History Main / LivingWeapon

* Both Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter's works feature a plant designed to grow on the Moon, taking all its necessities from the lunar soil, and to germinate by firing its seed as a projectile. In Clarke's short story, [[spoler:the inventor unwittingly leans over the thing just as it germinates]], with obvious results. In Baxter's novel ''Space'', a similar creation is transplanted to [[spoiler:Mercury]], where it [[spoiler:takes over the entire surface of the planet]] and plays the central role in Humanity's CrowningMomentofAwesome against the alien invaders.

* Approximately half the cast of ''SoulEater'' is this, being humans who can transform into physical weapons. The other half of the cast are the "meisters" who wield these weapons.
** An even better example would be Crona and Ragnarok. The result of a witch's experiment, Crona had all of his blood replaced with a substance called "Black Blood" (not 'that' BlackBlood) that was created in part by melting down the living weapon Ragnarok. The result is a mentally unstable TykeBomb [[BloodyMurder whose weaponized blood]] has its own distinct personality.

* ''HalfLife'' has a "hornet gun", basically a living alien beehive which shoots a constantly replenishing supply of [[BeeBeeGun bee-like aliens]].

** Lilynette is effectively Starrk's zanpakuto, being part of yet separate (and having a different personality) from him. Ukitake and Kyoraku are quite bemused by seeing pistol!Lilynette and Starrk arguing loudly. Perhaps their own zanpakuto aren't so chatty.

[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ThatBackgroundIsGone_898.jpg]]

# Weaponised Ally: Similarly to the above, this is an ally who can serve as a weapon. An improvised version of this (i.e. picking up an ally and using them to strike an enemy) could overlap with GrievousHarmWithABody if a habit is made of it. Sometimes [[VoluntaryShapeshifting more exotic solutions]] present themselves of course...

Compare: EmpathicWeapon, where the weapon has some sort of mind of its own but isn't necessarily "alive"; {{Mon}}s, where most of the combat is based around type 1's; ShapeshifterWeapon, which overlaps with type 2, ImprobableWeaponUser, who could use one of these; EvolvingWeapon, which can be justified by this, and LoyalPhlebotinum. See NaturalWeapon for weapons which are part of the user but not independently living things.

* Most or all of the weapons in ''{{Prey}}'', in keeping with the LivingShip.

[[quoteright:330:[[SoulSeries http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/soul_edge_9934.jpg]]]]

* {{Soul Eater}} weapons are type 2. VoluntaryShapeshifting is involved.

* Fina from ''SkiesOfArcadia'' uses her pet (a creature called Cupil) as a weapon.
* The majority of monsters in the ''ResidentEvil'' were created to be these. Although the ones that could follow orders had an alarming tendancy to become[[{{Understatement}} ...less controlled]].
* Warhammer40K's Tyranids (and by extension, the [[{{Starcraft}} Zerg]]) are Type 1, being entire species evolved to serve as weaponry, controlled by more advanced creatures. Said weapons are either natural (shooting spines, claws...) or rather contrived (bio-plasma, symbiote (Mutalisk attacks are Type 2)).
** Tyranids fall under ''all three types''. They're made solely to kill anything that isn't a Tyranid, their weapons are specially designed creatures that are melded to the larger Tyranids, and... every single thing in a Tyranid force is a living creature.
** Also from {{Warhammer 40000}} are the Orks. They are believed to be created by a group of beings called Brain Boyz as a weapon against the Necrons. They are quite effective weapons against them, unfortunately the same is true of everyone else. Of course technically the Brain Boyz were themselves created to be their controllers by the [[{{Precursors}} Old Ones]].
* The entire [[{{Starcraft}} Zerg race]].
* It is implied in some sources that the Xenomorphs from {{Aliens}} are this.

* Similarly the the Resident Evil example, TheVirus in {{Prototype}}, but this is more of a subversion, as the scientists of Blackwatch ''tried'' this and got majorly screwed ''[[spoiler: twice]]''.

