Line #41 Main/SneakySpider


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5	[[quoteright:349:[[Franchise/TheLionKing https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rafikiremember_anansi.png]]]]
6
7	->''"Oh! what a tangled web we weave''
8	->''When first we practice to deceive!"''
9	-->-- ''Literature/{{Marmion}}'', Creator/WalterScott
10
11	Spiders are well-known for the webs they weave and lay as traps for unsuspecting prey. In line with this, fictional spiders and [[AnimalMotifs characters associated with them]] will be cast as witty tricksters and/or deceitful, manipulative schemers with ulterior motives, lying in wait in the shadows and use [[AllWebbedUp physical]] or metaphorical "webs" to outwit their opponents. Other times, they are portrayed as [[SeductiveSpider sexy seducers]] who attempt to lure in unsuspecting prey for the kill -- for an extreme example, the term BlackWidow is partially derived from [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrodectus a genus of spiders]] whose females occasionally devour the males after mating. For extra sketchiness, these can be compounded with how some spiders secrete venom (because [[PoisonIsEvil the usage of toxins is untrustworthy]]), or the weaving of spider webs can be related to [[MasterOfIllusion illusion]] powers.
12
13	In many portrayals, they are more commonly evil, amoral, or morally ambiguous, and can also be cruel predators on top of being deceitful. Characters of this sort who are {{Guile Hero}}es may instead be {{Friendly Neighborhood Spider}}s.
14
15	This trope is OlderThanPrint. Anansi of West African myth and Iktomi of the Lakota Sioux are two examples of spider trickster figures from oral tradition.
16
17	Subtrope of TheTrickster, and may also overlap with TheChessmaster or TheSpymaster. Strategic web usage may also make them a TrapMaster or TheStrategist. Compare SpidersAreScary, which is another reason spiders get a bad rap, and GiantSpider, which is usually more terrifying and brute-force-focused than cunning, although they can certainly overlap for pure horror. Characters sporting ArachnidAppearanceAndAttire or using ProjectileWebbing may also be tricksters because of this trope. See also other sneaky animals: CunningLikeAFox, RascallyRabbit, RascallyRaccoon, StealthyCephalopod (another eight-legged one!) and ThoseWilyCoyotes.
18	----
19	!!Examples:
20	[[foldercontrol]]
21
22	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
23	* ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'': The spider "family" of demons hide in a mountain and use their spider-themed powers, such as webs and poison, to torment passerby and slay arriving {{Demon Slay\|ing}}ers.
24	* ''Anime/MegaloBox'': The Megaloboxer "Spider" Iglesias is called "Spider" because of his use of ConfusionFu and a highly mobile style to trap opponents in the ring where he controls their movement.
25	* In ''Manga/MoriartyThePatriot'', just as in the original ''Literature/SherlockHolmes'' stories, Professor Moriarty is compared to a spider, scheming and scheming behind the scenes and weaving a web of plans around Sherlock and everyone else. The Moriarty family even has three spiders on their heraldry to symbolize the three brothers.
26	* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': Kidomaru is a spider-themed ninja with eight limbs, the ability to produce webs, and a GiantSpider personal summon. Fittingly, he is the Sound Five's strategist, and an unrepentant sadist.
27	* Kumoko, the protagonist of ''Literature/SoImASpiderSoWhat'', is TrappedInAnotherWorld in the body of a [[BigCreepyCrawlies spider monster]]. As she steadily grows stronger, Kumoko opts away from the {{Evolution Power Up}}s that would turn her into an abomination the size of a building and opts to rely on speed and smarts, employing [[TrapMaster traps]], [[PoisonIsEvil poison]], ambush tactics and all sorts of other dirty strategies to survive a brutally unforgiving environment.
28	[[/folder]]
29
30	[[folder:Comic Books]]
31	* ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'':
32	** ComicBook/SpiderMan is a quippy [[AnimalThemedSuperbeing spider-themed]] superhero who frequently uses his wits and [[AllWebbedUp webs]] to outsmart larger and stronger opponents.
33	** ComicBook/BlackWidow is named for the famous spider and has weaponry themed around it. She fittingly started out a manipulative FemmeFataleSpy.
34	[[/folder]]
35
36	[[folder:Fan Works]]
37	* ''Fanfic/DungeonKeeperAmi'': Keeper Arachne, a spider-using Keeper who worships the Vermin Lord, uses traps like flooding a room after people have entered.
