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* In ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'' it's mentioned that noble dragons prefer to eat females of noble blood because they taste better.
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* In ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'' it's mentioned that noble dragons prefer to eat females of noble blood because they taste better. (On the other hand, this being a Discworld book, there has to be a little bit of parody. There's no actual ''princesses'' in Ankh-Morpork; the closest is its richest woman, Lady Sybil. And people who want to offer Lady Sybil to a dragon are [[SilkHidingSteel not going to have an easy time of it.]]
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* JapaneseMythology: Replace dragon with mountain-tall eight-headed mead-drinking hydra and you get the story of Orochi.
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* JapaneseMythology: Replace dragon with mountain-tall eight-headed mead-drinking hydra and you get the story of Orochi.
{{Orochi}}.
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* In a story featuring the Duckverse, there was a school play that would be about a Princess who was captured by a dragon. Several acidentes with the scenery forced the students to rewrite the story so that a whirlwind carried the Princess to the dragon's lair.
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* In a story featuring the Duckverse, there was a school play that would be about a Princess who was captured by a dragon. Several acidentes accidents with the scenery forced the students to rewrite the story so that a whirlwind carried the Princess to the dragon's lair.
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[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* In a story featuring the Duckverse, there was a school play that would be about a Princess who was captured by a dragon. Several acidentes with the scenery forced the students to rewrite the story so that a whirlwind carried the Princess to the dragon's lair.
* In a story featuring the Duckverse, there was a school play that would be about a Princess who was captured by a dragon. Several acidentes with the scenery forced the students to rewrite the story so that a whirlwind carried the Princess to the dragon's lair.
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* In the popular medieval legend of ''Saint George and the Dragon'', there is a town the inhabitants of which appease a dragon living in a nearby lake by giving it their sons and daughters as food. Saint George, a soldier/knight, comes by just in time to rescue the king's daughter by defeating the dragon.
to:
* In the popular medieval legend of ''Saint George and the Dragon'', there is a town the inhabitants of which appease a dragon living in a nearby lake by giving it their sons and daughters as food. Saint George, a soldier/knight, comes by just in time to rescue the king's daughter by defeating the dragon. dragon.
** This is generally the original story in the myths. The dragon wants a VirginSacrifice; the king feeds him most of the country's population until realising he's run out of them and the only one left is his daughter, which is when the hero gets hired to fix the problem. The myths just generally forget about all the other eaten girls because they weren't noble, so they don't count.
** This is generally the original story in the myths. The dragon wants a VirginSacrifice; the king feeds him most of the country's population until realising he's run out of them and the only one left is his daughter, which is when the hero gets hired to fix the problem. The myths just generally forget about all the other eaten girls because they weren't noble, so they don't count.
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Elaboration upon a rather unexplored example
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** True, standard Koopas are based upon kappas, but to say Bowser and others like him (Koopalings and Jr) are not obviously meant to be draconic would be like saying eastern dragons don't qualify by their snakelike appearance from a western standpoint. Different, yes, but still very much a dragon. The first one of gaming, in fact, and the longest-running one; still abducting a princess for vague reasoning in an era of complex storylines and deeply-crafted plots. Base and cliche, but admirable in his dedication and sheer tenacity.
-->'''Bowser:''' I will kidnap the princess again and again until I get it right, and nobody can stop me! Losing isn't an option, and neither is giving up!
-->'''Bowser:''' I will kidnap the princess again and again until I get it right, and nobody can stop me! Losing isn't an option, and neither is giving up!
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-->--'''Creator/PatriciaCWreded''', ''Dealing with Dragons''
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-->--''Dealing with Dragons''
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* In Creator/ErinMorgenstern's ''Literature/TheNightCircus'', one figure on the clock is a princess, a dragon's prisoner -- no sign of the knight yet.
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* The pinball machine ''Medieval Madness'' has a ramp devoted to saving various damsels from dragons. The quality of the princesses vary.