* Tolkein [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Middle-earth_animals liked this trope]]. ''LordOfTheRings'' contains trolls, mûmakil, wargs, fell beasts, etc. Apparently Morgoth originally bred [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Smaug's]] ancestors for use as living weapons as well.
* In ''OnePiece'', Doctor Vegapunk has apparently done extensive research into the nature and abilities of Devil Fruits, even making inanimate objects able to eat them. There have been a gun and a sword who have respectively eaten the Inu-Inu (Dog-Dog) Fruit: Model Dachshund and Zou-Zou (Elephant-Elephant) Devil Fruits respectively, resulting in a dog that sneezed explosive baseballs and an elephant that could transform into a sword. Of course, this being ''One Piece'', [[RuleOfCool it basically turns out just how you would expect]].
* The Jinchuuriki from ''{{Naruto}}'' are essentially this, or were at least meant to be. Yes, even Naruto himself. I wouldn't call them that though, they may not take it well.
* WheelOfTime had Trollocs, Myrddraal, Darkhounds, Gholam, Draghkar, and Jumara (collectively called Shadowspawn) all created by Aginor to be living weapons of the side of the Dark One.
* In ''CaveStory'', a mimiga who eats one of the red flowers would grow exponentially larger, stronger, and more resilient. They then lose their minds and normally go uncontrollably berserk, but a person who wears the Demon Crown is capable of controlling them and making them fight at his side.
* In ''{{BlazBlue}}'', [[{{Catgirl}} the Kaka clan]] (and by extension Taokaka, one of the playable characters). They were created from [[spoiler: Jubei's DNA]] to combat the Black Beast almost 100 years earlier, can only reproduce (asexually) if there are less than 100 of them and can process [[TheCorruption Seifer]] naturally and use it to manifest glowing energy claws.
** In addition to her entry in Type 2, Rachel Alucard has a frog called George XIII hop towards her opponent and electrocute them as a ranged attack.
* The ''HeraldsOfValdemar'' series has the [[CoolHorse Shin'a'in battlesteeds]]. Unlike your average warhorse, these have been bred over centuries to be the ultimate fighting mount (possibly with some magic help at the beginning). Smart, obedient, and capable of distinguishing and killing enemies without any direction, they make a deadlier team with a human than another human would. They're also good at tasks such as guarding camps and equipment, finding water in the forest, and carrying injured riders to get help. What they aren't good at is being pretty; looks had no priority in the breeding program and the steeds resemble roughly-carved horse-shaped granite.

* In SuzumiyaHaruhi, Yuki Nagato and Itsuki Koizumi are living weapons. Koizumi, in closed space, can create energy attacks. Nagato can manipulate data, and thus, reality itself. When they fight the giant cave cricket, Koizumi wipes out his opponent in 2 attacks, and states in the novels that his powers are at 10%. During the Asakura/Nagato fight, Nagato can protect Kyon, and force a deletion program through Asakura's firewall. She gets badly beaten up, getting 6 spikes through her, and 2 energy tentacles through the chest, thus fucking up her lungs. She wins, and gets better, of course.

* The Eldel Raids of ElementalGelade are (generally hot) girls and women who form a bond with a human to tansform into absolutely devestating weapons. The downside to this is that they then have to re-charge through some way or another, for example, excessive eating or sleeping.

* The zanpakuto in {{Bleach}} are this in reverse; they start off as empathetic weapons and eventually begin to manifest a corporeal form to attack alongside their wielder.
* A CrowningMomentofFunny version happens in One Piece, when Zoro and Usopp are chained together with indestructible Sea-Stone handcuffs Usopp attaches himself to Zoro's arm and is given a name as a katana, something like [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzS_cNnpOFM this]]
* The video game ''Whiplash'', as seen [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tpWx2CFasg here]].
* Wolverine has Colossus hurl him as a living projectile in X-Men. This has evolved into an in-joke referred to as the "FastballSpecial."
* The video game ''EveOfExtinction'' features weapons made by converting a human's neural structure into an operating system, the most powerful one's being the protagonist's girlfriend and [[spoiler: TheDragon, who also happens to be TheManBehindTheMan]]. Although its not made clear if former's an actual type 2, she can project some sort of hologram or the cutscenes show her in humanoid form for convenience sake [[spoiler: TheDragon]] certainly is.
* The Shock Attack Gun from Warhammer 40K launches grots and attack squigs through the rift into the midst of enemy lines.
* [[SamAndMax Sam]] sometimes uses [[SamAndMax Max]] as a weapon or anything needed in the moment. Taking to some extremes in the classic ''Hit the Road'' where Max is part of the inventory.
* In ''BlazBlue'' Rachel Alucard uses her {{Non Human Sidekick}}s [[MegaNeko Nego]] and [[FunSize Gii]] as weapons ([[ButtMonkey and shields]]).
* IN the online game Ghost X you gain a "nanobot", which is basicly a creature that can turn into a weapon.
* ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha [=StrikerS=]'' has Unison Devices, which are basically tiny mages that can fuse with other mages and give them more power. [[spoiler:Reinforce, Reinforce Zwei, and Agito]] are examples.