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
41	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Coraline}}'': While the [[Literature/{{Coraline}} original book]] describes the [[BigBad Other Mother]] with various bits of spider imagery, the film adaptation has her turn into a full-blown spider lady as her OneWingedAngel form. Much like a spider's web, the colorful, surreal Other World -- as well as its idealized doubles of Coraline's father and her neighbors -- are a false illusion crafted by the Other Mother ''specifically'' to lure in and trap the eponymous heroine, with the intent of feeding on her like she did to other, less fortunate children in the past.
42	[[/folder]]
43
44	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
45	* ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife'': When [[EvilBanker Mr. Potter]] tries to bribe George Bailey into giving up the Building & Loan, the latter is aware of his tricks and refuses, likening the deceitful businessman to a "scurvy little spider" who spins its web.
46	* In ''Film/TheMuppetChristmasCarol'', Old Joe, the unscrupulous pawnbroker/fence who buys Scrooge's belongings after his death, is a spider.
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Literature]]
50	* ''Literature/AnansiBoys'' is about spider trickster Anansi, who's "died", and his two sons, Fat Charlie and Spider, as they come to grips with his legacy. Fat Charlie is only book-smart and has to become more of a GuileHero over the course of the plot, while Spider ''is'' a charming and manipulative trickster, but also incredibly shallow and selfish [[spoiler: and turns out to not be a brother born normally but a SuperpoweredEvilSide split off from Charlie in his youth.]]
51	* ''Literature/CharlottesWeb'': A heroic example. Charlotte uses her spider-y powers of deception and manipulation to get humans to believe Wilbur the pig is [[CantKillYouStillNeedYou too special to butcher and eat]]. This is purely altruistic on her part; she is honest to a fault and has no malice whatsoever.
52	%%* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': ''Literature/{{Snuff}}'' mentions a [[ProfessionalKiller filing clerk]] by the name of Arachne, who is ''particularly'' [[AnimalAssassin interested]] in exotic venomous spiders...%%Where does sneakiness come in?
53	* ''Literature/{{Emberverse}}'' has Lady Protector Sandra Arminger, a cunning, cruel and highly intelligent woman whose adeptness at manipulating the politics and schemes of her nation has earned her the nickname of the Spider.
54	* ''Literature/GentlemanBastard'': In ''The Lies of Locke Lamora'', "the Spider" is the secret head of Camorr's Midnighters, an order of secret police that reports to the Duke himself. The Spider goes unnoticed because [[spoiler:she's a seemingly harmless old widow, Dona Angiavesta Vorchenza]].
55	* ''Literature/{{It}}'': Imagery of spiders's webs is used to symbolise the town of Derry, [[EldritchAbomination It's]] hunting grounds, as well as the town's underground sewer network, where It resides and uses as It's main method of transportation. Fittingly enough, It's real form, or at least the closest thing humans can perceive, [[spoiler: resembles a giant, black spider]]. The "deceit" part of this trope is fulfilled by the fact that, though It's ''modus operandi'' shapeshifts into children's worst fears, It's Pennywise the Dancing Clown form serves to ''attract'' them.
56	* ''Literature/PleaseDontTellMyParentsImASupervillain'': The supervillain Spider, [[spoiler:an actual car-sized spider]], is a [[TheChessmaster chessmaster]] who controls Chinatown and has a large influence not just over other supervillains, but also over hero/villain relations. Although she adheres to a strict code of conduct, she's also not above exploiting the rules to mess with heroes.
57	* In ''Franchise/SherlockHolmes'', Holmes's brilliant, scheming enemy James Moriarty is compared to a spider, just laying in wait for his plans to bear fruit.
58	-->'''Holmes:''' [Moriarty] is the Napoleon of crime, Watson. He is the organizer of half that is evil and of nearly all that is undetected in this great city, He is a genius, a philosopher, an abstract thinker. He has a brain of the first order. He sits motionless, like a spider in the center of its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he knows well every quiver of each of them. He does little himself. He only plans.
59	* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': Varys, the DecadentCourt's cunning spymaster, is associated with spiders (his InUniverseNickname is even "the Spider") due to his secrecy and "web" of informants. Although he's ostensibly on the side of the crown, he appears to have his own agenda which the court is none the wiser to.
60	-->'''Catelyn's narration:''' Varys was lord of nothing but the spiderweb, the master of none but his whisperers.
61	* The fable ''The Spider and the Fly'' by Mary Howitt features a spider luring a fly into its web through flattery and seduction, only to eat him once he decides to alight onto her web.
