History Main / EverythingsBetterWithPenguins

* FlyingFlightlessBird: Penguins are able to fly in the work.

!This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16741962810.21245300 under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.

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[[quoteright:350:[[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_wp_penpen_2.png]]]]
[-[[caption-width-right:350:Penguins? [[JustForFun/XMeetsY In MY]] HumongousMecha MindScrew series? [[MemeticMutation It's more likely than you think]].]]-]

->''"The second dumbest bird in the world. Can only fly underwater."''
-->-- '''Creator/TerryPratchett'''

Maybe it's because they're birds that, oxymoronically, can't fly. Perhaps it's that they waddle around on two feet and remind people of themselves. Maybe it's because they look like they're wearing little tuxedos. It could be that they have no natural fear of humans, and are relatively easy to work with. Or it may be just because they're cute and [[InherentlyFunnyWords their name sounds funny]]. But whatever the reason, penguins are big, and adding them to a movie or show is almost guaranteed to up the ratings and the take at the box office.

In around 2006–7, [[http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2003483843_penguinpalooza19.html penguins experienced a popularity surge]] due to movies such as ''Film/MarchOfThePenguins'', ''WesternAnimation/HappyFeet'', ''WesternAnimation/SurfsUp'', and ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}''. [[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6166828.stm Opinion is divided]] as to why, but general consensus is that penguins are big money. Penguins are, in fact, the new [[SillySimian monkeys]]. Sometimes, [[PenguinsAreDucks penguins are depicted as being similar to ducks]] since most people are more familiar with ducks than penguins.

Because of this trope, animals that eat penguins, like [[MonstrousSeal leopard seals and other large seals]], [[ThreateningShark sharks]], and [[DeviousDolphins orcas]] will often be portrayed as [[PredatorsAreMean murderous and terrifying]].

Lovable penguins may be seen with a SweetSeal. For another lovable animal that's black and white, PandaingToTheAudience.

