History Main / OctopoidAliens

* The Thermians from ''Film/{{GalaxyQuest}}'' have this as their default form, but [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith they disguise themselves as humans so that the main cast will understand them.]]

* The Boov from ''WesternAnimation/Home'' are also like this, with multiple tentacles in place of humanoid legs and an ability to change color.

* The heptapods in ''Film/{{Arrival}}'' are very similar to giant octopus aliens, of course except because they have seven tentacles.

* In ''VideoGame/EarthBound'', Lesser Mooks and Mook Seniors are aliens with octopus-like bodies.

* Korosensei from ''Manga/AnsatsuKyoushitsu'' is initially thought to be one of these, [[spoiler:before it's revealed that he's an artificial being created on Earth, and that his octopus form isn't even his real form]].

* ''ComicBook/DoctorStrange'': [[EldritchAbomination Shuma-Gorath]] is a Western example, though he's been [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff very popular in Japan]] due to his appearances in the ''[[CapcomVsWhatever Marvel vs. Capcom]]'' series.

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* The extra-dimensional alien encountered by Crichton in the ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' episode "Through the Looking Glass" resembled a cephalopod dwelling in a strange non-aquatic medium.

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This kind of alien is especially popular in Japan (particularly of the Martian variety,) replacing the LittleGreenMen and TheGreys that are often seen as the archetypical aliens in American media. Japan's take on the concept usually has them with large octopus, squid or jellyfish-like {{Cephalothorax}} bodies and long tentacles usually used to stand, or to hold things.

[[HPLovecraft Lovecraftian]]-inspired {{Eldritch Abomination}}s often fall into this role, with giant tentacles (often of the octopus variety) sometimes being all you can see of the creature.

!Examples

%%* When [[spoiler: Chao Lingshen]] from ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' reveals that she's a Martian, everyone present reacts by imagining her as one of these.

%%* K from ''Anime/PuniPuniPoemy'' [[TomatoInTheMirror eventually discovers that he and his family are these]] (despite the fact that his parents don't even bother to disguise themselves, he goes to school in a UFO, and is even wearing a fake human body over his tentacles.)
%%* Korosensei from ''[[Manga/AnsatsuKyoushitsu Assassination Classroom]]'' is initially thought to be one of these, [[spoiler: before it's revealed that he's an artificial being created on Earth, and that his octopus form isn't even his real form.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': The aliens Kang and Kodos are green with helmets and have squid-like bodies.

* ''Creator/HPLovecraft'' may be the trope codifier with the description of the Great Old Ones and related creatures. Most of them involve tentacles of some kind, and his most famous character, Cthulhu explicitly has a face that resembles an octopus, albeit crossed with a human skull.

%%* The Mars People from the ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'' series are perhaps the most prominent example.

The design is [[http://www.bogleech.com/scrapbook/scrapmars.html possibly inspired]] by Creator/HGWells' ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds''.

* In ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' there are giant space squid from Mars, one of them wants to invade the Earth, or, in other episode, at least wants to steal an invent from InvExpo. [[spoiler: Kowalski only thinks this. Actually, the squid wants his invent - robotic hand. ]]

* When [[spoiler: Chao Lingshen]] from ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' reveals that she's a Martian, everyone present reacts by imagining her as one of these.

* K from ''Anime/PuniPuniPoemy'' [[TomatoInTheMirror eventually discovers that he and his family are these]] (despite the fact that his parents don't even bother to disguise themselves, he goes to school in a UFO, and is even wearing a fake human body over his tentacles.)
* Korosensei from ''[[Manga/AnsatsuKyoushitsu Assassination Classroom]]'' is initially thought to be one of these, [[spoiler: before it's revealed that he's an artificial being created on Earth, and that his octopus form isn't even his real form.]]

* The Daleks of ''Series/DoctorWho''. The outer shells are essentially life-suppourt/transportation devices, but on the comparatively rare occasions the actual dalek creatures inside them are shown, they are very cephalopod-like.

* The extra-dimensional alien encountered by Crichton in the ''{{Farscape}}'' episode "Through the Looking Glass" resembled a cephalopod dwelling in a strange non-aquatic medium.

* The Mars People from the ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'' series are perhaps the most prominent example.

* EldritchAbomination [[DoctorStrange Shuma-Gorath]] is a Western example, though he's been [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff very popular in Japan]] due to his appearances in the ''[[CapcomVsWhatever Marvel vs. Capcom]]'' series.

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