62	* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'': Of the Dark One's most [[TheDreaded dreaded]] servants, Moghedien (literally, "Spider") is infamous for being an insidious and devastatingly effective [[TheSpymaster Spymaster]], [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]], and DreamWeaver. She got her NomDeGuerre from a type of tiny spider whose venom kills within seconds.
63	-->'''Birgitte:''' She hides and takes no risks. She attacks only where she sees weakness, and moves only in shadows.
64	[[/folder]]
65
66	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
67	* ''Series/UnbreakableKimmySchmidt'': PlayedForLaughs; Russ and Jacquelyn invoke the Lakota Sioux spider spirit Iktomi and his sneakiness when coming up with their schemes against Russ's family.
68	[[/folder]]
69
70	[[folder:Mythology and Religion]]
71	* The West African god Anansi is a largely benign spider trickster who supposedly collected every story in existence from a bargain with the gods, and is known for outwitting larger and stronger creatures.
72	* [[SpellMyNameWithANS Iktomi/Unktomi]] from Lakota Sioux myth is a shapeshifting trickster spirit and mischief-maker who often takes the form of a spider.
73	* Myth/JapaneseMythology: The [[{{Youkai}} tsuchigumo]], a MasterOfIllusion GiantSpider who lures the hero Minamoto no Raiko into his web and would have eaten him had Minamoto not seen through the illusion.
74	** The jorogumo is another man-eating spider youkai, this one capable of shapeshifting into a beautiful woman to trick its prey.
75	[[/folder]]
76
77	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
78	* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': The spider goddess Lolth, patron of the Drow, is a goddess of deceit and trickery. Thanks to her influence, Drow society pretty much runs on ChronicBackstabbingDisorder.
79	* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' features Ravnica, a realm entirely controlled by 10 'guilds', each representing two different colours of the game's five colors of mana, and each of these guilds is responsible for some aspect of Ravnica's function. Among these, the Dimir guild, consisting of the [[MasterOfIllusion blue]] and [[ItsAllAboutMe black]] mana, essentially operate as Ravnica's [[TheSpymaster Spymasters]], {{Knowledge Broker}}s, and {{Professional Killer}}s, and their symbol is a heavily stylized eight-legged spider with a [[SinisterSurveillance single big eye]] on its back. They were, in fact, so sneaky that for the longest time, [[NoSuchAgency most people believed there were only nine guilds on Ravnica]].
80	* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': Grandmother Spider, a deity who usually takes the form of an immense spider, is a goddess of trickery and illusions and an archetypal [[TheTrickster trickster god]], being especially fond of humbling the arrogant and those who benefit from others. Her exploits include tricking the lioness out of her mane, stealing the keys of the cosmos from Asmodeus and agreeing to help another goddess save a powerful mortal empire in exchange for getting three attempts to bring it down.
81	* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'': In ''Shadowrun'', each shaman worships and gains magical powers from a specific totem. One possible totem is Spider, who spins her web and waits for others to come to her and fall into it. Spider "...waits and plots, carefully and deliberately". Spider and her shamans prefer dark, quiet secret places with no one else around. One of her aspects is that of the trickster.
82	[[/folder]]
83
84	[[folder:Video Games]]
85	* ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'': Cydaea, the [[HotAsHell Maiden of Lust]], has the body of a woman but the legs of a spider. Deckard Cain describes her as both beautiful and grotesque. As her title implies, she tempts mortals ([[DepravedBisexual no matter their gender or sexuality]]) into her web with her sweet voice before devouring them alive.
86	* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'': Mephala, a generally malevolent [[OurGodsAreDifferent Daedric Prince]] whose domains involve manipulation, lies, sex, and secrets. Fittingly she has a spider motif, with her sobriquets including "The Webspinner" and "Lady of Whispers", her plans are likened to spiderwebs, she physically resembles a spider, and has minions called Spider Daedra.
87	* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'': "Archer of Shinjuku" has the spider motif (specifically "spider web that catches butterflies"), and one of his skills is called "The End of the Spider Thread" which increases the attack power of Evil-aligned allies. He's also a rather cunning gentleman, with an EvilPlan that involves him pretending to be a good guy with amnesia. His true identity is [[spoiler:James Moriarty, Literature/SherlockHolmes' greatest nemesis.]]
88	* ''Videogame/MegaManX:'' Web Spider of the fourth game is the leader of the Repliforce's guerilla division, who used to be a member of the Maverick Hunters' 0th unit, which specialized in black ops. He's a tricky enemy who frequently hides in the trees and shoots paralyzing electric webs that leave his enemies open. He can also summon spider drones to aid him.
