History Main / PerpetualMolt

* This becomes a ChekhovsGun in ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' when Shifu's messenger Zeng visits the prison Tai Lung was locked in on Shifu's orders. Zeng was earlier shown to lose a few feathers. Tai Lung would later use one of his feathers to escape.

* ''Manhwa/TheBrideOfTheWaterGod'': The Emperor sheds more or less continuously when he is wearing his miniature black wings.

* Ran of ''Manga/AkameGaKill'', when he releases his Teigu and shows his wings, they are constantly losing feathers, which is in fact a purposely built in feature of them as he can manipulate the feathers to attack his targets and they are extremely deadly.

* [[spoiler:Ash/Angela]] from the anime ''Manga/BlackButler''. Interestingly, [[spoiler:Sebastian loses black feathers when he gets menacing,]] even though he has no wings.

* Vicious' cormorant in ''Anime/CowboyBebop''.

* In ''Anime/HowlsMovingCastle'', Bird!Howl loses more and more feathers as the story unfolds.

* Creator/{{CLAMP}}'s ''Manga/{{X1999}}''.

* In ''WesternAnimation/HappyFeet'', this trope is subverted. The main character, Mumble, is an adult Emperor Penguin. Yet he didn't ever finish shedding his down feathers in the movie. He's the only adult penguin that has this occur. It was later explained that the editors wanted him to have a unique look throughout the movie. This permanent molt makes it look like he is wearing a tuxedo, appropriate for tapdancing. Played straight in the storybooks, however.

* Averted in ''WesternAnimation/WatershipDown'', in which Kehaar is seen to lose only one flight feather. That one was probably justified, as he was recovering from a cat attack and the lost feather might've been shed because it was damaged, not because he was molting out-of-season.

* Blake Thorburn, in ''Literature/{{Pact}}'', starts bleeding feathers when he's cut instead of blood at one point, as part of his general [[AnimalMotifs bird motif.]]
* PlayedForLaughs in the ''Literature/CalLeandros'' series. Ishiah, Cal's boss, is a peri -- that is, a humanoid with wings. Whenever agitated or stressed, Ishiah tends to lose feathers, sometimes leaving a trail of them wherever he walks. Cal, being the perpetual snarker that he is, never lets slip an opportunity to remark how that makes Ishiah look like a molting pigeon.

* [[ShelteredAristocrat Sieg]] from ''Series/KamenRiderDenO''. This and his {{leitmotif}} are always a sign that he has arrived.
* Likewise, a sign of [[TheBrute Kamen Rider Odin's]] presence in ''Series/KamenRiderRyuki''. Normally [[InvincibleVillain overpowered and untouchable]], even capable of rewinding time, he takes his first hit ''ever'' when Shinji, with his partial RippleEffectProofMemory, writes himself a note that says "When you see gold feathers, punch behind you."

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda''
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', Cuccos constantly molt while you hold them (as parodied in [[https://www.awkwardzombie.com/comic/fethers this]] ''Webcomic/AwkwardZombie'' strip).
** The wings that encase Link when playing the [[WarpWhistle Song of Soaring]] in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask''. Kaepora Gaebora does it to help Link cross a series of invisible platforms in Goron Village.
** The Helmaroc King in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''. Its appearance in ''VideoGame/HyruleWarriors'' goes the weaponizing route with FeatherFlechettes.

* ''VideoGame/NamuAmidaButsuUtena'': [[LargeHam King]] [[ProudPeacock Konjikikujaku]] apparently lets his feathers fly around a lot, which gets him constant chastisement from [[NeatFreak Ususama Myōō]].
* ''[[http://raptorsafari.com/ Off-Road Velociraptor Safari]]'' exaggerates this trope.
* While not being a bird, Alita Tiala's brooch lets a flock of feathers into the air every time she is distressed in ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}''
** While Jin Kazama does not usually leave a trail of feathers wherever he goes in his Devil Jin form, he is not excempt from this trope: in his ''Tekken 4'' ending, Devil Jin escapes Honmaru through the roof, leaving behind a rain of black feathers (among them a single white one, symbolizing the good in him). The same scene is used as the very first visual of the ''Tekken 5'' opening.
** In the console opening to ''Tekken Tag Tournament 2'', Angel is shown surrounded by feathers, which molt whenever she uses them, by jumping or flying. It's easier to see the feathers against a dark background.
* The OneWingedAngel(s) from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''. Not just Sephiroth, [[spoiler:Angeal and Genesis]] too had a single wing that, well, always give rains of feather. [[spoiler:Zack's death is symbolized by a rain of feathers as Angeal picks his arm to go to the Lifestream]]. It seems that everyone with a wing has infinite feathers.

