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8[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOdyssey https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/l1nondb.jpg]]]]
9[[caption-width-right:350:A sharp-eyed, lethal hunter with a surprising nobility. [[RuleOfSymbolism Yes, the perfect companion for an Assassin.]]]]
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13* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' uses eagles and other birds of prey for the Assassins. There's also the genetic "Eagle Vision" that allows Desmond and other Assassins to spot out their targets and better analyze their surroundings. Additionally, the tip of the Assassin hood resembles an eagle's head, and the below the waist the robes separate to resemble feathers. One of the developer's logs available online also mentions that the signature hood and cloak were designed to create the silhouette of a bird of prey during dramatic leaps.
14** In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI'', Altair's name is Arabic for "The Flying One" or "The Bird". It is also the largest star in the Eagle constellation, so it doubles as a StellarName.
15** In the Ezio Auditore Trilogy, Ezio is derived from ''aestos'', which is Greek for "eagle".
16** The final level of ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRevelations'' finally just says "to hell with subtlety" - Ezio goes ''parasailing'' behind a charging carriage, and dispatches mooks by dive-bombing them and slicing their necks with his twin blades.
17** In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'', the eagle motif is kept on in the hood and eagle vision but Connor Kenway also has a strong wolf motif, especially in the DLC.
18** In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIIILiberation'', Aveline de Grandpré's first name is derived from Avis, which means bird in Latin, and the front of her hat resembles a beak.
19** In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag'', the eagle as a whole remains, though Edward Kenway symbolically draws inspiration from the jackdaw, including naming his ship after the bird, in terms of his relationship to the Assassins for most of the game. Specifically, it's based on ''The Eagle and the Jackdaw'' from Aesop's fables.
20** In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedRogue'', Shay Patrick Cormac's first name and surname are derived from the Irish Gaelic words for "Hawk" and "Raven" respectively. Additionally, his ship the ''Morrigan'' not only has wolves on its sail and figurehead but it's named after an Irish mythological goddess who would often take the form of a crow.
21** In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedUnity'', Arno Dorian's first name means "Eagle's Strength".
22** In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedSyndicate'', Jacob is frequently associated with rooks, a type of corvid. It is the name and symbol of the gang he starts to combat the Templars and [[spoiler: Maxwell Roth expresses his anger at Jacob dissolving their alliance by sending him a dead one]].
23** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOrigins'':
24*** Bayek's name is a play on the hieroglyphic word for "falcon" or "vulture". Similarly, he has a pet eagle named Senu who serves as his AnimalEyeSpy in the skies. In turn, the Hidden Ones would adapt the eagle as their primary symbol which would be carried over to their modern successors, the Assassin Brotherhood.
25*** Every member of the Order of the Ancients has an animal-inspired nickname such as "The Lion" for Flavius Metellus or "The Hyena" for Khaliset. Their insignia is a snake, in contrast to the Hidden One/Assassin eagle.
26** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOdyssey'':
27*** The Eagle Bearer themselves given their nickname and they also have an animal companion named Ikaros as seen on the trope's Video Game page.
28*** Much like the Order of the Ancients, the Cult of Kosmos uses a snake as their emblem.
29** In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedValhalla'', Eivor [[spoiler:Varinsdottir]] has a pet raven named Synin and is a member of the Raven Clan. The English town that they settle during their conquests of Anglo-Saxon England? Ravensthorpe. They also have a wolf motif due to possessing the moniker "Wolf-Kissed", which came from them being attacked by wolves as a child, and is associated with them by their clan’s seer after they inform her of seeing one in a vision.
30* VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}} has a distinct butterfly motif, largely due to her patron demon.
31* From the ''VideoGame/BioShock'' franchise:
32** ''VideoGame/BioShock1'':
33*** Jack is associated with moths, as he is drawn to Rapture like a moth to a flame and is literally referred to as a "Little Moth" by Cohen.
34*** Sander Cohen has a rabbit motif, such as him writing a 'poem' which he names "The Wild Bunny" and having a party in which the attendees must wear rabbit masks in order to join.
35** In ''VideoGame/BioShock2'', the Rapture Family [[ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth uses the Blue Morpho Butterfly to represent rebirth]] due to their belief in sacrificing the individual for the good of the group. It has other meanings behind it as well. The Adam-producing slug is seen as Rapture's current state (the caterpillar), with the butterfly being the {{Utopia}} that Rapture is destined to become through the Rapture Family. Little Sisters even see butterflies flutter around "sleeping angels".
36** ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'':
37*** Booker Dewitt has a subtle horse motif due to his vigors being related to horses such as Bucking Bronco and Shock Jockey which are also featured in the ''[[BioShockInfinite/BurialAtSea Burial at Sea]]'' DLC. This horse theme connects Booker to his Native American heritage, given more significance when concerning the battle of Wounded Knee and the massacre of the tribe.
38*** Elizabeth has the motif of a bird ranging from the Songbird and the broach being a bird or a cage. She also called the ''Lamb of Columbia''.
39* ''Franchise/BlazBlue'':
40** A strange case, but [[AntiHero Ragna]] is often compared to an "underdog". Hazama calls him an "adorable little puppy of a man", and Platinum compares him to a stray dog.
41** Jin is frequently depicted as a Fox in fanworks (there's also a piece of art by Mori that gives him fox ears). The creators also seem to agree because in one ''Chrono Phantasma Extend'' gag real, he was given fox ears to further drive this point home.
42** [[FriendlyNeighborhoodVampire Rachel Alucard]] has, aside from her more pronounced [[SomethingAboutARose rose motif]], a more subdued connection to rabbits. Her long twin tails look like droopy rabbit ears, her hair ribbons look like perky rabbit ears, Ragna nicknames her "Rabbit" outright while Taokaka nicknames her "Bunny Person" and she's the wielder of the [[UsefulNotes/{{Shinto}} Tsukuyomi Unit]], tying a connection to the MoonRabbit as well.
43** [[BlobMonster Ara]][[EldritchAbomination kune]], whose body is filled with decay...[[TheWormThatWalks and insects]]. His emblem is a spider and everyone ''except'' the [[IntentionalEngrishForFunny announcer]] pronounces his name as "Arachnae" in the English dub.
44** While it's not very overt, [[KnightInShiningArmor Hakumen]] apparently has a canine motif. His emblem is the ever-popular [[AsianFoxSpirit nine-tailed fox spirit]], and his stage quote is "The wolf knows what the ill heart thinks."
45** [[CardCarryingVillain Yuuki Terumi]] and his alter-ego, Hazama, make their snake motif really obvious. Hazama's drive, Ouroboros, shoots snakes; his emblem looks like a snake biting its own tail; his [[SuperMode Overdrive]] in [[VideoGame/BlazBlueChronoPhantasma Chrono Phantasma]] is called [[Myth/NorseMythology "Jormungand"]] and he loves to eat [[TrademarkFavoriteFood Hard-boiled eggs]], to the point that he swallows them whole. Terumi's emblem looks like a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caduceus caduceus staff]], he was responsible for [[spoiler: creating the Black Beast, which resembles the {{Orochi}}, a hydra-like demon]], and he openly defies a god-like entity like the sneaky devil. Terumi and Hazama also wield a pair of curved balisong knives, which some martial arts circles refer to as the "Fang of the Snake". Quite a few characters even compare them to snakes. [[spoiler:When he becomes Susanoo again, he switches to wolves. His fighting style and personality become far more savage and brutal to reflect this change.]]
46** [[ChivalrousPervert Kagura Mutsuki]] of ''Chronophantasma'' uses the dragon as his motif. Big, black, scary dragons. He even calls out the names of various dragons, such as Nidhogg, Vritra, and Lindwyrm, when he attacks. [[DarkIsNotEvil Note that he's a good guy.]]
47** The various beastkins of the 'verse also have their own respective animal motifs. Resident {{Cat Girl}}s [[FunPersonified Taokaka]] (along with the rest of the Kaka Clan) and [[CatsAreMean Kokonoe]] have their motifs pretty clear cut, and [[GenkiGirl Makoto Nanaya]] is a literal Squirrel Girl.
48* ''VideoGame/{{Bully}}'':
49** The nerd clique has an association with [[ResourcefulRodent rats]]; Algie and [[MeaningfulName Bucky]] [[note]] Bucks is the name for a male rat [[/note]] have pet rats called "Sniffy" and "George", the gang has a collective fear of rats as shown by the mission "Rats in the Library", the group is willing to run away from a fight, use underhanded tactics, are regarded as "Sneaky bastards" by Gary Smith, and the Nerds use homemade firearms that are made from various scraps around the school. They also made an alternate route to the abandoned observatory to avoid jocks, like how rats would avoid predators by taking alternate routes and staying out of sight. The Bullworth academy crest also has a rat as part of the design, likely representing the nerds.
50** The jock clique has an association with [[BrutishBulls Bulls]], justified because as the school sports team, they are required to wear Bullworth's bull emblem as part of their uniform. They also have a bull mascot, "The Big Game" has cow bells as part of the soundtrack, and the group is known for being quick-tempered as they attack anyone on sight who isn't a jock or has low respect from them. The clique is also fixated on manliness and behaves in a hypermasculine way, they believe that violence, wrestling, and football are ways of proving their manhood, likely referencing how bulls are symbols of virility and masculinity. There is also a bull on the Bullworth academy crest, likely representing them on the crest.
51* ''VideoGame/{{Catherine}}'' has a heavy sheep motif: sleep/"counting sheep", herd mentality, "lost lambs", ect.
52** Ants are also symbolically used as well.
53* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'':
54** [[{{Deuteragonist}} Johnny Silverhand]] seems to have a cat motif. He's associated with them on multiple ocasions (mirroring the behavior of a cat in "Gimmie Danger", his fascination with a stray cat [[PlayerCharacter V]] can adopt, and the fact that you can see a cat [[spoiler:after he gets shot in an alley in his memories and shortly before V has to make a decision about theirs and Johnny's fates at the end of the game]]). Just like a cat, Johnny is aloof, snarky and seemingly uncaring of everything and everyone around him, but if you choose to bond with him, [[DefrostingIceKing you find out that he does care about V and a few other people after all]]. You can also frequently spot him [[VirtualGhost appearing]] in strange places, sitting on railings and such or getting very close to people V is talking to, almost like cats are known to do. Other than cats as animals, he's also associated with the figure of the black cat (bringer of bad luck) and the [[BakenekoAndNekomata bakeneko]] (a cat spirit known for raising the dead back to life). This theming adds another layer to his relationship with V, who is canonically a [[KindheartedCatLover cat lover]].
55** Wakako Okada has a snake as her contacts icon, referencing her ConsummateProfessional style of working and her cold and aloof nature towards the mercenaries she hires and the people she works for.
56** [[VenturousSmuggler The Aldecaldos]] nomad clan has a skeletal horse in their logo. Horses are a common symbol of freedom, mirroring their motto of "Forever Free". An Aldecaldo caravan traversing the desert is reminiscent of a heard of horses running through a plain.
57* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'':
58** The Four Great Knights of Gwyn each have their own unique animal theme; the lion for Dragonslayer Ornstein, the hawk for Hawkeye Gough, the wolf for Artorias the Abysswalker and the hornet for Ciaran The Lord's Blade. Ornstein in particular wears some really pimped out golden lion armor.
59** Velka, the goddess of sin, has crows, which adds to her [[CreepyCrows ominous vibe]].
60* In ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon'' the Brigands have a wolf motif it doesn't show so much on the low-level brigands but at high levels the brigands all wear wolf skin coats with the brigand hunters wearing the head of the wolf as a hood and the leader of the Brigands Vvulf wearing a big one with the head on his shoulder, along with that one of his attacks is a shout with the animation showing him surrounded in a wolf silhouette and to top it all off the quest where the attack the hamlet is called "Wolves at the door"
61* ''VideoGame/{{Darius}}'' has the [[ColorAnimalCodename Silver Hawk]] series, a series of {{Cool Starship}}s representing their NobleBirdOfPrey motifs through the bird-like wings, a dorsal-fin resembling tail feathers, and a nose resembling a bird's beak.
62* Several installments of the ''VideoGame/DarkParables'' feature assorted animal motifs, depending on the stories and characters presented. For example, the second game, ''The Exiled Prince'', has a recurring frog motif throughout the adventure -- the title character is Literature/TheFrogPrince.
63* ''Videogame/DeadOrAlive'' has many. Ayane with [[ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth butterflies]], Leifang with phoenixes (the latter part of her name, "feng" is the word for the Chinese phoenix), Jann Lee with [[DragonsUpTheYinYang dragons]] (BruceLeeClone), Christie with snakes (her fighting style is the snake fist), Hitomi with bears (though some of her clothing also has a soaring bird), Mila with bees (MMA instead of boxing, but "[[UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.]]" still fits) and Honoka with cows (the most well-endowed character in the game).
