features (''especially'' the giant horn). A late arc in the show reveals that he was once [=DarkVolumon=], a kuwaga-styled robot superweapon, before being damaged and repaired into his current friendlier form. The AlternateContinuity manga gives him the Mega form [=AtlurBallistamon=], [[NonIndicativeName which confusingly looks more like a Hercules than Atlas beetle]].

** ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce'' exhibits this trope in Black Ace/Red Joker. The Red Joker [[SuperMode Finalization]] has the two horns of the kuwagatamushi and the Black Ace sports the Kabutomushi's single horn.

* Allies in ''Franchise/OnePiece'' during the Thriller Bark arc. Usopp uses two different large slingshots named Kabuto and Kuwagata.

*** The movie [[Film/KamenRiderKabutoGodSpeedLove ''God Speed Love'']] features a trio of villainous Riders based on different types of Kabutomushi - the bronze Ketaros (Centaurus beetle), the silver Hercus (Hercules beetle) and the [[GoldColoredSuperiority powerful gold]] Caucasus (Caucasus beetle).

*** The movie [[Film/KamenRiderKabutoGodSpeedLove ''God Speed Love'' features a trio of villainous Riders based on different types of Kabutomushi - the bronze Ketaros (Centaurus beetle), the silver Hercus (Hercules beetle) and the [[GoldColoredSuperiority powerful gold]] Caucasus (Caucasus beetle).

*** The movie ''God Speed Love'' features a trio of villainous Riders based on different types of Kabutomushi - the bronze Ketaros (Centaurus beetle), the silver Hercus (Hercules beetle) and the [[GoldColoredSuperiority powerful gold]] Caucasus (Caucasus beetle).

See also TanukiKitsuneContrast, for a similar dynamic between the two {{youkai}}.

** ''Anime/DigimonXrosWars'' features Ballistamon, a robot with some kabutomushi features (''especially'' the giant horn). A late arc in the show reveals that he was once [=DarkVolumon=], a kuwaga-styled robot superweapon, before being damaged and repaired into his current friendlier form. The AlternateContinuity manga gives him the Mega form [=AtlurBallistamon=], [[NonIndicativeName which confusingly looks more like a Hercules than Atlas beetle]].

* ''Franchise/{{Touhou}}'' has the onis Yuugi Hoshiguma (one horn and a StatuesqueStunner) and Ibuki Suika (two horns and a PintsizePowerhouse, though she can make herself grow), often seen drinking together.

* In the ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' series, ''VideoGame/KirbysAdventure'' introduces Bugzzy, a Kuwagata who gives Kirby [[WrestlerInAllOfUs the ability to suplex enemies]] when [[PowerCopying eaten]]. Oddly enough, he never had a Kabuto counterpart until ''VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe'', released 21 years later, which introduced Hornhead. When Kirby absorbs this beetle, he will gain a Kabuto horn to attack enemies with.

* Since ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' features bug-catching as an activity, it's natural that many types of beetle appear in the series. The two rarest and most valuable are the horned hercules beetle and the golden stag beetle. Starting with the golden stag's introduction in ''City Folk'', the two species fight each other on a tree stump when donated to the museum, them rivals.
** Played even further in ''New Horizons'', where any of the donated beetles can be seen fighting each other during the night. The two randomly-selected fighters will always be one of the stag beetles and one of the other beetles.
* An indirect form of the Rivalry relationship happens in ''VideoGame/TalesOfBerseria''. Laphicet finds a beetle that is infected with [[TheCorruption daemonblight]], which the party beats out of it in a boss fight. It's a never-before-seen weird hybrid of the rhinoceros and stag beetles, leading Eizen and Rokurou, who take each respective species' side, to start arguing like children on which one it is and is stronger, though they both snap at the annoyed girls' dismissal of the differences. Exasperatedly, Laphicet elects to just call it [[TakeAThirdOption a "rhinostagros" for now]].

* An indirect form of the Rivalry relationship happens in ''VideoGame/TalesOfBerseria''. Laphicet finds a beetle that is infected with [[TheCorruption daemonblight]], which the party beats out of it in a boss fight. It's a never-before-seen weird hybrid of the rhinoceros and stag beetles, leading Eizen and Rokurou, who take each respective species' side, to start arguing like children on which one it is and is stronger, to the worry of Laphicet and Bienfu and the annoyance of the girls.

* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': Subverted. Guts runs into a pair of bug-transforming warriors (who are considerably harder to beat than the previously-encountered rabble), but they consist of a stag beetle and a praying mantis (so closer to the [[VideoGame/{{Pokemon}} Pinsir / Scyther]] example).

** Played straight even further in ''New Horizons'', where any of the donated beetles can be seen fighting each other during the night. The two randomly-selected fighters will always be one of the stag beetles and one of the other beetles.

* ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3D'': The KO Kabuto and Staggerceps [[{{Mons}} Dream Eaters]] are a coincidental example, existing simply as {{Mooks}} and potential allies for you.

* The CardBattleGame ''[[VideoGame/KouchuuOujaMushiking Mushiking]]'' has both the Kabuto and Kuwagata, but since they're not characters in a story, they're relegated to coincidental.