* In ''VideoGame/BatenKaitos'', [[spoiler:Kalas, post-FaceHeelTurn]] molts when he first [[spoiler:gets his pretty glowy white wings.]]
** In the prequel, Sagi can use his wings for a temporary speed boost when walking around, which also results in this effect.
* Shanoa's magical wings in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaOrderOfEcclesia'', which are either [[JustifiedTrope justified]] or {{Handwave}}d by the wings being generated by magic; presumably, the MP cost when you activate the glyph includes periodic upkeep.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'':
** This happens to the angels ''every single time'' they bring out their wings, also done by Remiel every time he vanishes at a seal.
** Later in the game, [[spoiler:Colette]] gets a spell that grants a status boost. How is this portrayed? By making your entire party molt pink feathers constantly.
** Somewhat {{justified|Trope}} in the case of angels other than Remiel, since they have energy wings instead of the kind with bird feathers.
* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' subjects Pit to this trope. Every time he flies, he seems to lose a ton of feathers. But he's using a magic one (the move was based off a powerup from ''VideoGame/KidIcarus'') so that's okay.

* In ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'', UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga and his [[KnightInShiningArmor White Knight]] counterpart UsefulNotes/AkechiMitsuhide manage to do this ''without any visible wings''.
* In ''VideoGame/BillyHatcherAndTheGiantEgg'', when you hatch an Elder, they always hatch out with a burst of feathers. Interestingly, one of the hatchable powerups (a double-jump, aptly named '[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Wings]]') will also let loose a flurry of feathers, every time you use it.
* Some of the main characters being angels with giant wings, this is common in ''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand''.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' has the Feather Dance move, which coats the opponent in feathers, reducing their Attack...probably by cushioning any physical blows that they attempt to make.

* ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' turns this trope into a gameplay mechanic: Red Feathers must be used continuously to keep Kazooie in flight, and Golden Feathers are slowly used up as she uses the Wonderwing move. In their Smash incarnation, the latter seems to molt a ton of feathers at once, rather than a few at a time, as it can only be used 5 times per stock.
* If anyone plays ''[[Franchise/YuGiOh The Tag Force Series]]'', in the [[Anime/YuGiOh5Ds fourth and fifth installations]], [[MeaningfulName Crow]]'s Ace monsters (or the ones with cutscene animations) have this problem. Their summon and attack animations all have an '''absurd''' amount of Black Feathers in them, the worst offender is Black Feather-Arms Wing, who uses the feathers ''as bullets''.
* ''VideoGame/GundamBattleAssault 2'' brings Wing Gundam Zero Custom into the roster. Despite its feathers being decorative armored plates, Wing Zero still somehow molts feathers when using certain special attacks.
* In one of the more unusual examples of this trope, Vincent's pillow in ''VideoGame/{{Catherine}}''.

* In Nitrome's ''Temple Glider'', the titular bird loses feathers when it bursts out of its sarcophagus, when it changes direction, when it falls, and when it climbs into the gold sarcophagus at the end of each level. One wonders why it's not naked by Level 5.

* ''VideoGame/TheLastGuardian''[='=]s Trico usually averts this trope, save for an entirely justified case near the end in which [[spoiler:his getting mauled by others of his kind has him trailing feathers as he flies]].
* The titular Gunvolt of the ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt'' series constantly sheds electricity in the form of azure feathers. When he rescues Joule at the start of the first game, she first mistakes him for an angel due to this effect.

%%* ''Webcomic/TsunamiChannel'': Parodied [[http://www.tsunamichannel.com/index.php?date=2002-09-12&comic=MaMi here]].%%Dead link
* ''Webcomic/AwkwardZombie'': Parodied [[http://www.awkwardzombie.com/comic1-092010.php here]] where Link tries to use a chicken to glide across a gap in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime''. He grabs the chicken fine, but the chicken's frantic flapping and Perpetual Molt cause it to lose all its feathers in the time it takes to reach the gap, sending Link plummeting into the abyss.

* Philomena in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', justified as [[spoiler:she's reaching the rebirth part of her phoenix life cycle and so actually is molting.]]
* In the ''[[WesternAnimation/PixarShorts Pixar Short]]'' called "WesternAnimation/ForTheBirds", a large bird stands in the middle of a telephone wire populated with many small birds, bending it down like a bowstring. When they make him fall off, it snaps back, and all the birds shoot into the air and fall to the ground featherless, the feathers falling around them.
* Doubling as a FurryReminder, around season two of ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'', Donald began molting heavily due to stress. It's treated like someone going bald. Given his constant [[BornUnlucky bad luck]] and being forced into adventures he never really wants to go on, It's no surprise that he's stressed.