64* ''VideoGame/DeathStranding'': [[PlayerCharacter Sam]] has a sea otter motif. He can get an otter hood that greatly improves his swimming ability. Otters are often used as symbols of parental devotion, and Sam bonds incredibly quickly with the [=BB=] unit he's travelling with, despite everyone around him telling him to just treat it as a tool. Sea otters also fit in with the "marine animal" theme the [[AfterlifeAntechamber Beach]] has, referencing his status as a [[ResurrectiveImmortality repatriate]].
65* ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'': Patches was given the moniker of "The Hyena" because of his laughter and because he's a predatory scavenger who casually betrays others so he can kill them and take their stuff. In ''VideoGame/{{Bloodborne}}'', his motif changes to a spider for that same reason in order to match the Gothic setting.
66* ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'': Ifan Ben-Mezd has the unique ability to {{summon|Magic}} a wolf spirit, belonged to the Lone Wolves mercenary company, and has wolfish traits like sharp canine teeth and a tendency to growl.
67* Dorian Pavus from ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' has a snake motif, shown on all his tarot cards and much of his clothing. A more minor example and BilingualBonus: the Pavus family birthright also features a stylized peacock's tail.
68** Solas makes frequent use of wolves in his artwork, and wears a wolf's jawbone as a necklace. Two of his three tarot cards also feature wolves. When asked about his opinion on them, he says they are smart, practical, and misunderstood. [[spoiler: Then of course TheStinger reveals that he is the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Dread]] [[TheTrickster Wolf]] of elven legend.]]
69** The Inquisitor can be of a varying race or class, and has a different animal symbolizing them.
70** Human warriors or rogues were horses, symbols of nobility and hard work. The human was meant to enter the Chantry, and comes from a BlueBlood lineage.
71** Human mages are owls, seen as wise, almost ephemeral creatures. Mages are often seen as such.
72** Elf warriors or rogues are represented by wolves, a pack animal that lives in the woods. As they are Dalish elves, that is more than true.
73** Elf mages are stags, majestic beasts of the foods, often called Kings of the Forest. The Elf mage is an apprentice to the Keeper, the leader of their clan.
74** The dwarf is a deepstalker, a subterranean monster that strikes from the shadows and is deadly in numbers. As a member of the criminal Carta, this suits the dwarf.
75** The qunari is a ram, a creature known for its aggressive personality and large horns. Both of which are common with a qunari.
76* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''
77** The series traditionally has the [[TheEmpire Cyrodiilic Empire]] represented by a dragon; this emblem dates back to St. Alessia, [[FounderOfTheKingdom who founded the first empire]] with the aid of a pact with [[TopGod Akatosh]], the [[DragonsAreDivine dragon-god]] of time. The [[BadassArmy Imperial Legion]] tends to SigilSpam it all over their banners and equipment. Their rivals, [[OurElvesAreDifferent the Altmer]] (High Elves), particularly when leading the [[AntiHumanAlliance Aldmeri Dominion]], are represented by an eagle based on Auri-El, the golden eagle god on whom Akatosh was originally based.
78** Reman Cyrodiil, Dragonborn founder of the Second Cyrodiilic Empire, was heavily associated with snakes. His mortal father (King Hrol) was questing for a way to defeat the "snakes to come" he saw in a vision, when he [[DivineParentage met and impregnated]] the spirit of Alessia, conceiving Reman. During Reman's reign, the Tsaesci, a race of SnakePeople native to [[{{Wutai}} Akavir]], invaded Tamriel and were defeated by Reman. After using the [[LanguageOfMagic Thu'um]] in battle, confirming Reman as a Dragonborn, the Akaviri surrendered and swore fealty to him.
79** The now-extinct Ayleids (Wild Elves) had significant bird motifs. Many of their writings (and writings about them) are heavy with bird metaphors. They were said to have adorned themselves with feathers. Their armor was designed with feather patterns and their helmets with "beaks." A great example is the [[http://images.uesp.net//thumb/2/2c/ON-npc-King_Laloriaran_Dynar.jpg/600px-ON-npc-King_Laloriaran_Dynar.jpg armor of Laloriaran Dynar]] in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsOnline''.
80** The Maormer (Sea Elves) native to the continent of Pyandonea, far to the south of Tamriel, have a number of serpent motifs, especially vipers. Their seaborne raiders, infamous for their raids on the southern coasts of Tamriel in the 1st and 2nd Eras, were specifically called the "Sea Vipers." It is said that they practice a powerful form of "snake magic," which allows them [[TheBeastmaster to control and ride sea serpents]].
81** Tsun, the old Nordic god of "trials over adversity" and [[BodyguardingABadass shield-thane]] of [[TopGod Shor]], is associated with whales and is typically represented in Nordic barrows by a whale totem. According to some theories, the Whalebone Bridge in [[WarriorHeaven Sovngarde]] may even be the remains of his physical manifestation.
82** The Cult of the Ancestor Moth has, unsurprisingly, the Ancestor Moths. Originally, the Cult was a Cyro-Nordic group that exported ancestor-silks, simple but exotic shawls woven with the silks of the Ancestor Moth and inscribed with the genealogy of the buyer. During the silk-gathering ritual, the singing and hymnal spirits of one's forebears were recorded in the silk. The swishing of the silk material during movement reproduces the wonderful ancestral chorus contained in the silk. At a time lost to history, it was discovered that this same ritual granted the performer special protections which allowed for the (relatively) safe reading of an [[TomeOfEldritchLore Elder Scroll]]. The Cult was co-opted by the various Cyrodiilic Empires to perform this task specifically in service to the Empire ever since.
83** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' has [[TheClan Great House Dagoth]] represented by a beetle. This was the case even before they were dissolved in the backstory for the perceived treachery of their leader, [[BigBad Dagoth Ur]], and they retain it after reforming as the basis of a ReligionOfEvil.
84** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' has the Cyrodiil ThievesGuild branch associated with a [[CunningLikeAFox fox motif]].
85** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' has various factions with an associated animal:
86*** The [[HornyVikings Stormcloaks]] have the [[BearsAreBadNews bear]].
87*** The Skyrim branch of the ThievesGuild have a minor rat motif to symbolize that the guild has fallen on hard times.
88*** The Companions heavily associate themselves with wolves. [[spoiler: Many of them are secretly werewolves.]]
89*** The ancient order of the Greybeards has a dragon motif on the doors of their monastery at High Hrothgar. [[spoiler:Their secret leader, Paarthurnax, ''is'' a dragon.]]
90*** Several of the holds within Skyrim have animal motifs on their heraldry - horses for Whiterun, bears for Eastmarch, rams for Markarth, stags for Falkreath, and wolves for Haafingar.
91*** The Thalmor, {{a Nazi|ByAnyOtherName}}-esque StateSec of the above-mentioned Aldmeri Dominion, have a more stylized eagle motif. The Eagle is aloof, proud, and looks down upon the world, much the way the Thalmor do to [[FantasticRacism all other nations]].
92* ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'' has a few:
93** The unit Ra*bits are obviously associated with rabbits; Nazuna tends to get this especially due to his unusually adorable appearance for a [[OlderThanTheyLook third year]].
94** Koga tries to establish himself as a lone wolf and use those motifs, but other characters such as Rei tend to insultingly nickname him a dog or puppy instead. Koga insists that he is a wolf and ''not'' a dog, but he also does have a pet dog he truly loves as well.
95** Subaru also has a pet dog and definitely behaves like an energetic puppy. However due to his love of random shiny things he's also sometimes compared to a crow.
96** Kanata loves sea creatures such as fish, particularly the more strange-looking types, which fits well with his mysterious and [[CloudCuckooLander otherworldly]] behavior.
97** Souma also loves sea creatures, due to Kanata's influence, and is particularly associated with turtles due to his pet, Kamegorou. He's also more rarely associated with horses due to his samurai theme - his name includes the kanji for horse, and he has a pet horse he has loved and ridden since he was a young child.
98** Wataru is associated with birds as he has a tendency to use them in his tricks.
99** Shinobu has a child-like love of frogs fitting for a [[FrogNinja ninja fan]] (despite his friend Yuuta's distaste for anything slimy or crawly) and is often associated with them.
100** Ritsu is often compared to a cat due to his love of warm places and naps and his generally lazy, sometimes teasing personality.
101** Keito is associated with snakes - the kanji for snake is even found in his surname Hasumi. This reflects on his intelligent and reserved personality, especially the previous year when he acted as Eichi's right hand man in their war against the oddballs, but also his position as the son of a Buddhist temple given the importance of snakes in Buddhism.
102** Ibara is also associated with snakes, more straightforwardly because of his cunning and opportunistic personality.
103** Tetora fashions himself as a fierce tiger (and has a card where he's dressed as one), but due to still being young and immature he's usually portrayed as a little baby tiger.
104** Tsumugi is associated with the bluebird of happiness, such that his solo song is named Bluebird Humming.
105* The noble chicken is a recurring motif in ''VideoGame/FableIII'', representing a spirit that is unfortunately frequently taken advantage of, yet yearns for freedom.
106* The four main attributes in ''VideoGame/FallenLondon'' are symbolized with pictures of animals: an owl for "Watchful" (wisdom), a cat for "Shadowy" (stealth), a bear for "Dangerous" (strength), and a fox for "Persuasive" (charisma).
107* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'':
108** The [[TheRepublic New California Republic]] has a [[BearsAreBadNews two-headed bear]] on their flag, representing their ferocious power and strength as a fully-developed and technologically advanced nation-state in a post-apocalyptic world. However, the bear on their flag having two heads also represents their increasing lack of focus among their leadership as they keep growing and get increasingly hamstrung by an ObstructiveBureaucracy.
109** Similarly, [[TheEmpire Caesar's Legion]] has a bull on their flag, representing their ferocity along how ultimately all of its legionaries are slaves meant to serve their "GodEmperor" Caesar with UndyingLoyalty. In other words, the Legion is made up of cattle fit only for slaughter. Additionally, bulls are frequently associated with servitude, masculinity, and determination, and not only does the Legion practice slavery, they're [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain profoundly misogynistic]] and are furiously dedicated to capturing the Mojave (to the point that [[spoiler:even if Caesar is assassinated, they will seek to claim the Mojave in his name]]).
110** [[invoked]] There's also a subtle GeniusBonus regarding the motifs of both the [=NCR=] and Legion in the Mojave; the [=NCR's=] slowly eroding position of power and desperate struggle to maintain a foothold in the region contrasted with the Legion's meteoric rise in power and influence is meant as an allusion to [[https://www.investopedia.com/insights/digging-deeper-bull-and-bear-markets/ bear and bull markets]]: the [=NCR=] is on the downswing while the Legion is on the upswing.
111* ''VideoGame/FarCry'' series:
112** ''VideoGame/FarCry3'' has two characters associated with animals:
113*** [[TheBogan Buck]], who has a Deer motif; his name being [[WesternAnimation/{{Bambi}} Bambi]], his nickname being Buck (a male deer), his belt buckle depicts a wandering Deer and his tattoo is a Deer. Like deer, he's known to be violently amorous.
114*** Jason Brody can be associated with three animals which are the Heron, the Shark and finally the Spider. The animals are related to the skill trees with Shark being related to better durability and combat while allowing the player to heal faster, the Heron being related to faster movement and allowing more takedowns and the Spider being related to stealth and surviving the environments.
115** ''VideoGame/FarCry4'' has a continuing Tiger vs. Elephant motif, the former representing aggression, ruthlessness, and offense while the latter represents wisdom, resilience, and defense. Within the context of the game's skill tree, the Tiger has all your skills related to using stealth takedowns and shooting, while the Elephant gives you your crafting and healing skills. From within the context of the game's narrative and moral choices, the two animals represent the two leaders of the Golden Path and their approaches: one is willing to throw all traditional morality aside if it means getting an edge (Tiger) and the other sticks to what it knows, even if it means getting in the way of progress (Elephant). Of the Golden Path's two co-leaders, [[PragmaticHero Amita]] represents the Tiger, and [[ReligiousBruiser Sabal]] represents the Elephant.
116*** Amita embodies the following tiger-connected attributes: PantheraAwesome? She projects the image of herself as a formidable rebel leader to earn the admiration of the Golden Path. CatsAreMean? In contrast to [[GoodOldWays Sabal]], she is willing to take [[UnscrupulousHero dodgy measures]] to [[WellIntentionedExtremist bring Kyrat into the modern day]], [[spoiler:and if Ajay brings her to power, she ends up apparently having a FaceHeelTurn]]. [[spoiler:She also doubles as a PaperTiger (pun intended), since in spite of her apparent awesomeness, if Ajay decides to kill her at the end of the game, she [[DirtyCoward begs for her life]].]] She even has [[YellowEyesOfSneakiness amber eyes]] and a black mark on her head like an actual tiger.