Wark!
----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Advertising]]
* On AprilFoolsDay 2008, the BBC aired a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dfWzp7rYR4 trailer]] for their iPlayer service, presented as an actual piece of wildlife documentary footage... displaying flying penguins which emigrated to the rain forest during winter!
* Budweiser's ads for its Bud Ice brand from the mid-1990's starred the "Bud Ice Penguin", a creepy bird who terrorized drinkers in the vein of slasher/horror films in order to get some of their beer. And, in another ad, stole UsefulNotes/{{the Stanley Cup}}. The calling card of the bird was nonchalantly humming the opening bars to "Strangers in the Night". ''Dooby dooby doo...''
* There was an ad for the Irish Independent a couple of years ago that featured penguins. Playing hurling. To Mexican music. Yes, it was [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot just as cool as it sounds]].
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DVCZB4bM8M This brilliant Guinness ad]].
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exyvhKlMX-A This Canada Dry ad...]]
* From Latin America, there come the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RysyUuMzsao penguins]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk5CSJ-zqvA of]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RrqLfnuhJE Bon]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfiTZiTvrsM Ice]] (and there are more ads with them; they just haven't been uploaded).
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeJ9OOVnW7Q&feature=related These penguins will take their potato chips... AND EAT THEM!]]
* Somewhere around the latest wave of penguinmania, Coca-Cola added penguins to their traditional commercials [[PolarBearsAndPenguins with the polar bears]].
* An ad for a download movie service featured a video store clerk who was so bored he made a penguin out of gummy bears. It looked a lot like the ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'' penguins.
* In the commercials for ''The General Auto Insurance'', the General has a silent penguin sidekick which seems to serve no purpose.
* Ecoco, a former Japanese power company mascot, was a young girl in a {{moe}} penguin costume.
* 1970s UK ads for Penguin chocolate biscuits. "When you're feeling p-p-p-peckish, p-p-p-pick up a Penguin!"
* John Lewis' 2014 Christmas ad, featuring Monty the Penguin.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhylxXohoMU A French ad]] for ''Film/MarchOfThePenguins'' parodies the film by replacing the Emperor Penguins with thousands of Emperors Napoleon (the ad is about a man who describes the movie to his interlocutor but refers to the Emperor Penguins as just "Emperors"[[note]]the original title literally means "March of the Emperor"[[/note]]), who struggle through the snows of Antarctica, give each other eggs, and finally have (off-screen) sex. Glorious.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'' has Sakaki's famous DreamSequence, featuring Chiyo's "helper", a clumsy, spacey, and honestly rather unsettling penguin. This scene has been used in many an AnimatedMusicVideo with different background audio, including one with the "Ironside" segment from ''Film/KillBill''.
** Let's not forget Chiyo herself donning a penguin suit during the Culture Festival in episode 16. So, so cute!
*** Penguin suit + [[CheerfulChild Chiyo-chan]] = Awwww! [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YvAr0AR5Z0 So, so cute!]] Which is the approximate response of many when they see that suit.
*** That same costume appeared in Kaorin's New Year's dream, which, in the anime, came before that Culture Festival. (In the manga, we didn't see her dream.) Whereas Sakaki, in the black bar below the part of the screen where she and Kaorin are riding away on a horse, knocked down the delinquent versions of Yomi, Osaka, and Tomo, Chiyo was simply put into a penguin suit. One wonders if the show is trying to suggest an origin for that idea.
* ''Manga/CaheDetectiveClub'': Emina loves reading penguin picture books or filling the cafe with penguin dolls from Shizuka. One time she requests 5 penguin designs from different species that Shizuka can't tell the subtle differences between them.
* Penguins show up surprisingly often in ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'', and the oft-visited park has a giant penguin slide known as 'King Penguin'. Sakura evidently likes them quite a bit.
* Penguins were thrown into an episode of ''Anime/CodeGeass'' for no reason other than to show that one of the ruins related to Ragnarok is in Antarctica.
** [[MemeticMutation The Penguin Army has found its banner. We're so screwed.]]
** Let's not forget Milly Ashford in that penguin outfit just a few episodes earlier!
* ''Manga/DGrayMan'' has the Millennium Earl... sorry, [[Franchise/{{Batman}} wrong Penguin]].
* The ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' metaseries has several penguin {{Mons}}, although none feature heavily in any of the animes.
** The one that came closest is Daipenmon, who based on the card game, ''could have'' appeared in Anime/DigimonFrontier. Daipenmon is the fusion of a {{snowlem|s}} and [[BigfootSasquatchAndYeti a yeti]], and wields two giant popsicles as swords. Its special attacks are "Strawberry death" and "Blue Hawaiian Death". He finally makes an appearance as a MonsterOfTheWeek in ''Anime/DigimonFusion'', where he is not ''nearly'' as whimsical as that description makes him sound.
* The manga ''Manga/TheEmperorAndI'' is a SliceOfLife about a family who finds an Emperor penguin in their fridge and decide to keep it.
* Sanami Matoh, of ''Manga/{{FAKE}}'' fame draws herself as [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/matohchibi.jpg a person in a penguin costume]]. Needless to say, she's a bit of a weirdo.
** So does Yellow Tanabe (of ''Kekkaishi'') in the manga outtakes.
* There's a whole penguin motif running through ''Anime/IdolmasterXenoglossia'', and Yayoi wears a giant penguin suit on more than one occasion.
* ''Anime/KemonoFriends'' combines penguins with {{Idol Singer}}s to bring you PPP[[note]]Penguins Performance Project[[/note]], whose members include Emperor, Princess (royal penguin), Gen (gentoo), Hululu (Humboldt) and Rocker (rockhopper).
** This crossed over into the real world with the story of [[http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/grape-kun Grape-kun]], a penguin in a Japanese zoo who fell in love with a cardboard standee of Hululu and promptly captured the Internet's hearts.
* In ''Manga/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'' some of the characters are associated with animals. Miu and Shou Kanou are associated with birds due to their fighting styles, Kisara is such an avid cat lover that she adopts cat like moves in her Tae Kwon Do (aka the "Nya Kwon Do"), Ma Renka acts as free spirited and self centered as a cat, and Tirawat Koukin's association with elephants indicates how hard he hits. When Boris first fought Kenichi, he was surprised that the animal that Kenichi resembled was... [[http://www.onemanga.com/Historys_Strongest_Disciple_Kenichi/179/08/ a little penguin]]. This was completely at odds with Kenichi's ability to kick ass in the fight.
** During a later rematch, Boris comments that Kenichi has grown, and his growth is metaphorically compared to a Pokemon-style evolution from a small, round penguin [[http://www.onemanga.com/Historys_Strongest_Disciple_Kenichi/273/11/ into a fierce, plumed Macaroni Penguin]].
* ''Manga/MermaidMelodyPichiPichiPitch'' has a comic relief character, a tightass penguin in a sailor suit named Hippo.
* The animals from ''WebAnimation/MoriNoAndo'' aren't sure whether or not Mr Ando is a penguin. He claims that he is against all evidence.
* Pen-Pen in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' is officially an experiment from Misato's old job, whom she rescued from the labs to keep him as a pet and as a sort-of cure for her loneliness, but he's really just there to lighten the mood. When he's PutOnABus, [[ShooOutTheClowns you know things are headed south]] (metaphorically speaking, since Antarctica is already gone). Pen-Pen's absence in the DownerEnding of TheMovie is quite telling, compared to his brief appearance during the original, relatively upbeat GainaxEnding.
** As a penguin that apparently likes hot springs, Pen-Pen qualifies as the single least screwed-up character in the entire series. And even ''he'' has a tragic backstory. What does that tell you?
** He has now become TruthInTelevision thanks to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=11xs9mFKObs this penguin]] from Japan!
* ''Okoshiyasu, Chitose-chan'', which stars an emperor penguin chick as he roams around Kyoto.
* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
** The penguins love Zoro.
** The Ice Hunter filler arc has the Doom Penguins, demonic red-eyed penguins with ''teeth'' who follow the orders of the Achino family.
** Aokiji rides a giant penguin named Camel to Punk Hazard.
* ''Anime/{{Penguindrum}}'' has penguins that are InvisibleToNormals, as well as being generally penguin-themed.
* ''Anime/PenguinMemories''. It's a story about the horrors of UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar and trying to return to a civilian life while trying to deal with the day-to-day memories of the horrors. And it's starring Mike The Penguin, the 1980's mascot for Suntory Beer. It has to be seen to be believed.
* The manga/anime series ''Manga/PenguinMusume'', for obvious reasons. Then again, the series as a whole has a [[ThemeNaming polar animals]] thing going on with the naming.
* ''Manga/PenguinRevolution'' begins each chapter with a drawing of one of the characters and a real breed of penguin. The first of these, featuring Yukari, has her dressed in a penguin costume.
* Penpen and Onee-san is a manga about a woman who finds a hurt baby Emperor penguin [[TalkingAnimal that can talk]] ([[UnusuallyUninterestingSight but no one cares about that]]), named like the ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' penguin. It is essentially this trope made into an entire manga since most of said manga is the titular baby Emperor penguin being extremely cute.
* The Diamond/Pearl saga of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' gives us Dawn's Piplup, her main Pokémon of the saga. Dawn's ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'' counterpart, Platinum Berlitz, also owns a Piplup.
* ''Anime/PrincessTutu'' has a pianist penguin -- although the show's full of anthropomorphized animals, so maybe it doesn't count.
** ''WebVideo/PrincessTutuAbridged'' plays with this by turning the aforementioned penguin into a superhero, dubbed 'Piano Penguin Man'. He saves the day in Episode 4.
* Nodoka's adorably plump penguin plushie in ''Manga/{{Saki}}''. [[PuttingOnMyThinkingCap It actually turns out to be pretty important.]]
* A... ''thing'' that looks like the offspring of a penguin's head and a yin-yang symbol occasionally pops up in the background, and once as the head for a background character, in ''Manga/SayonaraZetsubouSensei'', and is even given its own credit as "Emperor Penguin" in the opening sequence.
* ''Manga/SchoolRumble'''s Akira Takano sometimes dresses as a Penguin. Once she's wearing it, and she first attracts Sarah, then Yakumo, and finally Tenma, they then all get stuck in the floorboards, Akira then reveals that [[spoiler:it was all part of her ingenious plot to get them all in an embarrassing situation so she could take a picture for a christmas card!]]
* ''Manga/ShirokumaCafe'' has an emperor penguin as one of the three main characters. However, he's the resident ButtMonkey. Other species of penguins appear in later episodes.
* There's an episode in ''[[LightNovel/{{Slayers}} Slayers Try]]'' where Lina is repeatedly attacked by an army of penguins with guns.
* In ''Manga/StrawberryMarshmallow'', one episode has the girls talking about their "dweams". Matsuri's briefly features a penguin (who sort of looks like a penguin from ''Paper Mario'') delivering a letter.
* ''Manga/{{Toriko}}'' has an endangered species in Ice Hel known as the Wall Penguin. [[spoiler:Its spittle is the final ingredient for Century Soup.]]
* Let's not forget Break, from ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'': ''Anime/BeastWarsNeo''. Yes, a Transformer who turns into a penguin.
** Not very well, though. His toy is the very definition of both "kibble" and "shellformer"...
** And if those terms need more, well, definition... you don't have a penguin turning into a robot so much as a penguin forming a shell around a robot. The penguin parts just hang off him awkwardly and aren't integrated into a robot mode... it's like a robot wearing random chunks of penguin sticking off every which way. One of the most -- if not the most -- awkward Transformers in the history of ever.
* The manga ''Manga/TuxedoGin'' has the lead reincarnated as a penguin and having to win back the girl with whom he'd fallen in love right before his death.
* An early episode of the ''Manga/UruseiYatsura'' anime unleashed a horde of penguins to terrorize the populace in adorably hilarious ways, though it turns out the "penguin" is actually a swallow mutated by eating alien candy. The episode ended with the giant bird building a nest in TokyoTower.
* After her adoption by fans at large with the disappearance into history of the air conditioner she was created to advertise, Watanabe Yoshimoto's character Ecoko apparently acquired from somewhere a pair of penguin companions. Of course, she herself wears penguin themed clothing.
* ''Manga/YouAreBeingSummonedAzazel'' has Beelzebub the fly demon, who in the human world takes on a form similar to a stuffed toy penguin thanks to Akutabe's magical barrier that prevents demons of using their real forms.
* Crump from the Virtual World arc in ''Anime/YuGiOh'' uses a deck based around penguins (and ice). As his original body is gone, he's taken the form of a big tuxedo-wearing penguin, the Nightmare Penguin. His BackStory explains this; he was neglected as a kid and his parents fought a lot. To pass the time he read, and on learning how penguins are excellent parents, he became obsessed with them. His life dream is to build a penguin-themed amusement park, but his employer, Seto Kaiba, refused to fund the project. (Unfortunately, in the original version, he was [[DirtyOldMan also a pervert]], wanting to [[GrandTheftMe steal Anzu's body]] because the body of a teenage girl was appealing to his sick mind. Naturally, that was left out of the dub version.)
** Wait, [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment a penguin wearing a tuxedo?]]
** [[http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Nightmare_Penguin A giant blue penguin.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Card Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/PerplexCity'' had a card about calculating a penguin population.
* ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'' the original penguin soldier was a weak monster with a quirky effect. As the metagame developed, it was one of the few early monsters to keep its edge. Eventually an entire series of penguin themed cards was released.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Franchise/{{Batman}}:
** Batman's villain the Penguin (real name: Oswald Cobblepot) is one of the first that started the whole Penguin-palooza. He is also probably the most popular of all the ridiculous supervillains with ridiculous gimmicks that do not look threatening at all.
** Creator/TimBurton surrounded the Penguin with penguins... Carrying rockets. The Penguin was originally a normal human with a tuxedo, Tim Burton redesigned him to be more avian looking, with a long nose and three fingered hands... which places penguins at a creepy level. Afterwards, the creepy penguin-like human design prevailed.
** ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'' featured The Penguin on a more frequent basis than most ''Batman'' media usually does, portraying him as an {{Acrofatic}}.
** ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' had Cobblepot as a British arms dealer with a monocle. On further inspection, the monocle was actually ''a broken bottle that had gotten lodged in his face''.
** ''Series/{{Gotham}}'' focuses heavily on Penguin, and uses the beak-nosed depiction, albeit being much skinnier than most other versions. Here, he has qualities of TheWoobie, being rejected by his former boss (crime lord Fish Mooney), and almost murdered, with a penguin-like limp and zero respect from absolutely anyone. He ends up snapping and murdering quite a few people in his desire for revenge. After his murder spree, he becomes LaughablyEvil.
* ''Franchise/{{Justice League|of America}} [[WestCoastTeam Antarctica]]'' fought genetically altered killer penguins in their only case ever.
* DC antihero ComicBook/{{Lobo}}, who often had a crazed, and often oddly cute, squad of murderous penguins following him around.
* ''ComicBook/TinyTitans'' features penguins taking over Robin's place as a running gag.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* Alex Hallatt's ''Arctic Circle'' stars three immigrant penguins and their friends in [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the Arctic]].
* Opus, the bow-tied, neurotic penguin from ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' (and successor comics ''Outland'' and ''Opus''). Of course, there are those rumors that he's really an auk... Binkley pointed out that Opus actually looked more like a puffin than a penguin, using a graph to illustrate. Opus responded with a graph that showed how Binkley's head looks like a carrot (it does). Opus originally was a one shot character, Binkley brought him to his dad thinking he was a dog. [[EnsembleDarkhorse Penquin Power resulted in Opus pulling a Fonz and becoming the main character.]]
* Frobisher was the talking, shape-shifting companion of the Sixth Doctor in ''Magazine/DoctorWhoMagazine'''s comic strip for some time. His favorite form was that of a 4-foot-tall penguin. He's also appeared (for want of a better term) in a couple of AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho audio dramas.
* {{Convers|ationalTroping}}ed in ''ComicStrip/{{Elvie}}'': Martin says many open source games are remakes of other games with the protagonist replaced by Tux the penguin.
* Gary Larson loved to do strips about Penguins in ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide''
* German comic ''Ingo Pien''.
* Noted political cartoonist [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Oliphant Pat Oliphant]] usually has a small penguin named Punk pop up in his works.
