History Main / SeahorsesAreDragons

* Symbolically with ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': The Velaryons are a family of WoodenMenAndIronShips with a hippocampus (stylized seahorse) as sigil. Through Corlys Velaryon marrying Rhaenys Targaryen, a whole brood of Velaryon {{Dragon Rider}}s was born, since Targaryens are seemingly the only humans gifted enough to ride dragons.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''
** The Horsea line are all classified as "Dragon" Pokemon in the Pokedex. Horsea and Seadra are not Dragon-type Pokemon, but their evolution Kingdra (based on the weedy sea dragon) is.

* ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}'' had "Dragons" which resemble red seahorses. Dragons are an interesting case because their fire breathing powers are more reminiscent of western dragons, which are unconnected to seahorses.

* In ''Manga/InTheHeartOfKunoichiTsubaki'', Team Dragon [[note]]"辰班" meaning ''tatsu-han''[[/note]] is one of the twelve teams based on the Main/EasternZodiac. In the anime, their team dormitory is [[https://imgur.com/a/muUkkfW.jpg represented by a picture of a sea horse]].

* An [[{{Filler}} Anime Only arc]] of ''Manga/OnePiece'' features the character, [[http://onepiece.wikia.com/wiki/Tatsu Tatsu]], who is a memory stealing seahorse who dreams of becoming a Sennenryu, a dragon that lives for 1000 years before giving birth and dying.

* ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'': Don't underestimate seahorses. They might look like they're a normal everyday seahorse, but they're on par with the local sea-serpents. They are not only capable of speech but magic as well, and if provoked they will spit fireballs at you until you flee or are vaporized. You ''can'' fight them and even defeat them, but it's honestly not worth it -- their HP and strength are ridiculously high, their experience and treasure values stink, and they're natural creatures, meaning that killing them reduces your [[KarmaMeter Compassion and Justice scores]]. You'd make more profit and be at much less risk of humiliating death just by punching a couple of slimes instead.

* Weedy seadragons, ruby seadragons and leafy seadragons, aquatic seahorse relatives that have plant-like growths on them for camouflage in their seaweed habitat. While not dragons themselves (obviously), they are named after them and resemble small sea dragons.

* ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}'': Water dragons, like the playable character Echo, resemble seahorses.

Seahorses are one of nature's MixAndMatchCritters. Essentially, it is a fish, but with the tail of a monkey, the pouch ([[MisterSeahorse in males]]) of a kangaroo, swiveling eyes like a chameleon, encased in bony armor plating, swimming upright using its dorsal fin, and with a snout more like a snorkel than anything else nature has come up with. These odd features have led it to be associated with [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Eastern Dragons.]] According to some legends a seahorse is a baby dragon, and thus seahorses are often tied to dragons. Like DinosaursAreDragons, this is largely an Eastern culture trope: most notably, the Japanese word for seahorse, "tatsu-no-otoshigo", literally means "dragon's bastard child."

* The ''Anime/OnePiece'' character [[http://onepiece.wikia.com/wiki/Tatsu Tatsu]] is a memory stealing seahorse who dreams of becoming a Sennenryu, a dragon that lives for 1000 years before giving birth and dying.

* ''Anime/NarutoTheMovieRoadToNinja'' has [[http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/File:Seiryū.png Seiryu]], of the [[http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Nine_Masked_Beasts Nine Masked Beasts]], who is described as seahorse-looking and translates to "Azure Dragon".

* In ''VideoGame/{{Okamiden}}'' the new brush gods are [[SpinOffspring the children of the previous brush gods, and the same species]] the children of Yomigami, the dragon god of rejuvenation are a pair of seahorses.

** There is also a card called Thunder Seahorse which is almost identical to an older card called Thunder Dragon.

[[folder: Anime and Manga]]

[[folder: Card Games]]

[[folder: Video Games]]

[[folder: Real Life]]

* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' has the Tatsu Steed and the Tatsu Blaze, both look like winged seahorses. Additionally, Tatsu is an old Japanese word for dragon.

* In ''Manga/FruitsBasket'' Hatori Sohma is one of the Juunishi, specifically the year of the Dragon in the EasternZodiac. However, he transforms into a seahorse when embraced, something that is embarrassing and quite dangerous to him if he's not near a body of water. [[spoiler:According to Shigure, the fact that he turns into a seahorse instead of a dragon is a sign that the Sohma family curse is weakening.]]

** [[''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' Generation 6]] has Skrelp, a Poison/Water type leafy sea dragon who evolves into Dragalge, a Poison/Dragon leafy sea dragon.

** The Horsea line are all classified as "Dragon" Pokemon in the Pokedex, though Horsea and Seadra are not Dragon type Pokemon, but their evolution Kingdra (based on the Weedy Sea Dragon) is.
** Generation 6 has Skrelp, a Poison/Water type Leafy Sea Dragon who evolves into Dragalge, a Poison/Dragon Leafy Sea Dragon.