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* The pinball machine ''Medieval Madness'' ''Pinball/MedievalMadness'' has a ramp devoted to saving various damsels from dragons. The quality of the princesses vary.
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[[AC:{{Pinball}}]]
* The pinball machine ''Medieval Madness'' has a ramp devoted to saving various damsels from dragons. The quality of the princesses vary.
* The pinball machine ''Medieval Madness'' has a ramp devoted to saving various damsels from dragons. The quality of the princesses vary.
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[[AC: {{Toys}}]]
* The pinball machine ''Medieval Madness'' has a ramp devoted to saving various damsels from dragons. The quality of the princesses vary. For example, one is a JewishAmericanPrincess, and another is a pastiche of [[MyFairLady Eliza Doolittle]].
* The pinball machine ''Medieval Madness'' has a ramp devoted to saving various damsels from dragons. The quality of the princesses vary. For example, one is a JewishAmericanPrincess, and another is a pastiche of [[MyFairLady Eliza Doolittle]].
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* The hero's first mission in ''DragonQuestI'' is to [[SaveThePrincess rescue the princess]] from the evil dragon that captured her. This is only half the game, though, as you still need to defeat the [[BigBad Dragonlord]].
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* The hero's first mission in ''DragonQuestI'' ''VideoGame/DragonQuestI'' is to [[SaveThePrincess rescue the princess]] from the evil dragon that captured her. This is only half the game, though, as you still need to defeat the [[BigBad Dragonlord]].
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For some reason, dragons just have an attraction to princesses. Maybe royal blood tastes better. [[VirginPower Maybe virgins taste better.]] Maybe they want someone to talk to. Maybe it's just a status symbol. Whatever the reason, they tend to show up in each other's company.
to:
For some reason, dragons just have an attraction to princesses. Maybe royal blood tastes better. [[VirginPower Maybe virgins taste better.]] Maybe they want someone to talk to. Maybe it's just a status symbol. Whatever the reason, they tend to show up in each other's company.
company.
This trope is often a setup for the StandardHeroReward to whoever saves the princess.
This trope is often a setup for the StandardHeroReward to whoever saves the princess.
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Related to SaveThePrincess and DamselInDistress.
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Related to SaveThePrincess and DamselInDistress. SaveThePrincess, DamselInDistress, IHaveYouNowMyPretty.
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* In JonathanCoulton's "The Princess Who Saved Herself", the princess responds by tying the dragon's tail to a tree and giving him a good talking to.
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* ''Webcomic/OzyAndMillie'', Isolde reveals that princesses are [[http://ozyandmillie.org/2007/02/09/ozy-and-millie-1822/ bargaining chips for buying off knights]].
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* JapaneseMythology: Replace dragon with mountain-tall eight-headed mead-drinking hydra and you get the story of Orochi.
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* Played with in the ''EnchantedForestChronicles'' by Patricia C. Wrede. While dragons do traditionally kidnap princesses, Cimorene fled to the dragons in ''Dealing with Dragons'' to escape traditional life as a princess and forge her own path. Most of the princesses are in fact captives and rather silly.
* As The500Kingdoms books are based on Traditional myths and fairy tales, most evil dragons find themselves forced to capture a maiden, preferably a princess, at some point. Forms a major plotpoint in the second book, ''One Good Knight'', which is 1/3 the myth of Andromeda, 1/3 George and the Dragon, [[spoiler: although the dragon didn't actually have much choice in the matter, being under a compulsion at the time.]] and 1/3 trying very hard NOT to have the endings of either of those legends happen.
* ''Literature/TheDragonHoard'' has a StoryWithinAStory about a princess who is kidnapped by a dragon. She inadvertantly wins her freedom when she tries to mollify it by spinning straw into gold; it turns out the dragon is allergic to gold, and it lets her go before she can do any more damage.
