History Main / PatternCodedEggs

Dragons seem to be particularly prone to this trope. Some reasons are that they're entirely fictional animals, egg-laying reptiles, and are often brightly colored themselves.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro'', purple dragons hatch from eggs of the same color. Because of their unique power, the birth of a purple egg is cause for much excitement and/or trepidation. This is a change from the [[VideoGame/SpyroTheDragon source material]], in which all dragon eggs were off-white and patterned with irregular pink-and-blue shapes (to emphasize the cuteness of the baby inside).

* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', dragons' eggs are usually the same colour as their contents. For example, the predominantly-purple Spike hatched from a purple egg.

** However, this is also played straight a few times. For example, in "Valley of the Stygimolochs", Spikey's younger siblings hatch from yellow eggs with red speckles (similar to their kinds' red horns); and in another episode, Olivia ''Oviraptor''[='=]s eggs are pink like she is.

* PatternCodedEggs: Each dragon egg is patterned in such a way that you can tell what dragon is inside by just looking at them. Some are also textured such as the Grass Dragon Egg.

* ''Egg Cave'': Eggs tend to be the same colour as the creatures that hatch from them.

* ''[=MagiStream=]'': Every magical creature resembles the egg it hatches from, an example being the purple koi fish, which hatches from a purple egg decorated with scales.

* ''{{Franchise/Pokemon}}'': Played with - in the main series, Pokémon eggs uniformly have a plain white design with green spots due to graphical limitations, similar to Yoshi eggs. The only exception is the event-only Manaphy egg from Generation IV, which has a unique sprite showing it to be translucent blue with a ring of yellow dots and a red center, similar to Manaphy itself, an aquatic Pokémon with a blue body, yellow dots for eyebrows, and a red gem over its heart. However, some spin-off games (as well as the anime) have unique egg designs for individual Pokémon.

* ''{{VideoGame/Temtem}}'': Eggs can be obtained by breeding two compatible Temtem. The egg design is not specific to the individual Temtem, but is based on its elemental type (water eggs are blue with a wave design, fire eggs are pale orange with a flame design, etc.)

* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': In the first book, ''Literature/AGameOfThrones'', Daenerys receives three dragon eggs as a wedding gift from Illyrio, one cream and streaked with gold, the second deep green with bronze flecks, the third pure black with scarlet ripples and swirls. They hatch into the cream-and-gold dragon Viserion, the green-and-bronze dragon Rhaegal, and the black-and-red dragon Drogon.

* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'''s Creative mode-exclusive spawn eggs are brightly colored and decorated with speckled spots.

** ''VideoGame/PokemonSnap'': The three legendary birds' eggs appear and can be hatched by the player - a crystalline silver egg for Articuno, a yellow egg with lightning designs for Zapdos, and a white egg with a flame design for Moltres. [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness (This was before the games introduced the breeding mechanic, as well as the idea that legendary Pokémon are unable to breed, with a few exceptions.)]]

** ''VideoGame/PokemonSnap'': The three legendary birds' eggs appear and can be hatched by the player - a crystalline silver egg for Articuno, a yellow egg with lightning designs for Zapdos, and a white egg with a flame design for Moltres. (This was before the games introduced the breeding mechanic, as well as the idea that legendary Pokémon are unable to breed, with a few exceptions.)

Related to ColorCodedForYourConvenience and AmazingTechnicolorWildlife. Sometimes related to EggMacGuffin, WhaleEgg, and EggLayingMale. A common feature of {{Mons}} series and animal-themed [[BreedingSim Breeding Sims]].

* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'': The shells of Pokémon eggs look like the Pokémon they will eventually hatch into; for example, Brock's pink and white Happiny hatched from a pink egg with a white stripe around its midsection. But starting from ''Anime/PokemonJourneys'', this trope is averted when Ash receives an egg that resembles the 10-km egg from ''Videogame/PokemonGo'', being plain white with light blue spots and bearing no resemblance to the Riolu that hatches from it. A good thing too, because patterning the eggs after the pokemon in them made the characters [[FailedASpotCheck seem oblivious]] for acting like what would hatch is a mystery.

Related to ColorCodedForYourConvenience and AmazingTechnicolorWildlife. Sometimes related to EggMacGuffin and WhaleEgg. A common feature of {{Mons}} series and animal-themed [[BreedingSim Breeding Sims]].

** ''VideoGame/PokemonSnap'': The three legendary birds' eggs appear and can be hatched by the player - a crystalline silver egg for Articuno, a yellow egg with lightning designs for Zapdos, and a white egg with a flame design for Moltres. (This was before the game introduced breeding, as well as the idea that legendary Pokémon are unable to breed, with a few exceptions.)

* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'': The shells of Pokémon eggs look like the Pokémon they will eventually hatch into; for example, Brock's pink and white Happiny hatched from a pink egg with a white stripe around its midsection. But starting from ''Anime/PokemonJourneys'', this trope is averted when Ash receives an egg that resembles the 10-km egg from ''Videogame/PokemonGo'', being plain white with light blue spots and bearing no resemblance to the Riolu that hatches from it.

** ''VideoGame/PokemonSnap'': The three legendary birds' eggs appear and can be hatched by the player - a crystalline silver egg for Articuno, a yellow egg with lightning designs for Zapdos, and a white egg with a flame design for Moltres.

** ''VideoGame/PokemonChannel'': Various eggs appear on the ''Eggzamination: Hatch Up!'' channel. Based on their designs, the player can guess what Pokémon is in them and win money if they're right when the egg hatches.

* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterStories'' (and [[VideoGame/MonsterHunterStories2WingsOfRuin its sequel]]): Players collect new monsters by raiding nests for eggs to hatch, and the eggs are designed as a way for the player to identify the monster inside. Each monster grouping has a different pattern (for instance, Herbivore eggs are spotted with horizontal ovals, while aquatic Leviathans have a wave pattern), and and the coloring usually matches the monster itself.

!!Examples

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* ''Literature/DragonridersOfPern'': The colors of the eggs indicate the colors of the dragons which will hatch from them. This is also true of fire lizards.

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