History Main / CyberneticMythicalBeast

Many fictional creatures, such as [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragons]], [[OurGryphonsAreDifferent griffons]], [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent merfolk]] and so on, are generally thought of as belonging to the {{Fantasy}} genre and its derivatives, and thus aren't usually associated with tropes pertaining to science or technology. However, it's not unheard of for them to appear as sci-fi variants of themselves when fused with technology, ranging partly organic {{Cyborg}}s to outright robotic fantasy beasts.

This can serve as a way to include fantastic creatures in ScienceFiction, SpaceOpera or {{Steampunk}} settings where their presence would otherwise be thematically jarring: a magic, flying, fire-breathing or magic-slinging monster from folklore may not gel well with the basic conceits of a scientific or pseudo-scientific adventure, but if a work already includes complex, functional robots as a common setting element, there's nothing really stopping people from modeling them after whichever real or fictional creatures they want to. Likewise, things like built-in flamethrowers, antigravity or flight systems, lasers or nanotech can go a long way towards justifying common fantasy creature tropes and abilities in settings where saying that AWizardDidIt isn't generally an option.

[[folder:Films]]

* ''WesternAnimation/LoveDeathAndRobots'': "Good Hunting" has a [[FantasticFoxes Huli Jing]] -- a Chinese fox spirit -- who loses her ability to transform as TheMagicGoesAway, and then is converted into a {{Steampunk}} cyborg involuntarily. But in the end she has an engineer friend modify her prostheses so she can transform into a steel fox.

* ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}'': The space dragon Ridley, one of Samus Aran's most iconic foes, is brought back after being nearly killed by Samus through heavy use of cybernetic prostheses and enhancements, resulting in him coming back for vengeance as the cyborg Meta Ridley.

See also MechanicalMonster, for when robotic beings are portrayed as powerful and monstrous foes, a trope with which this can easily overlap. Often a source of or the result of PostModernMagick. Compare DeusEstMachina, i.e Cybernetic Gods, and MechanicalAbomination, which Cybernetic Gods often are.

** The Agumon line is based in roughly equal parts on [[DinosaursAreDragons theropod dinosaurs and dragons]], and like most Digimon become cyborgs in its last few stages. The primary Ultimate level, Metalgreymon, is essentially a bipedal dinosaur dragon with a metal helmet bolted to its skull, a robotic left arm and [[ChestBlaster a missile launcher in its chest]]. An alternate variant, based off of Metalgreymon's pre-anime design and description, is explicitly described as having been corrupted by its attempts to digivolve into a machine. The Mega level, [=WarGreymon=], is a much more humanoid cyborg.

** ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'': The common Reploid (i.e robots) bosses are called "Mutos/Mythos Reploids", so named because many (though not all) of them are modeled and named after mythical beasts. Examples include Maha Ganeshariff (Ganesha of Hindu myth) in the first game, Panter Flauclaws (Flauros of ''Ars Goetia'') in the second, Cubit Foxtar (the {{Kitsune}} of Japan's folklore) in the third, and Mino Magnus ([[OurMinotaursAreDifferent the Minotaur]] of Greek myth) in the fourth.

* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'': ''GURPS: Dragons'', when discussing the potential for including dragons in science fiction settings, brings up the possibility of using robots or a mixture of cybernetics and genetic engineering in order to explain a fantasy dragon's classic abilities in settings where using magic to bypass the laws of physics isn't an option. Similarly, dragon-shaped machinery is an option for {{Steampunk}} settings, and a tremendous, complex machine, growling with internal processes, shining with brass and shrouded in clouds of steam, easily brings draconic imagery to mind. The book then notes than any good steampunk machine should look like that anyway, however, which it concludes may say something about steampunk or something about dragons.

** [[https://hearthstone.fandom.com/wiki/Mecha%27thun Mecha'thun]] is a mechanical version of the Old God himself. Why does it exist? ForScience.

** The Metal Demons's bodies are machines but they are still technically living beings, born from a mother (albeit a horrible abusive one).