* As The500Kingdoms books are based on Traditional myths and fairy tales, most evil dragons find themselves forced to capture a maiden, preferably a princess, at some point. Forms a major plotpoint in the second book, ''One Good Knight'', which is 1/3 the myth of Andromeda, 1/3 George and the Dragon, [[spoiler: although the dragon didn't actually have much choice in the matter, being under a compulsion at the time.]] and 1/3 trying very hard NOT to have the endings of either of those legends happen.
* ''Literature/TheDragonHoard'' has a StoryWithinAStory about a princess who is kidnapped by a dragon. She inadvertantly wins her freedom when she tries to mollify it by spinning straw into gold; it turns out the dragon is allergic to gold, and it lets her go before she can do any more damage.
to:
* Played with in the ''EnchantedForestChronicles'' ''Literature/EnchantedForestChronicles'' by Patricia C. Wrede. While dragons do traditionally kidnap princesses, Cimorene fled to the dragons in ''Dealing with Dragons'' to escape traditional life as a princess and forge her own path. Most of the princesses are in fact captives and rather silly.
* AsThe500Kingdoms the Literature/TalesOfTheFiveHundredKingdoms books are based on Traditional myths and fairy tales, most evil dragons find themselves forced to capture a maiden, preferably a princess, at some point. Forms a major plotpoint in the second book, ''One Good Knight'', which is 1/3 the myth of Andromeda, 1/3 George and the Dragon, [[spoiler: although the dragon didn't actually have much choice in the matter, being under a compulsion at the time.]] and 1/3 trying very hard NOT to have the endings of either of those legends happen.
* ''Literature/TheDragonHoard'' has a StoryWithinAStory about a princess who is kidnapped by a dragon. Sheinadvertantly inadvertently wins her freedom when she tries to mollify it by spinning straw into gold; it turns out the dragon is allergic to gold, and it lets her go before she can do any more damage.
* As
* ''Literature/TheDragonHoard'' has a StoryWithinAStory about a princess who is kidnapped by a dragon. She
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* In TheDarkEye, the more powerful dragons occasionally do this. However, they're typically after ''entertainment'', not food, and prefer nobility because they tend to be better conversationalists.
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* In TheDarkEye, TabletopGame/TheDarkEye, the more powerful dragons occasionally do this. However, they're typically after ''entertainment'', not food, and prefer nobility because they tend to be better conversationalists.
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* The pinball machine ''Medieval Madness'' has a ramp devoted to saving various damsels from dragons. The quality of the princesses vary. For example, one is a Jewish princess, and another is a pastiche of [[MyFairLady Eliza Doolittle]].
to:
* The pinball machine ''Medieval Madness'' has a ramp devoted to saving various damsels from dragons. The quality of the princesses vary. For example, one is a Jewish princess, JewishAmericanPrincess, and another is a pastiche of [[MyFairLady Eliza Doolittle]].
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For some reason, dragons just have an attraction to princesses. Maybe royal blood tastes better. Maybe they want someone to talk to. Maybe it's just a status symbol. Whatever the reason, they tend to show up in each other's company.
to:
For some reason, dragons just have an attraction to princesses. Maybe royal blood tastes better. [[VirginPower Maybe virgins taste better.]] Maybe they want someone to talk to. Maybe it's just a status symbol. Whatever the reason, they tend to show up in each other's company.
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"That can be arranged," said a voice from beside her left slipper.
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"That can be arranged," said a voice from beside her left slipper.''
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->''Cimorene left in disgust and went out to the castle garden. She was very discouraged. It looked as if she were going to marry the prince of Sathem-by-the-Mountains whether she wanted to or not.\\
"I'd rather be eaten by a dragon," she muttered.\\
"That can be arranged," said a voice from beside her left slipper.
-->--''Dealing with Dragons''
"I'd rather be eaten by a dragon," she muttered.\\
"That can be arranged," said a voice from beside her left slipper.
-->--''Dealing with Dragons''
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** Also in Greek myth, the king of Troy cheated Apollo and Poseidon out of their payment for creating the walls of Troy. They sent a sea dragon to plague him until he sacrificed his daughter Hesione to it, except that Heracles happened by. Alas for the king, he then tried to cheat Heracles, and Heracles sacked Troy for it.
