Line #20 Main/MaliciousMonitorLizard


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4	%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!
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8	[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/joanna_3.png]]]]
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10	Similar to [[NeverSmileAtACrocodile crocodiles]] only dwelling on land, monitor lizards are the lizards most likely to be cast as antagonists in animal fiction. They are also common foes in jungle settings.
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12	One reason why monitor lizards get such a bad rap is from their large size and strength, as well as their rather intimidating appearance, since they stand as the largest lizards in the world and are capable of taking down deer and water buffalo. Their habit of flicking out their tongues a lot (they "taste" the air to, well, monitor it), looks like a ManiacTongue if the lizard is somewhat anthropomorphized.
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14	What also doesn't help their reputation is their diet, as they're often seen as [[ScavengersAreScum scavengers]] due to the amount of carrion they eat. In fact, for a long period of time it was assumed that this reason why they had such nasty bites, where the deadly bacteria they picked up from carrion were responsible for taking down prey. However, later studies conducted in the mid-to-late 2000s debunked this theory, with it instead being revealed that monitors are among the few lizard species with a venomous bite. The venom further adds to their villainous reputation, because PoisonIsEvil.
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16	In fiction, monitors will usually be a generic kind. If a real-life species does get chosen, it usually be the Komodo dragon; this is partially because Komodos are the largest kind of monitor and look rather intimidating, partially because they're the only species of monitor lizard known to (rarely) kill and eat humans, and partly because it's [[SmallTaxonomyPools the only species audiences will be familiar with]].
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18	Komodo dragons are generally portrayed as powerful, dangerous {{Super Persistent Predator}}s; fitting with their intimidating appearance and size. "Lesser" monitors, conversely, are often portrayed as sneaky, thieving slimeballs, with [[EvilEggEater a particular taste for eggs]]. Obviously this adds to their negative portrayal, since eggs are effectively other animals' kids-to-be.
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20	For series featuring prehistoric life, expect the prehistoric monitor lizard ''Varanus priscus'' a.k.a. ''Megalania'', an extinct Australian species that was at least twice the size of the modern Komodo dragon (but in fiction tends [[PrehistoricMonster to get exaggerated in size and ferocity]] to dinosaurian proportions). Another common examples are mosasaurs, which are not truly dinosaurs but rather large, aquatic monitor lizards that may fill a role as a ThreateningShark or MonsterWhale in prehistoric-set works.
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22	SubTrope of ReptilesAreAbhorrent. For monitor lizards pretending to be dinosaurs, see {{Slurpasaur}}. Contrast LovableLizard, for more benign lizards-- needless to say, monitor lizards are rarely used for that trope. See also SnakesAreSinister and NeverSmileAtACrocodile for other villainous reptiles.
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24	!!Examples:
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26	[[foldercontrol]]
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28	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
29	* ''{{Anime/Aggretsuko}}'': Tsubone (named Scatherine in the fan subs), an anthropomorphic Komodo dragon, is a mean-spirited, sometimes downright sadistic senior secretary who acts like a MeanBoss to the protagonist.
30	* ''Manga/KaijuGirlCaramelise'': When Manatsu brings Kuroe and Rairi to "{{Kaiju}} Island", the former two encounter ''Megalania''-sized monitor lizards that gang up on and try to eat the girls, forcing Kuroe to turn into [[{{Notzilla}} Harugon]] to save Manatsu. [[spoiler:A WhamShot at the end of the chapter shows several of the lizards with wings and horns like Harugon's, implying some genetic connection to Kuroe.]]
31	[[/folder]]
32
33	[[folder:Art]]
34	* Whether by accident or design, many reconstructions of theropod dinosaurs have varanid-like traits; in particular, [[RaptorAttack featherless renditions of dromaeosaurs]] look like bipedal Komodos. Special mention should go to the first reconstruction of a ''Megalosaurus'', [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/2005-03-30_-_London_-_Crystal_Palace_-_Victorian_Dinosaurs_1_4887762470.jpg as depicted at Crystal Palace in London]], which looks like a [[MixAndMatchCritter cross between a monitor lizard and a wolf]].
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37	[[folder:Fan Works]]
38	* The Cretaceous period monitor lizard palaeosaniwa is amongst the various prehistoric species rescued for the titular zoo in ''Fanfic/PrehistoricParkReimagined''. And while not evil per se, they do prove fairly intimidating to the park staff by virtue of their size and carnivorous disposition, and they are also perfectly capable of being rather aggressive when provoked sufficiently enough.
39	* In ''Fanfic/WhatLiesBeyondTheWalls'', every single monitor lizard mentioned in the story is murderous and/or cannibalistic. This is somewhat jarring, considering how [[GreyAndGrayMorality gray all the other characters are]] and that the other vermin consistently {{deconstruct\|ion}} AlwaysChaoticEvil.
40	[[/folder]]
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42	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
43	* ''Animation/AdventuresInZambezia'': Budzo, the BigBad is a vicious monitor lizard with a taste for birds' eggs who was responsible for killing the protagonist's mother.
