Line #34 Main/GoodLipsEvilJaws


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4	[[quoteright:350:[[Film/WarmBodies https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/good-lips-evil-jaws_warm-bodies_2_3688.png]]]]
5	[[caption-width-right:350:[[Film/AceVentura You know, gingivitis is the leading cause of all tooth decay.]]]]
6
7	In a work of fiction with many kinds of fantastic talking critters, how can you tell which are on the side of good and which aren't?
8
9	Simple, the good guys have [[BeautyEqualsGoodness expressive lips]] and the bad guys have scary, protruding, teeth, possibly [[{{Phlegmings}} dripping with mucus]]. Commonly found in {{reptiles\|AreAbhorrent}} and the undead.
10
11	Probably related to our primordial instincts relating to bared teeth, such as the "[[TechnicallyASmile chimpanzee smile]]" actually being a means of ''threatening'' other apes.
12
13	See also: CuteLittleFangs, FangsAreEvil, ScaryTeeth, {{Phlegmings}}, and MonsterMouth.
14
15	----
16	!!Examples:
17
18	[[foldercontrol]]
19
20	[[folder:Anime And Manga]]
21	* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' has this effect going on with many of its titans, notably the Colossal Titan, which doesn't even have cheeks. [[spoiler: After Armin inherits the Colossal Titan, his version of it has lips.]] Strangely inverted by two: the [[HeroKiller hero-killing]] Female Titan has humanlike lips, while [[spoiler:Eren's titan form]] with its two-level jaw is on humanity's side. [[spoiler: DoubleSubverted since Eren undergoes a FaceHeelTurn at the end of the series, becoming its ultimate BigBad.]]
22	[[/folder]]
23
24	[[folder:Comic Books]]
25	* Inverted in ''ComicBook/MythAdventures'', Phil Foglio's adaptation of Creator/RobertAsprin's books. One of the two main protagonists, Aahz, has a huge mouth full of razor sharp teeth - and he's the good guy. (Well, sorta...)
26	* Creator/PhilFoglio actually does this a lot. Multiple heroic characters in such diverse works such as ''ComicStrip/WhatsNewWithPhilAndDixie'' and ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' have MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily, occasionally with no explanation whatsoever.
27	* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'': The undead supervillain Judge Death has a permanent SlasherSmile etched on his face because his lips have rotted away. The exposed teeth are the only visible part of him; the rest is concealed by his helmet.
28	* A couple ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' villains have this. Warren White/The Great White Shark lost his lips to frostbite; Waylon Jones/Killer Croc is occasionally drawn lipless and occasionally not, DependingOnTheArtist; and Two-Face plays both sides, naturally.
29	* ComicBook/{{Venom}} is constantly shown with a lipless mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth. While he tows the line between villain and AntiHero, he's consistently shown as one of Spider-Man's most dangerous enemies.
30	* The Dominators are a mostly immoral race of scientists who traverse the universe abducting, murdering and experimenting on other sentients and have no lips and long sharp teeth. There are a very small handful of Dominators who do have morals, like the SpacePirate Sakritt who befriended ComicBook/WonderWoman in ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987''.
31	* ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'': The Monitor of our universe looks mostly humanoid, including lips. His EvilCounterpart, the Anti-Monitor, is mechanical; the only seeming organic part of him is the exposed, lipless row of long, thin, jagged, slotted-together teeth. [[note]] That said, some think it might be wrinkly skin, or furry baleen like a whale has [[/note]]
32	* Once someone turns in ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies'', their lips soon disappear to expose their teeth.
33	[[/folder]]
34
35	[[folder:Fan Works]]
36	* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'':
37	** PlayedStraight in Chapter 15 when Godzilla combats [[Characters/AbraxasHrodvitnonTitansAndOtherCreatures the Many]]'s {{Dracolich}} host, which has exposed teeth and gums in contrast to Godzilla's lipped face.
38	** {{Inverted}} by the [[TwoBeingsOneBody two-headed]], [[AdaptationalHeroism heroic]] [[Characters/AbraxasHrodvitnonMonsterX Monster X]] (and ZigZagged by Monster X's Vivienne Graham head) when they're in their first form. At the time, either head possesses a JaggedMouth while their immediate enemies consist of the human Alan Jonah and his mercenaries.
39	* In ''Fanfic/SlippingBetweenWorlds'', reformed Black Ribboner vampire Sally von Humpeding is still capable of becoming All Vampire when certain highly charged emotional and physical situations affecting her bodily chemistry and self-control cause her to revert to something primal and basic.[[spoiler: Whenever she has a ''really intense'' orgasm.]] Forewarned, she invests in large well-filled fresh black puddings so as not to cause damage to a friend, which given the circumstances might well be perceived as somewhat ungrateful. [[spoiler: as well as eliminating the opportunity for further orgasms]].