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* In ''[[GuardsGuards Guards, Guards,]]'' it's mentioned that noble dragons prefer to eat females of noble blood because they taste better.
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* In ''[[GuardsGuards Guards, Guards,]]'' ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'' it's mentioned that noble dragons prefer to eat females of noble blood because they taste better.
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This is one of the older tropes. Everyone knows how the typical Dragon myth goes. A dragon either steals a princess or a princess is given to that dragon as an offering. Where the story goes from there is not always so clear, but the beginning is where the trope lies.
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This is one of the older tropes. Everyone knows how the typical Dragon myth goes. A Either a dragon either steals a princess or a princess is given to that dragon as an offering. Where the story goes from there is not always so clear, but the beginning is where the trope lies.
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* ''SuperMarioBros'' deserves a honorable mention, even though Bowser isn't really [[OurDragonsAreDifferent a dragon.]]
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* ''SuperMarioBros'' ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' deserves a an honorable mention, even though Bowser isn't really [[OurDragonsAreDifferent a dragon.]]
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* In ''VideoGame/KingsBounty The Legend'', Princess Amelie fears that she may be kidnapped by a dragon, as she's a princess, but is sure that the main character will save her. [[spoiler: At the very end, she ''is'' kidnapped and taken hostage by Haas, the BigBad dragon.]]
* ''VideoGame/DragonsLair'', of course, has princess Daphne kidnapped by the evil Dragon Singe. You play as Dick on his way to rescue her.
[[AC:{{Web Comic}}]]
* ''{{Nodwick}}'' has it as a recurring joke including that princesses have a business for renting themselves with a "no dragons" policy.
* ''ComicStrip/WhatsNewWithPhilAndDixie'' take it up to {{squick}} [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20080615 here]].
* ''VideoGame/DragonsLair'', of course, has princess Daphne kidnapped by the evil Dragon Singe. You play as Dick on his way to rescue her.
[[AC:{{Web Comic}}]]
* ''{{Nodwick}}'' has it as a recurring joke including that princesses have a business for renting themselves with a "no dragons" policy.
* ''ComicStrip/WhatsNewWithPhilAndDixie'' take it up to {{squick}} [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20080615 here]].
to:
* In ''VideoGame/KingsBounty The Legend'', Princess Amelie fears that she may be kidnapped by a dragon, as she's a princess, but is sure that the main character will save her. [[spoiler: At [[spoiler:At the very end, she ''is'' kidnapped and taken hostage by Haas, the BigBad dragon.]]
* ''VideoGame/DragonsLair'', of course, hasprincess Princess Daphne kidnapped by the evil Dragon dragon Singe. You play as Dick Dirk on his way to rescue her.
[[AC:{{Web Comic}}]]
[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]
* ''{{Nodwick}}'' has it as a recurringjoke joke, including that princesses have a business for renting themselves with a "no dragons" policy.
* ''ComicStrip/WhatsNewWithPhilAndDixie''take takes it up to {{squick}} [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20080615 here]].
* ''VideoGame/DragonsLair'', of course, has
* ''{{Nodwick}}'' has it as a recurring
* ''ComicStrip/WhatsNewWithPhilAndDixie''
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Changed line(s) 53,54 (click to see context) from:
* ''{{What's new with Phil and Dixie}}'' take it up to {{squick}} [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20080615 here]].
to:
* ''{{What's new with Phil and Dixie}}'' ''ComicStrip/WhatsNewWithPhilAndDixie'' take it up to {{squick}} [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20080615 here]].
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* Played with in the EnchantedForestChronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. While dragons do traditionally kidnap princesses, Cimorene fled to the dragons in ''Dealing with Dragons'' to escape traditional life as a princess and forge her own path. Most of the princesses are in fact captives and rather silly.
to:
* Played with in the EnchantedForestChronicles ''EnchantedForestChronicles'' by Patricia C. Wrede. While dragons do traditionally kidnap princesses, Cimorene fled to the dragons in ''Dealing with Dragons'' to escape traditional life as a princess and forge her own path. Most of the princesses are in fact captives and rather silly.
