History Main / MonsterAllies

* The ''{{Lufia}}'' games. ''Lufia II'' has "capsule monsters", a small group of monsters--each with their own element--that can be found outside of combat and recruited. ''Ruins of Lore'' allows you to capture and train ''any'' regular monster and teach them skills from other captured monsters. In both games, the player does not control the monster's actions.

* ''LostMagic''

* ''[[TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World]]'' allows you to tame and use up to two monsters in your party lineup.

* Three Words: ''ShinMegamiTensei''

* ''[[TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World]]''

* ''DragonQuestV'' and ''DragonQuestVI''

** The Mediator class with the Invite ability, which works on monster or human foes.

* They're the basic units in ''FinalFantasyXII RevenantWings''.

* ''FinalFantasyTactics'':

* ''FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'' lets you tame monsters, but they can't join you in battle directly. Instead, the Morpher class can use their abilities.
* ''FinalFantasyTacticsA2'' has some monsters join you, but only as guests.

* ''ArcTheLad II''

* In a brief moment in ''{{Halo}} 3'', [[spoiler:[[ZombieApocalypse The Flood]] allies with Master Cheif and the Arbiter in a desperate attempt to stop Prophet of Truth from firing the Halo rings]].

* In ''{{Diablo}} II'', Necromancer class can create skeletons out of fallen enemies to fight alongside him. Until he learns the Revive spell, which is the pinnacle of necromancy because it animates a creature in a way that gives it access to all the intelligence it had in life but gives control to the Necromancer, they all turn into human-sized oid skeletons--even if they were previously foot-tall imp demons. Or a ''cloud of flies''. Or a ghost, or a bug. At least the imps might have ''bones''.

* ''[[MabinogiFantasyLife Mabinogi]]'' has several ways to get MonsterAllies. The simplest is through the Pets premium-purchase feature. Pets have a limited daily summon time; and are subject to simplified versions of the aging, levelling, and skill mechanics. Pets can also be used as player characters, within the daily summon time limit; but can only interact with animal [=NPCs=] (two as of this edit). In the G3 expansion, the Dark Knight was released with the "Control of Chaos" skill; which allows limited, temporary control over any monster, with some skill-level based restrictions. As of G7, the Pet Taming skill allows all players to gain a similar ability.

* ''PaperMario'' and its sequel, arguably. The line defining "monster" in those games are quite blurred. Many of the partners that join Mario belong to the classic enemy types like Goombas and Koopas, but there exist both friendly and enemies of these. In some cases enemies don't even exist in that particular game. (Cheep-Cheeps and Boos in the first, for instance)

* All of the ''{{Disgaea}}'' games let you make your own party of characters, many of which are monsters. In order to unlock a monster, you have to have defeated it in battle at least once, sometimes many times (because the cost of making monster units decreases with every member of the species you kill, and some monster classes are initially ''absurdly'' expensive) or throw them onto a base panel to capture them (only valid for non boss monsters of a decently lower level than your non-deployed units).

A subtrope of {{Mons}}. Please note that this is the case where the heroes always have HP whether or not the MonsterAllies do, and frequently enough, the hero(es) [[WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou is/are (a) designated survivor(s)]]. A nonsentient Monster Ally will usually be a PetMonstrosity.

[[AC:MMORPGs]]

** No mention of ''DragonQuestVIII'', which lets you put entire teams of monsters together to fight for you?

* Both ''{{Disgaea}}'' games let you make your own party of characters, many of which are monsters. In order to unlock a monster, you have to have defeated it in battle at least once, sometimes many times (because the cost of making monster units decreases with every member of the species you kill, and some monster classes are initially ''absurdly'' expensive) or throw them onto a base panel to capture them (only valid for non boss monsters of a decently lower level than your non-deployed units).

* In a brief moment in ''Halo3'', [[spoiler:[[ZombieApocalypse The Flood]] allies with Master Cheif and the Arbiter in a desperate attempt to stop Prophet of Truth from firing the Halo rings]].

* In ''{{Diablo}} II'', necromancer class can resurrect fallen enemies to fight alongside him. Until he learns the Revive spell, which is the pinnacle of necromancy because it animates a creature in a way that gives it access to all the intelligence it had in life but gives control to the Necromancer, they all turn into human-sized oid skeletons--even if they were previously foot-tall imp demons. Or a ''cloud of flies''. Or a ghost, or a bug. At least the imps might have ''bones''.

* ''DragonQuestV'' and ''DragonQuestVI''
* ''PaperMario'' and its sequel, arguably. The line defining "monster" in those games are quite blurred. Many of the partners that join Mario belong to the classic enemy types like Goombas and Koopas, but there exist both friendly and enemies of these. In some cases enemies don't even exist in that particular game. (Cheep-Cheeps and Boos in the first, for instance)
** While all your allies in the first game are based on classic Mario enemies and have attacks along the same theme, the second game mixes it up with a few characters of species previously seen as non-hostile NPC characters, never seen before at all, or [[spoiler: a former member of the QuirkyMinibossSquad]].
* The ''{{Lufia}}'' games. ''Lufia II'' has "capsule monsters", a small group of monsters--each with their own element--that can be found outside of combat and recruited. ''Ruins of Lore'' allows you to capture and train ''any'' regular monster and teach them skills from other captured monsters. In both games, the player does not control the monster's actions.
* ''[[TalesOfSymphoniaDawnOfTheNewWorld Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World]]''
* Kinda subverted in Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura - characters with a high enough Persuasion skill can get "Gar, World's Smartest Orc" - who turns out to be an upper-class human who takes after a distant, presumably orcish ancestor.
* Taken to its logical end in ''PlanescapeTorment'' by making everyone who can join your party a monster (or at least, non PC race) of some sort.
** Except Ignus, who's... off for other reasons.
* Second Editon Advanced DungeonsAndDragons had an entire sourcebook devoted to creating monstrous characters, titled 'The Complete Book Of Humanoids'. Third Edition had a similar sourcebook named 'Savage Species'. 3.5 brought a lot of that into the Monster Manual, and Fourth Edition put it all into the back of the Monster Manual.
* Both ''{{Disgaea}}'' games let you make your own party of characters, many of which are monsters. In order to unlock a monster, you have to have defeated it in battle at least once, sometimes many times (because the cost of making monster units decreases with every member of the species you kill, and some monster classes are initially ''absurdly'' expensive) or throw them onto a base panel to capture them (only valid for non boss monsters of a decently lower level than your non-deployed units).
** This is a feature of most NipponIchi strategy [=RPGs=], from LaPucelle on. In LaPucelle, enemy monsters can be directly converted into allies. In later titles, monster units are usually created from scratch by the player.

