Automoderated users, Autopatrolled users, Bureaucrats, Comment administrators, Confirmed users, Moderators, Rollbackers, Administrators
214,475
edits
(→[[Western Animation]]: clean up) |
|||
(8 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{trope}}
{{quote|GARGOYLE, n.
A rain-spout projecting from the eaves of mediaeval buildings, commonly fashioned into [[Take That|a grotesque caricature of some personal enemy of the architect or owner of the building]]. This was especially the case in churches and ecclesiastical structures generally, in which the gargoyles presented a perfect rogues' gallery of local heretics and controversialists. Sometimes when a new dean and chapter were installed the old gargoyles were removed and others substituted having a closer relation to the private animosities of the new incumbents. |''
In [[Real Life]], gargoyles are statues of grotesque humans and animals designed to ward off evil spirits and channel rainwater from rooftops and spit it out, (hence ''gargling'') away from the building to prevent damage from erosion. Most commonly found on large buildings such as cathedrals.
Fiction, however, has decided that they'd make a great species, so they often appear in fantasy settings ([[Urban Fantasy|Urban]] or otherwise) as a race of [[Winged Humanoid
Another common feature is that any damage done to them while animated can be repaired while statuefied, but destroying the statue kills them permanently.
Line 11:
Traditionally, in folklore, they were benevolent, [[Dark Is Not Evil|despite their appearance]], which was framed as being frightful to scare demons away from churches, but meeting their gaze was dangerous. This is less common in modern fiction.
[[The More You Know|Fun fact]]: the technical term for a gargoyle that doesn't include a rainspout is a [[The Grotesque|grotesque]] - this means something different on this wiki, [[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney film)|although the two can coexist]].
{{examples}}
== [[Collectible Card Game]] ==▼
* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh]]'' has a few gargoyle-themed cards, such as the [[Gratuitous Japanese|Ryu-Kishin]], which even has a [[Monster Clown]] variant. ▼
* ''<nowiki>~Magic: The Gathering~</nowiki>'' has a a Gargoyle creature type, which has appeared in several sets. They are depicted as creatures made of animated stone, and often flavored as guardians of some sort.▼
** Fitting with the set's theme of playing gothic, horror, and gothic horror tropes to the hilt, ''Innistrad'''s [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=227083 Manor Gargoyle] fits the description above--normally stone, inanimate, and indestructible, it can be animated and becomes vulnerable (though still fairly hardy) and becomes indestructible again once it returns to stone.▼
== [[Film]] ==
* ''[[Gargoyles (1972 film)|Gargoyles]]'' (1972) has only one of these green, devilishly featured creatures with wings (the other gargoyles we see look more like [[Lizard Folk]]). Spawn of the Devil, they work to destroy humanity by [[I Have You Now, My Pretty|kidnapping human women]], [[The Masquerade|killing anyone who knows about them]], or plotting world conquest for Satan. The Gargoyles makeup effects was done by Stan Winston.
* [[The Movie]] of ''[[Tales
* ''[[Curse of the Talisman]]'' (2001) has one (rather small -
* ''[[
* ''[[Gargoyle]]'' (2004) featured a larger than average (
* ''[[Reign of Gargoyles]]'' (2007) features Gargoyles as [[Sealed Evil in
* ''[[Rise of Gargoyles]]'' (2009) has the monsters as [[Sealed Evil in
== [[Literature]] ==
* The gargoyles in [[Discworld]] are living statues that live on rooftops and feed on pigeons, and are named after where they're located ("Cornice
** Also, unlike many depictions of monstrous gargoyles, Discworld gargoyles retain their waterspoutish nature, using their ears and wings to direct rain through the back of their heads and out their mouths, filtering out anything potentially tasty that passes through (especially pigeons). This means that their mouths are always open and their speech is affected quite a bit.
*** It was mentioned once, by either Vimes or Carrot, that the gargoyle was a sort of troll evolved specifically to survive in the city.
* [[
* In Shanna Swendson's ''[[Enchanted
* In the [[Allie Beckstrom]] universe, gargoyles are merely statues animated by elaborate and expensive
* In the ''[[Codex Alera]]'' series, all normal humans have [[Elemental Powers]]. Those with [[Dishing Out Dirt|earth-controlling powers]] can sometimes summon and control animate elementals, or sometimes bind them on (or ''in'') walls and buildings to serve as guardians. The physical shape of earth elemental guardians, like all elementals, varies depending on the individual elemental and/or the human controlling them.
* In Laura Ann Gilman's ''[[Vineart War]]'' series the Guardian combines this with [[Our Dragons Are Different]] as it looks like a stone dragon. It also has considerable magic mojo as lon as it is on the territory it was created to protect.
* "God Bless The Gargoyles", a children's book by Dav Pilkey, describes the original role of the gargoyle as a symbol of protection, then how people gradually forgot that the terrifying faces were meant to drive off evil and grew afraid of them themselves. The argument here being "for crying out loud show 'em a little love".
