History Main / OurGargoylesRock

* In ''Literature/TheAlchemyOfStone'' gargoyles are a dying race, born of the living rock and once able to shape it by their will, a power they have now lost. [[spoiler: In the end an alchemist, at their request finds a way to make them flesh, mortal and, it's implied capable of reproduction]]

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter,'' both the Staffroom and Headmaster's Office are guarded by gargoyles, which in this setting are just statues brought to life by magic. They're job is to just move aside for anyone who gives the correct password and snarkily deny access to those who don't. The final book shows that they can still speak (again, sarcastically) after being smashed to pieces.

* In the ''Literature/{{Oz}}'' books, gargoyles are creatures from the Land of Naught. They are made entirely of wood and stand at less than three feet. They communicate entirely by hand signals and are nocturnal, removing their wings while they sleep. Different indeed.

* The new marquis in "Stone Cold Death!" in ''The Creeps'' #4 wants nothing to do with the {{sculptor|s}} Montes and his gargoyles and wants them out of his newly-acquired castle. Montes sees no other option than to send one of his gargoyles, which are actually alive, out to kill the marquis. This is witnessed by Francois, a high-ranked member of the marquis' court, who figures that with a few more deaths he could be marquis themselves. He discovers that Montes regularly applies a potion to the gargoyles and upon learning the recipe kills Montes. However, the potion does nothing. Later, Francois learns that the potion doesn't bring the gargoyles to life but rather keeps them as statues. As the gargoyle closes in to attack him, he also learns they only obey their sculptor.
* An unnamed Parisian sculptor in "The House of Gargoyles!", published in ''House of Mystery'' #175, is being hunted down by two gargoyles he made. They may be his handiwork, but he stole the designs from a colleague he murdered out of jealousy and who cursed the designs with his dying breath. Nonetheless, the gargoyles appear unable to either use violence or enter buildings, so as long as the sculptor stays locked away indoors, he's safe. He's captured anyway when a boy, fascinated by the gargoyles, wants to show his friends they're alive. So he calls out to the sculptor that the gargoyles are gone and when the man cheerfully opens the window, they grab him and fly off with him. As a sidenote, during his time hiding, he created a miniature gargoyle all of his own that ended up left in the care of [[HorrorHost Cain]].

** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Tezcatlipoca has Diana and the other Amazons fight a bunch of animated Aztek statues.

* ''Fanfic/TheInstituteSaga'': The ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' become allies to the ''Franchise/XMen''.

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': Gotham's Gothic/Art Deco architecture is teeming with gargoyles and grotesques of the inanimate kind. "Gargoyles of Gotham" in the anthology series ''ComicBook/BatmanBlackAndWhite'' actually explains their history, makes note of the difference between the two (Batman prefers gargoyles because grotesques are often added to cornices superficially and make terrible purchases for grappling hooks) and explains that most Grotesques on Bruce Wayne's buildings are [[CrazyPrepared secret emergency Bat-Gear caches]]. Batman likes to blend in with the gargoyles during his nightly vigils. There are actually comparisons to be drawn between Batman and a gargoyle, as both are scary but benevolent guardians.

* ComicBook/IronMan villain The Grey Gargoyle is a human alchemist who can turn himself into a RockMonster and his victims [[TakenForGranite into statues]] for one hour.

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'':

* ''Film/CastADeadlySpell'' (1991) features a Gargoyle which perches on the evil warlock's mansion like an ordinary statue. However he can bring it to life and send it out on missions to spy on people or kill his enemies.
* ''Film/CurseOfTheTalisman'' (2001) has one (rather small-3ft tall) stone gargoyle revived thanks to a magic talisman which tries to re-awaken the rest of its kin with said talisman.

* ''Film/Gargoyles1972'' has only one of these green, devilishly featured creatures with wings (the other gargoyles we see look more like LizardFolk). As Spawn of the Devil, they work to destroy humanity by [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty kidnapping human women]], [[TheMasquerade killing anyone who knows about them]], or plotting world conquest for Satan. The Gargoyles makeup effects was done by Stan Winston.

* ''Film/IFrankenstein'' has gargoyles who are angels [[NotUsingTheZWord in nearly all but name]]; they were created by ArchangelMichael to fight [[TheLegionsOfHell demons.]]

** The Classic Who story "The Daemons" has Bok, a gargoyle animated by Daemonic powers.

* On ''Series/WhatWeDoInTheShadows2019'', a pair of gargoyles act as informants for the Vampire Council's Guide. When she comes to them for information, they gossip like sitcom housewives and call out to other rooftops' gargoyles with cries that sound like a large truck's brakes engaging.

[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]

* The new marquis in "Stone Cold Death!" in ''The Creeps'' #4 wants nothing to do with the sculptor Montes and his gargoyles and wants them out of his newly-acquired castle. Montes sees no other option than to send one of his gargoyles, which are actually alive, out to kill the marquis. This is witnessed by Francois, a high-ranked member of the marquis' court, who figures that with a few more deaths he could be marquis themselves. He discovers that Montes regularly applies a potion to the gargoyles and upon learning the recipe kills Montes. However, the potion does nothing. Later, Francois learns that the potion doesn't bring the gargoyles to life but rather keeps them as statues. As the gargoyle closes in to attack him, he also learns they only obey their sculptor.

