History Main / OneToMillionToOne

* In ''Webcomic/GastroPhobia'', Krphxyzwlps the Neitherbeast is a shapeshifter who can take many forms, but always with the same total mass. This can include several humans, or in one case a swarm of mice to slip through a small hole.
* ''WebComic/KillSixBillionDemons'': Gog-Agog is a HiveMind of TheWormThatWalks and capable of assembling and dissasembling bodies from her component worms at will (she has a ''lot'' of worms, and can teleport). She pulls the trick several times during ''King of Swords'' and ''Breaker of Infinities'', usually in ways full of BodyHorror.

* Nevan from ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'' teleports across her room (read: battle arena) by dissolving into bats.

* Boolossus, the third boss of ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'', is defeated by luring him into the horn of a nearby ice unicorn statue, causing him to pop into many smaller Boos, which you can then capture.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'', by dodging an attack at the very last second, Bayonetta can [[BatOutOfHell shatter into bats]] upon getting hit, negating the attack and gaining increased amounts of [[BulletTime Witch Time]] in the process. For Jeanne she turns into a [[MacabreMothMotif swarm of moths]], and this is the only way she can get Witch Time normally. [[{{VideoGame/Bayonetta2}} In the sequel]], [[spoiler:[[SecretCharacter Rosa]]]] can also use this ability, turning into a [[ScaryStingingSwarm swarm of hornets]]. This carries into her ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' incarnations, too. When she attempts, but just barely fails, to dodge an attack, she bursts into a cloud of bats and reforms at her intended destination, taking reduced damage from the attack and none of the knockback.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'', Umbra Witches can do this as a part of their {{Animorphism}} Shapeshifting powers, disintegrating into a swarm of small flying creatures (like bats, moths or hornets) to dodge attacks and reform elsewhere.

* The series finale of ''WesternAnimation/KassaiAndLeuk'' shows [[spoiler:two of the setting's gods]] turning into flocks of birds.

Most of the time, the person in question has a superpower, or may also be supernatural, or may be in fact TheWormThatWalks. Or they're just a vampire (in which case the animals are almost always bats).

* The Ultimate form of the {{Shapeshifter}} mage subclass in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' is a swarm of bees. Taking a master level in Shapeshifter turns them into parasitic insects.

* ''VideoGame/LinksCrossbowTraining'': After its outer layer of armor is knocked off, the Darknut demonstrates the ability to dissolve into thousands of flies and reform at will. Although this allows him to teleport around the room and avoid Link's attacks, it also reveals his weakness: [[spoiler:There are three white flies among the black ones, and if they are destroyed the Darknut can be killed in his humanoid form.]]

* As a vampire, Rose from ''Manga/MyCheatSkillResurrectionRevivedMe'' is able to transform her body into numerous bats shown in manga chapter 10 and 21.

* As a vampire, Rose from ''Manga/MyCheatSkillResurrectionRevivedMe'' is able to transform her body into numerous bats shown in chapter 10.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'', by dodging an attack at the very last second, Bayonetta can [[BatOutOfHell shatter into bats]] upon getting hit, negating the attack and gaining increased amounts of [[BulletTime Witch Time]] in the process. For Jeanne she turns into a [[MacabreMothMotif swarm of moths]], and this is the only way she can get Witch Time normally. [[{{VideoGame/Bayonetta2}} In the sequel]], [[spoiler:[[SecretCharacter Rosa]]]] can also use this ability, turning into a [[ScaryStingingSwarm swarm of hornets]].
** This carries into her [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros4 Smash]] incarnation, too. When she attempts, but just barely fails, to dodge an attack, she bursts into a cloud of bats and reforms at her intended destination, taking reduced damage from the attack and none of the knockback.

* This is one of the abilities of [[BeeAfraid Swarm]], the [[BlowYouAway Air]]-elemental giant in ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}''. He can turn into a swarm of bees at will, and since he is a [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever massive]] humanoid bee, it grows into a massive cloud that damages opponents that touch it. One upgrade path allows him to improve on this, letting him unleash shockwaves or even form the swarm into a [[AnAxeToGrind giant axe]] for massive damage.