44	* ''WesternAnimation/FernGullyTheLastRainforest'' features a blue and red monitor lizard that sings an entire musical number about wanting to eat one of the protagonists. However, when not hungry, he turns out to be a pretty nice guy.
45	* ''WesternAnimation/TheRescuersDownUnder'' features [[PunnyName Joanna, a goanna]] who serves as Percival [=McLeach=]'s RightHandAttackDog who has [[EvilEggEater a massive appetite for eggs]], including the eggs of the giant eagle Marahute.
46	[[/folder]]
47
48	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
49	* ''Film/{{Curse of the Komodo}}'' is a Film/SyfyChannelOriginalMovie involving Komodo dragons which have been enlarged to sauropod proportions by secret genetic experiments on a remote Pacific island, turning them into bulletproof monsters capable of keeping pace with a speeding car and venom that can ''turn people into zombies.''
50	* ''Film/JurassicWorld'': [[AllThereInTheManual According to supplementary material]], the raptors have monitor lizard DNA mixed in, presumably explaining their lack of feathers.
51	* ''Film/KingKong2005'': While lost in the [[EverythingTryingToKillYou vast and deadly]] jungle of Skull Island, Ann is attacked by several huge lizards that are clearly supposed to be beefed-up komodos. These monitors are in turn [[AlwaysABiggerFish devoured]] by a TRexpy, which hasn't had its fill yet and proceeds to chase after Ann too.
52	* ''Film/{{Komodo}}'' is about a colony of Komodo dragons living on an island in North Carolina, killing the humans that visit the island. In this case, it's justified, since the island doesn't have the food supply to support them and they're starving, forcing them to hunt people out of desperation.
53	* Creator/IrwinAllen's execrable 1960 version of ''Literature/TheLostWorld1912'' climaxes in an encounter with a gigantic and voracious monitor lizard, although [[{{Slurpasaur}} we're told]] it's a UsefulNotes/TyrannosaurusRex. The movie also features a fight between another monitor lizard and a crocodile that are, allegedly, also dinosaurs.
54	* ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'': The casino in Macau has a pit with two Komodo Dragons in it. Later on, when Bond fights a bunch of Mooks while attempting to leave the casino, they tackled him into the pit. One of the Komodos comes out to watch them fight, and hauls one remaining Mook away by his ankle once he becomes distracted by trying to shoot Bond with a fingerprint-coded gun.
55	[[/folder]]
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57	[[folder:Literature]]
58	* ''Literature/LastChanceToSee'': Subverted in the Komodo dragon chapter; unsurprisingly, since the point was to raise awareness of the Komodo dragon as an endangered species. When Creator/DouglasAdams and Mark Cordwaine arrive there, however, they're surprised to find a tourist trail where a dragon eats a live goat that's been staked out for it. The tourists talk in fascinated horror about this monster, and how easily it could do the same to them, but Adams's own view is that the lizard is just being a lizard, and if you want to blame someone for the fate of the goat, then HumansAreTheRealMonsters.
59	* In ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'', most ReptilesAreAbhorrent, which holds true for the monitor lizards of Sampetra, who serve as shock troops for the pine marten Big Bad of ''Literature/ThePearlsOfLutra''.
60	* ''Literature/TitansForest'': Dayhunters are Understorian predators resembling immense monitor lizards. They are voracious, cunning and very dangerous predators with a taste for human meat, and are greatly feared.
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63	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
64	* ''Series/{{Jessie}}'': Subverted, by Mrs. Kipling, Ravi's pet Asian Water Monitor. Whilst she is aggressive and scary, Jessie screamed when she first saw her, baring the occasional joke she's treated like just a big docile and slightly anti-social pet. She at one point saves Bertram and Luke, by eating a venomous spider that had invaded the apartment.
65	* ''Series/MonstersResurrected'' has an entire episode focusing on ''Megalania'', a 6-meter-long prehistoric monitor lizard from Australia, which, like every animal in the show, gets the PrehistoricMonster treatment. Another episode covered the monitor lizards' marine relatives, the mosasaurs.
66	* ''Series/TerraNova'': Subverted with the ancestral Komodo dragon, which is a vicious predator much bigger than its descendant and with a venomous bite, but easily warded off because it only targets weakened prey incapacitated by its venom. When Taylor intimidates it with a flaming torch it quickly retreats and doesn't return.
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69	[[folder:Mythology and Religion]]
70	* In Myth/PacificMythology, Hi'iaka is tasked with bringing a young chief named Lohia'u to her sister, Pele (after the latter began to miss him after they hooked up at a party weeks before). Along the way, they face many adventures. In particular, Hi'iaka has to fight off giant monitor lizards with ''mana'' contained in her skirt. (Unfortunately for Hi'iaka, and [[TakenForGranite more unfortunately for her friend Hopoe]], this delays them quite a bit, and Pele gets jealous.)
