History Main / LivingStructureMonster

Compare WallMaster for creatures who are able to move through/along walls; in this trope, the walls ([[RunningGag and floors, ceilings etc]]) are the monsters themselves. Compare also ChestMonster, WombLevel and OurGargoylesRock (since a gargoyle is basically an animated rainspout). A {{Nurikabe}} is a particularly common example in Japanese fiction. Contrast SmartHouse. Subtrope of AnimateInanimateObject.

** There's a miniboss in ''VideoGame/OracleOfSeasons'' and ''VideoGame/LinksAwakening'' (Facade), a giant face who appears in the floor and is killed with bombs.

* In ''LightNovel/IBecameTheDemonLordSoICreatedADungeon'', we have a rare protagonist example. Yuki is a human from Earth reincarnated into a Demon Lord and bound to a dungeon. The dungeon is a living being and both it and he are dependent on each other to live.

* In the horror film ''Film/FourteenOhEight'', the entire hotel room itself, not just any specific piece of it, is evil. The rest of the hotel is fine though.
* ''Film/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'' has a HedgeMaze that acts like this in the third task.

* A demon who's also a wall, which inspires worshipers to fight over it, shows up in a second-season episode of ''Series/{{Angel}}''.

* In ''Series/ChoujinSentaiJetman'', the first use of [[CombiningMecha Jet Icarus]] is against an apartment building turned into a monster by Radiguet.

* The house itself in ''TabletopGame/BetrayalAtHouseOnTheHill'' can be one of these in one of the end-game "Haunt" scenarios, with different rooms representing organs, such as the Kitchen being the digestive system, and the Conservatory acting as the lungs.

* Death Wall, which probably is the "cousin" of the above-mentioned Demon Wall, hailing from the ''VideoGame/RuneFactory'' series.
* In ''VideoGame/UltimaIII'', just before you reach the BigBad's lair, the floor of its antechamber attacks you, with a high potential for a TotalPartyKill. In gameplay terms, it just means a battle against multiple completely invisible enemies named "Floor".

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'':
** In the first game, the blocked doors would attack Dante if you got too close, but otherwise left you alone until you got rid of them by solving a puzzle and/or killing some enemies.
** The second game has Nefasturris, the "Tower of Sin", an enormous demon which is summoned into the human world using an entire skyscraper as a conduit.
* Icon of Sin, a wall with a picture of a demon on it, the FinalBoss in ''VideoGame/DoomII'', attacks you by summoning his various demonic flunkies to fight you. His weakpoint is on a point on his "head". [[spoiler:When he returns in ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'' as the final boss, he’s changed into a giant demon.]]
* Grimwall from ''VideoGame/ShiningInTheDarkness''.
* Wall enemies show up in one level of ''VideoGame/WarioWorld''. They can't attack, their only purpose is to keel over and provide a bridge once punched sufficiently.

* Blockhead of ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'' is a {{youkai}} based on Nurikabe from Japanese folklore. They appear in several places during the game, always blocking the player's path with their wall-like body. To get past a Blockhead the player must [[UseYourHead headbutt]] him to make him reveal [[AttackItsWeakPoint his weak points]], [[SimonSaysMiniGame memorize them]], and attack them with his [[ArtAttacker Celestial Brush]], after which the Blockhead disappears in a puff of smoke.
-->Ga-ha! I am Blockhead! I guard this place so that all shall pass! Er, wait... I mean, none shall pass!
* The exit from ''VideoGame/CaveStory'''s NoobCave is blocked by a cyclopean door that [[CollisionDamage hurts on contact]], but is easily dealt with.
* Nest type enemy fused to a variety of walls/bulkheads throughout all three ''VideoGame/DeadSpace'' games. They spawn nasty babies with missile shooting tails. They cannot be rerouted around and the babies will kill you if they manage to shoot you enough times.
* The doors to a boss room in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' and ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'' are covered by giant eyes called Gadoras that shoot eyebeams at the player and must be destroyed before you can enter the room. ''VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns'' introduced three-eyed variants called Gigadoras that can only be defeated with the Spazer Beam.
* Several ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' games contain enemies called [[http://zeldawiki.org/Flying_Tile Flying Tiles]]. From a distance they're just ordinary floor tiles, but as you approach they levitate up, start spinning, then hurl themselves at you. ''VideoGame/OcarinaOfTime'' has living fake doors that attack Link if he approaches them. As some of them are in front of the ''actual'' doors, it's a good thing a bomb can deal with the issue.
** There's a miniboss in ''VideoGame/OracleOfSeasons'' and ''VideoGame/LinksAwakening'' (Facade), a giant face who appears in the floor and is killed with bombs.
* In some games of the ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' series (for example, ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'' and ''[[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney Strange Journey]]'', the demon [[http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110601200238/megamitensei/images/e/e6/Orcus.JPG Orcus]] appears as a brick [[HellGate gateway]] to {{Hell}} (If you look closely, a plaque reading "GO TO HELL" is attached to it) with part of a horned head visible at the top.
* From the ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'', there are the Whomps which are based on the Nurikabe from Japanese folklore. ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'' has a variant called the Stairface Ogre, which has a more Oni-like face and attacks with a big mallet.
* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', there is the Heartless boss Thresholder. It is the possessed dungeon doors which impede Sora and company in Beast's castle.
* ''VideoGame/{{Skyblazer}}'' has a Demon Wall boss that attacks by spinning and attempting to crush Sky against the edges of the screen.