%% * ''LightNovel/TrinityBlood''. (expansion needed)

-->-- [[http://tsunamichannel.sakura.ne.jp/index.php?date=2002-09-12 "Magical Mina #41]]", ''Webcomic/TsunamiChannel''

* After [[spoiler:Kars becomes the UltimateLifeForm]] in the climax of ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureBattleTendency'', [[spoiler: the wings he forms are ''constantly'' trailing feathers]].

* Likewise, a sign of [[TheBrute Kamen Rider Odin's]] presence in ''Series/KamenRiderRyuki''. Normally [[InvincibleVillain overpowered and untouchable]], even capable of rewinding time, he takes his first hit ''ever'' when Shinji, with his faulty RippleEffectProofMemory, writes himself a note that says "When you see gold feathers, punch behind you."

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', Cuccos constantly molt while you hold them (as parodied in [[http://www.awkwardzombie.com/comic1-092010.php this]] ''Webcomic/AwkwardZombie'' strip).

* Every appearance of Beelzebumon in ''Anime/DigimonXrosWars'' starts with feathers falling down.

* In ''VideoGame/AceOnline'', one of the RandomlyDrops armor is the Exorcist Binder, a [[CoolPlane jet fighter the shape of a bird]]. One of the weapons associated with this armor is Charisma of Emperor, which is a set of missiles that leaves a trail of [[CrazyAwesome burning feathers]]. Supposedly, Exorcist Binder itself is supposed to leave a trail of feathers from its jet engine wake. Not that fanmade mods hasn't fixed it yet.

* As per the RuleOfCool, Setsuna Sakurazaki of ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' always leaves a dramatic shower of feathers behind whenever she spreads her angel-like wings (they're actually white "tengu" wings).
* Every character with wings in ''Manga/MakaiOuji'' both angel and demon seems to shed their feathers all the time, the worse offender of this trope is Lucifer, the emperor of demon. He is a fallen angel but he has wings for hair and in one episode he shed/rain feathers enough to pile up on the ground.

* ''{{Disney/Aladdin}}'': A RunningGag with Iago, who keeps losing feathers while suffering AmusingInjuries.

[-[[caption-width-right:300:You know it's bad when even [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros the trophy]] is molting.]]-]

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia''

** Later in the game, [[spoiler: Colette]] gets a spell that grants a status boost. How is this portrayed? By making your entire party molt pink feathers constantly.
** Somewhat [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in the case of angels other than Remiel, since they have energy wings instead of the kind with bird feathers.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'' turns this trope into a gameplay mechanic: Red Feathers must be used continuously to keep Kazooie in flight.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}'', ships of the Aarakocra ({{Bird |People}}Folk) are made faster than normal, but there's a good reason why the rest of Wildspace races don't form a line to buy them at three times the stated price... or even seek passage more than once. What with feathered sails and the atmosphere perpetually contaminated with down feathers.

** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts'', The optional battles Sephiroth also feature him warping around the stage, leaving a shower of feathers whenever he does so, and also the occasional falling when he attacks with his sword.

* In "VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends", the angel champion Kayle molts a shower of golden feathers onto her target whenever she casts her healing spell.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}'', ships of the Aarakocra ([[PettingZooPeople bird folk]]) are made faster than normal, but there's a good reason why the rest of Wildspace races don't form a line to buy them at three times the stated price... or even seek passage more than once. What with feathered sails and the atmosphere perpetually contaminated with down feathers.

* ''{{Disney/Aladdin}}'':

* ''Webcomic/AwkwardZombie'': Parodied [[http://www.awkwardzombie.com/comic1-092010.php here]] where Link tries to use a chicken to glide across a gap in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime''. He grabs the chicken fine, but the chicken's frantic flapping and Perpetual Molt cause it to lose all its feathers by the time it takes to reach the gap, sending Link plummeting into the Abyss.

* In an interesting case, the powers of the psychic Zap in, well, ''Webcomic/{{Zap}}'' often manifest as glowing wing-like shapes. During an epic showdown, a carnival case full of stuffed animals is destroyed, filling the air with golden feathers. When Zap's power manifests, the feathers in the air make it look like this trope is happening.
* Parodied [[http://www.tsunamichannel.com/index.php?date=2002-09-12&comic=MaMi here]] in ''Webcomic/TsunamiChannel''.
* Also parodied again [[http://www.awkwardzombie.com/comic1-092010.php with]] the same ''Webcomic/AwkwardZombie'' comic.