* [[https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petete Petete]] [[note]](the link is in Spanish[[/note]] was a cutesy-looking talking penguin created by the Spanish-Argentinian comic-book artist Manuel García Ferrer, and was beloved by Latin-American children during TheSeventies and TheEighties.
* Since 1925, Alfred the penguin is the pet of French young globetrotters ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zig_et_Puce Zig et Puce]]''. In early 1927, a plushy Alfred toy was merchandised: it launched a huge Alfred craze all over France. When aviator Charles Lindbergh achieved his historical transatlantic flight to Paris that year, he was given an Alfred plushy and brought it with him as a mascot in his flight from Paris to Brussels. Yes, penguinmania is OlderThanTelevision.
* Since 1951, Pingo is ''ComicStrip/RasmusKlump'''s friend, having a [[SpeciesSurName Species Name]] and wearing a Cool Bowtie.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''' comic parody of ''Manga/DeathNote'' features Ned Flanders getting pecked to death by penguins. Here is a link [[http://animoobs.tumblr.com/post/10306672852/murder-he-wrote-the-simpsons-death-note]]
* Sparky the Penguin in Tom Tomorrow's strip, ''ComicStrip/ThisModernWorld''.
* Creator/WalterMoers:
** One short story starts with a German "white trash" guy watching TV. Then, someone rings his door, and when he opens, a horde of penguins enters, starts a party. When he demands to know what this is all about, they show him that today's "international penguin's day". He's happy with that and joins the party.
** In one story by him where nuclear tests in Antarctica create a Franchise/{{Godzilla}}-like penguin who surfs on an ice float to UsefulNotes/EastGermany and starts to wreak havoc. (He's brought down by the ComicBook/LittleArsehole.)
* ''ComicStrip/WhatsNewWithPhilAndDixie'' as an example of a "good" item has a [[http://www.airshipentertainment.com/growfcomic.php?date=20090816 Penguin Generator]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Eastern European Animation]]
* Pin/Ottoriki in ''Animation/KikoRiki'', a GadgeteerGenius with German accent.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* In the ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' fandom, particularly the SlashFic areas around [=McKay=] and/or Sheppard, there was a spat of fiction involving penguins, the characters turning into penguins mostly. Seems to have died down but still brings a smile to many a fan within that part of the fandom.
* There was a penguin trend in ''Series/{{Buffy|the Vampire Slayer}}'' fandom. It mostly involved AlternateUniverse stories where the characters had ''always'' been penguins. Who slayed leopard seals.
* In ''FanFic/BoyScoutsOneHalf'', a ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' fanfic, the character Matthew Atanian often has guilt-based dreams about the fact that he keeps secret from his unrequited love interest Sarah that he and her best (female) friend "Matty" are one and the same person. These dream often seem to involve him being tormented, for no readily explained reasons, by penguins. In one particularly disturbing case, it was a strange creature that was half penguin, half Cardassian from ''{{Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration}}''.
* ''Fanfic/AdviceAndTrust'': In chapter 8 Shinji plays a Strip Chess match against Pen Pen as part of Asuka's plan to get Misato to accept he and Asuka are together (long story). Although Shinji was meant to lose, the penguin pet revealed being pretty good at Chess, beating Shinji without losing its only item of clothing (and apparently he had beaten Misato before). Later Asuka played against Pen Pen to win Shinji and his clothes back. Yes, it is as funny as it sounds.
* ''Fanfic/TheChildOfLove'': When Pen-Pen shows up or is mentioned, it is hilarious. In this segment of the introduction to the final chapter:
-->''Is Pen-pen preparing a super counterattack in order to make Gendo's plans fail?''
* ''Fanfic/GhostsOfEvangelion'': Pen Pen's sole presence tends to make scenes hilarious, especially when Asuka -- who apparently speaks "penguin" -- bickers with him. This is reinforced when the author cut it out from a scene because he wanted it to be a dramatic moment.
* ''Fanfic/HigherLearning'': Pen Pen not only [[spoiler:kept Shinji and Asuka and their family company and almost outlived humanity]] but also [[spoiler:travelled back in time together with Kaoru]] and helped him to carrry out his plan by watching Shinji and Asuka. So you see, that penguin helped to save the world! According [[spoiler:Kaoru]], its help was real valuable!
-->"I even took Pen-Pen with me." He smiled at Shinji's reaction. "Pen-Pen survived the Impact before, thanks to Misato's planning. The entire family took care of him in later years, and because of his genetic alterations, he aged very slowly. I knew he would allow me to keep an eye on you two when you weren't at school." He explained with a laugh. "He is a very smart penguin. I'm glad he chose to help out. I don't think things would have worked out nearly as well without him."''
* In ''Fanfic/TheIkaris'', Pen Pen tends to make the scenes way funnier. Examples include Misato arguing with him about a beer can as Shinji mutters Pen Pen is not even talking about it and Asuka ''Ikari'' wonders if she is the [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Person]] in the apartment.
* ''Fanfic/LastChildOfKrypton'': Pen Pen makes many scenes funnier. Some examples:
** Seeing Misato’s fridge stocked with beer and junk food bothered Shinji so that he threw the junk food away and blamed it on the penguin.
** In TheStinger the penguin is lounging in a hot spring, surrounded by beautiful ladies, and declares he was behind everything the whole time and it went just as planned.
* ''Fanfic/OnceMoreWithFeeling'': Scenes with Pen-Pen are highly hilarious
** Shinji, on a whim, reveals the whole bit about "I'm a time traveler who's trying to change the past to atone for my mistakes"... to Pen Pen. The bird's response?
-->''([=PenPen=]) stared at his back for several long, long seconds before continuing into the kitchen, [[INeedAFreakingDrink retrieving a can]] from Misato's stash, stopping in consideration, retrieving a second, and retreating into his fridge.''
** When a package was delivered to the Katsuragi household while Shinji was at school Pen Pen signed for it. Shinji does not know how Pen Pen did it and he ''doesn't'' want to try figuring it out.
** Misato has somehow turned the bird into an alcoholic and he apparently reads the ''Wall Street Journal'' every morning to check stock rates.
* ''Fanfic/RolePlayingEvangelion'': Subverted. Although Pen-Pen's antics are hilarious, Fuyutsuki is not happy to hear repeatedly his role is so utterly irrelevant that he can be played by a penguin.
* In ''Fanfic/ThousandShinji'', Pen Pen is in the background for most of the fic. [[spoiler:However at the end of the fic he is declared the ''God Emperor Penguin'', holy creature of Chaos Undivided.]]
* ''Fanfic/WalkingInTheShadowOfDreams'': Asuka seems to think so. In the rewrite, when Shinji told her Misato had brought Pen Pen with her, Asuka asked if he also attended the reunion.
* ''Fanfic/NeonGenesisEvangelionGenocide'': Pen Pen becomes pretty good at helping its humans to not totally screw up their relationship. In chapter 10, Shinji is about to leave Asuka alone when she's sick, but Pen Pen “talks” him into looking for a way to help her instead of running away again.
* ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'' features the same penguin-based character listed above, but makes his obsession even ''more'' ridiculous (and hilarious. And also kind of creepy.).
-->'''Crump:''' You just don't understand the beauty of the penguin! They're so aerodynamically ''perfect''. Can't you see it?! The shape... the smell...''(lip-licking sound)'' [[{{Squick}} the taste]] of penguins. Penguins. '''PENGUINS!'''\\
'''Tea:''' ...Are you done--\\
'''Crump:''' Penguins.\\
'''Tea:''' ''Stop saying "penguins!"''\\
'''Crump:''' I can't help it. I love penguins!\\
'''Tea:''' Ewww.\\
'''Crump:''' Platonically.\\
'''Tea:''' Oh.\\
'''Crump:''' [[ByNoIMeanYes ...and physically!]]\\
'''Tea:''' EWWW!
* WebVideo/AvatarTheAbridgedSeries: "Yeah, penguins! Yeah..."
* ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrail'': One of the cars Chloe, Atticus and Lexi enters is the Plush Penguin Car where cuddly penguins serve ice cream and hold penguin potlucks. Well, all except Nico, who has an obsession with bagels.
* In the ''Fanfic/AnotherDayInMisterland'' chapter "A Party for Little Miss Fun", a picture of a penguin in a wedding dress sends Miss Giggles into a fit of hysterical laughter.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* Pudge the Penguin in ''WesternAnimation/CatsDontDance''.
* ''WesternAnimation/HappyFeet'' used this both at the box office, by combining penguins with ''dancing and pop music'', and in-universe, where the sight of hundreds of penguins dancing in unison inspired humankind to begin protecting them. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaidIIReturnToTheSea'' has Ariel's daughter Melody meeting a penguin named Tip, who works with a walrus named Dash.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'', where the penguins [[EnsembleDarkhorse stole the show]] to such an extent, they later got their own [[WesternAnimation/PenguinsOfMadagascar film]]. And a [[WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar TV series]], seen below under Western Animation. It's what the ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' producers were assigned to after they were [[ScrewedByTheNetwork headhunted]]. In Australia, ''[[WesternAnimation/MadagascarEscape2Africa Madagascar 2]]'' was promoted with the slogan "37% More Penguins".
** Invoked in-story in ''WesternAnimation/PenguinsOfMadagascar''; Dave plans to use the Medusa Serum to [[spoiler:turn all of the penguins of the world into hideous monstrosities so people will stop loving them.]]
* One of the earliest examples can be seen in ''Film/MaryPoppins'' during the "penguin waiter" segment, when Bert dances with them.
** Those same penguins would reappear in the toon nightclub in ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit''.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePebbleAndThePenguin'' about a penguin who tries to give his penguin soul-mate an emerald and then gets mixed up in adventures.
* The opposite occurs with the all-CGI Cartoon {{Mockbuster}} ''Piper Penguin and his Fantastic Flying Machines'', courtesy of the good folks at Creator/SparkPlugEntertainment.
* The seventh ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf'' film features Super the penguin, who lives in prehistoric times near a village of prehistoric goats for some reason.
* The ChristmasSpecial ''WesternAnimation/SantaClausIsCominToTown'' features a ''[[MisplacedWildlife very]]'' [[MisplacedWildlife lost]] penguin named Topper as one of Kris Kringle's sidekicks.
* ''WesternAnimation/ScamperThePenguin'' starts of as an animated version of ''Film/MarchOfThePenguins'' with Adelie penguins and lots more cuteness. Then it becomes a LighterAndSofter version of ''WesternAnimation/ThePebbleAndThePenguin'', with same amount of cuteness. Unless you're watching the [[DarkerAndEdgier uncensored version]], which gets pretty violent near the end.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsonsMovie'' featured ''[[UltraSuperDeathGoreFestChainsawer3000 Grand Theft Walrus]]'', a game in which a walrus shoots a dancing penguin. The DVDCommentary reveals that this was a specific TakeThat against the penguin fad.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Storks}}'', had non speaking penguin minions fighting Junior and Tulip for Baby Diamond.
* ''WesternAnimation/SurfsUp'' rode the wave with a {{Mockumentary}} about surfing penguins, albeit to lesser box-office success than ''Happy Feet''. It did get an Oscar nomination, however.
* The first segment of ''WesternAnimation/TheThreeCaballeros'', "The Cold-Blooded Penguin", is about a penguin named Pablo who wants to move to the Galápagos Islands. A detailed tour of South America's Pacific coast makes up for the fact that penguins and Antarctica aren't the most Latin American things ever, though [[TruthInTelevision three species of penguin]] ''[[TruthInTelevision do]]'' [[TruthInTelevision live in Latin America]]. One of them is even '''[[GeniusBonus native to the Galápagos!]]'''
* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'' features Wheezy, a squeeze toy penguin. He even makes a cameo at the beginning of the ''WesternAnimation/BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand'' movie.
* ''WesternAnimation/WallaceAndGromit: WesternAnimation/TheWrongTrousers'' actually has a penguin as [[spoiler:the villain]]. And the penguin made cameos in several early episodes of ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* It is not possible to make a documentary about Antarctica that does not include cute penguins being cute. The earliest Antarctic documentaries, ''South'' (a 1919 film about Ernest Shackleton's expedition, which narrowly escaped disaster) and ''Film/TheGreatWhiteSilence'' (a 1924 film about Robert Scott's expedition, which did ''not'' escape disaster as all five men who went to the Pole died), both include long scenes in which penguins waddle around and do penguin stuff for the amusement of the film audience.
* Although they're not exactly significant to the plot, ''Franchise/AlienVsPredator'' shows that even {{Cat Scare}}s are better with penguins.
* ''Film/AnnaAndTheApocalypse'': The two students performing "The Fish Wrap" are dressed as penguins. Subverted in their second appearance, when they've been zombified and look pretty creepy.
* In ''Film/BatmanReturns'', the classic supervillain The Penguin (a human) was given a ReTool of having been [[RaisedByWolves raised by them]], complete with an army of penguins with laser eye sights and back mounted rockets. [[https://superdickery.com/a-penguin-never-forgets-what/ This]] old Batman panel was probably supposed to be ominous.
-->''"A penguin never forgets!"''
* The EarlyFilms pioneer Creator/GeorgesMelies has a rejoicing crowd of cutout penguins wave to our heroes in his 1912 epic ''The Conquest of the Pole''. [[PolarBearsAndPenguins What these penguins are doing at the North Pole is less than clear...]]
* ''Film/EncountersAtTheEndOfTheWorld'': Trust Creator/WernerHerzog to subvert this trope. He makes a special trip to see a penguin scientist in the wild—and he asks if there are any gay penguins. The scientist says no, but he has seen ThreeWaySex among penguins as well as a prostitution arrangement in which the females copulate with males in return for rocks for their nest. Then Herzog asks if penguins ever go insane. Then we see a penguin toddling off into the depths of Antarctica to die.
* There was a parody of the ''March of the Penguins'' film, ''Farce of the Penguins'', which even has Creator/SamuelLJackson among the voice cast.
* ''Film/FightClub'' has the protagonist have his 'power animal' be a penguin. ''Sliiiiiiiiide!''
* An adorable case in ''Film/TheKingsSpeech'' where King George/Bertie tells a story involving a penguin to his two daughters before they go to bed.
* The penguin popularity can be traced back to the release of ''Film/MarchOfThePenguins'' in 2005, which was something of an EnsembleDarkhorse in the documentary world, moving from only a few screens to spreading around the country and eventually snagging the Academy Award for Best Documentary. There was an article about the 2005 summer blockbuster take, and how it was generally disappointing, except for ''March of the Penguins'' (it beat out ''Franchise/StarWars'' Episode III: ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'' for pure staying power). Commentary in the article suggested that perhaps Hollywood should learn lessons about what movies they should make, perhaps going away from the standard effects-laden summer fare. However, the article then goes on to say that the lesson to be learned for most studio executives would be "[[http://www.comcast.net/entertainment/index.jsp?cat=ENTERTAINMENT&fn=/2005/09/04/214679.html We need more penguin movies]]."
** A sequel [[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5852632/ "March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step"]] was made in 2017.
* The Creator/JimCarrey movie ''Film/MrPoppersPenguins'' ([[InNameOnly very loosely based on the book]]). He inherits the penguins and they make him a better man.
* The [[WidgetSeries weird German movie]] ''Sei zärtlich, Pinguin'' (Be gentle, penguin)
* ''Film/{{Shackleton}}'', a TV movie about Ernest Shackleton's expedition, both lampshades and subverts this. One of Shackleton's business partners says that penguins are cute and they have to have them in their advertising and film as much as possible. An Argentinian bigwig at a ceremonial dinner for Shackleton releases a penguin, which waddles down the table. Subverted later, when Shackleton and Worley have to decide which glass plate photos to preserve after they have [[AbandonShip abandoned ship]]. Shackleton picks up a plate with a penguin photo, groans, chucks it aside and says "No more penguins."
* ''Film/TheTerrorOfTinyTown'': There is a live penguin in the barber shop of a tiny settlement in the dusty West. Its presence is never explained, or even commented on.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/AfterManAZoologyOfTheFuture'' features two descendants of penguins, one of which is giant filter-feeding species very much like a whale called the Vortex.
* In ''Literature/AnansiBoys'' by Neil Gaiman, this was subverted when [[spoiler:Spider kept teleporting around the world to avoid the minions of a bird goddess. When he tried Antarctica, he saw the disturbing sight of thousands of penguins waddling straight at him...]]
* Creator/HPLovecraft. ''Literature/AtTheMountainsOfMadness''. Giant albino mutant penguins. The horror of which is somewhat mitigated by the fact that he earlier, in the same story, refers to plain old regular penguins as "grotesque". ''Everything'' is grotesque. Everything you wouldn't normally see in New England, at least.
* Andrey Kurkov's satirical novel ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_and_the_Penguin Death and the Penguin]]'', about a morose Ukrainian journalist and his equally morose pet penguin, which he acquired when the cash-strapped zoo was giving animals away to anyone who could look after them.
* Patina, a goddess of wisdom on the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' (and blatantly [[CaptainErsatz ersatz]] counterpart of Pallas Athena) carries a penguin with her -- a side effect of an influential statue of her carved by an incompetent sculptor.
%%* Ha-hem. ''Literature/FightClub''. "Slide!"