* ''Film/Aquaman2018'': The Atlantans' [[BeastOfBattle Beasts of Battle]] include giant seahorses with the heads of Western dragons and fins resembling batlike wings.

* ''VideoGame/DragonCity'' has the Seahorse Dragon, which looks entirely like a normal, albeit colorful, seahorse.

* In ''Manga/FruitsBasket'' Hatori Sohma is one of the Juunishi, specifically the year of the Dragon in the EasternZodiac. However, he transforms into a seahorse when embraced, something that is embarrassing and quite dangerous to him if he's not near a body of water. [[spoiler:According to Shigure, the fact that he turns into a seahorse instead of a dragon is a sign that the Sohma family curse is weakening.]]
* ''Anime/NarutoTheMovieRoadToNinja'' has [[http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/File:Seiryū.png Seiryu]], of the [[http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Nine_Masked_Beasts Nine Masked Beasts]], who is described as seahorse-looking and translates to "Azure Dragon".
* The ''Anime/OnePiece'' character [[http://onepiece.wikia.com/wiki/Tatsu Tatsu]] is a memory stealing seahorse who dreams of becoming a Sennenryu, a dragon that lives for 1000 years before giving birth and dying.

* In the ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'' card game the Kaiser Seahorse can be used as an easier way to summon a Blue Eyes White Dragon in addition to the name "Kaiba" literally meaning "Seahorse" or by extension [[MeaningfulName "Young Dragon"]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{Okamiden}}'' the new brush gods are [[SpinOffspring the children of the previous brush gods, and the same species]] the children of Yomigami, the dragon god of rejuvenation are a pair of seahorses.
* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon'' there's a monster which looks like a winged seahorse with fire on his tail and referred to as "Dragon".
* ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}'' had "Dragons" which resemble red seahorses. Dragons are an interesting case because their fire breathing powers are more reminiscent of western dragons, which are unconnected to seahorses.
* The graphics of the dragons from ''VideoGame/{{Adventure}}'' looks similar to a seahorse.
* The redesign for [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Manaketes]] introduced in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' is based on the real-life leafy seadragon mentioned below, invoking this trope.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' has the Tatsu Steed and the Tatsu Blaze, both look like winged seahorses. Additionally, Tatsu is an old Japanese word for dragon.
* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand''
** The boss [[http://www.mariowiki.com/Dragonzamasu Dragonzamasu]] is a firebreathing, seahorse like dragon.
** The [[http://www.mariowiki.com/Yurarin_Boo Yurarin Boo]] are seahorse like dragon mooks.
* Don't underestimate seahorses in ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}.'' They might look like they're a normal everyday seahorse, but they're on par with the local sea-serpents. They are not only capable of speech but magic as well, and if provoked they will spit fireballs at you until you flee or are vaporized. You ''can'' fight them and even defeat them, but it's honestly not worth it--their HP and strength are ridiculously high, their experience and treasure values stink, and they're natural creatures, meaning that killing them reduces your [[KarmaMeter Compassion and Justice scores]]. You'd make more profit and be at much less risk of humiliating death just by punching a couple of slimes instead.

* ''{{VideoGame/Aquaria}}'' plays with this just a bit. Seahorses are friendly, can be ridden around for a speed boost, and whinny when interacted with. Sea''dragons'' (see below, under RealLife), on the other hand, are hostile, breathe fire, and roar very loudly when they spot you.
* The Facebook game ''VideoGame/DragonCity'' has the Seahorse Dragon, as seen on the page image.

* In ''Manga/FruitsBasket'' Hatori is one of the Juunishi, specifically the year of the Dragon in the EasternZodiac, however he transforms into a seahorse when embraced, something that is embarrassing and quite dangerous to him if he's not near a body of water.

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

[[folder: Card Games ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* Weedy Seadragons and Leafy Seadragons, aquatic seahorse relatives that have plant-like growths on them for camouflage in their seaweed habitat. While not dragons themselves (obviously), they are named after them and resemble small sea dragons.

Seahorses are one of nature's MixAndMatchCritters. Essentially, it is a fish, but with the tail of a monkey, the pouch ([[MisterSeahorse in males]]) of a kangaroo, swiveling eyes like a chameleon, encased in bony armor plating, swimming upright using its dorsal fin, and with a snout more like a snorkel than anything else nature has come up with. These odd features have led it to be associated with [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Eastern Dragons.]] According to some legends a seahorse is a baby dragon, and thus seahorses are often tied to dragons. Like DinosaursAreDragons, this is largely an Eastern culture trope: most notably, the Japanese word for seahorse, "tatsu-no-otoshigo," literally means "dragon's bastard child."