117*** Sabal's elephant attributes: WarElephants? The Golden Path actually uses war elephants against the Royal Army. HonorableElephant? He's interested in upholding Kyrat's ancient traditions. CruelElephant? [[spoiler:Those traditions he's upholding include some pretty brutal things, like killing Amita's supporters and any people he feels have "betrayed the gods" by not worshiping them, even if Pagan Min banned religion from Kyrat for years.]]
118*** [[DragonLady Yuma]] [[WardensAreEvil Lau]] has a [[SpidersAreScary Spider]] motif. Her nickname is "The Spider", Ajay sees her crawling up a wall with an ExorcistHead in a MindRape sequence, and she uses drugs (read. venom) to subdue Ajay. Her hair is even dyed pink-on-black like the red hourglass on the stomach of a black widow.
119*** [[BadassPreacher Longinus]] has a small lion motif. Apart from being African (a country traditionally associated with lions) and wearing his hair in a grey mane, he has a deep voice and NoIndoorVoice which makes him come across as constantly roaring like a lion, and he espouses some [[ArtisticLicenseReligion unorthodox religious views]] evoking lion imagery:
120---->'''Longinus:''' When Christ returns to break the seven seals and bring about the Rapture, he returns ''as a lion'', yes? ''[[GoodIsNotSoft A lion needs teeth]]!''
121** ''VideoGame/FarCry5'':
122*** [[SociopathicSoldier Jacob Seed]] from has a wolf motif. He uses slideshow footage of wolves as part of his SocialDarwinist brainwashing tactics, his loading screen features a wolf, he uses wolves as metaphors, he is accompanied by trained wolves which he uses as "Judges", and he lives in a region of Hope County populated by wolves. He's nicknamed "The Wolf" and a wolf howl goes off whenever he's nearby. [[spoiler:You even find a wolf in Jacob's place after his boss battle.]]
123*** Jacob's adopted sister Faith has a butterfly motif. Whenever you confront her in [[LotusEaterMachine the Bliss]], you see tons of butterflies perching in the grass, and Faith creates butterfly wings for herself out of white smoke. [[spoiler:Also, when she's brainwashing Marshal Cameron Burke, he has butterflies landing on him.]]
124** ''VideoGame/FarCry6'': Antón Castillo's regime uses a lion motif which is frequently referenced in its propaganda and featured on the flag of Yara. Antón often reiterates to his son Diego that the Castillos are lions who prey on the lambs who oppose them.
125* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
126** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' has dragons serving as healers and protectors. Three of the main characters have a dragon companion, all of whom play a vital role in the plot at some point or another. Lenna has Hiryuu, her family's wind drake, which heals her from poison, [[spoiler:and sacrifices itself to free her from a demon before its spirit transforms itself into the Phoenix summon]]. Faris has the sea-dragon Syldra, who also rescues the party twice before dying. Krile also has a wind drake who is used in various rescues and finally breaks into the Void after the final battle to bring everyone back to Castle Bal. A wind drake is also part of the game's logo.
127** In ''Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren'', Cloud has a very strong wolf symbolism going on. Not only is there a wolf head in his shoulder pad but his motorbike is named ''Fenrir'' and he's being followed by a shaggy old wolf that mourns in the places he most strongly associates with personal failure. You have three guesses which kind of wolf this is painting him as. The wolf works well for Cloud as more than just 'lone wolf' symbolism. When fighting Bahamut Sin, Cloud gets up to Bahamut through the assistance of his friends, working together as a 'pack' to take down their prey. And Cloud's position of leadership arguably shows him as an 'alpha wolf'. Tifa likewise has the position of a mama wolf, protecting the children in her care.
128** In the original ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' otherwise she has a dolphin theme in her dolphin-shaped hair and one of her LimitBreak is a ''Dolphin kick''. It also comes up that probably her most important scene is helping Cloud find himself when he is lost in the watery-looking livestream. ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRebirth'' notes this in Costa del Sol, where she asks Red what he thinks of her beach outfit. If the revealing outfit is chosen he compares her to a dolphin. The conservative option parodies it a bit, when the clothing's lined design has him compare her to a breaching whale. Note that Whales are often considered powerful, intelligent, kind, musical and spiritual animals, all of which are more emphasized in her story than ever. [[spoiler:Later in the game, a whale-like massive Weapon eats her to show her the effects of Sephiroth on the Lifestream, and may have given her the power to see the truth behind Sephiroth's deception]]. Interestingly, the credits emphasize her conservative outfit.
129** Squall Leonhart of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' has - as indicated by the name - a lion motif, one so omnipresent that he and Rinoa actually have an in-game conversation about it. The lion symbolism is at odds with his apparent personality, and [[spoiler:serves as a signal that there's more to him than meets the eye. Although he's spent years cultivating an angsty loner persona, once he starts to confront his issues it becomes increasingly clear that he's actually a natural leader who cares deeply about his friends.]] Appropriately, one of the songs that play during the final boss fight is titled "Maybe I'm a Lion." This is carried over into ''[[VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy Dissidia]]'', where the villains continually refer to him as a lion.
130** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'': Zidane and monkeys, given that he has a monkey tail, a mischievous personality and was implied to be an actual [[HalfHumanHybrid monkey-person]] for most of the game leading up to the big [[TheReveal reveal]].
131%%** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'': Gabranth may as well be ''named'' "the Stray Dog".
132** ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'': [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyV Bartz]] is referred to as "the mouse" by [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Kefka]] and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX Kuja]], for whatever reason. It may have to do with the fact that he was prone to running away near the beginning, something mice do all the time.
133%%*** Also [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Kain]] and dragons, from his armor to his attack calls.
134* ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':
135** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade'': Dieck has [[PantheraAwesome big cats]] as a motif. He has the nickname "Wounded Tiger", and the [[CoveredInScars scars all over his face and torso]] are [[spoiler:the result of him defending Klein from a lion]].
136** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'':
137*** Hector has wolves as a motif, as can be seen in the name of his weapon, Wolf Beil.
138*** Lloyd Reed also has wolves as a motif. He's given the title the "White Wolf", and his personality and fighting style also reflect this.
139*** Linus Reed has hounds as a motif. Like his older brother, this is reflected in his title, the "Mad Dog", as well as his personality and fighting style.
140** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'':
141*** Lucina has a [[ButterflyOfTransformation butterfly motif]], as symbolized in the opening animation, the shape of her mask, and her shield as a Great Lord.
142*** Walhart has lobsters as a motif. His red armor resembles one, something he's often mocked for, and like a lobster, he's known for fighting.
143*** Excellus is often compared to a number of demeaning animals, such as worms, snakes, and toads.
144** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'':
145*** According to WordOfGod, Ryoma has a lion motif, which is reflected in his mask, referred to in-game as a "lion mask".
146*** Kaze has mice as a motif, as can be seen in a number of his supports, with his support with Oboro outright involving a mouse hunt.
147** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'':
148*** The titular three houses, as well as the unofficial forth house, all have a motif in the form of the animal in their title: the Black '''Eagles''', the Blue '''Lions''', the Golden '''Deer''', and the Ashen '''Wolves'''. The Church of Seiros, meanwhile, has a motif in the form of white dragons.
149*** Despite his house's lion motif, Dimitri instead has [[FullBoarAction boars]] as a motif. Felix often refers to him as a boar in reference to the savage side of his personality, but it also fits his moniker as the "Savior King", as boars are a representation of courage, strength, and ferocity.
150*** As with his house, Claude has a deer motif. He often compares himself to a deer, and his wyvern even has antlers on it.
151*** Linhardt has cats as a motif. Besides being outright compared to a cat by Catherine, he sleeps a lot, is constantly curious, is InnocentlyInsensitive, and his personal ability is even called "Catnap".
152*** Ferdinand von Aegir has both a horse and dog motif. For horses, his default class is the Cavalier class, he receives a bonus when put on stable duty, and is often found near the stables. As for dogs, the "Aegir Hound" is a breed of dog found around the monastery, and his outgoing personality can easily be compared to a dog's. Also of note, his post-TimeSkip hairstyle can be compared to that of a horse's mane or a shaggy dog's coat.
153*** Bernadetta von Varley has both a bear and bunny motif. For bears, she has a habit of hiding in her room, compared to that of a bear hiding in their den, and in her solo epilogue, she's stated to "hibernate" when not managing her territory, to the point that she even earned the nickname the "Bear of Varley". As for bunnies, Petra compares her to a scared bunny hiding in the grass during their support.
154*** Felix has both a wolf and cat motif. His personal ability is "Lone Wolf", and while he acts like a loner, he's still a loyal ally. As for cats, he is shown to like cats during both his teatime event and his support with Bernadetta, he has an antisocial personality, and he enjoys hunting.
155* ''Franchise/FiveNightsAtFreddys'':
156** The BigBad, William Afton, is heavily associated with [[HairRaisingHare rabbits]]. Part of his M.O. as a SerialKiller involved luring his child victims into the backroom using an animatronic-mascot hybrid version of Bonnie, the restaurants' rabbit guitarist. He eventually dies [[HoistByHisOwnPetard while wearing this same animatronic when it malfunctioned]], becoming an ArtificialZombie known as Springtrap. His VirtualGhost in ''Help Wanted'' also wears a rabbit mascot suit. After becoming BrainwashedAndCrazy from his influence, Vanessa becomes a JackTheRipoff who wears a rabbit costume of her own and goes by the nickname 'Vanny', which is pointed out as a portmanteau of 'Vanessa' and 'bunny.'
157** To a lesser extent, his son, Michael, is associated with [[CunningLikeAFox foxes]]. He's heavily implied to be the Foxy mask-wearing BigBrotherBully from the fourth game, and artwork in [[AllThereInTheManual the Survival Guide]] uses Foxy as a stand-in for the employees. The ''Fazbear Frights'' stories that allude to his dynamic with the Crying Child reference Foxy directly or indirectly for RuleOfSymbolism. The Foxy animatronic line tends to end up the most damaged in the franchise, possibly tying into Michael becoming a RevenantZombie at the end of ''Sister Location.'' Also, one of the animatronics that made up Ennard, who used Michael's body as a disguise, happened to be a Foxy.
158* Many, many [[Platform/NintendoGameCube GameCube]] games contain references to dolphins. The dolphin motif is a DevelopmentGag to the [=GameCube=]'s codename in development: the Dolphin, and its [=GPU=] is called "Flipper".
159** Olimar's ship in ''VideoGame/{{Pikmin}}'' is called the ''Dolphin''.
160** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'' takes place on Isle Delfino, which itself is shaped like a dolphin. There are also a few fountains with dolphin figures spouting water.
161* ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'':
162** Several characters have bird themes, like owls (Diluc), herons (Ayaka), ravens (Fischl) and even finches (Mika).
163** There are various catfolk like Kirara and Diona, and human characters with cat themes like Dehya and Keqing.
164** Goruo is based on a Shinu Ibu, Yae Miko is a kitsune (fox), and there are dog-themed humans like Cyno and the wolf-raised Razor.
165* Atreus in ''VideoGame/GodOfWarPS4'' has a connection with wolves. In his journal, he mentions having an admiration towards wolves, his tunic made by his mother is from wolf pelts and the first rune he learns to summon is a wolf spirit. When [[spoiler: Atreus learns of his god heritage]], the first thing Atreus asks is if he can transform into a wolf. [[spoiler: Which is all {{Foreshadowing}} that Atreus is Loki, who in Norse mythology fathers the monstrous wolf Fenrir.]]
166* The ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}'' series has the [[CoolStarship Vic Viper]] {{Starfighter}} series, which earn their [[MeaningfulName name]] due to their fang-like prongs and the [[AttackDrone Options']] serpentine tail-like movement.
167* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' is quite fond of this, too
168** Main character Sol Badguy has dragons and snakes, as several of his moves are named after types of either, and can power himself up with a move named Dragon Install. Later games take this a step further and give him a distinctly draconic appearance when it's activated.
169** May is commonly associated with various sea creatures, the most prominent of which being a dolphin.
170** The Valentines all have one, too, with the exception of Jack-O'. The original has an outfit clearly inspired by bats, Ramlethal acts in a distinctly feline manner in battle, and Elphelt is a rabbit thanks both to her outfit and her personality (she's lovesick and her profile states that she hates being lonely)
171** Leo Whitefang, as his name immediately suggests, invokes the image of a lion; both in having razor sharp teeth, a flowing blond 'mane' with a matching beard, and a prideful attitude.