* Halliday and Resnick's ''Fundamentals of Physics'' textbook seems to have an odd preoccupation with penguins in the practice problems.
* In Creator/JohnCWright's ''[[Literature/TheGoldenOecumene The Golden Age]]'', an AI controlling a mansion takes on the form of a penguin in order to fly through the air with the son of the house, and keeps it despite the objection that penguins can't really fly. It later explains it takes a penguin form regularly as a deliberate pose so humans will understand its motives as best they can. It also uses the form to explain to Phaethon how even a man about to be unjustily exiled can be happy: by following its nature.
* In ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1'', Ford turns into a penguin as a result of the Infinite Improbability Drive. He is told to stop it.
* Young Brooklyn House student Felix from ''Literature/TheKaneChronicles'' believes that the solution to every problem should involve penguins.
** He even manages to use them to defeat an attacking magician who appears to have some form of PTSD from time spent in Antarctica (Antarctica being a [[ReassignedToAntarctica punishment assignment]] for magicians).
* ''L'Ile des Pingouins'' by Anatole France is a satire of French history, as lived by penguins on a faraway island.
* In ''Literature/TheLongDarkTeaTimeOfTheSoul'' by Creator/DouglasAdams, Kate dreams that she's in an attic full of trunks. About [[NinetyPercentOfYourBrain one in every ten]] are full of her memories; the rest contain penguins.
* One of the main characters in ''Literature/TheMagicPudding'' is Sam Sawnoff, a badass penguin and adventurer.
* Creator/MichaelChabon discusses this trope in ''Manhood for Amateurs'', and since he is [[Administrivia/ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontLike Complaining About Penguins He Doesn't Like]] (in animated films for children), one is tempted to claim it as an inversion: "Chances are good that the thing featured penguins; for a while, the movies have all been featuring penguins. Naturally, there were the legally required 5.5 incidences of humor-stimulating flatulence per hour of running time."
* ''Literature/MaryPoppins'': In the first book, a singing penguin performs at Mary Poppins' birthday party.
* Classic children's literature: ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Popper%27s_Penguins Mr. Popper's Penguins]]''
* This book right here ''[[http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PPG28N6/ref=r_soa_w_d The Penguins that went to Santa's Workshop]]''.
* ''Literature/TackyThePenguin'': The heroes of the series are a small group of penguins.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
%%* There are Don and Herb from ''Series/BeakmansWorld''.
* When Music/TheBeatles' movie ''Film/AHardDaysNight'' made its television premiere in 1967, it was on NBC. Since it was in black and white, NBC certainly couldn't use the peacock opening, so they used an animated penguin just standing there flapping its wings.
* ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' the third had King George, the Prince Regent's father. He sums it up nicely:
-->'''King George III:''' Some people say I'm mad, and say the word "penguin" after each sentence. But I believe that we two can make Britain great, with you as the Prince Regent, and I as King Penguin.
* Subverted in the French Canadian ''Series/LeCoeurASesRaisons'': while wandering through the [[PolarBearsAndPenguins North Pole]], Britany gets excited to see a penguin and rushes to it. Much to the horror of Brett, as it ''wasn't'' a penguin, [[MakesAsMuchSenseInContext but a nun]].
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E13TheBigBang "The Big Bang"]] has all of reality becoming extremely warped. One of the background jokes in a museum were the Nile Penguins.
** And then there's Frobisher, companion to the Sixth Doctor in the comics and Big Finish audio plays. He's a shapeshifter who generally takes the form of a penguin.
* Subverted, sort of, by ''Series/FlightOfTheConchords''.
-->'''Jemaine:''' Bret, do you remember, back in New Zealand, there would always be penguins? Remember the penguins? I hate penguins. Do you remember how there'd always be penguins?
* ''Series/{{Friends}}'':
** Chandler is in bed with Janice who likes to cuddle, he thinks to himself: "Look at all this room on her side of the bed. You could fit a giant penguin in there." And then goes on to add a mental remark: "That would be weird, though."
** Huggsy, Joey's bedtime penguin pal, which appeared in a few episodes.
* Best exemplified poetically by the Fox Batman-origin-story TV-show ''Series/{{Gotham}}'', in which young Oswald Cobblepot, a.k.a. The Penguin, is arguably the most complex, ingenious and enjoyable character (played to pivotal heights by break-out star Robin Lord Taylor).
* ''WesternAnimation/FetchWithRuffRuffman''': This is inverted at first and played straight later on "How to Break the Ice and Also Waddle on It" Ruff says how he never had fun during last year's ARGSHAABPO convention, all because he can't relate to Penguins. He's reluctant to go again for this year's convention, so he turns to his Fetchers for help. He sends Issac to the New England Aquarium to meet some penguins while Brian, Bethany, and Liza learn about the art of improvisation while Sterling and Talia stayed in Studio G for the Half-Time Quiz Show. Heck, Bethany's prize was a toy penguin. Due to their efforts, Ruff was able to have a great time at ARGSHAABPO. In fact, he and the Penguins had so much fun that they didn't want the fun to end! The episode ends with all of the penguins hanging out at Ruff's doghouse and Ruff himself doesn't mind at all! [[Heartwarming/FetchWithRuffRuffman Awwww...]]
* One of the titular Hundred Beasts in ''Series/HyakujuuSentaiGaoranger'' was [=GaoPenguin=]. It served as MechaExpansionPack making the larger mecha something called "Ice Sword Arm". It also combined with two other mecha to form a relatively tiny robot. It was number 73, so it wasn't until [[AllThereInTheManual the concept art was released in a book]] that anyone ever would have known about it.
* ''Series/InaiInaiBaa'' has a song called "Penguin Penguin" where the characters sing about various types of penguins. In early versions of this song, U-Tan herself dressed up as a penguin.
* One of the most fondly remembered games by British audiences from the pan-European game show ''Jeux Sans Frontières''is the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2bTwSfWtsE "Penguins on the Iceberg"]] game from the 1974 heat in Aix-les-Bains. Contestants from six countries[[note]] Belgium, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, and West Germany[[/note]] had to collect buckets of water from a waterfall spilling onto a giant turntable while dressed in penguin costumes designed to restrict both their field of vision and their leg movement. Inevitably, the slippery turntable and the increasingly sodden costumes led to the contestants spending more time falling over themselves and each other than collecting water.[[note]] Except for the Dutch, who proved extremely adept at the game.[[/note]] BBC commentator Stuart Hall (and ORTF commentator Guy Lux) could barely speak for laughing for most of the game.
* ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' had a few penguin-related sketches.
** The "Penguin on the Television" routine.
** The giant penguin with electric tentacles from the "Scott of the Sahara" sketch.
** The scientific study that posited the fact that if a penguin was enlarged to the height of a human, its brain still wouldn't be as big as a human's but... it would be bigger.
* The "Penguin Costume" skit from the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' episode featuring ''Film/TheScreamingSkull''.
** And in the ''[[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S03E24MasterNinjaII Master Ninja II]]'' episode, Tom Servo's declares that Bat Masterson -- indeed, all 19th-century Western detectives -- ''should'' have a penguin for a TeamPet. "But there ''may'' be a few puffins thrown in, so be sure to ask me about each one."
* ''Series/NorthernRescue'': The main character, a search and rescue official, and his family take in an African Penguin named Tux, which a lot of characters gush over.
* Invoked in-story in ''Series/OurZoo'', where a major turning point in public attitudes to the new zoo comes when the van transporting a bunch of penguins breaks down and they have to be led through the streets on foot. The locals had been strongly against the zoo up to that point, but... ''awwww, penguins''.
%%* Tux the Penguin in the TV Movie ''Re-Animated'' later turned into the show you love to loathe ''Series/OutOfJimmysHead''.
* A running gag on the Creator/{{ESPN}} show ''Series/PardonTheInterruption'' is Tony Kornheiser's penguin dance, which annoys Michael Wilbon to no end. Once, plushie penguins joined in on the fun.
* The ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'' episode "Pawnee Zoo" had Leslie preside over a cutesy little wedding for a pair of penguins living in the town's zoo. Then it turns out both of the penguins are male, which invites equal amounts of applause from the local LGBT community and scrutiny from the town's MoralGuardians for her. There is a degree of TruthInTelevision that justifies this trope's usage, as [[http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/gay-king-penguins-berlin-hamburg-zoo-moved-homosexual-a6988506.html some zoo penguins are known to get into same-sex pairs with each other]].
* ''Series/PowerRangersJungleFury'' finally gave us a Penguin Zord. A Penguin Zord on a hoverboard. Its ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' counterpart, ''Series/JukenSentaiGekiranger'', featured character Michelle Peng, a [[PeopleInRubberSuits humanoid penguin]] associated with the previously-mentioned mecha. She skateboards. Her Jungle Fury equivalent is the human (and dead) Master Guin.
* ''Series/RedDwarf'' -- Mr. Flibble is a penguin hand puppet a crazed Rimmer [[ConsultingMisterPuppet consults with.]]
* ''Series/WhoseLineIsItAnyway'': Colin, during a "Weird Newscasters" game.
-->"Today there was an accident...a busload of penguins...PENGUINS! They don't do harm to ANYONE! And they only have sex ONCE a YEAR! Oh, the INHUMANITY!"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Manhwa]]
* Both Pororo and Petty from ''Animation/PororoTheLittlePenguin''. It's not surprising that the franchise has become one of South Korea's most popular.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* Satan's Penguins, a black metal band. Covers also show penguins.
* Music/RelientK's first Christmas album, ''Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand'', features [[http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51t4JZtDhvL._SL500_AA280_.jpg a penguin on the cover.]] The penguin shows up again, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking randomly]], on [[http://www.musichristian.com/images/products/_large/63/9780849944963lrg.jpg the cover of a book the band wrote.]]
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu9RictLX3I Luxemborg's entry]] in the 1980 Series/EurovisionSongContest featured backup singers in penguin suits.
* Lyle Lovett has a song entitled "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4ZAaPYimfM Penguins]]", in which he states that he prefers penguins over fancy cars, diamond rings and such because "Penguins are so sensitive/To my needs." Furry penguin FanService included. You're Welcome.
* A music project centered around the animated little penguin Pigloo had several Top 20 dance hits in France, complete with music videos.
* The video clip for Music/JeanMichelJarre's 1989 [[ReReleaseTheSong re-release]] of ''[[Music/{{Oxygene}} Oxygène 4]]'' shows nothing but penguins waddling on the Antarctic ice.
* Music/{{GWAR}} has a song called "Penguin Attack", [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin about penguins 'born of atomic steel' that attack]].
* Soul singer Rufus Thomas had a minor hit with "Do The Funky Penguin".
* Music/BradPaisley's Christmas album features "Penguin, James Penguin", who helps SantaClaus find out who's been naughty and nice.
* Music/FleetwoodMac released an album in 1973 called, you guessed it, ''Penguin''.
* One segment of the music video for Music/{{Queen}}'s "I'm Going Slightly Mad" has guitarist Brian May dressed as a penguin while a real one follows him around.
* Music/FrankZappa's ''Penguin In Bondage'' from ''Music/RoxyAndElsewhere''.
* Music/ChristinaPerri's ''Penguin'' compares one's soulmate to a penguin.
* Music/PenguinCafeOrchestra. The group concept was BasedOnADream that founder Simon Jeffes had in which the titular cafe, with penguin staff, represented escape from a CrapsackWorld. Accordingly their album covers depicted surreal scenes of penguin-headed humans mixing with actual penguins. After Simon's death, his son Arthur Jeffes began a SpiritualSuccessor group, Penguin Cafe, which would take things a stage further with the album ''Handfuls of Night'', for which Arthur consulted with a conservation charity to create a concept album about the life of penguins.
* ''Music/NautilusPompilius'': In the song "Penguin's Jealousy", the penguin is waiting for his girlfriend and is jealous of her for others.
* Brazilian band Paralamas do Sucesso had in their early days, pre-record deal, a song titled [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84zqCzTot6I "Pinguins"]], a big slice of SurrealHumor WordSaladLyrics - the opening lyric is about people going to the beach and wanting to see a penguin, and the next verse states "Penguins I don't see them, they're not on season" and hopes they arrive the next summer, wearing ventilated coats.
* In Music/{{Queen}}'s music video for "I'm Going Slightly Mad", Music/BrianMay wears a penguin costume and walks around with a live penguin.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mythology and Religion]]
* Penguins feature heavily in Myth/PacificMythology, thanks to New Zealand having at least three species waddling around. One, the Fiordland penguin (Tawaki), is a god who disguises itself as a human until it reveals itself by wearing [[ShockAndAwe lightning]], hence its yellow crest.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
* Used for a [[CheapHeat Cheap Pop]]: On the March 13 (taped March 11), 2003 ''[[Wrestling/{{WWESmackDown}} WWE [=SmackDown=]!]]'', which was taped in UsefulNotes/{{Pittsburgh}}, PA, [[Wrestling/LondonAndKendrick Brian Kendrick]] wore a penguin mask, calling himself [[UsefulNotes/NationalHockeyLeague "The Pittsburgh Penguin"]], for his non-title win against [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-c.html WWE World Cruiserweight Champion]] Wrestling/MattHardy.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
* ''Series/TheMuppetShow'':
** During a number on with scenery intended to evoke Hawaii, some penguins came along and started singing. Let's just say that the singing moai in the background is possibly not the strangest bit.
** And there's an amusing little short in which Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker prove that Penguins ''love'' to do the Bunny Hop (with fuzzy pink bunny ears no less!), and the Mambo.
** There's also the theme park attraction ''Ride/MuppetVision3D'', which features the penguin as the orchestra, and they even [[spoiler:pull out a cannon near the end]].
** Brian Henson said in an interview once that his father figured out early on that "If you can't get out [of a sketch], you either blow something up, or you eat something, or you just throw penguins in the air." Naturally, there were quite a few penguins thrown in the air over the course of ''Series/TheMuppetShow''[='=]s run, and ''Series/SesameStreet'' and subsequent Muppet productions have continued this trend.
** ''5, Rue Sesame'', the French Version of ''Sesame Street'', has a penguin character named Georges.
* ''Series/TheNoddyShop'' has a group of singing penguins called the Do-Wop Penguins who occasionally narrate the action going on in the shop, and are prominent in some of the show's musical numbers.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Software]]
* Tencent QQ, a Chinese instant messaging software, uses a scarf-wearing penguin as its logo.
* The [[{{UsefulNotes/UNIX}} Linux]] kernel's mascot is a penguin named Tux.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/BattleSpirits'': This describes the Pentan Empire.
* ''TabletopGame/GURPSTechnomancer'' has intelligent, [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs magic using, socialist penguins with a]] HiveMind that rule Antarctica. They were created when an Antarctic nuclear test unleashed a "magic storm."
* ''Ikuisuuden Laakso'' is a Finnish indie RPG, a philosophical game of epic heroism and tragedy... about penguins. Not a gag product, either, and really very good.
* From the lovable Unhinged joke set of ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', we bring you the [[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=73956 Curse of the Fire Penguin]].
* ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}'', because it's not ''Spelljammer'' if it isn't crazy, has a ProudMerchantRace of space penguins who ride fying pigs and carry swords on their beaks.
* A promotional card for ''TabletopGame/TerraformingMars'' brings penguins to the planet. It’s maybe borderline in its usefulness, as it can only be played when the planet has lots of ocean, which implies that the game is probably approaching its end, but it is most valuable if the player has several turns to add more penguins.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theatre]]
* In ''Theatre/TheManWhoCameToDinner'', Sheridan Whiteside receives four penguins as a present from Admiral Byrd, one of his many famous admirers. They are moved into the library, where they break loose from their crate and one of them bites Miss Preen on the hand.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theme Parks]]
* Ride/SeaWorld features ''Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin'', an entire land centered around penguins; which includes both a ride and a penguin exhibit.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Toys]]
* The Toys/BeanieBabies line has five: Waddle, Slapshot, Snowbank, Tux and Zero (who wears a Santa cap). Also, there's a Beanie version of Pablo the Penguin from ''WesternAnimation/TheBackyardigans'' and Skipper from ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'' (but only Skipper).
* The new Penbo. [[spoiler:She comes with a baby penguin that can be found in an egg in her tummy.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* The first ''VideoGame/AgeOfWonders'' featured the [[http://aow.heavengames.com/units/unitstats_frostling_ts.shtml#Dire-Penguin Dire Penguins]] as the first-tier special unit for the Frostlings, giving the Frostlings a unique (unless the Lizardmen were around) advantage of having an amphibious unit from the get-go. They got [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]] and funny sound effects, and the immense advantage a horde of Dire Penguins (as the portrait hints, it's good for [[ZergRush rush]]) could lend on maps with lots of water.