* ''[[The Monster Hunters Survival Guide]]'' cribs it's Gargoyles mostly from the [[Gargoyles|Disney series]], with the Author expressly saying that they're not evil, and can even be allies.
== [[Live
* The ''[[
** The Weeping Angels also share most characteristics with gargoyles. They don't usually perch on ledges, though.
* Gargoyles in ''[[Charmed]]'' are creatures in statue form who come alive to ward off evil, and are so powerful that not even [[Ultimate Evil|the Source]] can get by them.
* In ''[[
== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
* ''[[Dungeons
* ''
* [[Our Monsters Are Different]] example verging on [[In Name Only]]: Gargoyles in ''[[Warhammer 40
▲* ''<nowiki>~Vampire: the Masquerade~</nowiki>'' had a vampiric bloodline of Gargoyles, created by clan Tremere as bodyguards.
* In ''[[Rifts]]'', Gargoyles come in five types: The standard Gargoyle, Wingless G'''u'''rgoyles, Tiny Gargoylites, and the Gargoyle Lords and Mages, who have the ability to turn to living stone for short periods of time. The largest concentrations are found as Mooks for the Demons of Hades and serving the [[Cosmic Horror|Splugorth]], but a large Empire of them is found in Europe, and is fighting the Human NGR with high-tech weapons and [[Humongous Mecha]] of their own.
▲* [[Our Monsters Are Different]] example verging on [[In Name Only]]: Gargoyles in ''[[Warhammer 40 K]]'' are Tyranid air-attack creatures aka Hellbats. They can't turn into stone, but may have got their name from their tendency to perch atop a [[Giant Flyer|larger Tyranid flier]] called a Harridan.
* In ''[[
▲* In ''[[Rifts]]'', Gargoyles come in five types: The standard Gargoyle, Wingless G'''u'''rgoyles, Tiny Gargoylites, and the Gargoyle Lords and Mages, who have the ability to turn to living stone for short periods of time. The largest concentrations are found as Mooks for the Demons of Hades and serving the [[Cosmic Horror|Splugorth]], but a large Empire of them is found in Europe, and is fighting the Human NGR with high-tech weapons and [[Humongous Mecha]] of their own.
* In ''[[Shadowrun]]'' there are two species of gargoyle, one four limbed and one Six limbed.▼
▲* In ''[[Changeling: The Lost (Tabletop Game)|Changeling: The Lost]]'', one possible character type is the lurkglider, explicitly stated to be gargoyle-like.
* The ''[[Warhammer Fantasy]]'' board game ''Hero Quest'' has a
▲* In [[Shadowrun]] there are two species of gargoyle, one four limbed and one Six limbed.
* In ''[[Fading Suns]]'' gargoyles are mysterious and possibly sentient artifacts in form of statues that crop up on [[Precursors]] ruins and jumpgates. Individuals with mystical abilities can sense their power, but not discern anything specific. They generally suppress effects of [[The Dark Side]] (for [[Psychic Powers]] and [[Religion Is Magic|Theurgy]] alike) around and if carried on a spaceship, keep [[Eldritch Abomination|Void Krakens]] away. Additional effects are individual; at least one produces omens.
▲* The [[Warhammer Fantasy]] board game ''Hero Quest'' has a gargoyle -- a large winged humanoid resembling a [[The Lord of the Rings|Balrog]] -- that is a [[Giant Mook]] and the toughest normal opponent in the game. ''[[Expansion Pack|Kellar's Keep]]'' [[Shout Out|completes its Moria analogy]] by having an end boss in the form of an especially powerful gargoyle.
▲=== [[Collectible Card Game]]s ===
▲* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' has a few gargoyle-themed cards, such as the [[Gratuitous Japanese|Ryu-Kishin]], which even has a [[Monster Clown]] variant.
▲* ''
▲** Fitting with the set's theme of playing gothic, horror, and gothic horror tropes to the hilt, ''[[Innistrad]]'''s [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=227083 Manor Gargoyle] fits the description
== [[Video Games]] ==
* Gargoyles in ''[[
** A trash mob in old Naxxramas, the Stoneskin Gargoyle, has become infamous as it possessed the ability to turn into stone at low health, regenerating health fully, ''ad infinitum''. A raid group with too low damage dealing potential could remain stuck on one forever, unable to beat the cast time of the petrification.
*** Coincidentally, the Stoneskin Gargoyle Cape, an equippable item dropped by another gargoyle, has also become infamous because [[Memetic Mutation|it's white and it's longer than your average cloak or cape]].
* The ''[[
* The Bloodgoyles from ''[[Devil May Cry]]''. They can't be harmed with a sword; it only causes them to separate into more Bloodgoyles, but shooting one with your gun turns it briefly to stone, after which you can smash it.