172** Bedman has a hairstyle evoking a sheep, summons a monsterous phantom sheep to stun his opponents as one of his Overdrives (Super Moves), and his leitmotif is titled "Does the Sheep Count the Sheep?" See a pattern here?
173** And there's Raven, who has... Take a wild guess.
174* Some characters from ''Franchise/DotHack'' are associated with animals. For example, Atoli[[note]]"atori"/brambling[[/note]] from ''G.U.'', who also happens to love small birds.
175* ''VideoGame/HauntTheHouse: Terrortown'': The Diver ghost has four ghostly tails resembling tentacles. These, combined with his old-fashioned diving helmet and wide eyes, make him look like an octopus.
176* ''VideoGame/Haven2020'':
177** The Apiary takes after a bee motif. An "apiary" is a manmade bee colony, and an appropriate metaphor for an authoritarian regime. Said regime also boasts an army of robot soldiers called Hornets.
178** Kay and Yu are styled after birds. Their spacecraft and home base is referred to as the Nest, they can glide and fly with their [[HoverSkates anti-gravity boots]], and their story arc centers around them exercising freedom from the rigid, oppresive systems of the Apiary. One achievement outright calls them "lovebirds", an apt summary of their relationship with each other.
179* Agent 47 from the video game series ''VideoGame/{{Hitman}}'' has a serpent motif. This is best shown in ''VideoGame/HitmanAbsolution'' where one of the posters has a rattlesnake coiled around one of his silverballer pistols. Later in the game when Agent 47 heads to South Dakota, a rattlesnake is shown attacking a random guard dog. Like a serpent, Agent 47 is highly skilled in stealth and emotionless with his targets.
180** ''VideoGame/Hitman3'' has a DLC pack called "The Seven Deadly Sins" in which each sin is represented by an animal: ''Greed'' is shown as a frog, ''Pride'' is shown as a peacock, and ''Sloth'' is shown as a snail.
181* ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami'' and ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami2WrongNumber'' uses animal masks to empower the player. Certain characters from the sequel are styled after their masks;
182** Cory is quiet and cautious so she wears a zebra mask. Tony revels in violence so he wears a tiger mask. Jake has [[AnimalEyes snake eyes]] and is known for his vindictive prejudice towards the Russians, he wears a snake mask.
183** The most interesting motif is one that is given directly towards [[TakeThatAudience the player]]. The player is given a pig motif as the tutorial character is always wearing a pig mask in both games, the cover of Hotline Miami has Jacket wearing a pig mask despite a rooster mask being his signature mask. Finally, in the sequel. Martin Brown is a representative of the player due to his problems with differentiating fact from fiction and having an obsession with violence. Naturally, he wears a pig mask and is known as ''The Pig Butcher''.
184** It's revealed in ''Wrong Number'' that the use of animal masks by 50 Blessings began with a U.S. army colonel ripping off a panther's head and wearing it as a mask, saying that on the inside, he is an animal.
185-->'''The Colonel:''' This is my true nature! You see, don't you? This is who I am! This is who we all are! We're animals!... They're sending us out to slaughter or be slaughtered.
186* ''VideoGame/JoeDeversLoneWolf'': Lone Wolf has a literal one, in the form of a recurring Alpha wolf. He mentions the link himself - like the wolf, Lone Wolf is beholden to protect his subjects.
187* ''VideoGame/{{Karous}}'' is themed after ravens. The game features heavy use of raven feathers throughout the game, from the box art, title screen, and the menus, and the titular Karous's ship resembles a raven.
188* [[TheHero Pit]] from ''VideoGame/KidIcarus'' is [[WingsDoNothing an angel who can't fly]] so some characters in ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'' refer to him as a chicken whenever they mock him.
189* ''VideoGame/TheLastDoor'' makes use of two animal motifs in particular:
190** Crows/ravens: They're used repeatedly and most commonly. They're the apparent minions of the Bird/King of Birds/Eye of the Bird and represent it. They (or their cawing) appear to indicate that there's evil/supernatural shenanigans afoot (see CreepyCrows).
191** White rabbit(s): Though invoked as the classic entry-to-weird-world symbol from ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'', they're also a symbol for the protagonist (and possibly his friends) as prey pursued by a predator. Though, this being ''The Last Door'' with its episodic nature and sheer amounts of MindScrew, there are likely other meanings yet to explored and revealed.
192* ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUs'': Giraffes are used to symbolise childhood and innocence: plush giraffes are often seen in children's rooms. [[spoiler:There's a giraffe-shaped ruler used for measuring height on the wall in the pediatric's ward of the hospital Joel is saving Ellie from. The most obvious scene with this motif is the famous giraffe scene, where Joel and Ellie can briefly forget about the Fireflies and their quest and just enjoy eachother's company.]]
193* ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUsPartII'':
194** [[BrokenBird Ellie]] has a silk moth motif. It's featured on her tattoo, and she often draws them in her journal. It represents her obsessive and destructive desire for revenge, which can be likened to the saying "like a moth to a flame".
195** [[spoiler:[[{{VillainProtagonist}} Abby]] has a firefly motif. She used to belong to an organisation called the Fireflies, and still feels tied to it, to the point where she's willing to chase a rumor of the remnants being holed up in California while she's in Washington. Both fireflies and moths are nocturnal insects, which ties her to Ellie.]]
196** [[spoiler:There's also a minor zebra motif Abby has in the context of her relationship with her father, mirroring Joel's and Ellie's giraffe motif in the first game: Abby and her father save a zebra from some barbed wire, and there's a zebra sticker under the window to the classroom with kids you pass next to during Abby's day 1. Just as giraffes were used to symbolise innocence and childhood in the first game, the zebra fulfills the same role in the sequel.]]
197** The Washington Liberation Front, or [=WLF=], has a wolf motif. Their name is only one letter away from "wolf", and they're known for their frequent use of [[AttackAnimal attack dogs]]. They're a tight-knit community, have a strict hierarchy and often fight in squads.
198* ''Franchise/LeagueOfLegends'':
199** As shown in ''VideoGame/LegendsOfRuneterra'', Aphelios' weapons each correspond to a celestial being, each one taking the form of some kind of animal that influences their design:
200*** Calibrum is based on a crane-shaped celestial called "The Flight", taking a form similar to its head and long beak.
201*** Severum is based on a celestial reminiscent of a saber-toothed tiger called "The Fangs", with the weapon being designed as one of its sharp teeth.
202*** Gravitum is based on a ram-shaped celestial called "The Cloven Way", both having the bulk of their "bodies" being taken up by a large black hole.
203*** Crescendum is based on a pair of celestial koi fish called "The Sky Shadows", the weapon's design resembling the shape of them circling each other in a pond.
204** The Void Empress Bel'Veth has one with manta rays. Her form overall has a similar shape to a ray, especially with the two horns/antennae and massive fins. Her spawn resemble little fish called remora which cling to a host fish, like manta rays, and live a symbiotic relationship.
205** Braum has a motif for rams. His [[DoorFu door shield]] has a ram's head and horns on it, and [[WordOfGod per statements by Riot]], his original tribe had a strong connection to the ram-like demigod Ornn, who originally created his door shield in the first place.
206** Briar has a motif for vampire bats. She has sharp teeth, an angled nose, and pointy ears in a similar vein to bats. She also drinks blood and has some clear vampire influences.
207** Jinx has one with monkeys/chimpanzees. Her reveal trailer "Get Jinxed" prominently features a wind-up chimp toy of hers that's used in subsequent media like ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}'' and ''Legends of Runeterra''. She's also generally playful, energetic, and unpredictably chaotic like you'd expect from a classic media depiction of a [[MischiefMakingMonkey monkey]]. There's also Jinx's Battle Cat skin, in which she's given, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin well]], a cat motif. The skin gives her a cat ears headband and the effects of her weapons are designed with the idea of evoking mischievous cat imagery.
208** Prior to her [[ArtEvolution VGU]], Karma has a motif for butterflies, seen in how her Mantra fans would fly around her in a similar vein to butterflies. This is no longer the case after her VGU.
209** Pantheon's Glaive Warrior skin gives him a wolf motif, seen in his wolf head shaped helmet, as well as the wolf head symbols on both his spear and shield. The bio for the skin also makes note of this.
210--->''Born of a wolf, and bearing the wolf's standard into battle, this Dacian glaive warrior fights in the cold of the Carpathian Mountains—knowing that the blood of his enemies will keep him warm.''
211** Pyke has a shark motif, particularly in regards to their teeth. The markings on his bandana resemble shark teeth, he has shark jaws for shoulder guards, and his weapons bear a loose resemblance to real life shark tooth weaponry. His gameplay also has the general feeling of a shark picking off their targets by attacking from below. There's also his [[{{Cyberpunk}} PROJECT: Pyke skin]], which gives him a snake motif. His recall has him summon a giant robotic snake, his knife is segmented like that of a snake spine, he turns into a snake when using ''[[{{Invisibility}} Ghostwater Dive]]'', and his phantom is replaced with a snake.
212** Seraphine has a motif for [[PrettyButterflies butterflies]]. Her ''[[SuperScream High Note]]'' projectile, as well as the icon for it, has butterflies swirling around it, and the wings she wears as part of her stage costume resemble butterfly wings. Her [[OurFairiesAreDifferent Faerie Court skin]], rather predictably, plays this trait up even more.
213** Sett, a [[LittleBitBeastly vastaya]], is associated with wolverines, known in real life for being deceptively capable of [[OneManArmy tearing apart large amounts of animals bigger than them]], which fits his image of a scrappy bruiser and pit fighter.
214** Tryndamere has a boar motif. His people are implied to have worshipped the Iron Boar, one of the animal demigods of the [[GrimUpNorth Freljord]], with their apparel being modeled after them, notably seen in the horns on Tryndamere's helmet resembling tusks, and Tryndamere's UnstoppableRage and perseverance evoke that of a wild boar's.
215** Udyr, both before and after his VGU, has multiple animal motifs, each one associated with one of his stances he uses in-game. Pre-VGU, his stances were that of the monkey, the tiger, the turtle, the bear, and the phoenix. Post-VGU, the bear and phoenix stances remained, but the monkey, tiger, and turtle stances were replaced with the boar and the ram, with each one representing one of the animal demigods of the Freljord. The short story ''Silence of the Damned'' also mentions two other stances [[GameplayAndStorySegregation not seen in gameplay]], the eagle and the lynx. That said, the pre-VGU stances would still be retained via Udyr's [[NatureHero Spirit Guard skin]], which establishes them as representing the animal spirits of [[{{Wutai}} Ionia]].
216** Urgot has a spider motif. His [[SpiderTank six robotic legs]] resemble that of a spider's legs, and the symbol of his gang is that of a spider, which his followers get tattoos of and create graffiti of to spread his name.
217** Zoe's [[DarkMagicalGirl Star Guardian skin]] gives her an octopus motif. Her {{familiar}} is an octopus like being named Ran, several of her abilities resemble and sound like dark waters, and her homeguard animation has her swim through the air like a cephalopod.
218** The Champions of [[ResurgentEmpire Shurima]] in general are heavily based on this theme, with the majority of the regions Champions being associated with an animal. This is particularly notable for the [[DeityOfHumanOrigin Ascended]], humans who transformed into {{Physical God}}s resembling animals.
219*** Azir is an Ascended who became a hawk, representing his regality and royalty.
220*** Cassiopeia[[note]]While originating from and currently living in [[TheEmpire Noxus]], Cassiopeia is also heavily associated with Shurima[[/note]] is a woman who was cursed to take the form of a humanoid serpent, representing her venomous ways of [[ManipulativeBastard manipulating others to do her bidding]].
221*** Nasus is an Ascended who became a jackal, representing his intelligence and cunning.
222*** Renekton is an Ascended who became a crocodile, representing his strength and ferocity.
223*** Rengar[[note]]While currently living in [[HiddenElfVillage Ixtal]], Rengar's tribe originates from Shurima[[/note]] is a vastaya who takes the form of an anthropomorphic lion, fitting his status as a dangerous hunter.
224*** Skarner, alongside the rest of his race, the Brackern, is a crystalline scorpion. Like real life scorpions, Skarner and the Brackern are a shy race who sleep underground, but are very dangerous when provoked.
225*** Taliyah is often associated with sparrows.
226** Certain skin lines will end up giving multiple characters animal motifs.
227*** The [[GodEmperor God-King skins]] from the Chaos and Order skin line give Darius a wolf motif and Garen a lion motif, which is represented in the appearance of their armors along with the respective animal spirits they summon.
