History Main / MetamorphosisMonster

* While on their home planet at least, the metroids in the ''{{Metroid}}'' series go from floating parasitic jellyfish to beetlelike creatures to giant armored lizards. In an interesting twist, the first stage is not only the most well-known and arguably most dangerous, but while nearly every game has a variant of the jellyfish stage, the later stages have only appeared in a handful of games. Apparently their larval stage can become mutated in various ways from the chemicals and radiation in its surroundings[[note]]eg. exposing one to Phazon on planet Tallon IV causes it to grow long tentacles, and beta radiation will make it divide into two[[/note]], and they can only complete their normal life cycle on planet SR-388.
** Also, Ridley's larva form is a small rabbit-bird-thingy, which then becomes a feathered lizard kind of creature before finally evolving into the space dragon we all know and love.

** [[Film/GodzillaAndMothraBattleForEarth Mothra and Battra]], naturally. Both are giant caterpillars who then become giant butterflies.

** Also, [[spoiler:Ridley]]'s larva form is a small rabbit-bird-thingy, which then becomes a feathered lizard kind of creature before finally evolving into the Space Dragon we all know and love.

* Quite a few {{Pokemon}} have a variant of this with their evolution. The most obvious example is Magikarp to Gyarados (Small karp to sea serpent), but there are others, such as Trapinch to Flygon (Ant lion larva to adult to dragon) and Feebas to Milotic (fish to elegant-looking sea serpent, or the bizarre Remoraid to Octillery (remora to octopus).

* While on their home planet at least, the metroids in the ''{{Metroid}}'' series go from floating parasitic jellyfish to beetlelike creatures to giant armored lizards. In an interesting twist, the first stage is not only the most well-known and arguably most dangerous, but while nearly every game has a variant of the jellyfish stage, the later stages have only appeared in a handful of games. Apparently their larval stage can become mutated in various ways from the chemicals and radiation in its surroundings[[hottip:*:eg. exposing one to Phazon on planet Tallon IV causes it to grow long tentacles, and beta radiation will make it divide into two]], and they can only complete their normal life cycle on planet SR-388.

* Quite a few {{Pokemon}} have a variant of this with their evolution. The most obvious example is Magikarp to Gyarados (Small karp to sea serpent), but there are others, such as Trapinch to Flygon (Ant lion larva to adult to dragon) and Feebas to Milotic (fish to elegant-looking sea serpent)

* As the inspiration behind the 2 examples from Metroid above, the Aliens from ''{{Alien}}'' also have a peculiar lifecycle: It could be described as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_life_cycle#Haplodiplontic_life_cycle haplodiplontic]], with the "gametophyte" being a creature that could be described as a mismatch of hads/legs, tail and genitalia that lives just to seek a host to impregnate, and the "sporophyte" developing in the body cavity of the host, emerging violently as a snake-like creature, and quickly growing up into a large, 4-limbed biomechanoid creature with some traits reminiscent of the host species, but taller and slimmer. If it grows into a fertile queen, it also changes its limb structure, grows an additional pair of arms, increases in size, and loses the host-like characters.

* Irys from the film ''Film/Gamera3TheAwakeningOfIrys'' goes from a [[UglyCute strange-looking yet somehow adorable]] snail-like creature with tons of tentacles to a giant bipedal monster with tentacles with spears on the ends, swords for arms, and a cone-shaped head with a single glowing eyeball.

** Likewise, there's [[GodzillaVsDestoroyah Destoroyah]] who went from a colony of microscopic crab-things to a giant scorpion-crab thing to a giant demonic crab-thing.
** Mothra and Battra, naturally. Both are giant caterpillars who then become giant butterflies.
** ''Film/{{Godzilla Vs Biollante}}'' has the titular Biollante as another example, going from a giant rose to a bizarre crocodile-Godzilla-tree-[[BuffySpeak thing]].
** And then there's the mutant clone Spacegodzilla who can switch between his "normal" Godzilla form and his crystal form of the monsters listed he, Desotroyah, and Hedorah are the only ones, not counting mechs like Super-Mechagodzilla and MOGUERA, that can switch back and forth between forms and they take full advantage of this. Often switching into a previous form and using a different means of attack when head on attacks are proving not useful.
* Irys from the film ''{{Gamera}} 3: Revenge of Irys'' goes from a [[UglyCute strange-looking yet somehow adorable]] snail-like creature with tons of tentacles to a giant bipedal monster with tentacles with spears on the ends, swords for arms, and a cone-shaped head with a single glowing eyeball.