40	[[/folder]]
41
42	[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
43	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Antz}}'' does this with the Termites. Also, invoked with the main villain, an ant named General Mandible.
44	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Dinosaur}}'' and the... well, ALL the non-friendly dinosaurs. Conversely, the iguanodon protagonists were originally designed with rigid beaks, which would have been accurate, but they were later given lips in order to make them more expressive.
45	* ''WesternAnimation/IceAgeDawnOfTheDinosaurs'': The good Mommy dinosaur vs. the Albino [=DinoMonster=].
46	[[/folder]]
47
48	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
49	* ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' of course made sure everybody knew their monster meant business and gave it two sets of mouths each with razor sharp teeth. It does have lips, but they're usually peeled back in a snarl or hiss.
50	* In ''Film/{{Hellboy\|2004}}'', the psychotic cyborg Nazi Karl Ruprecht Kronen has surgically removed his lips and eyelids, just to [[RuleOfScary creep you out]].
51	* In ''Film/TheLairOfTheWhiteWorm'', Amanda Donohue transforms in seconds from seductively beautiful woman to something serpent-like with an impossibly distended jaw full of sharp predatory teeth.
52	* ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' has a lot of Orcs with no lips at all. They're humanoid, and besides just being ugly look fairly normal, they have rather human mouths, if unusually sharp teeth, but these [[{{Squick}} mouths are not covered by lips.]]
53	* Franchise/MonsterVerse:
54	** ''Film/Godzilla2014''. The [[Characters/MonsterVerseMUTO MUTOs]] have beaked, lipless mouths which occasionally drool and contain sharp teeth in contrast to [[Characters/MonsterVerseGodzilla Godzilla]]'s lipped and more expressive mouth, and the [=MUTOs=] are decidedly the real threat to humanity in the film.
55	*** This also extends to their sire, Jinshin-Mushi (a.k.a. MUTO Prime), in the ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'' tie-in ''Godzilla: Aftershock''.
56	** [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] by [[Characters/MonsterVerseMothra Mothra]], the most benevolent {{Kaiju}} in the franchise, who possesses beaklike mandibles in both her larval and imago forms.
57	** Also inverted by [[Characters/MonsterVerseKingGhidorah Ghidorah]], who is the most evil and sadistic kaiju in the films, and has fully lipped and very expressive [[MultipleHeadCase mouths]].
58	** ''Film/GodzillaVsKong''. Whereas Godzilla and [[Characters/MonsterVerseKingKong Kong]] both have expressive faces with lipped jaws, the Warbats and [[spoiler: [[Characters/MonsterVerseMechagodzilla Mechagodzilla]]]] have lipless jaws that show off unpleasant-looking teeth.
59	** ''Godzilla vs. Kong'' prequel comic ''Kingdom Kong'' when Kong battles the Evil Jaws-featuring Camazotz.
60	* In ''Film/ResidentEvilApocalypse'' Nemesis (who has humanoid, yet huge, teeth but no lips) subverts it by being a remote-controlled TragicMonster [[spoiler: and eventually turning to the good side]].
61	* The ''Film/TransformersFilmSeries'' plays with this, with the Autobots having humanoid looking faces and mouths, while the Decepticons have more beast/insect-like heads with fangs. A good comparison would be Optimus Prime and Megatron.
62	* ''Film/WarmBodies'': As illustrated in the page image, "Boneys" are zombies that have crossed the DespairEventHorizon, let go of the last remnant of their humanity, and torn off their own flesh. They're much more actively malevolent than regular zombies and [[spoiler:are too far gone to be turned back into humans by the zombie cure]].
63	[[/folder]]
64
65	[[folder:Literature]]
66	* ''{{Dracula}}'' in the book had two front teeth stick out on rest on the lips. Characters after been bitten will slowly end up showing more teeth protruding from their mouth until they turn.
67	** Naturally ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}'' follows in the same vein as ''Dracula''.
68	* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' has a variant in the Ashspren, {{Nature Spirit}}s who look like humans made of solid smoke. As a gesture of hostility, they disperse the smoke composing their lips and bare ''all'' their teeth.
69	[[/folder]]
70
71	[[folder:Live Action TV]]
72	* Averted with ''Series/{{Farscape}}''. The creature designs are highly varied, and there are plenty of individuals on both sides of the good/bad divide with lips and fangs all over the place.
73	* ''Series/{{Grimm}}'': The Hexenbiest MageSpecies look like decayed corpses and one of their defining features are sunken eye sockets and skinless, decayed jawbones.
74	[[/folder]]
75
76	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
77	* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons 3.5'': The dragons are represented this way. Evil, chromatic dragons have long fangs and sharp teeth that show even with their mouth closed - particularly black dragons, whose skin often deteriorates around their mouths and horns. Good, metallic dragons have closed lips and none of their teeth show.