* Three Words: ''ShinMegamiTensei''
* ''FinalFantasyTactics'':
** Boco, Wiegraf's chocobo, which you can rescue and let join your party.
** The Mediator class with the Invite ability, which works on monster or human foes.
** Reis -in human shape- whose main ability is to tame dragons, but can also tame other monsters by punching.
** Byblos, the Apanda-class demon that joins as a Guest in the final floor of the Deep Dungeon, and joins permanently if it survives.
* ''FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'' lets you tame monsters, but they can't join you in battle directly. Instead, the Morpher class can use their abilities.
* ''FinalFantasyTacticsA2'' has some monsters join you, but only as guests.
** Chocobo Knights can also tame the birds, but they cannot exist separate from their tamer of they run off.
* ''MegaManBattleNetwork 3'' allowed you to tame viruses and allow you to get a virus chip, which summons said virus
* ''OgreBattle'' and ''TacticsOgre''

* ''{{Kirby}} Super Star'' had the option to turn copy abilities into allied partners.

* PuzzleQuest: Some companions fall under this, and you can capture some monsters to use as mounts.
* [[MabinogiFantasyLife Mabinogi]] has several ways to get MonsterAllies. The simplest is through the Pets premium-purchase feature. Pets have a limited daily summon time; and are subject to simplified versions of the aging, levelling, and skill mechanics. Pets can also be used as player characters, within the daily summon time limit; but can only interact with animal [=NPCs=] (two as of this edit). In the G3 expansion, the Dark Knight was released with the "Control of Chaos" skill; which allows limited, temporary control over any monster, with some skill-level based restrictions. As of G7, the Pet Taming skill allows all players to gain a similar ability.
* In ''HalfLife 2'' you can temporarily befriend and get help in storming an enemy facility from the previously hostile Antlions with the aid of some special pheromones.
* In {{Diablo}} II, necromancer class can resurrect fallen enemies to fight alongside him. Until he learns the Revive spell, which is the pinnacle of necromancy because it animates a creature in a way that gives it access to all the intelligence it had in life but gives control to the Necromancer, they all turn into human-sized oid skeletons--even if they were previously foot-tall imp demons. Or a ''cloud of flies''. Or a ghost, or a bug. At least the imps might have ''bones''.
* Lime the slime in ''Lunia'', an unlockable PlayerCharacter.
* The monsters in ''Sabrewulf'' don't quite fit this, but go here better than under {{Mons}}--they're treated as tools that happen to be living (e.g. a large sleeping creature that functions as a trampoline, or a Chinese dragon that can be used as a platform.) Learning to command them takes many years of training, so the main character is the only person in the game who's shown to use them. Unusually for this trope, however, a clear distinction is made between "good creatures" used exclusively by you and "bad creatures" that accompany the titular beast.

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* [[MabinogiFantasyLife Mabinogi]] has several ways to get MonsterAllies. The simplest is through the Pets premium-purchase feature. Pets have a limited daily summon time; and are subject to simplified versions of the aging, levelling, and skill mechanics. Pets can also be used as player characters, within the daily summon time limit; but can only interact with animal NPCs (two as of this edit). In the G3 expansion, the Dark Knight was released with the "Control of Chaos" skill; which allows limited, temporary control over any monster, with some skill-level based restrictions. As of G7, the Pet Taming skill allows all players to gain a similar ability.

* In Final Fantasy Legend II, you can compose your entire party of monsters, though in practice it makes for a much more difficult experience.

A subtrope of {{Mons}}. Please note that this is the case where the heroes always have HP whether or not the MonsterAllies do, and frequently enough, the hero(es) [[WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou is/are (a) designated survivor(s)]]. A nonsentient Monster Ally will usually be a PetMonstosity.

A subtrope of {{Mons}}. Please note that this is the case where the heroes always have HP whether or not the MonsterAllies do, and frequently enough, the hero(es) [[WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou is/are (a) designated survivor(s)]].

*Second Editon Advanced Dungeons And Dragons had an entire sourcebook devoted to creating monstrous characters, titled 'The Complete Book Of Humanoids'. Third Edition had a similar sourcebook named 'Savage Species'. 3.5 brought a lot of that into the Monster Manual, and Fourth Edition put it all into the back of the Monster Manual.

*''PaperMario'' and its sequel, arguably. The line defining "monster" in those games are quite blurred. Many of the partners that join Mario belong to the classic enemy types like Goombas and Koopas, but there exist both friendly and enemies of these. In some cases enemies don't even exist (Cheep-Cheeps and Boos in the first game, for example).