89	* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'': The Fear has a spider theme, with his tree-climbing and how he challenges Snake to "come into (his) web". He can also turn invisible and is armed with a crossbow, a weapon notes for its silent quality.
90	* ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'': Gym Leader Janine is a {{ninja}}, and her signature Pokémon is the spider-like Ariados.
91	* ''VideoGame/StarControl'': The Ilwrath are not only a race of evil spider-like aliens but their ships are capable of turning completely invisible in order to sneak up on enemy ships and kill their enemies with a giant flamethrower.
92	[[/folder]]
93
94	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
95	* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice'': [[spoiler:Queen Ga'ran]] is associated with spiders through [[ArachnidAppearanceAndAttire her appearance and clothing once their true colors are revealed]]. This symbolizes her scheming and manipulative nature, and her machinations are described as an intricate web that ensnares Khura'in.
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Web Animation]]
99	* Inverted in ''WebAnimation/{{Bugbo}}''. Gerbo the spider is the dumbest member of the main cast. He even says that "spiders aren't known for their intelligence."
100	[[/folder]]
101
102	[[folder:Western Animation]]
103	* Tarantulas and Blackarachnia of ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' both transform into spiders, and are easily the most cunning and duplicitous of the Predacons short of [[BigBad Megatron]] himself.
104	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'': In Nigeria, the heroes meet the spider trickster Anansi, who makes [[DealWithTheDevil magical deals]] with humans which are intended to be at their expense, but often end up backfiring on him.
105	* Hyperion's ''WesternAnimation/TheItsyBitsySpider'', based on the short subject which played with the theatrical feature ''Bebe's Kids'', has the titular arachnid constantly outwitting a feisty exterminator.
106	* ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'': On a trip to Africa, Static meets a superhero named Anansi, whose powers come from a golden spider amulet. Anansi has the power to stick to walls and ceilings and to cast illusions.
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder:Real Life]]
110	* Some spiders are extra tricky and take it a step beyond the standard web trap.
111	** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_brown_trapdoor_spider Trapdoor spiders]] dig burrows and wait for prey to approach before ambushing and dragging them underground.
112	** Bolas spiders don't spin webs. Instead they produce a single strand of silk tipped with a sticky ball of silk and glue, which is spun around and lobbed at prey coming by (hence the name). This strategy is only effective because the glue ball contains pheromones that mimic those its prey use in mating.
113	** Ant spiders are spiders that mimic ants and usually prey upon them. While their morphological mimicry often leaves a bit to be desired, their behavior is seamless. They walk on six legs while "acting" and wave the forward pair around like antenna. If another ant catches them killing or carrying away their comrade, the spider will act like it was carrying the body away for disposal, and will even transfer the "duty" to the challenger if she doesn't back down.
114	** "Writing spider" is a regional name for spiders of genus ''Argiope'', who are known for making zigzag markings in a different type of silk on top of their regular web. The markings make the web harder for prey insects to see but make it stand out to large animals like birds and mammals who might otherwise accidentally destroy it. While they can't [[Literature/CharlottesWeb write SOME PIG]], it's still a pretty clever adaptation.
115	** Several spider species use various debris to build a spider-shaped decoy, sometimes known as an "effigy", inside their web. Depending on the species, this decoy can be either the same size as the spider itself (luring predators to grab the wrong one), or much larger (likely to scare away smaller predators).
116	* Less maliciously, most spiders like to hide in secluded areas and many have rather excellent natural camouflage. This is because all but the largest tarantulas are essentially the [[GlassCannon glass cannons]] of the animal world, with potent venom but a fragile body. Spiders need to hide in order to avoid becoming something else's lunch.
117	* A "spider hole" is a type of military/Survivalist fortification inspired and named after the above trapdoor spiders. A spider hole is essentially a foxhole with a camouflaged roof/hatch on the top. This limits the hole's combat utility, but makes for a very effective means for a quick get-away. The hider will sometimes even attempt to use the hole in ambush combat.
118	* [[UsefulNotes/LetatCestMoi King]] UsefulNotes/LouisXI of UsefulNotes/{{France}} was known as "the Universal Spider" ("''l'Universelle Araigne''" in Medieval French) due to his [[TheChessmaster talent for plotting]] and diplomacy, and for the communications network he developed by improving postal roads.
119	[[/folder]]

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