* The old Former Building in ''VideoGame/{{Albion}}''. The floors have mouths and try to eat you. The reason is that one of the building's former [[HumanoidAlien Iskai]] inhabitants has fused with into a GeniusLoci. This might make more sense knowing that the Formers are wizards who specialise in living plant architecture, and that the Iskai can transfer their minds into an infant's body through a semi-telepathic organ on their foreheads. Well, a little more sense.

* ''VideoGame/EpicMickey'' has the Clocktower, who went insane after listening to "It's a Small World" for far too long. His face, once a bubbly, happy smile [[BodyHorror has since melted away, leaving a hideous scowl.]] He attempts to crush Mickey with his massive, metallic fists while a nightmarish version of the well-known song plays hauntingly in the background. If the player chooses to kill the Clocktower, its arms horribly twist and fall off, and his face falls into the lake of Thinner below, lamenting, "Oh dear, my time has come. I don't feel too good..."
* The Ultra Beast Stakataka from ''VideoGame/PokemonUltraSunAndUltraMoon'' takes on the appearance of a castle tower. Each of the individual "stones" is actually a separate life form with an inward-facing eye, hence its code name, "UB Assembly".
* The FinalBoss of ''VideoGame/TheWonderful101'' happens to be fully linked to the planet-shaped fortress he resides in. Thus, when his physical form is destroyed, he turns the whole fortress into a HumongousMecha for one last battle.
* In ''VideoGame/KingsQuestVI'', the gate leading to the Lord of the Dead’s throne room is alive and has an appetite for human flesh. Fortunately, Alexander is able to negotiate with it and it allows him to pass after answering a riddle.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' has Mike, the Evil Living Building, as one of the Crimson Chin's enemies.

* The ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' episode "Horror Club" has a Corrupted Gem that is merged with the lighthouse above the temple, and manifests a giant maw in the wall.

[[caption-width-right:350:Forget Franchise/{{Lego}}, these are REAL building blocks.]]

* The Ultra Beast Stakataka (pictured) from ''VideoGame/PokemonUltraSunAndUltraMoon'' takes on the appearance of a castle tower. Each of the individual "stones" is actually a separate life form with an inward-facing eye, hence its code name, "UB Assembly".

* Icon of Sin, a wall with a picture of a demon on it, the FinalBoss in ''VideoGame/DoomII'', attacks you by summoning his various demonic flunkies to fight you. His weakpoint is on a point on his "head".

Compare WallMaster for creatures who are able to move through/along walls; in this trope, the walls ([[RunningGag and floors, ceilings etc]]) are the monsters themselves. Compare also ChestMonster, WombLevel and OurGargoylesRock (since a gargoyle is basically an animated rainspout). Contrast SmartHouse. Subtrope of AnimateInanimateObject.

** Second edition had the "Greater Mimic". A larger version of the game's resident ChestMonster which could impersonate rooms or other structures.

[[caption-width-right:350:Forget Legos, these are REAL building blocks.]]