* Gargoyles are a recurring enemy in the ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' series, resembling demonic [[Winged Humanoid
* In ''[[Kingdom Hearts]],'' the Gargoyles are vaguely bat-like flying Heartless that will either melee you or spit magic at you. The sequel introduced other types of Gargoyles that were basically the the stereotypical animated statues.
* The first ''[[Diablo]]'' had gargoyles, which were statues until you got too close, and turned back to stone if they took enough damage, making them a lot easier to hit (and surprisingly not much harder to kill).
* In ''[[Blood]]'', there were the flesh gargoyles (stone statues that turned into fleshy demonoid-things) and the mercifully rare stone gargoyles, who stayed stone even after they animated (and were frigging hard to kill).
* Gargoyles and Deathgoyles are enemy monsters fought in ''[[Fire Emblem|Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones]]''.
* ''[[
* Rufus in ''[[A Vampyre Story]]'' certainly doesn't rock: he has to sit through all sorts of humiliations.
* Stone Guardian in ''[[Guild Wars]]'' are found near Kurzick Buildings. They often start as statues that come to life when a player or enemy walks past. Unlike other examples on this page, they are human creations rather than separate species.
*
** The previous installment in the series had a one-time instance of actual stone gargoyles coming to life and attacking you. They were one of the nastiest enemies in the game due to being hard as all hell to kill, and splitting in two when you strike them.
* ''[[Castlevania]]''. Though most of these are [[Palette Swap]] [[Underground Monkey]] varieties of other monsters, and merely fly and look grey, ''[[Order of Ecclesia]]'' has the actual turn from stone variety. One prominent example is Gaibon, who was fortunate enough to receive a recurring role, [[Degraded Boss|occasional boss status]], a loyal teammate, and a position directly serving Death {{spoiler|and occasionally Soma}}.
* ''[[
* Gargoyles in [[
* In ''[[Eternal Lands]]'', Gargoyles are one of the weaker monsters.
* In ''[[Master of Magic]]'' Gargoyles are a summonable unit of Chaos. They fly, are immune to poison and (of course) petrification, have good armor, and that's it.
* In ''[[Age of Wonders]]: Shadow Magic'', Gargoyle is an unit created by Dwarves (and has Good alignment like them). It sees in the dark, has magic strike (i.e. hits just as well creatures resistant to physical damage), is immune to mind control, most debuff magic and damage types other than physical and lightning, and has such resistance that what it doesn't ignore outright, it usually shrugs off. Except plain old clobbering, and they can take a lot of that, too - not the best defense or health around, but while a single ''very lucky'' cannon shot is ''just'' enough to kill it, none of the game's melee juggernauts can one-hit a gargoyle in full health (and as a flyer, it would have to be downed before any of those except dragons could attack it at all).
==
* In ''[[Bibliography (web comic)|Bibliography]]'', Gargoyles are Pages of the Petrified Codex. The only one seen so far is William [[
* In ''[[Exterminatus Now]]'' gargoyles are [http://exterminatusnow.co.uk/2008-05-17/comic/mort-to-it-than-zombies/touchy-subject-is-touchy/ angels] of [http://exterminatusnow.co.uk/2006-08-25/comic/four-of-a-kind/good-gods/ Mort].
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* In ''[[Jonny Quest]]'' TOS in the episode "The House of Seven Gargoyles," one of the gargoyles is a disguised acrobat.
* ''[[
** They are also healed of any injury during their sleep, an extremely useful ability that comes into play several times over the course of the series.
** This species of gargoyles had variations from all over the world, usually somewhat resembling the local legendary creatures, and always dedicated to protecting some location or population. As the main character explains a few times, it is a Gargoyle's nature to find a place to call home and defend it to the death. When the local humans APPRECIATE this protection, it can work out very well for all parties as the Gargoyles can offer superior strength and resilience to fight off invaders or other threats while the humans can protect them during their vulnerable daylight hours. When the nearby humans DON'T appreciate their presence... [[Humans Are
* The gargoyles in the Disney version of ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' come in two varieties: the [[Comic Relief]] trio of legless [[Winged Humanoid
** Although it's questionable whether they're actually alive, or Quasimodo just has an active
* [[Evil Is Cool|Chernabog]] in ''[[Fantasia]]'' is arguably a titanic gargoyle: he looks quite demonic and turns into stone during the day.
* In the ''[[Space Ghost]]'' episode "The Gargoyloids", the title monsters are gargoyles - <small>IN SPACE</small>!
* A flying gargoyle named Pazuzu appears in a ''[[Futurama]]'' episode, being lambasted by Farnsworth for running away after the Professor put it through college. Apparently it's a biological creature, as it's seen with its offspring at the end. Presumably it was bio-genetically engineered or something.
* The Son from ''[[Star Wars:
{{reflist}}
Line 98 ⟶ 100:
[[Category:Our Tropes Are Different]]
[[Category:Index of Fictional Creatures]]
[[Category:
|