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* There's a Brodignabian Bards song that asks the question of why dragons kidnap maidens..it turns out yes, they do taste better.
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* There's a Brodignabian Bards song that asks the question of why dragons kidnap maidens..maidens... it turns out yes, they do taste better.
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* In the popular medieval legend of Saint George and the Dragon, there is a town the inhabitants of which appease a dragon living in a nearby lake by giving it their sons and daughters as food. Saint George, a soldier/knight, comes by just in time to rescue the king's daughter by defeating the dragon.
to:
* In the popular medieval legend of Saint ''Saint George and the Dragon, Dragon'', there is a town the inhabitants of which appease a dragon living in a nearby lake by giving it their sons and daughters as food. Saint George, a soldier/knight, comes by just in time to rescue the king's daughter by defeating the dragon.
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* SuperMarioBros deserves a honorable mention, even though Bowser isn't really [[OurDragonsAreDifferent a dragon.]]
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* SuperMarioBros ''SuperMarioBros'' deserves a honorable mention, even though Bowser isn't really [[OurDragonsAreDifferent a dragon.]]
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* {{Nodwick}} has it as a recurring joke including that princesses have a business for renting themselves with a "no dragons" policy.
* {{Whats new with Phil and Dixie}} take it up to {{squick}} [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20080615 here]].
* {{Whats new with Phil and Dixie}} take it up to {{squick}} [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20080615 here]].
to:
* {{Nodwick}} ''{{Nodwick}}'' has it as a recurring joke including that princesses have a business for renting themselves with a "no dragons" policy.
*{{Whats ''{{What's new with Phil and Dixie}} Dixie}}'' take it up to {{squick}} [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20080615 here]].
*
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* GenderFlip in ''WesternAnimation/JaneAndTheDragon'', in which the Dragon kidnapped Prince Cuthbert because he believed the prince could translate the runes on his cave wall.
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* GenderFlip in ''WesternAnimation/JaneAndTheDragon'', in which the Dragon kidnapped Prince Cuthbert because he believed the prince could translate the runes on his cave wall.wall.
----
----
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!Examples:
to:
!!Examples:
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This is one of the older tropes. Everyone knows how the typical Dragon myth goes. A dragon either steals a princess or a princess is given to that dragon as an offering. Where the story goes from there is not always so clear, but the beginning is where the trope lies.
For some reason, dragons just have an attraction to princesses. Maybe royal blood tastes better. Maybe they want someone to talk to. Maybe it's just a status symbol. Whatever the reason, they tend to show up in each other's company.
Related to SaveThePrincess and DamselInDistress.
!Examples:
[[AC:Fairy Tales]]
* In TheBrothersGrimm's "[[http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/authors/grimms/60twobrothers.html The Two Brothers]]", one brother wins a princess by rescuing her from the dragon. (She is the last of a long line of maidens sacrificed, a common element in this story.)
* In ''[[http://www.mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/396.htm The Three Dogs]]'', the hero also fights a dragon and saves a princess.
* In ''[[http://www.classicreader.com/book/995/5/ The Three Princes and their Beasts]]'', the oldest prince kills the dragon and saves a princess.
* In ''[[http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/swanmaiden/stories/lang.html The Nine Pea-Hens and the Golden Apples]]'', the prince rescues a princess from a dragon. When it chases after them, their horses talk, and the dragon's horse is persuaded to throw and kill it.
* In ''[[http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/pentamerone/7merchant1911.html The Merchant]]'', a merchant's son saves the princess.
* In ''[[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/More_English_Fairy_Tales/The_Little_Bull-Calf The Little Bull-Calf]]'', a boy runs away from his wicked stepfather with the calf, because his father gave it to him, and with its advice succeeds in killing the dragon.