* HalfLife has a "hornet gun", basically a living alien beehive which shoots a constantly replenishing supply of [[BeeBeeGun bee-like aliens]].
** The ''Opposing Force'' expansion also introduced the [[http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Shock_Roach Shock Roach]], [[http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Spore_Launcher the spore launcher]] ([[WordOfGod said to be]] [[http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Shock_Trooper#Infant_version Shock Trooper babies]]) and the [[http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Barnacle#Application Barnacle]] [[GrapplingHookPistol Grapple]].
* ''{{Geneforge}}'' has several type 3 weapons, most notably the "batons," gun stand-ins that eat and mate. (Also, creations are type 1, but they're {{Mons}}, so no matter.)

* "Ophitech" in the TabletopGames setting "The Day After Ragnarok" falls under Type 3.
* Most or all of the weapons in ''{{Prey}}'', in keeping with the LivingShip.
* The demonic sword SoulEdge appears to be alive and even has an enormous eye.

* The EVA units from ''{{Neon Genesis Evangelion}}''.
* [[http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-127 SCP-127, The Living Gun]] ('''''warning, page image may be slightly {{Squick}}y!''''') from the {{SCP Foundation}}. On the outside, it's a totally normal MP5K. Except the magazine is locked in place. It shoots ''teeth'' - see the page image.

* Crazy RealLife example: [http://www.cracked.com/article_18598_the-6-most-unlikely-partners-in-animal-kingdom_p2.html The Boxer Crab]].

[[quoteright:330:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/soul_edge_9934.jpg]]

# [[{{Mons}} Trained Creatures]]: A creature which has been trained specifically to act as a weapon by fighting alongside its handler. A real world example of this would be an attack or hunting dog. To qualify, the creature in question must specifically follow the orders of its handler (it's not enough to throw someone into a cageful of lions, you have to be able to make the lions fight alongside you) and have combat as its primary purpose (so a mount that happens to be rode into battle doesn't count). It must otherwise act independently. The WeaponOfChoice for TheBeastmaster.

Compare: EmpathicWeapon, where the weapon has some sort of mind of its own but isn't necessarily "alive"; {{Mon}}s, where most of the combat is based around type 1's; ShapeshifterWeapon, which overlaps with type 2, ImprobableWeaponUser, who could use one of these; EvolvingWeapon, which can be justified by this, and LoyalPhlebotinum. See NaturalWeapon for weapons which are part of the user but not independantly living things.

[[quoteright:330:[[NeonGenesisEvangelion http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Neon_Genesis_Evangelion_001_3101.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:330:[[IncrediblyLamePun Three type threes.]]]]

# Bioweapon: This is simply a subtrope of OrganicTechnology; an otherwise normal, user controlled weapon which happens to be a living thing. To qualify, it must be alive when it is used (so a slingshot made from a springy Y shaped branch doesn't count, but if it was still attached to a living tree it would) and it must be separate from the user (so claws don't count, since they're part of the creature that uses them; removing the claws from a creature and strapping them to your hand doesn't count since they're no longer a living thing, but a creature that happens to resemble a claw shaped glove that could be worn by another creature would).

Compare: EmpathicWeapon, where the weapon has some sort of mind of its own but isn't necessarily "alive"; {{Mon}}s, where most of the combat is based around type 1's; ShapeshifterWeapon, which overlaps with type 2, ImprobableWeaponUser, who could use one of these; EvolvingWeapon, which can be justified by this, and LoyalPhlebotinum.

* [[SamAndMax Sam]] sometimes uses [[SamAndMax Max]] as a weapon or anything needed in the moment. Taking to some extremes in the classic ''Hit the Road'' where Max is part of the inventory

* IN the online game Ghost X you gain a "nanobot", which is basicly a creature that can turn into a weapon

** The ''Opposing Force'' expansion also introduced [[http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Spore_Launcher the spore launcher]] the [[http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Shock_Roach Shock Roach]] and the [[http://half-life.wikia.com/wiki/Barnacle_Gun Barnacle Gun]]

* A CrowningMomentofFunny version happens in One Piece, when Zoro and Usopp are chained together with indestructible SeaStone handcuffs Usopp attaches himself to Zoro's arm and is given a name as a katana, something like [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzS_cNnpOFM this]]

* A CrowningMomentofFunny version happens in One Piece, when Zoro and Usopp are chained together with indestructible SeaStone handcuffs Usopp attaches himself to Zoro's arm and is given a name as a katana, something like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzS_cNnpOFM

<<|CombatTropes|>>
<<|WeaponsAndWieldingTropes|>>