** Fan [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks outrage at their absence]] in ''Age of Wonders 2'' led to... Dire Penguin return in ''[[VideoGame/AgeOfWonders2TheWizardsThrone Age of Wonders 2: Shadow Magic]]'' as a [[LethalJokeCharacter joke summon]]. These guys have red eyes, a life-stealing attack and their death animation implies they were possessed by a demon. The campaign also has an enemy going insane and ranting about these creatures, among other things. Notably, if you find some obscure object (I think it was a magic box?) on that map, it spawns a massive amount of Dire Penguins all over the place. One or two of these aren't too bad, but they are nasty in large enough groups.
** ''VideoGame/AgeOfWondersPlanetfall'' has penguins return as hostile mobs, though a late-game research breakthrough can allow you to build them. They are also given a comedically high level of threat, with the creation of the variety you fight being treated as one of the Star Union's greatest sins.
* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' has a few penguins at potential residents, but then, you're the only human, so it's not a big shock.
* One of the early and notable examples in the history of videogaming is {{Creator/Konami}}'s ''VideoGame/AntarcticAdventure'' (and its sequel ''Penguin Adventure''), which had a penguin as protagonist.
** Pentarou the penguin became eventually a sort of mascot for Konami, making various appearances in other games (including the ''VideoGame/{{Parodius}}'' series and the 1991 Famicom game ''VideoGame/YumePenguinMonogatari''). The latest appearance is in ''New International Track & Field'' for DS.
** Add to that Konami list ''[[VisualNovel/TokimekiMemorial Tokimeki Memorial 2]]'' : the resident {{Tomboy}}, Homura Akai, loves penguins, so much that she even gets to wear a ''penguin suit'' at one point of the game.
** Also, ''[[VideoGame/MitsumeteKnight Mitsumete Knight R : Daibouken Hen]]''. Among the [[VirtualPaperDoll numerous costumes]] available in this game, the animal-themed exclusive suit for the heroine, Sophia, is a penguin one. What's more, it ''greatly'' boosts her [[RelationshipValues affection level]] towards [[TheHero MacLeod]] if she wears it, unlike the other girls with their respective animal suits (Hanna = Rabbit suit, no boost ; Raizze = Weasel suit, Leslie = Leopard suit, Linda = Peacock suit, all three greatly damaging affection level).
** Konami seems to have a love affair with Penguins in general. ''VideoGame/{{Parodius}}'' features a playable penguin, as well as dozens of penguin enemies. ''VideoGame/{{Otomedius}}'' also stars several thousand penguins as enemies, MechaMooks called ''Pengu''.
* ''VideoGame/ArcanaHeart 2'' introduces us with Zenia Valov, whose ice-controlling default Arcana is in form of a giant penguin.
** There's also [[LadyOfWar Kamui Tokinomiya]], who's shown to be very fond of penguin plushies and even gets into a confrontation with Zenia over them in the former's ending in ''2''.
* In ''VideoGame/AtlantisUnderwaterTycoon'', you can place one zoo building that can showcase penguins among other animals. Which is strange, as the fact that the game takes place in an UnderwaterCity meant that they ''could'' have included penguins among the free-roaming sea life.
* ''VideoGame/AttackOfTheMutantPenguins'' has good penguins aiding the heroes to defend Earth against evil alien penguins.
* The version of King Louis Philippe in ''VideoGame/AviaryAttorney'' is penguin-headed and, appropriately, small and rather penguin-shaped.
* ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooieNutsAndBolts'' includes penguins running around the main hub town. Running one over can prompt the unfortunate avian to complain: "How could you? Everyone loves penguins! Scientific fact!" And there's the robotic ones running around Banjo-Land.
* One of the playable characters in ''VideoGame/{{Battleborn}}'' is Toby, a small penguin whose adorableness cost him the ability to be a soldier in the UPR. So he built a personal mecha to get revenge and make sure no one ever calls him cute again.
* Rodin, the resident ScaryBlackMan and SatanicArchetype from ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' is implied to be ''very'' fond of penguins. In his bar, we get to see an apron with cute little baby penguins with "I LOVE CHICKS" written under it in demonic alphabet. Made even more hilarious in some flavour text from ''VideoGame/TheWonderful101'' where he is stated to seek any kind of penguin statues, plushies and goodies to add them to his collection. In fact, in the game's artbook, we get to see this gem of a picture. [[http://bayonetta.wikia.com/wiki/File:Penguin_Rodin.jpg Isn't it adorable?]]
* In the ''VideoGame/BloodyRoar'' franchise, Chronos is supposed to turn into a phoenix, but sometimes turns into a penguin. Incidentally, the penguin is a ''lot'' harder to beat.
* One of the bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Bonesaw}}: The Game'' is a giant penguin. That fires sub-zero blasts. And summons snowstorms with occasional hail. And flies.
* ''VideoGame/ClubPenguin'' was ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. Players could waddle around and meet new friends on a frozen island. These penguins could be anything that players dreamed of, being able to become secret agents, fly on jetpacks, become ninjas, or become a [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs jetpack wearing agent ninja.]]
* A bunch of penguins appear as enemies in the snow-themed levels in ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot2CortexStrikesBack'' where they'll do a spin attack before getting quite dizzy and shaking it off. There's also Penta Penguin in ''VideoGame/CrashTeamRacing'' and [[VideoGame/CrashTeamRacingNitroFueled its remake]], who originally appeared in a manga based on ''2''.
* ''VideoGame/DeusExInvisibleWar'' features a level set in [[spoiler:JC Denton's Antarctic refuge]] complete with cute little penguins waddling about. In the final level, on Liberty Island, [[spoiler:which has frozen over due to [[PhlebotinumBomb The Collapse]]]] one can activate a [[spoiler:portal to an extradimensional nightclub, complete with penguins on fire!]]
* ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'': Prinnies, dood! They're ridiculously cute exploding murderers (and all other kinds of sinners, really). They're the souls of the damned, working off their sins as [[MadeOfExplodium combustible]] stuffed penguin {{Butt Monkey}}s. They even [[VideoGame/PrinnyCanIReallyBeTheHero have their own game,]] dood!
** They have also appeared in ''VideoGame/PhantomBrave'' and ''VideoGame/MakaiKingdom''.
*** And ''VideoGame/CrossEdge''
*** [[VideoGame/{{Disgaea 4|A Promise Unforgotten}} Fuuka Kazamatsuri]] is a partial adherent of this trope. Don't let the Prinny-themed garb and the fact she's on the Prinny Extermination Squad tell you otherwise. She's one of them!
* ''Franchise/DonkeyKong'':
** Subverted in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble''. Lemguins are enemies, irritating ones at that.
** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'' features penguins as the primary shock troops of the [[HornyVikings Snowmad]] hordes.
* A perfectly ordinary Penguin can be caught early on in ''VideoGame/DragonIslandBlue'' -- for some reason. [[{{Mons}} It soon evolves]] into the crown-wearing Kingpen, complete with [[{{Pun}} tommy-gun attacks]]... and, somewhat later, into [[TheDon Don Penguini]], a penguin dressed like a RoaringTwenties-era gangster, packing the game's most devastating DesperationAttack. So ultimately, an evolution-line based on a combination of a pun and the whole 'they look like they're wearing tuxedos' bit.
* ''VideoGame/DrawnToLife'' has penguin mooks among its enemies.
* ''VideoGame/TheDungeonOfDoom'' counts an Electric Penguin among its monsters. It shoots lightning at you. Naturally.
* ''VideoGame/EndlessOcean'' features Adelies, Emperors, Gentoos, Rockhoppers, African penguins and Little penguins to be discovered. A few penguins even show up on the deck of the boat and hang out with the protagonist when the hidden credits sequence is triggered.
** They return in the sequel, [[spoiler:including two of the legendaries: Snowy the albino, and Big Bobby -- a penguin ''as tall as a human man''.]]
* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' has Mysterious Alter Ego Lambda (aka. Meltryllis, having swapped her primary essence from Sarasvati to Leviathan), who wears a penguin-themed hoodie for her first and final ascensions (and is even surrounded by some in artworks for them). She can also summon them to attack her foes and swims with them in her Noble Phantasm animation.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyCrystalChronicles: My Life as a King'', the Little King is followed around by a penguin who often is more snarky than helpful. Still, he's cute.
* ''Middle Eastern'' [[http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Category:Apkallu penguins]] in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'', though they also share characteristics of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flightless_Cormorant certain cormorants]].
* One of the six playable characters in ''VideoGame/FurFighters'' is a pengiun, he's the only one that can swim underwater and is a bit slower on land.
* In ''VideoGame/GrappleForceRena'', [[PlayerCharacter Rena]] can come across a race of intelligent, talking penguins.
* ''VideoGame/HalfLifeOpposingForce'' has an EasterEgg in Capture the Flag mode that replaces the enemy-following, exploding snarks with [[http://www.eeggs.com/items/16353.html penguins with grenades strapped to their backs]], dood!
* In ''VideoGame/HolyUmbrella'', for some reason, the cottages in Vegette Town are full of penguin statues.
* The "Emperor Penguin" series of special moves are inexplicably among the most powerful techniques in ''VideoGame/InazumaEleven''. Notable variations include Emperor Penguin No. 1, a DangerousForbiddenTechnique, and Space Penguin, in which the birds wear the most adorable little space suits!
* The last bonus pet in ''VideoGame/{{Insaniquarium}}'' is a cute penguin. Which can summon a ''boxing glove out of its beak'' to punch pets and fish alike, either making them drop money or triggering their powers.
* In ''VideoGame/JustDance 3'', the background for the ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MN03T-8CO8 I don't feel like dancing]]'' stage is an Artic-like snowy space with an igloo, and as the dancer performs the choreography [[FunnyBackgroundEvent a penguin with sunglasses can be seen popping in an out of a fishing hole.]]
* There are penguins waddling about the Japanese scenery in ''VideoGame/KatamariDamacy''. (Sure, it doesn't make any sense, but then [[WidgetSeries neither does the rest of the game]].)
* The Iceguin Ace dream eater in ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance'', though things aren't better when they're fought as enemies, due to their annoyingly fast movements and having multiple attacks capable of freezing you solid, which can lead to a CycleOfHurting in the presence of certain other dream eaters.
* ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'' has the Penguin Mafia, [[SerendipityWritesThePlot introduced in 2004 as a way to get rid of excess meat generated by a bug]] but who have hung around in some way, shape or form for years.
** And after the 2008 Crimbo event, [[spoiler:the Penguin Mafia took control of Crimbo, thanks to a one-sided deal between [[BadSanta Uncle Crimbo]] and Don Pygoscelis. The 2009 event involved getting control back from the Penguins.]]
* King Dedede from the ''VideoGame/{{Kirby}}'' series appears to be a penguin, although is [[NotUsingTheZedWord never explicitly stated to be one]].
** {{Lampshaded}} in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'':
-->'''[[MetaGuy Snake]]:''' Are you sure he's not a penguin?
** [[LetsPlay/ProtonJon "He's a penguin!" "HE'S AN EAGLE!"]]
** Also lampshaded in [[TheAnimeOfTheGame the anime]], when a group of penguins with sinister motives arrive on a motorised iceberg.
** The penguins in the anime are based on one of the enemies from the game, Pengy. Inhaling one [[PowerCopying grants Kirby]] the [[AnIcePerson Ice]] ability.
* Riot's newest [[VideoGame/Dota2 Autochess]]-inspired game mode, ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends Teamfight Tactics'', introduced a bunch of cute critters called Little Legends which serve as the player avatar in gameplay. One of the Little Legend Featherknights is a Pengu, Runeterra's version of penguins. Pengus also often show up in winter themed skin lines.
* ''VideoGame/LearnToFly'' is all about penguin that tries to prove that penguins can [[TitleDrop LEARN TO FLY]].
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDarkWitch'' games have penguins wearing goggles that go around by sliding on their bellies while propelled by some rocket-like system. In this case however, everything's ''not'' better with penguins, due to them being annoyingly fast and prone to appearing out of nowhere when you least expect it, making {{No Damage Run}}s an exercise in frustration.
* In the frozen Chillydip Cove from ''VideoGame/TheLegendaryStarfy'' live many penguins. Several act as enemies, others like innocent bystanders that make penguin-like snowmen. And they all are really cute. The boss of both the level and the penguins also is a big, ''very big'' penguin named King Ping.
* Both ''VideoGame/LittleBigAdventure'' games have clockwork toy penguins used as ''weapons''. In the first game, they simply distract enemies, making it easier to kill / avoid them; in the second game, they ''explode'' after a few seconds.
* ''VideoGame/{{Mabinogi}}'': Subverted. There are two different penguin pets available. However, they are not very popular due to being fairly unimpressive -- only average combat ability, average storage space, and no useful or interesting special abilities.
* ''VideoGame/MagicalBattleArena'' knows the value of penguins. Why else would it have ''Manga/CardcaptorSakura'''s main character use [[RealityWarper The Create]] to drop mass Penguin Slides [[DeathFromAbove on top of her opponents]] as one of her Supers?
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork6CybeastGregarAndCybeastFalzar'', a penguin from the aquarium escapes and latches on to Mick (who eventually gives in to its cuteness), prompting the visit to that area. One of the sidequests has you find and capture five penguins who escape from the aquarium (and the cry of "Penguin Get" certainly suggests merit in the InherentlyFunnyWords theory).
** And let's not forget Chill Penguin in ''VideoGame/MegaManX''.
** ''VideoGame/MegaMan1'', ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'', ''VideoGame/MegaMan5'', ''VideoGame/MegaMan8'' and ''VideoGame/MegaMan10'' all have penguin enemies.
* ''VideoGame/{{Miitopia}}'' has the Pengu enemy, which is [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter ridiculously cute]] if not for its spear-like beak and hostile tendancies. It also have a robotic version.
** Also, the Clerics can wear a robe that make them look like penguins.
* Scorpion from ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' can transform into a penguin as an animality form. The explanation for this was that Scorpion did not appear in the original ''VideoGame/MortalKombat3'' (the game with animalities); hence they gave the scorpion animality to Sheeva. In the UpdatedRerelease ''Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3'' (and ''Mortal Kombat Trilogy''), they added him in, and gave him a penguin animality. In ''VideoGame/MortalKombat4'', they rectified their mistake, giving Scorpion the ability to turn into a giant scorpion for a fatality.
* ''Muppets Race Mania'' has penguins as a weapon pickup.
* The Community Expansion Pack for ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'' includes penguins as monsters.
** The Shadowlords module series had a bit of a OneSceneWonder in the third chapter, a totally indestructible penguin.
* Jinpachi Nezu of ''VideoGame/NinjaBattleHeroes'' is a penguin in a light blue gi and straw hat. When recruited, he can be summoned to launch an ice stalagmite attack upward and take out enemies above [[PlayerCharacter Saizo]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Octogeddon}}'' gives us the Penguins tentacle -- an incredibly goofy looking penguin head which shoots SizableSnowflakes at enemies to freeze them.
* Creator/{{Sega}} in the 1980s made two games starring penguins. One was the MazeGame ''VideoGame/{{Pengo}}''; the other was the egg-escorting game ''Penguin Land''.
* Quoted from ''VideoGame/Persona4'': "Damn, I though I was gonna find the penguin today." [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Kanji's]] words, no less.
* ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'': The DLC episode, "Turnabout Reclaimed", has Rifle the Penguin who eats fish and hands out pamphlets for the Swashbuckler Spectacular show. She also has a cute little daughter named Sniper, who resides in Dr. Herman Crab's hair and often plays with it to his annoyance. And did we mention that Dr. Crab has a penguin mask?
* The ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'':
** Delibird is essentially a cross between a northern penguin (an auk) and SantaClaus.
** The evolutionary line of Piplup, Prinplup, and Empoleon. Empoleon is especially awesome. It's a metal emperor penguin with wing blades as sharp as a Scyther's, with [[StoneWall awesome defenses and the second highest amount of resistances in the game]] (second only to Magnezone).
*** In [[Anime/{{Pokemon}} the anime]], Dawn, Kenny, and Barry each have the respective evolutionary stages of Piplup.
*** In ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'', Dawn's mangaverse counterpart Platinum Berlitz also gets a Piplup as her starter. In ''Manga/PokemonDiamondAndPearlAdventure'', Hareta (Lucas's counterpart) gets it instead.
** Eiscue is a penguin that uses an ice cube to protect its head.
* The popularity of the ''Poke the Penguin'' Flash game can be partly attributed to this. And don't forget "Yeti Sports"!
** This penguin would later star in the hugely popular [[http://www.maxgames.com/play/learn-to-fly.html Learn To Fly]], and its [[http://www.kongregate.com/games/light_bringer777/learn-to-fly-2 two]] [[http://www.kongregate.com/games/light_bringer777/learn-to-fly-3 sequels]].
* ''VideoGame/RibbitKing'' has a blue robotic penguin named Sir Waddlelot as one of its playable characters.