[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* ''{{Film/Dragonslayer}}'' (1981). A kingdom chooses which virginal young woman will be sacrificed to a dragon by drawing lots. When Princess Elspeth learns that the King has made sure her name is never included in the lottery, she rigs it so that her name is chosen, and voluntarily goes to the dragon. Unfortunately she pays the price for her honesty and is eaten by the dragon's babies.
*''{{Film/Shrek}}'' has the major quest involve Princess Fiona locked up in a tower that is guarded by a dragon. Donkey falls in love with said dragon and has children. Similarly, Shrek and Fiona become a couple.
[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
*Played with in the EnchantedForestChronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. While dragons do traditionally kidnap princesses, Cimorene fled to the dragons in ''Dealing with Dragons'' to escape traditional life as a princess and forge her own path. Most of the princesses are in fact captives and rather silly.
*As The500Kingdoms books are based on Traditional myths and fairy tales, most evil dragons find themselves forced to capture a maiden, preferably a princess, at some point. Forms a major plotpoint in the second book, ''One Good Knight'', which is 1/3 the myth of Andromeda, 1/3 George and the Dragon, [[spoiler: although the dragon didn't actually have much choice in the matter, being under a compulsion at the time.]] and 1/3 trying very hard NOT to have the endings of either of those legends happen.
* ''Literature/TheDragonHoard'' has a StoryWithinAStory about a princess who is kidnapped by a dragon. She inadvertantly wins her freedom when she tries to mollify it by spinning straw into gold; it turns out the dragon is allergic to gold, and it lets her go before she can do any more damage.
*Inverted in ''ThePaperBagPrincess''. A dragon carries off Prince Ronald, and Princess Elizabeth sets out to rescue him.
*In ''[[GuardsGuards Guards, Guards,]]'' it's mentioned that noble dragons prefer to eat females of noble blood because they taste better.
* In Creator/JohnMoore's ''Slay and Rescue'', dragons capturing princesses is such a common problem that Prince Charming has rescues down to a fine art, even though he's still too young (and too polite) to ask any of the princesses for the reward he'd ''really'' like.
[[AC:{{Music}}]]
*There's a Brodignabian Bards song that asks the question of why dragons kidnap maidens..it turns out yes, they do taste better.
[[AC:{{Myths and Legends}}]]
*In Greek myth Andromeda was nearly fed to the [[OurDragonsAreDifferent sea dragon]] Cetus to punish her mother. Luckily Perseus happened to be passing by.
* In the popular medieval legend of Saint George and the Dragon, there is a town the inhabitants of which appease a dragon living in a nearby lake by giving it their sons and daughters as food. Saint George, a soldier/knight, comes by just in time to rescue the king's daughter by defeating the dragon.
[[AC:{{TabletopGames}}]]
* In TheDarkEye, the more powerful dragons occasionally do this. However, they're typically after ''entertainment'', not food, and prefer nobility because they tend to be better conversationalists.
* There's at least one ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' supplement that mentions a dragon who, using her natural shapeshifting, would disguise herself ''as'' a maiden. Either as a trap or to be "rescued" by a knight.
** Possibly inspired by FridgeLogic or the legend of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melusine Melusine.]]
[[AC: {{Toys}}]]
*The pinball machine ''Medieval Madness'' has a ramp devoted to saving various damsels from dragons. The quality of the princesses vary. For example, one is a Jewish princess, and another is a pastiche of [[MyFairLady Eliza Doolittle]].
[[AC:{{Video Game}}]]
* Played with in the video game ''[[VideoGame/ChoiceOfGames Choice of the Dragon]]''. One of the choices offered to the player character is whether to be the kind of dragon that kidnaps princesses. Options include "Yes, because it's Traditional" and "In the interests of gender equality, half the time I kidnap princes instead".
*SuperMarioBros deserves a honorable mention, even though Bowser isn't really [[OurDragonsAreDifferent a dragon.]]