* ''VideoGame/WildArms'' dragons are Mechanical Lifeforms [[TransformingMecha that transform into jet fighters]] when they fly.
** The Metal Demons also qualify to a degree. Their bodies are machines but they are still technically living beings, born from a mother (albeit a horrible abusive one).

* ''VideoGame/WildArms'' dragons are MechanicalLifeforms [[TransformingMecha that transform into jet fighters]] when they fly.

* ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' features a bunch of mechanical [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demons]], such as the Cyberdemon (a [[ALoadOfBull Minotaur]]-like creature with mechanical legs and an arm-mounted rocket launcher), the Arachnotron and Spiderdemon (monstrous brain-like creatures mounted on mechanical legs), the Mancubus (an enormous and bloated humanoid with two attached flamethrowers instead of arms), the Revenant (a skeleton wearing silver body armor with shoulder-mounted missile launchers), and the Icon of Sin (the final boss, a massive goat-like biomechanical head on a wall). Overall the game mixes sci-fi ambients with a horror/mythological theme.

** ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'': The common Reploid (i.e robots) bosses are called "Mutos/Mythos Reploids", so named because many (though not all) of them are modeled and named after mythical beasts. Examples include Maha Ganeshariff (Ganesha of Hindu myth) in the first game, Panter Flauclaws (Flauros of ''Ars Goetia'') in the second, Cubit Foxtar (the {{Kitsune}} of Japan's folklore) in the third, and Mino Magnus ([[ALoadOfBull the Minotaur]] of Greek myth) in the fourth.

* ''VideoGame/{{RUINER}}'': Despite taking place in a {{dystopia}}n CyberPunk setting (or rather ''because of it''), this game has two kinds of hostile cyborgs themed after creatures from [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Greek Mythology]]: the Heavy Cyborgs and the Harpies. The former are robot [[ALoadOfBull minotaurs]] armed with a pair of [[WolverineClaws adamantium claws]] and a seething hatred for organic life, and the latter are [[SkeleBot9000 skeletal cyborgs]] armed with various weapons, such as laser cannons or grenades, along with a lust for destruction. If you're not careful, these guys will turn you into a burning mush of minced meat.

** Cyberdramon is a humanoid cyborg with implanted rubber armor, mechanical limbs, numerous exposed cables, transparent sections showing its inner wiring, and a metallic plate clamped over its head and face. A redesigned version appears in ''Anime/DigimonXrosWars'' with a blue metallic exoskeleton, a cluster of simple GlowingEyes on its otherwise featureless face, and a tail ending in a large arrowhead/jet intake.

** [[https://scryfall.com/card/me4/197/dragon-engine Dragon engines]] are MechanicalLifeforms in the shape of dragons hailing from the mechanical hell-world of Phyrexia. They were introduced to Dominaria by Mishra's use of Phyrexian dragon engines and his own copies during his war against Durza, and later by Phyrexia's invasion of Dominaria. One of the most notable examples in the game is [[https://scryfall.com/card/c17/55/ramos-dragon-engine Ramos,]] a dragon engine brought to Dominaria by Mishra and reprogrammed by Durza to serve as a protector rather than a destroyer, and who brought a large number of Dominarian refugees to Mercadia to protect them from [[ApocalypseHow the Sylex Blast.]]
** Other mechanical and artificial dragons include [[https://scryfall.com/card/mrd/155/clockwork-dragon Clockwork Dragon,]] [[https://scryfall.com/card/ala/35/cloudheath-drake Cloudheath Drake,]] [[https://scryfall.com/card/ddg/55/henge-guardian Henge Guardian,]] [[https://scryfall.com/card/pls/131/draco Draco]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/c18/224/steel-hellkite Steel Hellkite.]]

** Assorted mechanical beasts include [[https://scryfall.com/card/ddf/55/clockwork-hydra Clockwork Hydra,]] [[https://scryfall.com/card/cn2/214/platinum-angel Platinum Angel]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/cm2/231/wurmcoil-engine Wurmcoil Engine.]]