** Also, Ridley's larva form is a small rabbit-bird-thingy, which then becomes a feathered lizard kind of creature before finally evolving into the Space Dragon we all know and love.

* Most officially defined evolutionary lines in ''{{Digimon}}'' fall under this; lines with a consistently maturing appearance are the minority and are generally specifically designed as protagonists of an anime series. Perhaps the standout example is Patamon of ''DigimonAdventure'', who evolves from a vaguely-defined small orange [[FanNickname flying meatloaf]] mammal thing into [[OurAngelsAreDifferent an angel]]. In the broader canon, most Digimon have a wide variety of forms to which they can evolve, generally not restricted to specific lines, and so pretty much any and every Digimon can be an example of this.

* Most officially defined evolutionary lines in ''{{Digimon}}'' fall under this; lines with a consistently maturing appearance are the minority and are generally specifically designed as protagonists of an anime series. Perhaps the standout example is Patamon of ''DigimonAdventure'', who evolves from a vaguely-defined small orange winged mammal thing into [[OurAngelsAreDifferent an angel]]. In the broader canon, most Digimon have a wide variety of forms to which they can evolve, generally not restricted to specific lines, and so pretty much any and every Digimon can be an example of this.

** Biollante is another example, going from a giant rose to a bizarre crocodile-Godzilla-tree-[[BuffySpeak thing]].

* While on their home planet at least, the metroids in the ''{{Metroid}}'' series go from floating parasitic jellyfish to beetlelike creatures to giant armored lizards. In an interesting twist, the first stage is not only the most well-known and arguably most dangerous, but while nearly every game has a variant of the jellyfish stage, the later stages have only appeared in a handful of games. Apparently their larval stage can become mutated in various ways from the chemicals and radiation in its surroundings[[hottip:*:eg. exposing one to [[TheCorruption Phazon]] on planet Tallon IV causes it to grow long tentacles, and beta radiation will make it divide into two]], and they can only complete their normal life cycle on planet SR-388.

* Quite a few {{Pokemon}} have a variant of this with their evolution. The most obvious example is Magikarp to Gyarados (Small karp to sea serpent), but there are others, such as Trapinch to Flygon (Ant lion to dragonfly/dragon) and Feebas to Milotic (fish to elegant-looking sea serpent)

** Trapinch's evolutionary path is actually TruthInTelevision. [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antlion The adult antlion is indeed dragonfly-like.]]

* ''{{Gremlins}}'': The Mogwai ''multiply'' if gotten wet, and transform if fed after midnight.

* While on their home planet at least, the titular creatures in the ''{{Metroid}}'' series go from floating parasitic jellyfish to beetlelike creatures to giant armored lizards. In an interesting twist, the first stage is not only the most well-known and arguably most dangerous, but while nearly every game has a variant of the jellyfish stage, the later stages have only appeared in a handful of games. Apparently their larval stage can become mutated in various ways from the chemicals and radiation in its surroundings[[hottip:*:eg. exposing one to [[TheCorruption Phazon]] on planet Tallon IV causes it to grow long tentacles, and beta radiation will make it divide into two]], and they can only complete their normal life cycle on planet SR-388.

* Hedorah in ''[[{{Godzilla}} Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster]]''.
** Likewise, there's Destoroyah who went from a colony of microscopic crab-things to a giant scorpion-crab thing to a giant demonic crab-thing.

* Cell from DragonBallZ evolves from a half-insect, half-lizard monster to an humanoid android.

* Similar to the Metroid example above, the Aliens from ''{{Alien}}'' go from parasite to two-legged reptilian.

* The [[{{Gremlins}} Mogwai]] ''multiplied'' if gotten wet, and transformed if fed after midnight.

* While on their home planet at least, the titular creatures in the ''{{Metroid}}'' series go from floating parasitic jellyfish to beetlelike creatures to giant armored lizards. In an interesting twist, the first stage is not only the most well-known and arguably most dangerous, but while nearly every game has a variant of the jellyfish stage, the later stages have only appeared in a handful of games.