228*** The [[WitchClassic Coven skins]] from the Eclipse skin line gives each member of titular Coven being associated with an animal that their patron god represents. By extension, several members of the [[TheOldGods Old God skins]] get a motif based on whatever animal they represent. Ahri has a jackal motif as a servant the Half-Light Jackal. Ashe and Malphite have an ibex motif as a servant of the [[GruesomeGoat Jet Black Ibex]] and the titular Old God himself, respectively. Camille has a ram motif as a servant of the [[GruesomeGoat Ebony Ram]]. Cassiopeia has a cobra motif as a servant of the [[SnakesAreSinister Silver Cobra]]. Evelynn has a harrier motif as the daughter of the [[FeatheredFiend Great Harrier]]. [=LeBlanc=] has a crane motif as a servant of the [[FeatheredFiend Black Crane]]. Lissandra has a stag motif as a servant of the [[TheMarvelousDeer Ivory Stag]]. Morgana has an owl motif as a servant of the [[OminousOwl Ashen Owl]]. Zyra has a dove motif as a servant of the [[FeatheredFiend Night Dove]]. And Warwick has a wolf motif as the Old God known as [[SavageWolves Father Wolf]].
229*** The Lunar Beast skin line is entirely based around an ox motif. The story of the skin line sets itself during the [[EasternZodiac Year of the Ox]] (both in the in-story year of 2057 and the real life year of 2021), and the group the skin line focuses on is the Ox Clan, which is led by [[OurMinotaursAreDifferent Alistar]] and has all members depicted with [[HornedHumanoid magical ox horns]].
230*** The Lunar Revel skin line as a whole is heavily themed in the EasternZodiac, with a skin for a Champion being released almost every year that fits the animal that year represents. When it comes to non-Zodiac related animal motifs, however, there's the [[VideoGame/DynastyWarriors Warring Kingdoms]] section of the skin line giving Nidalee and Xin Zhao tiger motifs. The former is referred to as the "Spirit of the White Tiger" by Jax, while the latter is known as the "Tiger General".
231** As for characters in the series who aren't Champions, there's the Seal Sister, who, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as her name would imply]] is associated with seals, being heavily tied to water revered by sailors in the Freljord.
232** Among characters introduced in ''VideoGame/LegendsOfRuneterra'', there's the Starlit Seer, who has an owl motif. He vaguely resembles one, he owns an owl, and he speaks with hooting sound resembling an owl's call.
233* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky'', Kloe has a pet falcon who fights alongside her. Like the bird, she's an elegant creature whose fighting style relies on speed and accuracy. Additionally, the fact that falconry [[spoiler:was mostly practiced by wealthy aristocrats]] foreshadows her true identity [[spoiler:as Liberl's princess]].
234* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
235** Ganondorf has always had a pig/boar motif. He transforms into a boar-like creature called "Ganon" at some point in a lot of the games he appears in.
236** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', people who enter the Dark Realm without the Moon Pearl transform into something reflecting their soul. When first entering, Link is transformed into a pink bunny to reflect his innocence.
237** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'', Link transforms into a wolf when in the Twilight Realm. Throughout the game there are references to Link in his human form having "the eyes of a beast".
238** The Kingdom of Hyrule in general is associated with birds, especially in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' where the Goddess [[GodOfGood Hylia]], the namesake of Hyrule, came to the mortal world on a Loftwing (huge bird) which the people of [[FloatingContinent Skyloft]] (the proto-Hyrule) get around on. Hence the birdlike Royal Crest in chronologically subsequent games. On a more subtle level, the older and more important characters in Skyloft wear robes closely modeled on those worn by the [[BirdPeople Rito]] in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]''.
239** Unsurprisingly, being both [[FarmersDaughter country girls]], Malon of ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'' and later Ilia of ''Twilight Princess'' are connected to horses: beautiful, loyal and caring. Both ladies are also associated with Link's horse [[CoolHorse Epona]], giving Link greater inclination to treat Epona well at their requests.
240** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks'', the villain Cole is associated with rats, Princess Zelda's childhood fear. He’s a small, devious creature with sharp teeth, and he summons phantom rats in the first phase of the final battle. [[spoiler:When Malladus takes over his body, he is painfully mutated into a giant monster with a rat-like tail and claws]].
241** The major [[FishPeople Zora]] characters in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' are modeled after specific aquatic animals that emphasize their personalities. Prince Sidon is a WarriorPrince who resembles a hammerhead shark, Princess Mipha is a WhiteMagicianGirl who resembles a nurse shark, and their father King Dorephan is TheGoodKing who resembles a whale.
242* ''Franchise/LifeIsStrange'':
243** [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrange The first game]] has multiple examples of this:
244*** There's a lot of birds featured in the game. You can take photographs of birds, they are frequently seen sitting around, and in Episode 1, you can save one of them from flying into a window. If you look closely at the sky at some parts of the game, you can see flocks of birds flying erratically in the distance. They might even have some connection to time, since in Episode 2 when [[spoiler:Kate is on the roof and Max stops time]], birds are everywhere. In Episode 3, one of the phenomena happening is birds falling dead from the sky.
245*** Does. Max sports at least two shirts with a doe on it. Then there is TheMarvelousDeer that occasionally pops up to guide her. It's been confirmed that this doe is [[spoiler:Rachel's presence]]. Note that the spot where it appears in the junkyard is exactly where [[spoiler:Rachel was buried]].
246*** Butterflies are associated with Chloe. The butterfly we see early on is blue like Chloe's hair and in the [[spoiler:funeral ending the butterfly lands on Chloe's coffin]]. Also, Chloe has a butterfly tattoo.
247*** Whales show up in the theme of the diner Joyce works at, [[spoiler:and the numerous beached whales in the alternate timeline at the end of Episode 3 as well as both timelines in Episode 4]].
248*** Samuel tells Max his spirit animal is a squirrel. Looking in Samuel's shed, you see that [[AnimalStereotypes he likes to collect things]].
249*** Dogs for Frank. He has a beloved pet and it's a good clue that despite all his figurative growling and biting, he's loyal and a bit more complex than you'd expect.
250** Meanwhile, in [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrangeBeforeTheStorm the prequel]] Chloe seems to be represented by a raven motif.
251*** The loading icon between scenes is a raven in flight.
252*** Chloe's default shirt after the rave has ravens on it.
253*** [[spoiler: Ravens make multiple appearances alongside William in a few of Chloe's [[DreamSequence dream sequences]].]]
254*** Chloe wears a raven mask as Ariel in Blackwell's production of ''Theatre/TheTempest''.
255*** In the Steam version of the game, the badges all depict a raven in different degrees of rage.
256** In [[VideoGame/LifeIsStrange2 the second game]] Sean and Daniel are both linked to wolves.
257*** The loading symbol for the game shows two wolves running, one big and one small. Certain choices made in the game will focus on the bigger wolf, the smaller wolf, or both wolves; this means the decision that you made has either affected Sean, Daniel, or both brothers.
258*** Sean has a wolf on his hoodie, and wolves frequently show up in his sketch book.
259*** Their father's hometown is called Puerto Lobos, literally 'Wolves Port' in Spanish.
260*** Sean also looks at a poster advertising a free puppy, stating that he already has one in the form of Daniel.
261* Many characters in ''VideoGame/LikeADragon'' have symbolism based around certain animals, usually signified by a tattoo on their body:
262** Goro Majima has a dog motif, befitting his title, "the Mad Dog of Shimano". He's a complete wild card, who can go any way in any situation, and his story arc in ''VideoGame/Yakuza0'' emphasizes the idea that he feels as if he's on a leash. Also, while not as prominent as his dog motif, he is also associated with snakes. He wears an EyepatchOfPower with a snake mark on it, a snakeskin pattern jacket, is repeatedly shown to be far more calculating than he lets on, and many of his attacks in ''Yakuza 0'' have names that reference snakes.
263** Akira Nishikiyama, [[MeaningfulName befitting of his last name]], has a nishikigoi motif. He has a tattoo of a nishikigoi, and his plans throughout [[VideoGame/Yakuza1 the first game]] are performed partly out of a desire to surpass Kiryu, who has a [[MythicalMotifs dragon motif]], in reference to the myth of the LegendaryCarp that tries to swim upstream to the gates of heaven to become a dragon.
264** Rikiya Shimabukuro from ''VideoGame/Yakuza3'' has a viper motif, specifically the ''protobothrops flavoviridis'', a species of viper associated with Okinawa, his home. He has an unfinished tattoo of the animal on his back, which he claims represents him "bearing the spirit of Okinawa on my back".
265** Taiga Saejima, [[MeaningfulName befitting of his first name]], has a tiger motif. It's his back tattoo, and he ends up quickly [[TigerVersusDragon coming to blows with Kiryu]].
266** Takeshi Kido from ''VideoGame/Yakuza4'' has a fox motif. He wears a jacket decorated with images of foxes, and [[spoiler:he is extremely shifty, shown in how he [[StrongerThanTheyLook intentionally makes himself look weaker than he actually is]]]].
267** Tatsuya Ukyo, the protagonist of the ''Kurohyō'' spin-off games, has a black panther motif. Not only does he dress in all black, but "kurohyō" is the Japanese word for "black panther".
268** Masato Aizawa from ''VideoGame/Yakuza5'' has a motif for [[spoiler:nishikigoi. Like with Nishiki, it's his back tattoo, and represents his desire to surpass Kiryu, just as the LegendaryCarp desires to reach the gates of heaven to become a dragon]].
269** TheMole from ''VideoGame/{{Judgment}}'' has a motif for, well, moles. Even before it's clear that he's a mole for the murderer, Yagami regularly refers to him as one, in reference to how he tends to appear at dark times, not unlike a mole coming out of its dark hole.
270** From ''VideoGame/LostJudgment'', there's Kazuki Soma, who has a motif for vipers. For one, the name of his boss theme is "Viper". He's also physically lean, fights with small bladed weapons such as knives, comparable to a viper's fangs, and he specializes in fighting with surprise attacks.
271* ''[[VideoGame/MarioTennis Mario Tennis: Power Tour]]'' included a cat-and-mouse theme in one doubles partnership, with Paula (who was tiny, had a ponytail that could be seen from the front, with a huge, puffy bow over her head and rosy cheeks) and Whisker (taller, slicked-up cat-ear style hairdo and a prominent, muzzle-like nose). Why, exactly, is unclear, unless it was a parody, as they're the best of friends.
272* To a certain extent, the three main human characters of ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' franchise have been associated with one of the animal-themed power-ups. Mario with raccoons, and [[CatGirl Peach with cats]] - Though all the heroes in ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' appear with the Tanooki and Cat forms; Tanooki Mario and Cat Peach actually show up as DLC in ''VideoGame/MarioKart8''. And the ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' spinoff ''VideoGame/BowsersFury'' takes place in the heavily cat-based archipelago Lake Lapcat, with the enemies taking cat variations. Luigi's associated with foxes, however, as his Tanooki form... Isn't actually a Tanooki form at all, it's called "Kitsune Luigi", and his equivalent of Raccoon Mario is "Fox Luigi".
273* [[BigBad Sigma]] from the ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series has a wolf motif going on. In [[VideoGame/MegaManX1 the first game]] he has a pet robot wolf named Velguarder and his OneWingedAngel form is a large robot wolf. His [[https://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/megaman/images/2/2e/Xsigma.png logo/symbol]] is the Greek letter Sigma (Σ) designed as a wolf, and this sticks in all the sequels even when he lacks wolf-based machinery.
274* Some Robot Masters in the ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' series take their designs from animals:
275** Snake Man from ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'' has a serpentine theme for his head, with his hair styled in a ponytail that resembles a snake tail.
276** Toad Man from ''VideoGame/MegaMan4'' takes his design from a toad.
277** Centaur Man from ''VideoGame/MegaMan6'' has equine features for his lower body.
278** Hornet Man and Splash Woman from ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'' have bees and fishes for their designs, respectively. Like Centuar Man, though, Splash Woman has her animal motif limited to her lower half, and is thus basically a [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent Robot Mermaid]].
279** Sheep Man from ''VideoGame/MegaMan10'' takes his design from sheeps.
280* Most of the Animal-themed Code names in ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' match their owners in terms of personality.
281** Snakes:
282*** The Snakes we meet throughout the series are all sneaky natural predators, although in different ways. They are kind of a LegacyCharacter, so the 'Snake' is perhaps being used in its more mystical sense to represent death and rebirth, or the circle of infinity. The opening credits of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'' likens DNA strands to snakes, which is appropriate considering the CloneAngst that affects all of the Snakes.
283*** In ''Metal Gear Solid'', the 'Snake' codename is at odds with the Alaskan setting, a place so cold that there are no native snakes. This is observed by Raven a couple of times ("Snakes don't belong in Alaska", "you are a snake that is not from nature") and reinforces Snake's synthetic nature and how hostile the setting is to him.
