History Main / MetamorphosisMonster

* There are tons of critters with weird life cycles. Insects, for example, lay eggs that hatch into worm-like larvae, who gorge themselves until they can spin a cocoon around themselves. That itself hatches into a mature adult. There may also be sub-stages of larval development, qcalled ''instars''.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Fe}}'', the young LizardFolk that the eponymous protagonist befriends early in the game look and behave dramatically different from their adult counterparts encountered later on, which take the form of large [[MixAndMatchCritters frilled snakes with manes and antlers]]. Taken a step further with their [[MonsterLord overlord]], who is a [[TurtleIsland mountain-sized]] [[SeaMonster sea serpent]].

* There are tons of critters with weird life cycles. Insects, for example, lay eggs that hatch into worm-like larvae, who gorge themselves until they can spin a cocoon around themselves. That itself hatches into a mature adult. There may also be sub-stages of larval development, called ''instars''.

* In Series 3 of ''Series/{{Primeval}}'', the team encounter a nastily infectious fungus that converts its hosts into hideous mutants which of course are infectious as well.

** The Nemesis Tyrant from [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis the game named for it]] gets more and more mutated as it's [[TheSymbiote symbiote]] gets angrier.

* The Zerg from ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' are spawned as catterpillar-like Larvae. They can then mutate into several different kinds of monster, themselves sometimes able to become something worse. And they evolve on a ''personal level,'' with sucessful mutations applied to the baseline.

* The Ornimorphs from ''WebOriginal/Serina'' are a species of highly-derived avians whose life cycle simulates the entire evolutionary history of life on earth. They hatch from eggs laid in water into a swimming tadpole-like form, and gradually grow into amphibian-like, reptile-like, and dinosaur-like juvenile forms before becoming arboreal gliders that eventually take to the sky as adults. The adult form, spending its entire life on the wing, lays its eggs by skimming over bodies of water to start the cycle anew.

* The "Jayslob" from ''Webcomic/AwfulHospital'' constantly mutates throughout Fern's battle with it. We get to see it metamorphosize in real-time, thanks to Bogleech's love of BodyHorror.

* The Ornimorphs from ''WebOriginal/Serina'' are a species of highly-derived avians whose life cycle simulates the entire evolutionary history of life on earth. They hatch from eggs laid in water into a swimming tadpole-like form, and gradually grow into amphibian, reptile, and dinosaur like forms before taking to the sky as adults.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Fe}}'', the young LizardFolk that the eponymous protagonist befriends early in the game look and behave dramatically different from their adult counterparts encountered later on, which take the form of large [[MixAndMatchCritters frilled snakes with manes and antlers]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{Fe}}'', the young LizardFolk that the eponymous protagonist befriends early in the game look and behave dramatically different from their adult counterparts, which take the form of large [[MixAndMatchCritters frilled snakes with manes and antlers]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{Fe}}'', the young LizardFolk that the eponymous protagonist befriends early in the game look and behave dramatically different from their adult counterparts, which take the form of large [[MixNMatchCritters frilled snakes with manes and antlers]].

* There are tons of critters with weird life cycles. Insects, for example, lay eggs that hatch into worm-like larvae, who gorge themselves until they can spin a cocoon around themselves. That itself hatches into a mature adult.

* In ''{{Literature/Animorphs}},'' the Skrit Na come in two forms: the Skrit, which is basically a huge and not-too-bright cockroach, and the Na, which are TheGreys (and [[CloudCuckooLander also not very bright]]). The Skrit is the first phase, which eventually goes into a cocoon and dies, [[{{Squick}} with the Na emerging from its body]].

* The Zerg from ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' are spawned as catterpillar-like Larvae. They can then mutate into several different kinds of monster, themselves sometimes able to become something worse. And they evolve on a ''personal level,'' with sucessful mutations applied to the baseline through a CannibalismSuperpower.

* The Zerg from ''Franchise/StarCraft'' are spawned as catterpillar-like Larvae. They can then mutate into several different kinds of monster, themselves sometimes able to become something worse.

* Quite a few {{Pokemon}} have a variant of this with their evolution. The most obvious example is Magikarp to Gyarados (Small carp to giant 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).

* The Monsters from ''VideoGame/{{Evolve}}'' all have this as their shtick; they grow stronger by consuming animals, growing larger, stronger and spiky with each progression. They start out weaker than the human hunters out to kill them in the first stage, are roughly equal in strength during the second stage, and exceed them in the third and final stage.

* The Monsters from ''VideoGame/Evolve'' all have this as their shtick; they grow stronger by consuming animals, growing larger, stronger and spiky with each progression. They start out weaker than the human hunters out to kill them in the first stage, are roughly equal in strength during the second stage, and exceed them in the third and final stage.

* Quite a few {{Pokemon}} have a variant of this with their evolution. The most obvious example is Magikarp to Gyarados (Small carp to giant 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).
** Bizarre, but explanatory: Remoraid (pistol) to Octillery (cannon)
** And, of course, most of the bug pokemon.

* The Fodder from ''VideoGame/DeadSpaceThree'' spawns CombatTentacles from its waist when dismembered enough. If it's arms get removed, it replaces its torso with three whips. If it loses its legs, it gets a SpikeShooter for each one. Removing one arm and one leg usually kills it outright.