Traditionally, in folklore, they were benevolent, [[DarkIsNotEvil despite their appearance]], which was framed as being frightful to scare demons away from churches, but meeting their gaze was dangerous. This is less common in modern fiction.

* ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}''. Though most of these are PaletteSwap UndergroundMonkey varieties of other monsters, and merely fly and look grey, ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaOrderOfEcclesia'' has the actual turn from stone variety. One prominent example is Gaibon, who was fortunate enough to receive a recurring role, [[DegradedBoss occasional boss status]], a loyal teammate, and a position directly serving Death [[spoiler:and occasionally Soma]].

* ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'' has a vampiric bloodline of Gargoyles, created by clan Tremere as bodyguards. They are allegedly created through a ritual that combines the blood of [[VoluntaryShapeshifting the Gangrel]], [[{{Biomanipulation}} the Tzimisce]], and [[LooksLikeOrlok the Nosferatu]], with different concentrations creating different sorts of Gargoyles. They [[DishingOutDirt can turn to stone at will]], which is particularly useful when avoiding sunlight, as they are invulnerable while in stone form. The Gargoyles can turn other people into Gargoyles, but have little autonomy, and are even said to get confused when left to their own devices.

* In ''The Alchemy of Stone'' gargoyles are a dying race, born of the living rock and once able to shape it by their will, a power they have now lost. [[spoiler: In the end an alchemist, at their request finds a way to make them flesh, mortal and, it's implied capable of reproduction]]

* ''God Bless The Gargoyles'', a children's book by Creator/DavPilkey [[CreatorsOddball of all people]], is a melancholy story about how people eventually forgot that gargoyles are supposed to be protectors and became afraid of them. When they come to life at night, however, angels show up to keep them company.

* In ''The Stoneheart Trilogy'' gargoyles are a subset of taints, AlwaysChaoticEvil living non-human statues. They have a weakness that, being rainspouts, whenever it rains they must return to their original location.

* In Laura Ann Gilman's ''Vineart War'' series the Guardian combines this with OurDragonsAreDifferent as it looks like a stone dragon. It also has considerable magic mojo as lon as it is on the territory it was created to protect.

->GARGOYLE, n.\\
A rain-spout projecting from the eaves of mediaeval buildings, commonly fashioned into a grotesque caricature of some personal enemy of the architect or owner of the building. This was especially the case in churches and ecclesiastical structures generally, in which the gargoyles presented a perfect rogues' gallery of local heretics and controversialists. Sometimes when a new dean and chapter were installed the old gargoyles were removed and others substituted having a closer relation to the private animosities of the new incumbents.

->GARGOYLE, n.
-->A rain-spout projecting from the eaves of mediaeval buildings, commonly fashioned into a grotesque caricature of some personal enemy of the architect or owner of the building. This was especially the case in churches and ecclesiastical structures generally, in which the gargoyles presented a perfect rogues' gallery of local heretics and controversialists. Sometimes when a new dean and chapter were installed the old gargoyles were removed and others substituted having a closer relation to the private animosities of the new incumbents.
--->-- ''Literature/TheDevilsDictionary''

In RealLife, gargoyles are statues of grotesque humans and animals designed to ward off evil spirits and channel rainwater from rooftops and spit it out, (hence ''gargling'') away from the building to prevent damage from erosion. Most commonly found on large buildings from TheMiddleAges and early modern era such as cathedrals.

* ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'':
** In ''Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos'', gargoyles are crystalline bat-like flying undead creatures, who can turn into ground-based statues to regenerate health but cannot attack when they do so.
** Gargoyles occasionally appear in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' as still statues that may or my not attack. There is a series of statues lining a path in Halls of Lightning, some of which come to life when you pass them. Of note is a trash mob in old Naxxramas, the Stoneskin Gargoyle, has become infamous as it possessed the ability to turn into stone at low health, regenerating health fully, ''ad infinitum'', if the group failed to burst it down within a set amount of time. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri6naPfYHfs A raid group with low damage dealing potential could remain stuck on one forever, unable to beat the cast time of the petrification.]]

** ''Shadowlands'' introduces the stoneborn of Revendreth, gargoyle-like creatures created by the venthyr. There are three varieties: the standard build ones are tall humanoids used as frontline fighters, then there are stonefiends, small imp-like humanoids used as couriers; and gravewings, hulking beaked flyers used as mounts.

Fiction, however, has decided that they'd make a great species, so they often appear in fantasy settings ([[UrbanFantasy Urban]] or otherwise) as a race of {{Winged Humanoid}}s that have a penchant for [[DramaticHighPerching perching on high terrain]]. Given their origins, they also tend to have an ability to [[TakenForGranite turn to stone]], voluntarily or not.

In RealLife, gargoyles are statues of grotesque humans and animals designed to ward off evil spirits and channel rainwater from rooftops and spit it out, (hence ''gargling'') away from the building to prevent damage from erosion. Most commonly found on large buildings such as cathedrals.