* The [[HornyDevils succubi and incubi]] of ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' make their clothes out of souls, which manifest as bats. They can occasionally turn themselves into bats as well, an ability Morrigan makes use of to help her {{distract|edByTheSexy}} and then [[SpinningPiledriver get the jump on]] ComicBook/IronMan in one of the trailers for ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3''.

* It isn't clear if it actually happened or not but Legosi of ''Manga/{{Beastars}}'' briefly appeared to transform into a swarm of moths during his final fight with Tem's killer.

* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' we have Katsuyu, who takes this trope UpToEleven. Not only can she voluntary split into thousands of tiny versions of herself and reform, those who have signed the Slug contract (including Tsunade and Sakura) always summon portions of her. Whereas the Toad and Snake summons have entire families of differently-sized summons, there is only one slug, and she's at least big enough to be summoned at a size equal to other Great Summons, by both Tsunade and Sakura, ''at the same time.''

** In 4th Edition , the crystalline beings known as the ''Shardmind'' have an ability that lets them separate into individual pieces and reform a short distance away after being successfully attacked.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'', the Zealots of the Lady (also known as "Crows") are a series of EliteMooks that are able to use [[SuperpoweredMooks the "Murder of Crows" vigor]] to transform into a flock of crows, avoiding all damage before reforming to attack. Weirdly, the player can also obtain the Murder of Crows vigor, but they don't get this ability (instead they get [[TheBeastmaster the power to summon a horde of crows to swarm enemies]]).

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** Some games also give this ability to the Phantom Bat. Similarly, ''VideoGame/SuperCastlevaniaIV'' gives this ability to the mummy boss, Akmodan II, who teleports as a stream of loose bandages.

* In the WesternAnimation/{{Roger Rabbit short|s]] "Trail Mix-Up", Roger is put through a wood shredder and emerges as over a dozen mini-Rogers; all but one of them merge back.

* ''[[Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure Jojo's Bizarre Adventure]]'': In ''Jojolion'', Wu Tomoki's Stand, Doctor Wu, lets him disintegrate his body into tiny stone fragments and reform later. He can use these fragments to control other people if they get inside their body.

* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'': At the end of the early short ''Hold Anything'', Bosko falls from a great height and splits into several miniature copies of himself, which do a little dance before merging.
* In the [[WesternAnimation/RogerRabbitShorts Roger Rabbit short]] ''Trail Mix-Up'', Roger is put through a wood shredder and emerges as over a dozen mini-Rogers; all but one of them merge back.
-->'''Roger:''' ''BABY...!''
-->'''Mini-Roger:''' Herman!

* ''VideoGame/XCOM2: War of the Chosen'' introduces the Spectre, a robotic humanoid that reverts to a cloud of {{Nanomachines}} when it moves. This allows it to fly over difficult terrain, and grants it the [[DodgeTheBullet Lightning Reflexes]] perk, making the first Overwatch shot against it miss.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* In ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'', members of the Order of the Raven are able to transform into a murder of crows.

* Vagullion, the WarmUpBoss from ''VideoGame/{{Ys}} Origin'', will sometimes transform into a flock of bats and fly toward the player to attack. After taking enough damage, it splits into two beings, both of which use the swarming attack.
** It likewise appears in the first game in the series, to which Origin serves as a prequel, where it is [[ThatOneBoss most definitely not a warm-up boss]], coalescing into its singular form for only a split-second at a time.

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/DungeonKeeper'': Vampires turn into a cloud of bats when defeated, but only when given a FinalDeath. If defeated in a way [[ResurrectiveImmortality they come back from]], they turn into mist instead which then reforms the vampire in your graveyard.

* Manga/PrincessResurrection: Reirei, being a vampire, can turn into a smaller bats and reform back fairly easily. She uses it to mostly avoid attacks or get around her assailants with ease.