284*** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2SonsOfLiberty'' takes place in the waters around Manhattan. As Snake points out, Manhattan means 'Island of snakes' in Algonquin. At one point in the game, the player is forced to shoot at the flag of the Sons of Liberty, which features a snake, based on the long history of using snakes to represent the Union in early revolutionary American politics (one variant of the "Don't Tread On Me" design closely resembles the flag used in the game). As Solidus is the former President of the United States, this suits.
285*** The Boss is also associated with snakes. She mentions snakes multiple times in her speeches, she has a scar shaped like a snake, one slides out of her body after her death, and she gives the player snakeskin camouflage as a reward for defeating her. It also turns out that she was responsible for 'tempting' EVA...
286** Octopuses:
287*** Laughing Octopus came from a village with an octopus fishing trade, and was tortured into killing her own family, under the stress of which she began to imagine the blood was octopus ink. She wears a robotic suit with multiple arms that changes colour to blend in with the environment.
288*** Solidus Snake also has octopus theme, with literal tentacles on his back and weaves Raiden into his clutches.
289*** Solid Snake becomes associated with octopuses in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'', where he has octopus-themed technology that allows him to take on the colour and texture of surfaces, as well as mimic the appearance of specific people. He also hides in boxes and barrels similar to the octopus trick of hiding in coconuts.
290** In addition to the Snake symbolism, Solid Snake has an association with dogs, suggesting his obedience and determination. He rides dog sleds as a hobby in the backstory to ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', and complains that the mission is happening just before he was due to run in the Iditarod. When he tries to explain to Naomi how he'll just fight to the death if he's ordered to do it, Naomi compares him to an animal. His fondness for dogs is something of a near-literal PetTheDog beat, especially since [[MoralityPet Otacon]] is fond of dogs and mentions that he thinks anyone who loves dogs must be a good person -- however, Snake ''is'' willing to kill dogs, seeing himself as no better than them.
291** Revolver Ocelot is a Russian but with the name of an American species of cat, which in his first appearance appears to hint at his love of Americana. Later we find out that he's actually an American agent. He has a cat-type personality as well, being aloof, theatrical, predatory, and a little smug, but secretly affectionate and probably not quite as gracefully in-control as he thinks he is.
292** Sniper Wolf psychologically fixates on a specific "prey" target (and marks them) and is famous for working alone, never with a spotter, fitting the 'lone wolf' stereotype. In-universe, she was given her name because she is Kurdish.
293** Psycho Mantis is terrified of sex, so uses the name of an animal which gets devoured by the female after mating. He's also ridiculously skinny and wears a mask that resembles insect eyes.
294** The Fear is spider-themed, fighting with rope traps, and with spider venom as a weapon.
295** The Pain is themed around hornets. He's vaguely bee-shaped, wears camouflage that resembles hornet stripes, carries a hornet in his backpack, and uses swarms of bees as a weapon.
296** Quiet is accompanied by a butterfly theme, as an allusion to how she is seemingly killed off during the prologue of ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain The Phantom Pain]]'' only to be [[ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth reborn]] with superpowers. Her various sniper rifles use them as their namesake, the markings that appear on her eyes when she uses her powers resemble a butterfly, and completing a mission while prioritizing her buddy support will net a "Butterfly" codename.
297** Kojima stated that Snake and Raiden are like movie giants, ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' and ''Film/KingKong'' respectively. Raiden was lured to New York by a beautiful women and Snake was made by science like Godzilla.
298* ''VideoGame/MinecraftStoryMode'':
299** Axel's motif is a Creeper, insomuch as you can call Creepers animals. He dresses in green, is something of a Griefer, and loves explosions. To highlight this, he's introduced sneaking up on his friends while wearing a Creeper head.
300** Lukas' motif is an ocelot. He starts as something of a coward, preferring to avoid conflicts, but can become a loyal friend if treated well. Ocelots in Minecraft proper will initially flee from the player, but if you approach them gently and feed them well, they'll stick with you and protect you from Creepers. To highlight this, Lukas is introduced from behind to showcase his jacket, which features an Ocelot head, and he doesn't get along well with Axel at first.
301* In ''VideoGame/Mother3'', Porky Minch takes his unfortunate name and FatBastard status and has the audacity to turn ''it'' into an animal motif, theming his entire empire and the Pigmask Army after pigs.
302* Each faction in ''VideoGame/MountAndBlade'' has an animal. The vaguely medieval French/English kingdom of Swadia has the lion, the Italian city states-inspired Rhodok Republic has the bear, the Russian/Eastern European Vaegirs have the snow leopard, the very Mongolian Khergit Khanate has the wolf, the Viking-esque Nords use the raven, and the Arabic inspired Sarranid Sultanate has the falcon.
303* As befitting his name, Scorpion from ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' has a scorpion motif. His famous "Spear" weapon (in truth, a kunai attached to a rope or chain) is not unlike a scorpion's stinger; and he is known within the Shirai-Ryu clan as "Sasori" - the Japanese word for "scorpion". His appearance as a GuestFighter in ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' takes this motif further in his design, with a costume that invokes an even stronger resemblence to a scorpion.
304* ''VideoGame/MyChildLebensborn'': Both the game proper and the trailer associate the child with foxes. During the game proper, the child shows interest in foxes and mentions taking inspiration from foxes during the period for which they are trying to deal with their bullies by outsmarting them. In addition to this, the player can make a stuffed fox for them as a Christmas present. In the trailer, Klaus, the male child option, is seen hugging that same stuffed fox and being gifted a fox-shaped wood pendant that his older self still has.
305* ''VideoGame/NeonWhite'': While Neon White has a mask of a demon's face, the other heroic Neons each bear the mask of a different animal: a bunny for the cheery, cutesy Neon Violet, a wolf for the suave, aloof Neon Red, and a ram for the headstrong, outspoken Neon Yellow.
306* The ''VideoGame/NintendoWars'' game ''Advance Wars: Days of Ruin'' has the 12th Independent Legion, which uses a wolf as their symbol. In the US version their unit is nicknamed "Brenner's Wolves" after their leader, and Brenner's {{leitmotif}} in the EU version (where he is called O'Brian) is named "Indomitable Wolf". Like a wolf pack, the Legion is very loyal to one another and work much like TheDrifter, wandering from place to place as they're needed.
307* Travis Touchdown, main character of ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'' has a number of tiger motifs- his [[SuperMode Dark Side Mode]] meter is a pixellated tiger walking across the screen, a number of his clothing options have tiger designs, his motorcycle is named the "Schpeltiger", his ultimate sword has a 'Tiger' kanji on its hilt, and one of his final wrestling moves is the Tiger Suplex.
308** As for why it's a tiger, it's a PunnyName if you transliterate his name to Japanese: ''To-ra'' (tiger) -bi-su.
309** Taken to a extreme levels in the sequel, where, in addition to everything before, Travis has the completely unexplained ability to turn into a tiger to maul and devour his opponents.
310** Some of the bosses also have motifs to match, such as [[WorthyOpponent Ryuji]] and the [[TigerVersusDragon dragon]], and Alice as a scorpion. [[spoiler: Jasper as the bat, as well]].
311* Each Viking clan in ''VideoGame/{{Northgard}}'' takes after an animal:
312** Eikthyrnir: Stag Clan. Regal and honourable with a glorious history of astonishing achievements. Built around expanding into new lands quickly and garnering Fame and Happiness. They also have a large cache to resources to get started quickly. Considerable economic strength that can easily translate into military might. Versatile overall.
313** Fenrir: Wolf Clan. The ProudWarriorRaceGuy clan, aggressive and fiercely independent. They gain several powerful military bonuses like harvesting slain predators for meat, claiming spoils of war from defeated enemies and clans, and gaining Happiness from fighting.
314** Heidrun: Goat Clan. Practical and hardy, focused on gathering resources and building infrastructure. Being able to get maximum yield out of minimal space and trade excess food for krowns means they have the strongest economy by far, but they aren't the most imposing militarily.
315** Huginn and Muninn: Raven Clan. Cunning merchants and explorers, and great trade partners if you can abide their constant scheming and materialism. Using krowns to speed up colonisation and hire Mercenaries is a key feature.
316** Bjarki: Bear Clan. Resilient and determined warriors and able to survive, even thrive in the harshest winters. The tough and indominable to Fenrir's vicious and powerful. Quite versatile overall.
317** Sildrugtanni: Boar Clan. Primitive and perhaps a bit boorish, but untamed and spiritual. They shun material wealth and live ascetic lives in touch with nature and the old ways, gaining Lore at a much faster rate and superior benefits from gods' blessings.
318** Svafnir: Snake Clan. Cunning and deceitful in a way that would make Raven Clan blush, a clan with little regard for honour, using guerilla warfare and stealing knowledge and goods from other clans.
319** Nidhogg: Dragon Clan. An outlandlish clan embracing cruel traditions and bizarre customs. They take thralls and sacrifice prisoners on a sacrifical altar to gain benefits.
320** Svadilfari: Horse Clan. A quiet, sturdy and graceful people ruled by a brother and sister duo, renowned for their remarkable craftsmanship and especially metalwork. They are the "technology" clan, forging tools and upgrades to make their units more effective.
321** Lyngbakr: Kraken Clan. BornUnderTheSail, a clan that worships a terrible creature said to live below the waves. They dominate the coasts but suffer penalties when building and fighting inland, and can hire Norns, women seers who bestow strange benefits and can become fearsome Valkyries.
322** Himminbrjotir: Ox Clan. A clan of tremendously mighty people, their strength in battle is matched only by the strength of their devotion to their ancestors. Units are tougher than other clans but eat more, and they big attack and defence bonuses, but they are slow to start and few in number.
323* ''VideoGame/PeacemakerSeries'': The Dark Mother is portrayed as a spider in the Light Spirit scriptures. Dark elves are also associated with spiders, and many of the named dark elves start their name with "spider."
324* ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' has plenty of characters with animal motifs in their normal and alternate skins.
325** Windowmaker is spiders obviously, her graceful strings, eight eyed visor and cold cruelty.
326** Hanzo's are dragons in his normal outfit and wolves in another.
327** Junkrat being rats, obviously.
328** Roadhog goes for pigs, even having a bold pig tattoo on his belly. He also has sharks in another set due to his name, Mako.
329** Lucio has frogs.
330** D.Va's are rabbits with her MEKA looking like one.
331** Reaper's is ravens, with a pair of skins themed towards them. The mask on his default skin also seems to be designed to look like a barn owl's face.
332** Reinhardt has skins themed around lions and Brigitte, his protege, is often associated with housecats.
333* ''DarthWiki/PaleBlue'': Cocoon uses butterflies as symbolism for their goals, viewing humanity as the ugly larvae and that they will turn into beautiful butterflies. The same goes for Cocoon's leader, who is named after the Monarch Butterfly.
334* ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'':
335** In general, this series has a lot of connections to [[ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth butterflies]]. For particular characters that represent this:
336*** [[BigGood Philemon]] is ''really'' big on blue butterflies, to the point WordOfGod says he's ''all'' the butterflies seen in the [[VideoGame/Persona3 third]] and [[VideoGame/Persona4 fourth]] games.
337*** [[BigBad Nyarlathotep]], meanwhile, has black butterflies as a motif, though given the appearance of his Moon Howler and Crawling Chaos forms, he also seems to have squids as a motif as well.
338*** ''VideoGame/Persona1'''s Pandora's first form is that of a cocoon, while her second form is a humanoid butterfly with an attack called "Butterfly Storm".
339*** Metis from ''VideoGame/Persona3[[PlayableEpilogue : The Answer]]'' has red swallowtail butterflies as a motif. Her black body with red accents causes her to resemble one, her Persona, Psyche, has one for a head, and when she first activates Orgia Mode, a wreath of them appear.
340*** Caroline and Justine, the Velvet Room attendants of ''VideoGame/Persona5'', take up the blue butterfly motif for this game. [[spoiler:However, it's later revealed that it's actually Lavenza, the actual Velvet Room attendant who was split into Caroline and Justine, who has this motif, as it's the form her soul takes after her body is split into the twins, and can also be seen in the butterfly wings on her headband]].
341** Tatsuya Suou from ''VideoGame/Persona2'' has lions as a motif. He's a Leo, his belt buckle has a lion on it, and his Ultimate Persona, [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Apollo]], is commonly associated with lions.
342** ''VideoGame/Persona4'':
343*** According to WordOfGod, [[PlayerCharacter Yu Narukami]] was designed to be reminiscent of a loyal dog.
344*** Yukiko Amagi has birds as a motif. Her [[EnemyWithin Shadow Self]] [[OneWingedAngel transforms into one]] after she rejects it, her Personas, especially Konohana Sakuya, resemble BirdPeople, and Yukiko herself compares herself to a bird trapped in a cage. [[Anime/Persona4TheAnimation The anime adaptation]] even shows that she used to own a pet bird.