* The hero's first mission in ''DragonQuestI'' is to [[SaveThePrincess rescue the princess]] from the evil dragon that captured her. This is only half the game, though, as you still need to defeat the [[BigBad Dragonlord]].
*In ''VideoGame/KingsBounty The Legend'', Princess Amelie fears that she may be kidnapped by a dragon, as she's a princess, but is sure that the main character will save her. [[spoiler: At the very end, she ''is'' kidnapped and taken hostage by Haas, the BigBad dragon.]]
* ''VideoGame/DragonsLair'', of course, has princess Daphne kidnapped by the evil Dragon Singe. You play as Dick on his way to rescue her.
[[AC:{{Web Comic}}]]
* {{Nodwick}} has it as a recurring joke including that princesses have a business for renting themselves with a "no dragons" policy.
* {{Whats new with Phil and Dixie}} take it up to {{squick}} [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20080615 here]].
[[AC:{{Western Animation}}]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/PotatoesAndDragons'', the King keeps calling for knights to kill the dragon that lives near the palace, for fear it might kidnap his daughter; unbeknownst to him, the princess has befriended the dragon and is actively thwarting each attempt on its life.
*GenderFlip in ''WesternAnimation/JaneAndTheDragon'', in which the Dragon kidnapped Prince Cuthbert because he believed the prince could translate the runes on his cave wall.
For some reason, dragons just have an attraction to princesses. Maybe royal blood tastes better. Maybe they want someone to talk to. Maybe it's just a status symbol. Whatever the reason, they tend to show up in each other's company.
Related to SaveThePrincess and DamselInDistress.
!Examples:
[[AC:Fairy Tales]]
* In TheBrothersGrimm's "[[http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/authors/grimms/60twobrothers.html The Two Brothers]]", one brother wins a princess by rescuing her from the dragon. (She is the last of a long line of maidens sacrificed, a common element in this story.)
* In ''[[http://www.mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/396.htm The Three Dogs]]'', the hero also fights a dragon and saves a princess.
* In ''[[http://www.classicreader.com/book/995/5/ The Three Princes and their Beasts]]'', the oldest prince kills the dragon and saves a princess.
* In ''[[http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/swanmaiden/stories/lang.html The Nine Pea-Hens and the Golden Apples]]'', the prince rescues a princess from a dragon. When it chases after them, their horses talk, and the dragon's horse is persuaded to throw and kill it.
* In ''[[http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/pentamerone/7merchant1911.html The Merchant]]'', a merchant's son saves the princess.
* In ''[[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/More_English_Fairy_Tales/The_Little_Bull-Calf The Little Bull-Calf]]'', a boy runs away from his wicked stepfather with the calf, because his father gave it to him, and with its advice succeeds in killing the dragon.
[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* ''{{Film/Dragonslayer}}'' (1981). A kingdom chooses which virginal young woman will be sacrificed to a dragon by drawing lots. When Princess Elspeth learns that the King has made sure her name is never included in the lottery, she rigs it so that her name is chosen, and voluntarily goes to the dragon. Unfortunately she pays the price for her honesty and is eaten by the dragon's babies.
*''{{Film/Shrek}}'' has the major quest involve Princess Fiona locked up in a tower that is guarded by a dragon. Donkey falls in love with said dragon and has children. Similarly, Shrek and Fiona become a couple.
[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
*Played with in the EnchantedForestChronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. While dragons do traditionally kidnap princesses, Cimorene fled to the dragons in ''Dealing with Dragons'' to escape traditional life as a princess and forge her own path. Most of the princesses are in fact captives and rather silly.
*As The500Kingdoms books are based on Traditional myths and fairy tales, most evil dragons find themselves forced to capture a maiden, preferably a princess, at some point. Forms a major plotpoint in the second book, ''One Good Knight'', which is 1/3 the myth of Andromeda, 1/3 George and the Dragon, [[spoiler: although the dragon didn't actually have much choice in the matter, being under a compulsion at the time.]] and 1/3 trying very hard NOT to have the endings of either of those legends happen.