* ''VideoGame/{{Runescape}}'' had some penguins for years, had a KGB-parody penguin quest ("cold war") when the penguin fad started, and now has an entire quest series as well as a weekly penguin spy spotting minigame and at least one in the circus weekly minigame. Do the "cold war" quest to know which treacherous human helped penguins build the oversized doomsday mechanical penguin of DOOM!!
* In ''VideoGame/TheSims 2: Seasons'' expansion pack, there's an {{NPC}} penguin that will occasionally walk by your house during the winter season. If you have a snowman built on your lawn/yard, it will stop by to talk to it. If you pet it it will pee.
* UsefulNotes/WiiWare game ''VideoGame/SnowpackPark'' has penguins as its entire reason for being: You go around, befriend penguins, and play penguin-themed games with them (like penguin-bowling, penguin-curling, and penguin-balancing).
* In ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' (the 360/[=PS3=] version, mind you), Holoska, the continent based upon Antarctica (That, or loosely based on Alaska, hence the name) has penguins standing around looking cute, in both the Day and Night stages. The ones in the Day Stages hang around the goal, and jump around when Sonic clears the stage.
* ''VideoGame/SpellingJungle'': Zig-zagged in ''Spelling Blizzard''. They run and swim around at high speed, and can be useful, but other times they're a problem.
** Positively, they can be used to stop Wali in his tracks when ice-blocking around a level or to block a Trickster's attack from getting to him.
** Negatively, they can steal fish on land before Wali can pick them up or intercept other animals that Wali needs to be in a certain position.
* The ice-cave section of ''VideoGame/{{Spelunky}}'' has penguins waddling around. You can pick them up, but there's nothing much productive you can do with them.
* ''VideoGame/{{Spore}}'' has a penguin-like creature called [[JustForPun Knot the Grawx]].
* ''VideoGame/SpyroYearOfTheDragon'' has Sgt James Byrd. A flying penguin that fights with shoulder mounted rocket launchers. He is also the only character in the entire franchise to have free roam in two realms.
* ''VideoGame/{{Starbound}}'' has penguins as a sapient race (although they're not playable outside of mods). They're tech-savvy and are employed to upgrade your ship, and the second boss, Dreadwing, is a penguin space pirate, complete with his own flying saucer and penguin army. Penguin imagery is also pervasive, particularly their bones.
* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros''
** ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'': Penguins inhabit Cool Cool Mountain, and are generally friendly. One of them challenges Mario in a RacingMinigame, while another asks you to bring back her son (who is stranded near the top of the mountain. A penguin is later seen strolling next to a huge snowball's face in Snowman's Land, and is helpful to cross the ice bridge while avoiding the snowman's strong wind blows.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'': If the galaxy you go to has a water theme, chances are good that it will have penguins lounging in the sun, swimming under water, or surfing the waves using manta rays.
** ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'' introduces the Penguin suit, which allows you to freeze enemies, walk on ice without slipping, slide down slopes and shatter blocks, and swim more efficiently underwater. Given that the other powers only give you one power, and the penguin HAS all the power of the ice flower, it is definite proof that Mario is better when a penguin.
** ''VideoGame/MarioKart64'': Penguins are abound in Sherbet Land (which is also available in ''VideoGame/MarioKartWii'' as a retro track), though they're more of an obstacle.
** ''VideoGame/MarioParty5'': In the minigame Pushy Penguins, the players are standing on a snowy coast, and then a multitude of penguins (including big ones) approaches. The objective is to avoid being dragged into the cold water by the incoming penguins, which becomes increasingly difficult as more of them approach. The last player remaining wins, though more than one can win if they survive after 30 seconds.
** In the PC version of ''VideoGame/MarioIsMissing'', if you bother to read the newspaper articles, you will find that they like to run stories on penguins ending up in Michigan or somewhere due to [[BigBad Bowser]] melting the south pole. It's true.
%%** Shiver City in ''VideoGame/PaperMario''.
%%* Zanbar and the Penpader from ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsNEO''
* ''VideoGame/SuperTuxKart'' includes Tux, Linux mascot, as one of the default racers.
* Subverted in ''VideoGame/{{Syberia}} 2''. Turns out that larger, near-man sized penguins are actually pretty dangerous, as one incensed thief learned to his regret after chucking a penguin egg in anger.
* ''VideoGame/{{TAGAP}}'' is a game starring penguins with MoreDakka. And they have a disco club and, in the sequel, a church for ''Saint Tux''.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' has the Penguinist and Penguiner "monsters" which appear to be people in Penguin suits.
* When ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' was ported to Linux, users who tried it out got a free effigy of Tux (see Real Life, below) that their character could wear strapped to his butt. For players with Pyrovision on, Tux will be credited with assists just like the Balloonicorn.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Terranigma}}'', the far north of restored Earth is inhabited by a colony of apparently sapient, igloo building penguins. "Would you like to buy a flower? Make a girl or a penguin talk!"
** Some in NeoTokio also [[DevelopersRoom made the game]].
* ''Thin Ice'' for the UsefulNotes/{{Intellivision}} was a graphical conversion of the Creator/DataEast UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame ''Disco No. 1'', with the dancers replaced with penguins. Duncan the Penguin, the player character, was to have been promoted as a mascot character, but these plans fell victim to ExecutiveMeddling.
* ''VideoGame/TurboPug3D'': You can choose to play as a penguin before beginning a run.
* ''VideoGame/TuxRacer''. Race a MadeOfIron Tux the Penguin down icy slopes.
* The tactical game ''VideoGame/VantageMaster2'', where you play a spirit summoner fighting other summoners for artifacts that let you summon new spirits, one particular spirit is Zamilpen, an ancient demon who apparently was trapped in a never-melting shard of ice. He takes the form of a man-sized penguin. With the ability to incapacitate foes by freezing them. Despite his high cost and reduced land speed (as Zamilpen is a water-element spirit, and has half movement on land) usually outweighing his combat value, he is quite popular.
* Feathers [=McGraw=] makes his return in ''WesternAnimation/WallaceAndGromit in Project Zoo''.
* In ''VideoGame/WarCraft III: The Frozen Throne'' a hidden section of one mission reveals the King Penguin, an invulnerable creature that gives you a ring of protection + 4.
** There is a secret squeaky penguin item that can be obtained in the Orc Campaign.
* ''VideoGame/WarioLand'':
** The boss of Sherbet Land in ''VideoGame/WarioLandSuperMarioLand3'' was a penguin. With a spiked hat.
** ''VideoGame/WarioLandII'' has penguins who throw drunkenness-inducing beer ([[{{Bowdlerize}} or dizziness-inducing bombs]]) at Wario.
* ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' features penguin-type [[TheHeartless Noise]]. They're all [[ThemeNaming named after pop music genres]].
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has mages able to turn people into penguins (Before it was only sheeps, turtles or [[MessyPig pigs]]). That may have something to do with the arctic theme of the second expansion, though.
** Worth noting is that this is done by equipting a minor glyph (depending on level, a character can have up to 3 minor glyphs) that usually give you a small but useful ability. The penguin glyph has no impact on actual combat, and yet is still one of the most sought after glyphs.
** Also, there are two new penguin vanity pets (little critters that follow you around and do nothing but look cute).
** Also worth noting is the (rare) giant penguin known as King Ping.
** And abundance of flocks of penguins which you can temporarily tame and have a crowd of penguins follow you. Wrath of the Lich King has ''a lot'' of penguins.
** So many, in fact, that an Undercity Champion at the Argent Tournament Grounds in northeastern Icecrown [[spoiler:[[http://www.wowwiki.com/Argent_Confessor_Paletress punched one just to get a rise out of a priestess.]]]]
* ''VideoGame/ZooTycoon'' featured emperor penguins for one of your attractions. Oh, and place an Emperor Penguin in the same pen as a UsefulNotes/TyrannosaurusRex, and guess who eats who.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/BrawlInTheFamily'' has King Dedede from the Kirby games, listed in the Video Games section. Notably, his father was a photorealistic Emperor penguin, and his mother fed him the traditional regurgitated chum well into his school years.
* In [[https://derpibooru.org/1178339 this]] ''Celestia's Servant Interview'' comic, Fluttershy learns that wildlife smugglers ditched a cargo of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galapagos_penguin Gallopagos penguins]] when the authorities were on their tail. Fluttershy is ''pissed''.
* ''[[http://www.comedity.com/ Comedity]]'', a comic mostly about the [[GhostInTheMachine personalities inside the author's head]], has a penguin personality.
* Ted the Penguin in ''Webcomic/CtrlAltDel'' is the pet of Scott, who (not at all coincidentally) is the resident Linux guru.
* ''[[http://thedayitsnowed.com/ The Day it Snowed]]'' features truly adorable sentient penguins, and a penguin GOD.
** They've crossed over to the artist's new comic, [[http://www.jackofallblades.com/ Jack Of All Blades]] -- where they've gotten upgraded to ''ninja'' penguins.
* The Adventure arc in ''Webcomic/DiamondAndDazzle'' has a segment where Diamond, who has swapped bodies with Dazzle, struggles to keep up in World 4 due to a BalloonBelly slowing her down. In one panel, Diamond waddles with [[VideoGame/YoshisIsland Bumpty]], [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog3 The Mighty Penguinator]] and VideoGame/ClubPenguin following her.
* ''Flaky Pastry'' mentions a thief who was driven insane by a magical trap such that he now only steals penguins. He briefly appears in a later strip, surrounded by penguins he's stolen, and suggesting to Prism that they go to the zoo together.
* Peki from ''Webcomic/FurryFightChronicles'' is a penguin Combagal who is a member of Team Executor, the Masato Champions.
* ''Housepets! 1X'' by Stu and Jojo, a ''FanWebComics'' based on Rick Griffin's [[http://www.housepetscomic.com/ ''Housepets!'']] features a penguin by the name of Eyesight. Introduced [[http://housepets1x.thecomicseries.com/comics/pl/161520.html here]].
* In ''Webcomic/TheInJoke'' we have two examples. [[http://theinjoke.blogspot.com/2010/03/in-joke-43-jail-bird.html here]] and [[http://theinjoke.blogspot.com/2010/03/in-joke-46.html here]].
* Kakkikomy-kun from ''Webcomic/KakikomiMagicalGirls'' is a penguin-looking creature. He's Shiori's NonHumanSidekick.
* One of the recurring series at ''Webcomic/TheKamics'' is about penguins.
* ''Webcomic/{{Nukees}}'': Linus, a small Adelie who helps Gav escape after [[{{Website/Neopets}} Teri the Terapet]] launched him to Antarctica inside the [[HumongousMecha Giant Robot Ant]]. Shortly after Gav returns to {{Berzerkeley}}, Linus shows up riding the Ant, and since then has saved Gav from virtual-Velociraptor induced death more than once. Fittingly, [[BunnyEarsLawyer Danny Hu]] teaches him kernel programming.
* ''Pengcognito'': [[http://pengcognito.com an entire alternate universe of penguins]]
* ''[[http://shanime.com The Peons]]'', being set in Antarctica, is based off of this.
* ''Webcomic/PokeyThePenguin'' follows one, though in the comic the penguin is probably the ''least'' bizarre thing.
* Pip the Penguin in ''Webcomic/SequentialArt''
* Not in the strip itself, but one of the little notes R.K. Milholland signs off ''Webcomic/SomethingPositive'' with suggested that if one is ever depressed, just Google image search "baby penguins." It works.
* Osborne in ''Webcomic/WallyAndOsborne'', which {{lampshade| hanging}}s the whole PolarBearsAndPenguins trope by teaming him up with a displaced polar bear named Wally.
* Blackbeak, a pirate penguin resistance member in ''Webcomic/TheWotch''.
* ''Webcomic/{{Yosh}}'' features Pen-Pen (no relation to the one from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' -- we think), a talking, sociopathic penguin with a Jell-O addiction. He may also be [[spoiler:well actually, he is]] some kind of demon. In a world populated by mages, monsters, ninjae and robot girls, people tend to do a double-take on Pen-Pen, sometimes going so far as to [[ArbitrarySkepticism exclaim "A talking penguin? That's impossible!"]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''Literature/AboveGround'' briefly features a werepenguin.
* ''Literature/DragomirsDiary'' features a moustachioed, top hat-and-mask-wearing jester named Kierkegaard, who happens to be a penguin. He is also [[spoiler:a sadistic killer and troublemaker, and one of the principal antagonists in the story.]]
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITRdvGnplLU&feature=youtu.be&a= Expressing Myself My Own Way]] uses cute Adelie penguins to explain gender expression. There's a FridgeBrilliance to this, since by themselves penguins do look all the same.
* Lampshaded in ''WebVideo/IdolsOfAnime'''s "recreation" of the planning session for ''Anime/PrettyRhythmRainbowLive'': "Whatever we're doing, ''put a penguin in it!''"
* ''WebVideo/ItalianSpiderman'', episode 6. "PENGUINIIIIII!"
* Some penguins appear in ''[[WebVideo/TheCartoonMan Journey of the Cartoon Man]]'''s montage scene when Roy and Valerie pass through an icy area.
* According to [[LetsPlay/MarioPartyTV Steeler]], the only good thing about ''VideoGame/MarioParty5'' is the Pushy Penguins mini-game.
* ''WebOriginal/{{Mortasheen}}'' gives us the [[http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/wendiguin.htm Wendiguin,]] which is based on the Creator/HPLovecraft example in the Literature section. Oh, and it's BLIND. [[AnIcePerson And it freezes you alive before it eats you. Sweet dreams.]]
* [[http://lenny-n-shoe.deviantart.com/art/Nazi-Penguins-49388124 This image]] could be an inversion.
* After ''Animation/PororoTheLittlePenguin'', South Korea got another penguin that became wildly popular: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pengsoo Pengsoo]].
* ''WebOriginal/{{Serina}}'' has pretenguins, a group of flightless, mostly aquatic canary descendants that have convergently evolved with penguins. They are noted as being playful, docile, and intelligent creatures, and one species, the penpal, has been domesticated by the sea stewards of the Late Ocean Age.
* Website/SpecWorld has [[http://www.unet.univie.ac.at/~a0000265/Spec/Sphenisciformes.html penguins]]; the [[DoomyDoomsOfDoom PENGUINS OF DEATH!!!]] ironically fill the same niche that penguin-eating leopard seals do in our world.
* In ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest'', terrorist and [[FourIsDeath "Big Four"]] member Jim Greynolds apparently has a pet penguin.
* ''Tales of the Abyss Abridged'' turned [[Creator/JohnnyYongBosch Guy Cecil]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D-Xbi3P5yw into one]]. [[MindScrew Somehow]].
* Website/ThatGuyWithTheGlasses:
** one episode of ''Still Gaming'' was devoted entirely to penguin-based NES games.
** The ''Coffee with Bargo'' segment has a story revolving largely around a member of a "priestly class of super-powerful penguins."
* ''Website/TlfTravelAlerts'': On a [[https://twitter.com/TlfTravelAlerts/status/702762554372788224 particularly cold morning]] in London they decided to release the penguins to improve the service. Inevitably this led to [[RunningGag delays]] due to penguins on the line. [[https://twitter.com/TlfTravelAlerts/status/702828360595075072 At least the penguins had fun though]].
* Very amusing [[OffhandBackhand offwing]] DopeSlap in [[http://www.wordstudio.net/gist/fodder/penguin_animated.gif this animated GIF]].
* Psycho Gecko of ''Literature/WorldDominationInRetrospect'' has been known to attack zoos. He tried to break out the penguins one time, [[{{Pun}} but they got cold feet]]. Later, he steals a bunch of them, puts them in helmets and armor, then uses them as ammunition for his "Pengun" which he uses to destroy a meeting of NAMBLA. It's that kind of web serial.
* [[WebVideo/YouKnowWhatsBullshit The Bullshit Man]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMoCgVDbWO0 certainly doesn't think so.]]
* Literature/{{ZOOFIGHTS}} IV had a darkhorse combatant: A lone penguin with a shotgun (and cool sunglasses), who was obviously modeled after the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' penguins. People voted for him simply because "He's a ''penguin. With a '''shotgun.'''''"
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* There are many penguins in the Ice Kingdom in ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime''. The Ice King is often accompanied by penguins when he leaves The Ice Kingdom. He also has a pet penguin named Gunter in his personal chamber.
** In one episode, Marceline's Dad (the Ruler of the Nightosphere and Lord of All Evil) was talking to Gunter, calling him the most dangerous and evil being he's ever met. Gunter slapped him in the face.
*** [[spoiler: This winds up being at least a little true, as Gunter attempts to take over Ooo once he gets his hands on a Demonic Wishing Eye. Later it is revealed that he is an EldritchAbomination in disguise.]]
** There are also penguins in Finn's Imagination Land in "Rainy Day Daydream."
* ''WesternAnimation/AllGrownUp'': The final word Susie gets in a Language Bee is "penguin." She gets it right and wins for her team, but not before wondering aloud, "Why would I ever need to say 'penguin' in [the foreign language]?"
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Aang and Katara go penguin-sledding after they first meet in the premiere. Or rather, [[MixAndMatchCritters otter-penguin]] sledding: the penguins have mouths and whiskers rather than beaks, as well as four flippers. They're still pretty cute.
* ''WesternAnimation/AvengerPenguins'': A British series about a trio of [[BadassBiker biker]] penguins who fight crime.
* Pablo from ''WesternAnimation/TheBackyardigans''. Heck, he's even the first one to introduce himself at the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84-s9dg9Itg opening]].