345*** While this isn't the case for Yosuke himself, the design of his Shadow's OneWingedAngel form, and the design of his initial Persona, Jiraiya, have a lot of allusions to frogs. Beyond their designs, the former being the embodiment of Yosuke's SmallTownBoredom seems to reference the story "The Frog in the Well", while the latter's name originates from a ninja in Japanese folklore who could shape-shift into a frog.
346** Starting from ''VideoGame/Persona4ArenaUltimax'', Yukari Takeba gains a bird motif. Her ''[[ShowWithinAShow Phoenix Ranger Featherman Victory]]'' outfit has a lot of Phoenix imagery, and her character in the show is named after the argus pheasant.
347** ''VideoGame/PersonaQShadowOfTheLabyrinth''
348*** Given that she's an AliceAllusion, Rei has rabbits as a motif. She has a rabbit plush doll, and her Shadow Self [[OneWingedAngel takes the form]] of a monstrous white rabbit when aggravated.
349*** [[spoiler:Chronos has spiders as a motif. He manipulates the games events like a web, with said web being seen during transitions]].
350** ''VideoGame/Persona5'':
351*** [[PlayerCharacter Joker]] is stated by WordOfGod to have a cat motif, likely due to him being deceptively docile and elegant, as well as him wandering around Tokyo like a stray cat. He also has a rather noticeable motif for flying animals. His mask is noticeably bird-themed, while the design of his initial Persona, [[Literature/ArseneLupin Arsène]], seems to take cues from horned owls, a bird of prey that, like Joker, specializes in stealth, and [[spoiler:his Ultimate and third-tier Personas, [[UsefulNotes/{{Gnosticism}} Satanael]] and Raoul, both have bat wings]].
352*** While it's not as prominent as his SkeletonMotif, Ryuji Sakamoto also has monkeys as a motif. His skull mask looks more like a monkey skull than a human skull, Shadow Kamoshida's library has him listed as the "Vulgar Ape", and his Ultimate Persona is Seiten Taisei, aka [[Literature/JourneyToTheWest the Monkey King, Sun Wukong]].
353*** Ann Takamaki has cats as a motif. Her codename is Panther, and her PhantomThief outfit is a SpyCatsuit with a cat mask and tail.
354*** Yusuke Kitagawa has foxes as a motif, as besides it being his codename, his PhantomThief outfit seems to be modeled after the [[Myth/JapaneseMythology Japanese god, Inari]], who is often associated with the animal. Futaba even gives him the nickname Inari.
355*** Futaba Sakura has a frog motif, as seen in the design of her PhantomThief outfit, with her mask's large red lenses resembling frog eyes, on top of her black and green bodysuit.
356*** While it's not obvious at first, [[spoiler:upon the reveal that he's the [[TheDragon Black Mask]], it becomes more clear that Goro Akechi has a crow motif. Besides being his codename, his PhantomThief mask has a long nose that resembles a beak, while his Black Mask outfit is [[EvilWearsBlack completely black]], with its helmet resembling a crow's skull. Crows are also associated with bad omens, fitting him being the personal hitman of TheConspiracy]].
357*** Munehisa Iwai has geckos as a motif. He has a gecko tattoo, geckos appear in the menu of his store, and the headphones he wears over his hat resemble lizard eyes.
358*** Principal Kobayakawa seems to have a goldfish motif, given his appearance, as well as the fact that [[spoiler:dead fish are often seen as signs of bad luck, with his death marking the moment things begin to go wrong for the Phantom Thieves]].
359*** Suguru Kamoshida has rams as a motif. His [[MentalWorld Palace]] has statues of ram heads all over it, and his Shadow's OneWingedAngel form has curved horns on its head. Rams are also symbols of power and virility, fitting him representing [[SevenDeadlySins the sin of]] {{lust}}.
360*** Ichiryuusai Madarame has peacocks as a motif, fitting him representing [[SevenDeadlySins the sin of vanity]]. His artwork and Palace use peacock feathers in them, along with a largely blue and gold color scheme.
361*** Junya Kaneshiro has both a pig and fly motif, fitting him representing [[SevenDeadlySins the sin of]] [[VillainousGlutton gluttony]]. For pigs, he's a FatBastard, piggy banks appear all over his Palace, and during his boss fight, he pilots a giant mechanical piggy bank. For flies, his OneWingedAngel form is that of a humanoid-fly, the Shadows in his Palace wear masks that look vaguely like a fly's compound eyes, and in ''[[UpdatedRerelease Royal]]'' his bodyguards are giant flies.
362*** [[spoiler:Shadow Sae Niijima has a dog motif. She has a dog tattoo on her back, wears a spiked collar around her neck, and dogs in Japanese culture are often associated with envy, but also represent guardianship, fitting her representing [[SevenDeadlySins the sin of]] [[DrivenByEnvy envy]] while also fitting her being an AntiVillain]].
363*** [[spoiler:Masayoshi Shido has lions as a motif. The first stage of his boss fight has him riding on a giant, golden lion, lions are often portrayed as guardians of heaven, fitting Shido delusion of being Japan's savior, and lions are often associated with pridefulness, fitting him representing [[SevenDeadlySins the sin of]] {{pride}}]].
364** Alice Hiiragi from ''VideoGame/Persona5Strikers'', as expected for someone intentionally [[InvokedTrope invoking]] an AliceAllusion, has white rabbits as a motif, with her Shadow [[OneWingedAngel transforming into a humanoid rabbit monster for her boss fight]]. However, she also has a motif for flamingos. Her Shadow self's cane resembles one, the design of both her real self and her Shadow self are extremely flamboyant and colorful (with the latter having a predominately pink design), and, like a flamingo, in contrast to her elegant looks, [[BitchInSheepsClothing she's actually extremely aggressive]].
365* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
366** Player characters and rivals in the games are strongly associated with a starter Pokémon or cover legendary, with design motifs from them are sometimes incorporated into their outfits. While the starter they choose is based on the player's choice, there are official artworks that take this concept and run with it. Most notably, Red and Blue are associated with Pikachu and Eevee, respectively.
367** The Kimono Girls from ''[[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver]]'' have kimonos modeled after the legendary Ho-oh's feathers.
368** ''VideoGame/PokemonGo'' introduces the three teams Mystic, Instinct and Valor, which are associated with the Legendary Bird trio [[FireIceLightning Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres]] respectively. This can be seen in the designs of their leaders as well--Blanche (leader of Team Mystic) wears a coat resembling Articuno's wings and has their hair tied back to resemble its long shimmering tail, Spark (leader of Team Instinct) has short spiky blond hair and black and yellow clothing to match Zapdos' plumage and Candela (leader of Team Valor) has slightly messy hair resembling the fiery crest on Moltres' head.
369* ''VideoGame/ProjectWingman'' takes the infamous [[Film/AmericanSniper Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs]] speech, and turns it on its head.
370** The Cascadians, who are fighting for their independence from the Federation are the Sheep. The Federation claims that they’re trying to protect them, when in reality, they’re exploiting them because of how Cascadia is rich in Cordium, a mineral used in Geothermal Power Generation.
371** Sicario are the Wolves. While the Cascadians are initially distrustful of them at first, in time, they come to see Scicario as NobleWolves who are here to free them from the Federation. The Federation meanwhile, sees Sicario as SavageWolves, who are here to prey upon their flock of Sheep.
372** The Federation, or more specifically Crimson Squadron, are the Sheepdogs. Their squadron leader, Crimson 1, fancies himself, his squadron and the Federation, as Guardians protecting a flock of Sheep from Wolves like Sicario. [[spoiler:Comic [[AnalogyBackfire fires back at his analogy]], and says that he’s herding Sheep to be slaughtered.]]
373* ''VideoGame/{{Psychonauts}}'':
374** [[DrillSergeantNasty Coach Morceau Oleander]] is associated with cute little bunnies. You think that'd seem like a joke, but [[spoiler:every level that involves his mind in some way features the presence of bunnies. This is revealed in the final level to be connected to his past: As a boy, his father owned rabbit hutches, and Morry would play with the bunnies. Unfortunately for him, his father was a butcher who believed bunnies were only good for meat and demonstrated those beliefs to his son [[HarmfulToMinors firsthand]], traumatizing Oleander.]]
375** Vernon Tripe refers to himself as "the mongoose" [[SeriousBusiness during a game of hide-and-seek.]]
376** It's implied Kitty Bubai is using her Confusion powers on Quentin Hedgemouse to get him to like her. In other words, the cat is toying with the mouse.
377** Edgar Teglee is normally docile but flies into rages when provoked, just like the bulls he paints. In his mind, a wild bull called El Odio runs wild. [[spoiler:In the final act of Black Velvetopia, it turns out El Odio really does represent him after all, as he is [[AllegoricalCharacter the embodiment of the hatred and anger Edgar can't let go of.]]]]
378* The ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' series has a couple of boxers whose names and themes references various animals:
379** King Hippo is overweight, extremely strong, has teeth resembling tusks, and in the Wii installment he only speaks in animalistic grunts and roars. For bonus points, he even hails from the fictional Hippo Islands.
380** Bear Hugger is also heavyset and strong, has a great appetite, more body hair than the other boxers, and is even shown having an actual bear as his personal trainer.
381** Great Tiger wears tiger-striped pants and is very quick and agile. His character portrait in the NES game also showcases a tiger skin in the background.
382** Bald Bull has a hot temper and a signature move where he charges at his opponent in a bovine-like fashion. The Wii installment gives him even more bull-like traits, such as guttural grunts and a tendency to snort through his nostrils.
383* ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'' has ''two'' animal motifs for Arthur Morgan, depending on the status of his [[KarmaMeter honor meter]]. With high honor, he is associated with a noble stag. With low honor, he is associated with a wicked wolf.
384* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' starts using this a bit with Wesker in the later games after he gains superpowers. He has eyes with slit pupils like a cat, and while his attacks are named after various animals, several of them are big-cat-themed: the Panther Fang, Jaguar Dash, Jaguar Kick, and Tiger Uppercut. His personality definitely fits the theme of [[Analysis/AnimalStereotypes "Charismatic, exotic predators with an air of grace and power about their every move. Awe-inspiring even as they crush you."]]. He's also arrogant, manipulative, smug, and good at stealth and espionage, more traits commonly associated with big cats, and his fighting style is fast and agile with a lot of [[InASingleBound jumps]], flips, rolls, dodging, and even [[WallRun Wall Runs]].
385* Many of the chapters in the ''VideoGame/RuleOfRose'' involve animal motifs, such as 'The Bird of Happiness' and 'The Goat Sisters'. Even ones that don't often have an animal associated with them; 'Rag Princess' has pigs, for example. All these animals manifest as pseudo-humanoid enemies during the game, and seem to be inspired by animals kept in the orphanage.
386* In ''VideoGame/SaintsRowTheThird'', shark imagery is predominant. With shark-themed tattoos appearing the most, then the Shark-O-Matic, and the various shark imagery in the game. Like sharks, The Boss is drawn to violence and never stops until they get what they want.
387* ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' usually links animals to the character's name or epithet.
388** Masamune is known as the "One Eye Dragon" and his HellishPupils and DualWielding of six words invoke dragon imagery.
389** Shingen and Yukimaru is the tiger. Shingen's red helmet, stripes around his arm and fiery personality encourage the motif.
390* In ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'', Yumi's ultimate attack involves her summoning a giant spider. Unsurprisingly, she is an aloof and slightly scary character constantly seeking to diversify her skills and become a better warrior.
391* ''VideoGame/{{Settlemoon}}'': The Moons are provided by moths, who are heavily drawn to light. Luna, in trying to finish Settlemoon's Sun Gate [[spoiler:and ultimately [[IcarusAllusion bringing Settlemoon too close to the Sun]]]], also matches this. And lastly, [[spoiler:Sunny and the Sunrise he put into Settlemoon are represented by Monarch Butterflies, diurnal moths [[ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth who fly far from their birthplace and often never return]].]]
392* All the colossi in ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus'' represent an animal, what animal they represent however is debatable.
393* In an Earth Route Scenario in ''VideoGame/ShinSuperRobotWars'', Aya Kobayashi has a cat motif while Ryusei has a mouse motif. Aya figures that if she's a cat, she should at least be a Persian.
394* ''VideoGame/ShounenKinindenTsumuji'' has every boss (except the final boss) use a specific species as minions in their fight.
395** J.B -- Frogs
396** Tengu -- Beatles
397** Camellia -- Dogs
398** Takohatchi -- Octopuses
399** Jack -- Turtles
400** Kama -- Birds
401** Orochi -- Snakes
402* ''VideoGame/ShovelKnight''
403** Mole Knight wears armor equipped with digging claws. He also has a secondary fire motif.