* ''Literature/TheDragonHoard'' has a StoryWithinAStory about a princess who is kidnapped by a dragon. She inadvertantly wins her freedom when she tries to mollify it by spinning straw into gold; it turns out the dragon is allergic to gold, and it lets her go before she can do any more damage.
*Inverted in ''ThePaperBagPrincess''. A dragon carries off Prince Ronald, and Princess Elizabeth sets out to rescue him.
*In ''[[GuardsGuards Guards, Guards,]]'' it's mentioned that noble dragons prefer to eat females of noble blood because they taste better.
* In Creator/JohnMoore's ''Slay and Rescue'', dragons capturing princesses is such a common problem that Prince Charming has rescues down to a fine art, even though he's still too young (and too polite) to ask any of the princesses for the reward he'd ''really'' like.
[[AC:{{Music}}]]
*There's a Brodignabian Bards song that asks the question of why dragons kidnap maidens..it turns out yes, they do taste better.
[[AC:{{Myths and Legends}}]]
*In Greek myth Andromeda was nearly fed to the [[OurDragonsAreDifferent sea dragon]] Cetus to punish her mother. Luckily Perseus happened to be passing by.
* In the popular medieval legend of Saint George and the Dragon, there is a town the inhabitants of which appease a dragon living in a nearby lake by giving it their sons and daughters as food. Saint George, a soldier/knight, comes by just in time to rescue the king's daughter by defeating the dragon.
[[AC:{{TabletopGames}}]]
* In TheDarkEye, the more powerful dragons occasionally do this. However, they're typically after ''entertainment'', not food, and prefer nobility because they tend to be better conversationalists.
* There's at least one ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' supplement that mentions a dragon who, using her natural shapeshifting, would disguise herself ''as'' a maiden. Either as a trap or to be "rescued" by a knight.
** Possibly inspired by FridgeLogic or the legend of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melusine Melusine.]]
[[AC: {{Toys}}]]
*The pinball machine ''Medieval Madness'' has a ramp devoted to saving various damsels from dragons. The quality of the princesses vary. For example, one is a Jewish princess, and another is a pastiche of [[MyFairLady Eliza Doolittle]].
[[AC:{{Video Game}}]]
* Played with in the video game ''[[VideoGame/ChoiceOfGames Choice of the Dragon]]''. One of the choices offered to the player character is whether to be the kind of dragon that kidnaps princesses. Options include "Yes, because it's Traditional" and "In the interests of gender equality, half the time I kidnap princes instead".
*SuperMarioBros deserves a honorable mention, even though Bowser isn't really [[OurDragonsAreDifferent a dragon.]]
* The hero's first mission in ''DragonQuestI'' is to [[SaveThePrincess rescue the princess]] from the evil dragon that captured her. This is only half the game, though, as you still need to defeat the [[BigBad Dragonlord]].
*In ''VideoGame/KingsBounty The Legend'', Princess Amelie fears that she may be kidnapped by a dragon, as she's a princess, but is sure that the main character will save her. [[spoiler: At the very end, she ''is'' kidnapped and taken hostage by Haas, the BigBad dragon.]]
* ''VideoGame/DragonsLair'', of course, has princess Daphne kidnapped by the evil Dragon Singe. You play as Dick on his way to rescue her.
[[AC:{{Web Comic}}]]
* {{Nodwick}} has it as a recurring joke including that princesses have a business for renting themselves with a "no dragons" policy.
* {{Whats new with Phil and Dixie}} take it up to {{squick}} [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20080615 here]].
[[AC:{{Western Animation}}]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/PotatoesAndDragons'', the King keeps calling for knights to kill the dragon that lives near the palace, for fear it might kidnap his daughter; unbeknownst to him, the princess has befriended the dragon and is actively thwarting each attempt on its life.
*GenderFlip in ''WesternAnimation/JaneAndTheDragon'', in which the Dragon kidnapped Prince Cuthbert because he believed the prince could translate the runes on his cave wall.