* Lloyd and Eva from ''WesternAnimation/{{Bernard}}'' are a couple of penguins.
* ''Franchise/CareBears'' has Cozy Heart penguin. He was one of the four cousins to be let off the bus in 2015's ''WesternAnimation/CareBearsAndCousins''.
* Creator/WalterLantz's [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter cute little star]] WesternAnimation/ChillyWilly was one of the earliest incarnations of this trope.
* In the episode "A Chorus Crime", ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'' went ''Happy Feet'' long before ''Happy Feet'' was even produced.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'', Jay sends his parents on a vacation, but due to cheap tickets and a strike at the airport, they end up flying Hindenburg Airways. Their pilot is a penguin. All goes well until Franklin realizes, to his horror, "Wait a minute! Penguins ''can't'' fly! ''Penguins can't fly''!", [[PuffOfLogic whereupon]] [[GravityIsAHarshMistress the plane promptly crashes]]. It probably didn't help that the penguin had been drinking.
** He truly was a horrible pilot, no matter how many stewardesses he bagged...
* ''WesternAnimation/TheCrumpets'' has pink penguins such as the ones Grownboy rescued from a zoo and the ones caged in his house.
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheDeputyDawgShow'' featured a penguin who ran away from a carnival and winds up in Deputy Dawg's jurisdiction. It's 32 degrees outside, which is ''still'' too warm for the penguin.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Edebits}}'' features penguin adults and chicks as it is set in Antarctica. There is one episode where Bet [[PetBabyWildAnimal keeps a penguin chick in her research base]].
* In ''WesternAnimation/FluffyGardens'', a WorldOfFunnyAnimals, penguins are pretty much the dominant species of animals that doesn't have any individual with a DayInTheLimelight episode. Almost every worker is a penguin.
* Parodied on ''WesternAnimation/FriskyDingo'' when Killface is running for president and carries around Baby Lamont, a penguin that he saved, for pure publicity's sake.
* The ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "The Bird-Bot of Ice-Catraz" had Bender join a penguin colony after whacking his head and being reset on penguin mode. The penguins were actually a major part of the episode's plot, but Bender's antics were purely for comic relief. Leela even describes the penguins as what would happen if "puppies and kittens had babies" and swoons over them. Then at the end of the episode we find out Bender spent a good deal of his time turning them militant and man-eating, with the closing shot showing them discovering guns.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy'':
** Grim and Billy seek a Druid's help to battle a Kite-And-Other-Debris-Eating Tree, and he helps them get in touch with nature so they can do it. During the training, the druid helps them acquire a spirit animal. But rather than get something cool and predatory like a grizzly bear or a ''UsefulNotes/TyrannosaurusRex'', Grim's spirit animal turns out to be a penguin. Well, it matches his round, white head and beady black (lack of) eyes, doesn't it? (And it's also very likely a [[ParentalBonus reference to "Fight Club".]])
** There's also the episode where Billy and Irwin see the movie ''Exploding Penguins Three'', which, as the title suggests, is "an action-packed documentary about how penguins [[StuffBlowingUp exploded]]"!
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'', Jimmy called a group of penguins over to help him defeat [[MonsterClown the Rodeo Clowns]]. It turns out they really [[ChekhovsGun do like meatballs.]] [[ItMakesSenseInContext A lot.]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/JohnnyTest'', this trope applies, [[SubvertedTrope unless you tell them that human's ungreen habits are threatening their homeland.]] Then you'd better watch out.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheJungleShow'' has Paul the Penguin.
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' had Lisa see a group of penguins flying, until they saw her and landed while looking shifty.
** On another episode, Homer accidentally hijacks a nuclear submarine. When he surfaces, he is held at gunpoint by the navies of several nations, including the "S.S. Antarctica" a ''battleship crewed by penguins''.
** In "Bart's Comet", penguins are shown flying away from the zoo as the comet comes closer.
* The second season of ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'' introduced an emperor penguin named Olaf, who [[IAmNotWeasel is constantly mistaken for an auk.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/KingArthursDisasters'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Uwjbl6GT5c dancing penguins who protect spell books]] (which King Arthur needs to reverse a [[FreakyFridayFlip body swap]]).
* Two ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' shorts feature WesternAnimation/BugsBunny and a small "pen-goo-in". In "Eight-Ball Bunny", Bugs tries to get the penguin to Antarctica where he belongs. [[spoiler:Turns out he's ''not'' from Antarctica; he's a performing penguin who was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. ("Hoboken?! Ooh, I'm dyin' again!")]] In the earlier cartoon, "Frigid Hare", Bugs ends up protecting the penguin from an ill-tempered [[MisplacedWildlife Eskimo]] hunter. The same penguin also featured in an episode of ''Sylvester and Tweety Mysteries'' and made a small cameo in ''Film/SpaceJam'', as a spectator at the climactic basketball game.
** Notably, this little penguin is pretty much the only character ever to really perturb the usually unflappable Bugs of Chuck Jones' direction -- in "Eight-Ball Bunny", Bugs ends up running into the distance laughing hysterically.
** Creator/TexAvery's "The Penguin Parade" (1938) has lots of great stuff in it, from three penguins stopping in the middle of performing "When My Dreamboat Comes Home" just to make faces at us to the ending after a band ends its torrid performance:
-->'''Band:''' If you people in the audience think we're gonna keep this up all night, you're screwy! And we do mean you!
* The ''[[WesternAnimation/DastardlyAndMuttleyInTheirFlyingMachines Magnificent Muttley]]'' episode "Admiral Bird Dog" has Dick Dastardly and the Admiral (Muttley) in a race to the North Pole. Dastardly thinks he won until he approaches a penguin.
-->'''Penguin:''' This heah's the ''South'' Pole, y'all. North Pole's about ten thousand miles thataway. (''points in Dick's rear direction'')
* As far back as 1929 there is a [[WesternAnimation/ClassicDisneyShorts Mickey Mouse cartoon]], ''Wild Waves'', which features penguins dancing on the beach. Does this make the setting South Africa?
* ''WesternAnimation/MuppetBabies2018'' has Summer Penguin, an excitable and energetic girl penguin who loves to paint.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyAndFriends'' had [[ANaziByAnyOtherName fascist penguins]] trying to bring about endless winter in the episode "Baby, It's Cold Outside". Fortunately, their evil king had a HeelFaceTurn after [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes accidentally freezing his own son]].
* Martini from ''WesternAnimation/OliveTheOtherReindeer'' fits this trope to a T -- in fact, he's kinda badass.
* The Brazilian cartoon ''WesternAnimation/{{Oswaldo}}'''s eponymous star is a penguin who was adopted by humans and now lives in the suburbs of Rio De Janeiro, going on adventures with his friends.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'', which features [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the penguins of the]] ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}'' [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin film series]]. And the three lemurs and two chimps. And an [[PlayfulOtter otter]]. And a [[KangaroosRepresentAustralia kangaroo]].
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePerilsOfPenelopePitstop'' episode "North Pole Peril" has the Hooded Claw using a penguin as a pawn in one his death traps used on Penelope. The penguin seems to appreciate his role if it meant a free fish.
* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'':
** The TitleThemeTune features Phineas conducting Ferb and some musical penguins to play in an orchestra. Even though such has not happened in the show itself.
** In "Bowl-O-Rama Drama", Dr. Doofensmirtz's evil plot involved giant robot penguins equipped with freeze rays.
** Penguins dance along with the gang in the song "Summer All Over the World".
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Pingu}}'', a Swiss [[StopMotion claymation]] animated series about the eponymous penguin and his family. The characters spoke in an untranslated honking penguin language, which children picked up on and went on to annoy their parents with.
* ''Pingwings'' was an animated series about a penguin family. It was in fact the first StopMotion series from Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, who later made ''WesternAnimation/TheClangers'' and ''Series/{{Bagpuss}}''. Because they had not yet set up their animation studio, the series was shot ''outdoors'', which meant they couldn't control the lighting.
* The Rankin Bass special ''WesternAnimation/SantaClausIsCominToTown'' has Topper the penguin, who got lost on his way to the South Pole when he meets Kris Kringle.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheTenderTaleOfCinderellaPenguin'' is an animated short that tells a pretty standard story of Cinderella -- except all the characters are penguins. It's very silly.
* ''WesternAnimation/TennesseeTuxedoAndHisTales''.
* The first ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'' Christmas episode, ''The Toy that Saved Christmas'', introduced a horde of mute penguins. Since then, they occasionally have cameos, such as a penguin dressed as a parrot in the song "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything", or Junior's poor sick penguin in the song "The Yodeling Veterinarian of the Alps".
** More recently, these penguins appeared as the henchmen of Dr. Flurry, the villain in "The League of Incredible Vegetables."
** Although different from these penguins stylistically, the creators of ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'' went on to produce another series by the name of ''WesternAnimation/ThreeTwoOnePenguins'' And yes, it did have penguins. ''In Space''!
* Averted with the ''WesternAnimation/WackyRaces2017'' episode where the racers are stopped in their tracks by a pack of ornery penguins.
* The Season 5 premiere of ''WesternAnimation/WildKratts'' features emperor penguins.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Penguins exist in RealLife. The world is a better place for it.
* In a newspaper article at around the time of ''March of the Penguins'' release the columnist put forth the opinion that penguins were ''proof of the existence of God'', since only a divine being with a sense of humour could create such a wonderful animal.
* The popular [[http://youtu.be/wmQ2jMZzcWk PengWIN]] video of a very lucky penguin outsmarting a killer whale.
* All hail [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nils_Olav Brigadier Sir Nils Olav]], Colonel-In-Chief of the Norwegian King's Guard!
* In certain parts of South Africa, penguins will cheerfully go into restaurants... and people's cars.
* Penguins can wander on beaches on the Falkland Islands that humans cannot because of land mines. (The penguins are too light to set the mines off.)
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tux_(mascot) Tux]], the mascot of Linux. Linus Torvalds visited a zoo and tried to pet one, but it bit him. He claims that's how he got into penguins in the first place and decided on a penguin mascot for the OS.
* Meet [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al7W0kxvHSM TOFU.]]
* Penguins is a nickname for highschool students in Chile due to their uniform's colors. A protest which was 1 month long and nearly every student in Chile was a part of was called ''The March of the Penguins".
* Festo has made robotic penguins, some even capable of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5JHMpLIqO4 flight]].
* The UsefulNotes/NationalHockeyLeague team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Their name has some PolarBearsAndPenguins origin, as it came about because their first arena was in a huge dome nicknamed "The Big Igloo" (which [[ArtisticLicenseGeography unlike penguins]] would be in the ''North'' Pole).
* There is a Japanese megastore company called [[http://www.donki.com/c/index_en.php?lang=en&shopid= Don Quijote]]. Its mascot is a blue penguin with the first syllable of his company's name (katakana "DO") emblazoned on his belly and his pink girlfriend has a giant heart on hers.
* Japan strikes again. Five penguins at a zoo in Shimane Prefecture [[http://beta.news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Strange-News/Penguins-Dressed-As-Santa-In-Japan-Are-Delighting-Tourists-At-Matsue-Vogel-Park/Article/200912215498684?lpos=Strange_News_Article_Related_Content_Region_2&lid=ARTICLE_15498684_Penguins_Dressed_As_Santa_In_Japan_Are_Delighting_Tourists_At_Matsue_Vogel_Park are wishing visitors a flappy Christmas]].
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penguin_Books Penguin Books]]
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penguin_(biscuit) Penguin biscuits]]
* [[http://www.thelittlepenguin.com/ Little Penguin wine.]] It's a pretty good wine for the price;and there is an adorable penguin on the label.
* There is a small island off the coast of Western Australia, near Perth, called [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penguin_Island_(Western_Australia) Penguin Island]]. It is home to a large colony of fairy penguins and a small conservation facility. The only reason any one goes there is to see the penguins
* There is a town in Tasmania called Penguin. It has a large penguin statue (containing asbestos), penguins on the rubbish bins, small penguin statues, shops named after penguins, shops selling penguins and more. Other than that, its pretty dull. Definitely better with penguins.
* [[UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}} Scottish]] Beer Maker "Brew Dog" has a beer called ''[[http://www.brewdog.com/tactical_nuclear_penguin.php Tactical Nuclear Penguin]]'' it was for a time, at 32% alcohol by volume, the strongest beer in the world. They've since brewed a stronger one.
* The late Argentinian President Nestor Kirchner and his collaborators were nicknamed "The Penguins" because of Kirchner's birth place in the South of Argentina and his bird-like nose.
* Chester Zoo now have [[http://www.chesterzoo.org/must-sees/web-cams/penguin-webcam webcams]] in their penguin enclosure, as does [[https://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/webcams/penguin-cam/#penguincam Edinburgh Zoo]], the home of the above-mentioned Sir Nils Olav.
* From the cast commentary for ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheTwoTowers'':
-->'''Brad "Wormtongue" Douriff:''' Who wouldn't want to go to New Zealand, they have ''penguins'' for Chrissakes!
* Sometimes [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Order Dominican Order]] uses a penguin as their {{mascot}}, due to their traditional black and white habits.
* Theta Phi Alpha, a women's fraternity (sorority), uses the penguin as its mascot.
* In New Zealand, there is a brand of chips called "Bluebird". However, there's no bluebirds in sight. Instead, [[http://www.shopnewzealand.co.nz/images/chip_pack.jpg its mascot is a penguin surfing on a chip!]] Needless to say, it's a popular chippy brand in NZ.
* Brazilian retail chain Ponto Frio -- name originated from translating the Sears' Coldspot refrigerator line they sold -- has a penguin as its mascot. In the social age era, the company opted to use it extensively: their url shortener is "pingu.im", their Website/{{Twitter}} is supposedly a CharacterBlog for the penguin, and their Website/{{Facebook}} has albums such as [[http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151914604460717.880782.222977965716&type=3 this.]]
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penguin_diagram Penguins in high energy physics]], due to a lost bet.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFAK8Vj62WM A penguin falls over, resulting in the best reaction ever]].
* Former Major League Baseball player Ron Cey was nicknamed "The Penguin" by his college coach for his "waddling" running gait. In his stints with the Dodgers, Cubs, and Athletics, his home runs were credited to "Penguin Power".
* Smaller zoos that lack the facilities for large animals often feature penguins among their most heavily-promoted attractions, because they're active, photogenic animals that children love to watch.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11xs9mFKObs A Japanese pet penguin goes to buy fish at the local fish store and carries it in a]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Pingu}} Pingu-shaped backpack]].
* Among the Turkish-speaking part of the internet, penguins have become a [[MemeticMutation memetic shorthand]] for clumsy attempts at government censorship. This has its roots in two incidents:
** First comes from the government trying to prosecute a satire magazine, Penguen (Whose naming almost certainly plays this trope straight) for [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32302697 making fun of the then-Prime Minister Erdogan]].
** The second comes from the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gezi_Park_protests Gezi Park Protests of 2013]]. While almost every major international news outlet covered the protests, [[http://www.rferl.org/content/turkey-protests-penguins-symbol/25008120.html CNN Turk was more interested showing a documentary on penguins]], drawing widespread mockery and derision.
* Though it also features other fiberglass animals like a kangaroo and a giraffe, there is [[http://kcparks.org/park/penguin-park/ a park in Kansas City, Missouri named after its most iconic feature, Penguin Park.]]
** The penguin and many of the other fiberglass features used to be playground equipment ... the penguin, for instance, contained a slide ... but most of that has been removed (probably for liability reasons; the penguin slide was rather steep due to space limitations) and today they're just sculptures.
* Like all birds, penguins are dinosaurs. That makes penguins a whole lot better.
* In France, inhabitants of the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manche Manche]] department sometimes jokingly refer themselves as "Manchots" ("Penguins" in France), due to phonetic proximity with the official demonym ("Manchois").
* Canadian big-box retail real estate firm [=SmartCentres=] has penguins as its mascot.
[[/folder]]

