History Main / SealedEvilInATeddyBear

* Played with in the chilling short story ''I Always Do What Teddy Says'' by Creator/HarryHarrison. In a future society, it is learned that by carefully shaping a child's psychological development ''from birth'', it can be made so that it is impossible for them to commit a crime like murder. This is done by giving the child a teddy bear that is carefully programmed to encourage good behavior and discourage criminal behavior. A group of scientists, wanting to effect political change, change the programming for the teddy bear for one of their sons, making it possible for him to commit murder. The child grows to adulthood, never suspecting anything but still having a feeling he is different from the rest of the people he knows. Finally, when he is in college, his father and his friends tell him exactly how he is different and give him a gun, wanting him to murder a political leader. What he proceeds to do is unexpected, terrifying, and heartbreaking. As are the last words of the story: "Teddy. Oh, Teddy. ''You should have told me.''"

'''Teddy Bear:''' [+'''I'll swallow your''' '''''souls'''''+]!!

** This becomes important in the sequels as it's increasingly implied that Mogget is more than 'just' an incredibly powerful Free Magic spirit. It is eventually revealed that he is [[spoiler: Yrael, the 8th Bright Shiner, along with Orannis the Destroyer and the Seven who founded the Charter, whose names survive in the bells of a necromancer, and who mostly put themselves in the bloodlines - and in the case of Kibeth, the Disreputable Dog, as well as some strange echo of Astarael under Abhorsen's house]]. The reason for his sealing was essentially a NeutralityBacklash, which he is bitterly - and not unjustifiably - resentful for. [[spoiler: When he is finally freed and given his own choice to stand against the Destroyer or not, he chooses to do so, and never bothers the heroes again - though he does occasionally turn up to mooch fish off of [[OddFriendship Sam]] and is moderately helpful in the climax of ''Goldenhand'']].
* Played with in the chilling short story ''I Always Do What Teddy Says'' by Harry Harrison. In a future society, it is learned that by carefully shaping a child's psychological development ''from birth'', it can be made so that it is impossible for them to commit a crime like murder. This is done by giving the child a teddy bear that is carefully programmed to encourage good behavior and discourage criminal behavior. A group of scientists, wanting to effect political change, change the programming for the teddy bear for one of their sons, making it possible for him to commit murder. The child grows to adulthood, never suspecting anything but still having a feeling he is different from the rest of the people he knows. Finally, when he is in college, his father and his friends tell him exactly how he is different and give him a gun, wanting him to murder a political leader. What he proceeds to do is unexpected, terrifying, and heartbreaking. As are the last words of the story: "Teddy. Oh, Teddy. ''You should have told me.''"

* The BalefulPolymorph spell in {{TabletopGame/Dungeons And Dragons}} and {{TabletopGame/Pathfinder}} can result in this; while if the target badly fails their saving throw they will lose their intelligence and be no different than a regular frog or whatever, a partial success changes their body but not their mind. The party may find themselves in possession of a cute lil' lizard with the personality of the Dark Lord of Doomshire.

** Once the demon possessing Nicole is [[http://www.savestatecomic.com/2015/05/scapegoat/ exorcised]], it finds its way into a small plush toy. Both Kade and Rick immediately find it [[TastesLikeDiabetes "D'aw-worthy"]].

* In ''Fanfic/TheParselmouthOfGryffindor'', the part of [[Characters/HarryPotterLordVoldemort Lord Voldemort]] that was originally inside [[SoulJar Slytherin's Locket]] ends up transferred into an animated statue of… [[EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys a chimp]]. He is not amused.

** The Legends' ShrinkRay (used to help contain their MonsterOfTheWeek) turned a normally-vicious sabretooth tiger into an adorable kitten. Even ''ComicBook/GorillaGrodd'' of all creatures when shrunk becomes seemingly harmless that he can be imprisoned in a mere glass jar. The effects can be reversed, however (and in the case of the tiger, because it was the first to be used on, ''temporary'').

-->-- '''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries''', "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLDAoT5u8rA Marik's Evil Council #2]]"

->'''[[WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries Rebecca]]:''' Say "hello" to all the nice people, Teddy!\\

-->-- ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLDAoT5u8rA Marik's Evil Council #2]]''

* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'' has [[spoiler:Lotso]]. After believing he was spurned by his owner (who loved him more than anything in the world), he becomes a G-rated StrawNihilist who rules [[CrapsaccharineWorld Sunnyside Daycare]] with an iron fist.