See also MechanicalMonster, for when robotic beings are portrayed as powerful and monstrous foes, a trope with which this can easily overlap. Often a source of or the result of PostModernMagick. Compare DeusEstMachina, i.e Cybernetic Gods.

** [[https://scryfall.com/card/me4/197/dragon-engine Dragon engines]] are MechanicalLifeforms in the shape of dragons hailing from the mechanical hell-world of Phyrexia. They were introduced to Dominaria by Mishra's use of Phyrexian dragon engines and his own copies during his war against Durza, and later by Phyrexia's invasion of Dominaria. One of the most notable examples in the game is [[https://scryfall.com/card/c17/55/ramos-dragon-engine Ramos]], a dragon engine brought to Dominaria by Mishra and reprogrammed by Durza to serve as a protector rather than a destroyer, and who brought a large number of Dominarian refugees to Mercadia to protect them from [[ApocalypseHow the Sylex Blast]].
** Other mechanical and artificial dragons include [[https://scryfall.com/card/mrd/155/clockwork-dragon Clockwork Dragon]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/ala/35/cloudheath-drake Cloudheath Drake]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/ddg/55/henge-guardian Henge Guardian]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/pls/131/draco Draco]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/c18/224/steel-hellkite Steel Hellkite]].

** The Alaran shard of Esper is home to a society that enhances every creature it can with metal that it possibly can. As a result, almost every living thing there is a cyborg of some kind, including fantasy staples such as [[https://scryfall.com/card/arc/89/magister-sphinx sphinxes]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/ala/59/steelclad-serpent sea serpents]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/c18/91/inkwell-leviathan leviathans]].
** Assorted mechanical beasts include [[https://scryfall.com/card/ddf/55/clockwork-hydra Clockwork Hydra]], [[https://scryfall.com/card/cn2/214/platinum-angel Platinum Angel]] and [[https://scryfall.com/card/cm2/231/wurmcoil-engine Wurmcoil Engine]].
* ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'': [[https://yugioh.fandom.com/wiki/Cyber_Dragon_(archetype) Cyber Dragons]] are an archetype of Machine monsters resembling robotic snakelike dragons. Examples include the basic [[https://yugioh.fandom.com/wiki/Cyber_Dragon Cyber Dragon]], the three-headed [[https://yugioh.fandom.com/wiki/Cyber_End_Dragon Cyber End Dragon]], and the more crudely built [[https://yugioh.fandom.com/wiki/Proto-Cyber_Dragon Proto-Cyber Dragon]].

* ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'': Fracktail is a gigantic robotic eastern dragon, and was created by the Ancients to protect the Pure Heart. He's friendly towards Mario at first, until Dimentio short-circuits him and causes him to attack. Wracktail is an ''evil'' gigantic robot Eastern Dragon -- a PsychoPrototype of Fracktail's who was sealed away due to his god complex, to be precise. In both cases, they must be defeated by attacking their exposed antennas.

* ''VideoGame/{{RUINER}}'': Despite taking place in a {{dystopia}}n CyberPunk setting (or rather ''because of it''), this game has robot [[ALoadOfBull minotaurs]] called Heavy Cyborgs. Armed with a pair of [[WolverineClaws adamantium claws]] and a burning hatred for organic life, these guys will turn you into a burning mush of shredded meat if you're not careful.

* ''VideoGame/{{RUINER}}'': Despite taking place in a [[{{Dystopia}} dystopian]] CyberPunk setting (or rather ''because of it''), this game has robot [[ALoadOfBull Minotaurs]] called Heavy Cyborgs. Armed with a pair of [[WolverineClaws adamantium claws]] and a burning hatred for organic life, these guys will turn you into a burning mush of shredded meat if you're not careful.

** Maildramon, despite looking mostly like a dragon completely covered in plate armor, is classified as a {{Cyborg}} Digimon.
** {{Orochi}}mon, which despite not being part of the Dragon's Roar field is considered a draconic Digimon, is a gigantic snake with seven mechanical heads.