''...'cause penguins are so sensitive to my needs.''

* Canadian big-box retail real estate firm SmartCentres has penguins as its mascot.

* Since 1925, Alfred the penguin is the pet of French young globetrotters ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zig_et_Puce Zig et Puce]]''. In early 1927, a [[EverythingsBetterWithPlushies plushy Alfred toy was merchandised]]: it launched a huge Alfred craze all over France. When aviator Charles Lindbergh achieved his historical transatlantic flight to Paris that year, he was given an Alfred plushy and brought it with him as a mascot in his flight from Paris to Brussels. Yes, penguinmania is OlderThanTelevision.

* ''VideoGame/ClubPenguin'' is Disney's {{MMORPG}} for children.

[[folder:Films — Animation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/WallaceAndGromit: The Wrong Trousers'' actually has a penguin as [[spoiler:the villain]]. And the penguin made cameos in several early episodes of ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot''.

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]

* The Diamond/Pearl saga of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' gives us Dawn's Piplup, the main Pokémon of TheChick of the saga. Dawn's ''Manga/PokemonAdventures'' counterpart, Platinum Berlitz, also owns a Piplup.

* ''Webcomic/{{Nukees}}'': Linus, a small Adelie who helps Gav escape after [[{{Website/Neopets}} Teri the Terapet]] launched him to Antarctica inside the [[HumongousMecha Giant Robot Ant]]. Shortly after Gav returns to {{Berzerkeley}}, Linus shows up riding the Ant, and since then has saved Gav from virtual-[[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs Velociraptor]] induced death more than once. Fittingly, [[BunnyEarsLawyer Danny Hu]] teaches him kernel programming.

* Like all birds, penguins are [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs dinosaurs]]. That makes penguins a whole lot better.

* The ''[[WesternAnimation/DastardlyAndMuttleyInTheirFlyingMachines Magnificent Muttley]]'' episode "Admiral Bird Dog" has Dick Dastardly and the Admiral (Muttley) in a race to the North Pole. Dastardly thinks he won until he approaches a penguin

-->'''Band:''' If you think we're gonna keep this up all night, you're screwy! And we do mean you!