-->-- '''Belkar Bitterleaf''' ,''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''

* Icon of Sin, a wall with a picture of a demon on it, the FinalBoss in ''VideoGame/{{Doom}} 2'', attacks you by summoning his various demonic flunkies to fight you. His weakpoint is on a point on his "head".

-->-- '''Belkar,''' ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''

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* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has had many structure base monsters in its history, especially in the earlier editions where EverythingTryingToKillYou and KillerGameMaster were in full effect:

** First Edition had the "Lurker Above" (just called the Lurker in Advanced D&D), which resembled the ceiling.

* A rather well renowned {{youkai}} from Japanese folklore called a Nurikabe is an animated wall that impedes travelers. It is the basis for many characters such as the Whomps from ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' and the Monol monsters from ''Videogame/MonsterRancher''. Interesting enough, its common depiction of being an animated wall is somewhat of [[NewerThanTheyThink a modern representation]]. Originally during the Edo period, one of its early depictions was that of a three-eyed grotesque vaguely dog-like creature. Over time, its depiction changed to a literal wall with limbs and very vague features.

* In one episode of the ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', Rita accidentally brings a brick wall to life. Brick Bully is literally a brick wall with an upside down face, limbs, and various graffiti all over him. He can turn others into bricks and when he eats more bricks, he assumes a slightly more humanoid and mobile form. The Monster in question was adapted from "Series/NinjaSentaiKakuranger", whose monsters were designed as "Bronx {{Youkai}}". In this case, it was a modern incarnation of a Nurikabe.

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', Unseen University is explicitly described as a building complex that throughout its thousand year history has absorbed so much ambient magic that it is practically a living thing with emotions and a degree of sentience. ''Discworld/EqualRites'' has the witch Granny Weatherwax reaching out her mind and effectively ''borrowing'' it -- i.e., a sort of benign possession which a witch may only do with the mind of a living thing. She reads its mind and discovers it is frightened and fearful. Much the same happens in ''Discworld/{{Sourcery}}'', when the University dimly senses big trouble ahead, and doesn't like it.

** The Living Wall, which gains power by assimilating nearby corpses.

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* ''Videogame/Cuphead'' has Funhouse Frazzle, in which you encounter a large wall mini-boss with two mouths and one eye twice.

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* Several ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' games contain enemies called [[http://zeldawiki.org/Flying_Tile Flying Tiles]]. From a distance they're just ordinary floor tiles, but as you approach they levitate up, start spinning, then hurl themselves at you. ''VideoGame/OcarinaOfTime'' has living fake doors that attack Link if he approaches them.

* In Creator/MarvelComics, the Chrysler Building is a sentient being who came to life on at least one occasion in an issue of ''Comicbook/DamageControl'' due to some of the effects from ComicBooks/WorldWarHulk. ItMakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext.

* Genova, one of the bosses in ''VideoGame/SeikenDensetsu3'' is a demonic fireplace/furnace that attacks by spitting enemies out of its fire.

* The Demon Wall is a recurring enemy in the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series. The Final Fantasy series also has Alexander; a recurring summon/boss which usually takes the form of a gigantic living castle.
* ''Videogame/FinalFantasyIV'' also has, in dungeon with Demon Wall, a Trap Doors. They look like regular doors until you try to interact with them, when they just attack.
* Death Wall, which probably is the "cousin" of the above-mentioned example, hailing from the ''VideoGame/RuneFactory'' series.

* Armstrong from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyCrystalChronicles'', a ''literal'' haunted house possessed by the lingering grief of its former occupants as they succumbed to the miasma that overtook Tida.

** Thanks to Big Mom's SoulPower, ''anything'' in her territory can become an AnimatedInanimateObject; This includes doors. They won't open unless they want to.

* ''VideoGame/EpicMickey'' has the Clocktower, who went insane after listening to "It's a Small World" for far too long. His face, once a bubbly, happy smile [[BodyHorror has since melted away, leaving a hideous scowl.]] He attempts to crush Mickey with his massive, metallic fists while a nightmarish version of the well-known song plays hauntingly in the background. If the player chooses to kill the Clocktower, it's arms horribly twist and fall off, and his face falls into the lake of Thinner below, lamenting, "Oh dear, my time has come. I don't feel too good..."