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73	[[folder:Radio]]
74	* Averted in ''Radio/JohnFinnemoresSouvenirProgramme'', in which one sketch posits that the dragon confronted by UsefulNotes/SaintGeorge [[{{Demythification}} was actually a Komodo dragon]], and that they're [[GoKartingWithBowser good friends in real life]]. Saint George pretended to kill the dragon for publicity reasons, and the only conflict in the sketch is that the dragon has had difficulty getting a job [[NeverLiveItDown since most people can't look past the dragon supposedly getting killed as a reason to give him a job]]. The two part on friendly terms, since the dragon is going to be hired to serve as a model for the national flag of UsefulNotes/{{Wales}}.
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77	[[folder:Video Games]]
78	* In ''VideoGame/{{Armello}}''[='s=] WorldOfFunnyAnimals, the monitor lizard Volodar is the HighPriest of a [[TheCorruption Rot]]-worshiping ReligionOfEvil. He's AffablyEvil, but preaches the glory of oblivion to all who will listen.
79	* ''VideoGame/ConanExiles'': Komodo dragons can be found in the jungle in the south-eastern corner of the Exiled Lands (and, on some difficulties, the opening chamber of the Abyssal Remnant's dungeon), and are a threat about on par with the far-more-common [[NeverSmileAtACrocodile crocodiles]].
80	* ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot2CortexStrikesBack'': The Komodo Bros. are a DualBoss, specifically two of N. Brio's henchmen that try to block your path from helping Dr. Cortex.
81	* ''VideoGame/FarCry3'': Komodo dragons are just one of the [[EverythingIsTryingToKillYou numerous dangerous animals living on]] [[IslandOfMystery the Rook Islands.]] They can attack you from nowhere, and [[MadeOfIron they take a ton of gunfire before going down.]] And that's not even getting into the much tougher Blood Komodo, which is constantly soaked in its strangely blood-red saliva.
82	* The DenserAndWackier spin-off, ''VideoGame/FarCry3BloodDragon'', introduces the titular Blood Dragons. Cybernetic, dinosaur-like monitor lizards ([[AmbiguousRobots maybe...]]) with mutagenic blood, which can shoot lasers from their eyes. They're by far the most powerful enemy in the game.
83	[[/folder]]
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85	[[folder:Western Animation]]
86	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Bilby}}'' by Creator/DreamworksAnimation opens with the eponymous bilby running from a hungry monitor lizard.
87	* ''WesternAnimation/GeorgeAndMartha'' has a recurring character named Eton, who is a Komodo dragon. He is not malicious but rather creepy, and has a habit of popping up right behind George.
88	* ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold'': Zig-zagged with Helga's monitor lizard. The two seem to get along just fine, but the lizard itself is still an aggressive predator -- something most notable when the school falls into chaos during Mr. Simmons's term as principal, during which the lizard can be seen in a hallway dragging a hapless student away.
89	* ''WesternAnimation/KongTheAnimatedSeries'': In one episode, Giggles [[FusionDance cyberlinks]] with a Komodo Dragon to become a [[NotZilla pastiche]] of Franchise/{{Godzilla}}.
90	* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPandaLegendsOfAwesomeness'': Averted by Master Chao of the Sacred Onyx Council, an [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure occasionally strict but generally benevolent]] kung fu master who appears to be an Asian golden monitor.
91	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'':
92	** Kenge is a rock monitor, who is aggressive, powerful and malicious. And who really, ''really'' dislikes [[BerserkButton being called little]].
93	** Ora is a Komodo dragon who lives on the island the Lion Guard visits in the episode "Dragon Island". He's portrayed as a sadistic and ravenous predator, and at the end of the episode he makes an alliance with the evil leopard Makucha.
94	* ''WesternAnimation/LittlestPetShop1995'': Delilah the monitor lizard is a recurring villain and constantly plotting to eat the other animals.
95	* In ''WesternAnimation/MyGymPartnersAMonkey'', the obnoxious [[StealthPun hall monitor is a monitor lizard.]]
96	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretSaturdays'': Subverted with Komodo. He may be aggressive, but he's loyal and heroic. Played straight with his anti-matter counterpart, Komodo Monday, who's both entirely sapient and rather malicious.
97	* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'': [[LizardFolk Septarians]] are identified as lizards and bear long jaws most similar to those of varanids. While not all are evil a few have been prominent villains, most notably Toffee.
98	* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDramaPresentsTheRidonculousRace'': "[[Recap/RidonculousRaceGotVenom Got Venom]]" takes place in the Komodo Islands, and the first challenge is precisely to get some dragon venom. Owen gets temporarily blinded by the toxin, so he and Noah can't perform at their best and get eliminated from the race.
99	* In ''The Wild Adventures of WesternAnimation/BlinkyBill'', Cranky the goanna is the tyrannical 'IOwnThisTown' mayor of Greenpatch and Blinky's constant nemesis.
100	* ''WesternAnimation/TheWildThornberrys'': One episode has Eliza wanting to meet a Komodo dragon. Once she and Darwin find one, it tries to eat them.
101	[[/folder]]

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