78	* ''[[TabletopGame/IronKingdoms Hordes]]'' features the Legion of [[EldritchAbomination Everblight]]. Its [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragonspawn warbeasts]] are best described as unholy offsprings of Xenomorphs and dinosaurs or winged snakes, and they all share the same nasty, nasty lipless maws. Then there's [[http://battlecollege.wikispaces.com/file/view/Legion.jpg/114523753/Legion.jpg Typhon, basically the setting's Hydra]].
79	[[/folder]]
80
81	[[folder:Video Games]]
82	* The Super Mutants in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' don't have any lips and only have their teeth showing.
83	** This in contrast to the West Coast Super Mutants created at Mariposa Military Base, most of whom have very prominent ones. While they were antagonists in the first game, most of them are good, or at least not actively trying to kill you, in subsequent games, whereas the Vault 87 batch are all mindless monsters except for two individuals. This may have to do with the way they were created. Both Mariposa and Vault 87 were part of the same SuperSoldier experiment before the war, but The Master further refined the process on in California in the hope of creating a new race to replace humanity, while the DC mutants didn't have anyone around to guide them and just kept mindlessly following their genetically programmed combat instincts. Why this would affect their lips is anyone's guess.
84	*** In fact, the West Coast mutants' upper lips are so big they have to [[BodyHorror restrain them with straps just to be able to talk!]]
85	* Subverted with the Orcs and Trolls of the Horde in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', who have prominent tusks ([[BizarreSexualDimorphism the males do]], at least) but are just as likely to be good or evil as the rest of the races portrayed in the game.
86	** This also applies to the Alliance's [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent worgen]], whose sharp teeth are always on display.
87	* ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'': Every character has lips...except. [[BigBad Chaos]] has only very sharp teeth showing, and then in ''[[{{Prequel}} Duodecim]]'' [[spoiler:Feral Chaos is worse]]. Speaking of ''Duodecim'', the villains [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyI Garland]] and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyV Exdeath]] have reskins that invoke this. It's hard to tell whether they are in fact lipless or if they have lips but are just constantly baring their teeth, but the net effect is the same.
88	* In the ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' franchise, the Tarkatans, mutants that reside in Outworld, all have massive, sharp teeth, to the point where they don't have lips at all. It's a wonder how they can even speak.
89	** The trope is well illustrated with the contrast between Kitana (Edenian, fully humanoid, good) and Mileena (Edenian-Tarkatan hybrid, evil). Only subverted in ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'', where Mileena develops lips over the center of her mouth, but still has her sharp teeth showing through in the form of a GlasgowGrin.
90	* The Darkspawn in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' all have big toothy jaws.
91	* Springtrap has this appearance in ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys3'', since the fabric of his face is torn and rotting away.
92	* ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'' has the Jockey, a manic baboon of a man that seems to have gnawed or torn his lips off in his madness.
93	* Franchise/SuperMarioBros
94	** [[ArchNemesis Bowser]] has a fleshy muzzle that's almost constantly open.
95	** [[{{Jerkass}} Wario]], [[HarmlessVillain Waluigi]] and [[MadScientist Fawful]] all constantly bare their teeth, giving off a similar effect.
96	* The [[TheGreys Sectoids]] of ''VideoGame/XCOM2'', unlike their [[NoMouth mouth-less]] predecessors in ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'', have lipless, sharp-toothed mouths which give them a skull-like rictus grin. Come ''VideoGame/XCOMChimeraSquad'' and the integration of aliens into human society, the "Good Lips" half of the trope has been ''invoked'': a number of Sectoids, particularly Verge and those with public jobs such as newscasters, have undergone additional gene mods to give themselves lips for a more sympathetic face.
97	[[/folder]]
98
99	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
100	* The Underling of ''VisualNovel/BadEndTheater'' has a toothy, zigzag-shaped mouth, and is the only major character who [[AxCrazy likes to murder people for no reason]].
101	[[/folder]]
102
103	[[folder:Western Animation]]
104	* Possibly the reason why Ripjaws got a [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks much-maligned redesign]] in between ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien''. The backlash to this new design without his signature [[MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily jaws]] was enough that Derrick Wyatt [[WordOfGod promised]] to one fan that he would be given a look more faithful to the original series in ''WesternAnimation/Ben10Omniverse''. This is in sharp contrast to the thick-lipped Magister Patelliday, another member of Ripjaws' species with thick lips as a parody of ''Film/TheIncredibleMrLimpet''.
105	** One episode of the original series also had Ben encounter a pair of Vulpimancers: other members of Wildmutt's species. While Ben as Wildmutt has prominent thick black lips, the other Vulpimancers lack these entirely and have protruding fangs, implied to be due to their age (being 10 years old, Ben presumably also turns into a ''child'' Vulpimancer). However, Ben 10,000's Wildmutt form still possesses the thick lips despite being more mature and now having a tail and tiger stripes like the Null Void Vulpimancers.
106	[[/folder]]

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