* Subverted in ''Film/{{Ghostbusters|1984}}''. Ray, forced to choose the ultimate destructive form for the evil entity Gozer, thinks of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, the most harmless thing he could imagine. It turns out to be far from harmless.

* Franchise/HarryPotter
** Ron Weasley's pet rat, Scabbers, is actually the Death Eater (follower of Voldemort) Peter "Wormtail" Pettigrew in his animagus form. See also ShapeShifting.

* In the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series Peter Pettigrew a dark wizard who works for Voldemort spent about 13 years masquerading as the Weasley's pet rat Scabbers. See also ShapeShifting.

* Played with in the chilling short story ''I Always Do What Teddy Says'' by Harry Harrison. In a future society, it is learned that by carefully shaping a child's psychological development ''from birth'', it can be made so that it is impossible for them to commit a crime like murder. This is done by giving the child a teddy bear that is carefully programmed to encourage good behavior and discourage criminal behavior. A group of scientists, wanting to effect political change, change the programming for the teddy bear for one of their sons, making it possible for him to commit murder. The child grows to adulthood, never suspecting anything but still having a feeling he is different from the rest of the people he knows. Finally, when he is in college, his father and his friends tell him exactly how he is different and give him a gun, wanting him to murder a political leader. What he proceeds to do is unexpected, terrifying, and heartbreaking. As is the last words of the story: "Teddy. Oh, Teddy. ''You should have told me.''"

** The Legends' ShrinkRay (used to help contain their MonsterOfTheWeek) turned normally-vicious creatures like a sabretooth tiger into an adorable kitten. Even ''ComicBook/GorillaGrodd'' of all creatures when shrunk becomes seemingly harmless that he can be imprisoned in a mere glass jar.

* ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'' features a serial killer named Mike the Spike, whose spirit possesses dolls.

* ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'': Shirogane's smaller form looks like an [[FatCat overweight]] Scottish Fold, and was originally a [[SleepModeSize voluntarily means to conceal his strength]]. After most of his power is sealed away in the first chapter, [[ShapeShifterModeLock he can no longer take]] his [[MegaNeko enormous true shape]] or cast most of his many magic spells, though he still has some shapeshifting powers.

* ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'': Shirogane's smaller form looks like an [[FatCat overweight]] Scottish Fold, and was originally a [[SleepModeSize voluntarily means to conceal his strength]]. After most of his power is sealed away in the first chapter, [[ShapeShifterModeLock he can no longer take]] his [[MegaNeko enormous true shape]], though he still has some shapeshifting powers.

* [[http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/contents/slayers-r/images/chara/cara-pokota.jpg Pokota]] of ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'' is a ChaoticGood example. Though, even in plush form, is still a fully capable PersonOfMassDestruction.

* ''Manga/MaguchanGodOfDestruction'' is about a Lovecraftian DestroyerDeity who was sealed away for hundreds of years and awoke in a small form resembling a one-eyed squid. He can still use some of [[PersonOfMassDestruction his destructive powers]], but [[CastFromStamina it's quite exhausting]].

->'''[[WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries Rebecca]]:''' Say Hello to all nice people, Teddy!\\

* In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', [[ArcVillain Peridot]] eventually has this happen to her after she loses her "limb enhancers". Without them, she's about ''[[TeensAreShort Steven's size]]'' and the most threatening thing she can do is ''slap people''. This sets her up for [[spoiler: her eventual HeelFaceTurn]].

* ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' has Doll Golems, intended as guardians for children... in a setting where any magical construct is [[AIIsACrapshoot essentially guaranteed to turn murderous]]. Although you'd have to be an AbusiveParent to force your children to be in the same room with [[http://www.lomion.de/cmm/img/golem3.gif one of these]] anyway.

* ''{{Series}}/TheThundermans'' has Dr. Colosso, formerly an infamous supervillain, now trapped in the form of a rabbit and kept by the titular family. Not unlike Salem to be honest.

** [[spoiler:The Darkness, TheAntiGod of the Supernatural verse]], possesses a human baby soon after being freed.

** Ron Weasley's pet rat, Scabbers, is actually the Death Eater (follower of Voldemort) Peter Pettigrew in his animagus form. See also ShapeShifting.