404** Plague Knight wears the raven mask of a PlagueDoctor and also carries around a staff with a decorative raven head.
405* ''VideoGame/SixAges'':
406** Rider mythology describes how all their gods chose a specific animal to represent them. Yelm, the TopGod with dominion over the sun, chose eagles, and his son Elmal inherited the bird connection with [[GodIsDead Yelm's death]]. Nyalda, the cunning earth mother, chose snakes. Hyalor tamed the first horse, and most of the blessings he can give you relate to them.
407** The Riders themselves are practically BornInTheSaddle, so they often identify foreign tribes by what animals they domesticate. There are the Ram People (Vingkotlings), the Goat People (Ergeshites), the Dog People (Votanki), the Raven People (Yanadlings), and the Buzzard People (Yeleni). Sadly, you cannot convince any of these tribes of the [[AuthorAppeal obvious superiority]] of the horse. Meanwhile, the Riders' worst rivals are the only other people with horses: the Wheels, charioteers who are plainly doing it wrong.
408* ''Franchise/StreetFighter''
409** Sagat ''[[CallingYourAttacks "Tiger Shot! Tiger Shot! Tiger Knee! Tiger...Uppercut!]] [[LimitBreak Tigeeer...DESTRUCTION!"]]''.
410** Ryu is a Wolf in Omega Mode, fitting since he more or less a stray dog. He also fights [[WolfMan Jon Talbain]] in a crossover manga.
411** Ken is a Eagle in Omega Mode, due to being American.
412** Chun-Li is often depicted as having connections to birds, and this is referenced in several pieces of official art and alternate costumes. She is a phoenix in omega mode, as ''Fenghuang'' are phoenixes in Chinese folklore.
413** Cammy is a fox in Omega Mode, though she more usually known as ''the killer bee'' for her stinging kick.
414** Gulie is a military dog.
415** Zangief is a big Russian bear, and he knows all about bears, he wrestles grizzles into teddy bears.
416** Bison is a panther.
417** Adon also has a jaguar motif, but is a gecko in Omega Mode
418** Juri Han is closely associated with spiders, and the game isn't at all subtle about it.
419** Alex is referred to as a lion a few times in SFV.
420** Ibuki's arguably the most animal motif'ed character in the franchise with Tanuki (Raccoon-Dog). Not only does she actually own a Tanuki as a pet but her outfits that otherwise do not have any similarities to the species sich as attaching a Tanuki tail or having cute Tanuki buttons. In some official game art her pet Tanuki appears alongside her (the only pet in the game), her weapons feature a Tanuki face such as her [[https://streetfighter.fandom.com/wiki/Weapons?file=StreetFighterV_11_27_2018_11_06_23_AM.png V-Trigger Bomb]] painted on and even in her own comic her own bento box had food arranged to resemble a Tanuki.
421* ''VideoGame/SlimeRancher2'': All the new slimes are based on animals. Cotton slimes are rabbits; angler slimes are anglerfish; batty slimes are bats; ringtail slimes are raccoons and tanukis; and flutter slimes are butterflies. The yolky slime isn't based on a whole animal, but rather a fried chicken's egg.
422* The various [[PrivateMilitaryContractor mercenary groups]] we hear about in ''VideoGame/StrikeCommander'' all have animal-related names. The story's protagonists and their rivals, the Wildcats and the Jackals, display an appropriate CatDogDichotomy in their philosophies (of the PantheraAwesome and {{Savage Wol|ves}}f variety). The game also includes the vicious and piratical [[ThreateningShark Hammerheads]], as well as a group called the Barracudas which we learn very little about.
423* Most of the AI lords in ''{{VideoGame/Stronghold}}'' have animal nicknames with personalities to match.
424* Yuri Lowell from ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'' has a wolf motif, with his name meaning "little wolf", many of his artes having "wolf" in their names, and some of his artes like Lone Wolf Charge projecting a [[AnimalBattleAura wolf-shaped battle aura]].
425** To a lesser degree, Tison has a snake motif, having some artes that are named after snakes, projecting snake-shaped battle auras, and also looking somewhat snake-like with his fangs and golden eyes.
426* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'':
427** Scout is compared to a rabbit or a bunny by some other classes due to his [[FragileSpeedster speed]] and buckteeth.
428--> '''Demoman:''' Yer like a little bunny... scurryin' around, eatin' up yer lettuce and berries!\
429'''Engineer:''' Just a dead little jackrabbit.\
430'''Spy:''' Ooh, you were quick as a little bunny, weren't you?
431** Conversely, [[HuskyRusskie The Heavy]] is compared to a bear (Russia's national animal), given that he has made a melee weapon out of bear claws, can wear a skinned bear head, eats raw steak, and has several beard styles of increasingly preposterous proportions. His first item set was called the Hibernating Bear set. The comics shows us that he even hunts and eats bear. Heck, even his name, Mikhael, is often shortened to "Misha" by his family, which means "bear" in Russian!
432--> '''Scout:''' He's like a bear! He's like a big, shaved bear that hates people!
433** Spy is often compared to a snake due to the sudden, surprising nature of his attacks and his ability to remain hidden until it's too late...as well as his generally unpleasant nature that means that people distrust him. He also draws out his 's' sounds in SssssnakeTalk fashion. He also uses Your Eternal Reward, a dagger very similar to the one used by Jafar (mentioned above), and his Nanobalaclava item gives him a slightly serpentine appearance. He has access to the Deep Cover Operator item, which makes him resemble Solid Snake. Finally, his animal companion cosmetic item is the Backstabber's Boomslang, which hangs out on his arm.
434--> '''Demoman:''' Yer a back-pokin' snake and by God you'll ''die like one!''
435--> '''Engineer:''' Dominated, you snake!
436--> '''Sniper:''' Backstab ''that'', ya snake!
437** Medic keeps a flock of doves as pets. His favorite dove, Archimedes, appears in the comics and supplemental videos. Medic himself resembles a dove because he wears a long white coat, the end of which resembles a dove's tail. In "The Sound of Medicine", Medic descends from above with his white coat billowing behind him like dove wings.
438** Others include Soldier (bald eagles for his American patriotism, raccoons because he's homeless), Demoman (a parrot, because Demo wears an eyepatch, thus resembling a pirate), and Sniper (owls for his sharp eyesight, crocodiles because he's an AwesomeAussie).
439* ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' has several:
440** Both Kings are obviously jaguars, what with the big jaguar-head masks as a dead ringer.
441** Bryan Fury has big constrictor snakes (boa, anaconda, python) as his motif.
442** Asuka Kazama has the swallow.
443** Lars Alexandersson has the lion.
444** Shaheen has a NobleBirdOfPrey theme with both falcon and hawk as his personal motifs.
445** For ''Tag 2'', Jun Kazama turns into a death maiden, and she adopts a EvilCostumeSwitch of CreepyCrows.
446* ''VideoGame/TheSpectrumRetreat'' has birds, as two of the most important characters are named Crow and Robin. Crow in particular, as he's often represented by black feathers.
447* Many ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' characters are [[CuteMonsterGirl animal youkai]] of various sorts, and dress in ways that evoke their original species, in addition to having [[RubberForeheadAliens odd features]] or UnusualEars. Less animalistic youkai and humans sometimes have motifs, too, either evident in canon or bestowed by the fandom.
448** [[WhoWantsToLiveForever Fujiwara no Mokou]] is associated with the phoenix because of her immortality and her fire powers.
449** [[PhysicalGod Goddess]] Suwako Moriya has an association with frogs (she's not even a god of frogs; she just happens to like them a lot). After defeating Suwako and taking over her shrine and worshippers, Kanako Yasaka adopted snakes as her symbol (which is a bit ironic since the snake god tied to their shrine answers only to Suwako). Their shared [[{{Miko}} shrine maiden]] Sanae Kochiya wears a frog hairclip and a white snake ornament in her hair, which each represent the gods she serves.
450** [[CuteGhostGirl Yuyuko Saigyouji]] is strongly associated with the ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth.
451** [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent Junko]] has a fox motif, with the second kanji in her name meaning "fox" and having seven fox-like "tails" of energy behind her.
452** And in the PC-98 exclusive ''Phantasmagoria of Dim.Dream'', [[CuteGhostGirl Kana Anaberal]] has an association with birds, evident in her spellcard Soul Bird... and lampshaded by [[CloudCuckooLander Kotohime]], who asks in her victory quote if Kana is a birdkeeper.
453* ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDeadSeasonFour'': Horses
454** There's a stylised horse skull on the back of [[PlayerCharacter Clementine's]] jacket, she often attacks by [[KickChick kicking]] and her nightmare sequences feature a wounded, dying horse, [[spoiler:which turns out to be the one who accidentally got killed when she rode on it into the [=McCarroll=] Ranch, which became a warzone]]. You can also choose to [[spoiler:steal the Delta raiders' horses to distract them during the Ericsons' students attack on their boat.]] [[BewareTheQuietOnes James]] takes Clem and [[BadassAdorable [=AJ=]]] to an abandoned horse stable where he sleeps sometimes to convince Clem that walkers aren't just shambling corpses, and it's also the place [[spoiler:where Clem ultimately loses her leg later on]].
455** Throughout the game, horses are associated with conflict: Clem's and [=AJ's=] arrival disrupts the lives of the students of Ericsons', Clem's and Jame's opposing worldviews on what the walkers are, and they're present during two setpieces that focus on a direct, armed conflict ([=McCarroll=]'s Ranch and the Delta boat attack). This fits the status of horses as beasts of war and the animal most commonly associated with armed conflict or law enforcement, along with dogs (the game also features an attack dog, Rosie). [[spoiler:The fact that Clementine loses specifically her leg might be a reference to how leg injuries are commonly associated with horses, and how it's usually a death sentence to them. While the player is made to think that Clementine is going to die, she does eventually manage to pull through]]. Horses are herd animals, and a big theme of this season is FoundFamily, home and community, even more so than the previous three seasons.
456* ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}''
457** Rhino is a big, bulky warframe with abilities named ''[[FoeTossingCharge Charge]]'', ''[[MadeOfIron Iron Skin]]'', ''[[StatusBuff Roar]]'' and ''{{S|hockwaveStomp}}tomp''.
458** Poison-themed Saryn has a snake motif; not only can she spread poison, she can also shed her skin to ReduceAggro.
459** Fairy-themed Titania is covered with a flock of butterflies that assist her when she turns into a fairy.
460** Excalibur Umbra has a wolf motif; The scene he first appears in is set under a full moon and his second ability is called ''Radial Howl'' (as opposed to standard Excalibur's ''Radial Blind'').
461* ''VideoGame/{{Weaponlord}}'' has two examples: Zarak with the spider, down to the fact that his armor is a ''literal spider''. He has a move or two involving webbing and one where he throws a spider at people.
462** Talazia is a much better example, being themed with the raven. Her playstyle is incredibly aerial-based and she has plenty of anti-air moves to stop people from taking her place. [[spoiler: This theming is so ingrained because she actually was a raven before [[HumanityEnsues she was cursed by a magic spell seven years ago]].]]
463* The high-ranking [[ShiniGami Reapers]] in ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'', each have an (animal) [[TheHeartless Noise form]] that vaguely shadows their personality.
464** Higashizawa: Ovis Cantus, the Ram - brutal power head-on, but blindly following orders (what is a ram but a male sheep, after all?).
465** Minamimoto: Leo Cantus, the Lion -- vicious claws backed by an unending drive to rule.
466** Konishi: Tigrus Cantus, the Tiger -- a sadistic fiend who toys with her victions on the end of her claws.
467** Kitaniji: Anguis Cantus, the Snake -- hidden in plain sight, coiling around his victims who don't see until too late that they're caught. [[spoiler:After stealing Joshua's power, he becomes Draco Cantus, the Dragon, pure, desperate power.]]
468** [[spoiler:Hanekoma: Panthera Cantus, the Panther -- a quiet hunter, much stronger than he appears.]]
469* ''VideoGame/YuppiePsycho'': Certain key characters are associated with different animals. Hugo is associated with frogs, Corvo is associated with avians, like owls (and his name means "raven" in Italian), Sintra has a subtle snake theme, among others. [[spoiler: Brian doesn't have an animal motif, notably. Instead, he's associated with [[BigRedDevil The Devil]], donning the Devil costume to get into the 9th floor Gallery, as well as having his reflection change to this if you show Witch paper to the 5th floor washroom mirrors. This is especially weird since the Devil is the one who supposedly built the Sintra androids, with one head even referring to him as "Daddy" when he appears in front of her.]]
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