History Main / SlipperyAsAnEel

Of all the sea creatures in the world, alongside dolphins, [[{{PlayfulOtter}} sea otters]], and whales, the sneakiest sea creature alongside the [[ThreateningShark shark]] and the [[StealthyCephalopod octopus]] would be the moray eel. In nearly every form of media, eels are depicted as being sneaky creatures that have a propensity for tricking other sea creatures. It's a sure sign that they cannot be trusted. In other words, they're basically [[UndergroundMonkey the oceanic version]] of {{snakes|Are Sinister}}. Actual ''sea snakes'' (as opposed to mythical sea serpents) are SeldomSeenSpecies, probably because though highly venomous they're [[RuleOfScary far less intimidating-looking]] than moray eels, which basically look very bizarre and downright alien, right down to [[NestedMouths having Xenomorph-like jaws in its throat.]]

Of all the sea creatures in the world, alongside dolphins, [[{{PlayfulOtter}} sea otters]], and whales, the sneakiest sea creature alongside the [[ThreateningShark shark]] and the [[StealthyCephalopod octopus]] would be the moray eel. In nearly every form of media, eels are depicted as being sneaky creatures that have a propensity for tricking other sea creatures. It's a sure sign that they cannot be trusted. In other words, they're basically [[UndergroundMonkey the oceanic version]] of {{snakes|Are Sinister}}. Actual ''sea snakes'' (as opposed to mythical sea serpents) are SeldomSeenSpecies, probably because they're [[RuleOfScary far less intimidating-looking]] than moray eels, which basically look very bizarre and downright alien, right down to [[NestedMouths having Xenomorph-like jaws in its throat.]]

Of all the sea creatures in the world, alongside dolphins, octopuses, [[{{PlayfulOtter}} sea otters]], and whales, the sneakiest sea creature alongside the [[ThreateningShark shark]] would be the moray eel. In nearly every form of media, eels are depicted as being sneaky creatures that have a propensity for tricking other sea creatures. It's a sure sign that they cannot be trusted. In other words, they're basically [[UndergroundMonkey the oceanic version]] of {{snakes|Are Sinister}}. Actual ''sea snakes'' (as opposed to mythical sea serpents) are SeldomSeenSpecies, probably because they're [[RuleOfScary far less intimidating-looking]] than moray eels, which basically look very bizarre and downright alien, right down to [[NestedMouths having Xenomorph-like jaws in its throat.]]

** ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'': Unagi the Eel is an [[NightmareFuel infamous]] example. While not necessarily malicious, it does not appear to like Mario, as it will start roaring and swimming around if he comes close and contact with it causes damage. Unagi later becomes a type of enemy in ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'', and return for ''Videogame/SuperMarioOdyssey'' now looking less cartoony and more like the demonic morays they were always meant to be.

Of all the sea creatures in the world, alongside dolphins, octopuses, [[{{PlayfulOtter}} sea otters]], and whales, the sneakiest sea creature alongside the [[ThreateningShark shark]] would be the moray eel. In nearly every form of media, eels are depicted as being sneaky creatures that have a propensity for tricking other sea creatures. It's a sure sign that they cannot be trusted. In other words, they're basically [[UndergroundMonkey the oceanic version]] of {{snakes|Are Sinister]]. Actual ''sea snakes'' (as opposed to mythical sea serpents) are SeldomSeenSpecies, probably because they're [[RuleOfScary far less intimidating-looking]] than moray eels, which basically look very bizarre and downright alien, right down to [[NestedMouths having Xenomorph-like jaws in its throat.]]

Of all the sea creatures in the world, alongside dolphins, octopuses, [[{{PlayfulOtter}} sea otters]], and whales, the sneakiest sea creature alongside the [[ThreateningShark shark]] would be the moray eel. In nearly every form of media, eels are depicted as being sneaky creatures that have a propensity for tricking other sea creatures. It's a sure sign that they cannot be trusted. In other words, they're basically [[UndergroundMonkey the oceanic version]] of [[SnakesAreEvil snakes]]. Actual ''sea snakes'' (as opposed to mythical sea serpents) are SeldomSeenSpecies, probably because they're [[RuleOfScary far less intimidating-looking]] than moray eels, which basically look very bizarre and downright alien, right down to [[NestedMouths having Xenomorph-like jaws in its throat.]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]

** ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989'': [[MeaningfulName Flotsam and Jetsam]] are a prime example of this trope, two slippery moray eels working as spies for the villain Ursula. Unusually for Disney villain sidekicks, they are not humorous the least bit, averting VileVillainLaughableLackey.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheWaterBabies1978'': An electric eel serves as the sycophantic, brown-noser lackey of the evil shark king.

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]

* A FilkSong [[https://youtu.be/8x6lpTLE3aw parody]] of Creator/DeanMartin's "That's Amore", titled [[JustForPun "That's A Moray"]], centers around how dangerous eels are.

[[folder:Videogames]]

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

* ''Animation/{{Padak}}'': Jooldom is an eel living in a sushi restaurant's aquarium with a bunch of other fish species. While everybody is pretty nihilistic about their situation, Jooldom stands out particularly for his LackOfEmpathy, and is very creepy towards NaiveNewcomer Padak. Jooldom shows his true colors when he eats the corpse of Spotty, the nicest fish in the aquarium, an action which disgusts everybody else (which really says something as they previously had no compunctions about cannibalizing the other fish thrown in).

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': In "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E13PrehibernationWeekLifeOfCrime Life of Crime]]", Mr. Krabs refers to a thief he saw on TV as an "eel in the kelp" ([[HoldYourHippogriffs a play on the term "snake in the grass"]]).

** ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'': [[MeaningfulName Flotsam and Jetsam]] are a prime example of this trope, two slippery moray eels working as spies for the villain Ursula. Unusually for Disney villain sidekicks, they are not humorous the least bit, averting VileVillainLaughableLackey.

[[quoteright:350:[[Disney/TheLittleMermaid https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/float_jet_sam.jpg]]]]

[[AC: {{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

[[AC: {{Film}} -- Animated]]

** ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'': [[MeaningfulName Flotsam and Jetsam]] are a prime example of this trope, two slippery moray eels working as spies for the villain Ursula. Unusually for Disney villain sidekicks, they are not humorous the least bit, averting VileVillainLaughableLackey.
** ''Disney/RobinHood'': When Prince John gets upset with Sir Hiss, he calls him an "eel in snake's clothing!" as he is a snake already, and therefore he had to go further than the typical insults.

* ''WesternAnimation/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas'': According to the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch", the Grinch is actually "cuddly as a cactus and charming as an eel".

[[AC: {{Film}} -- Live-Action]]

[[AC:Literature]]
* Large, carnivorous eels are a recurring danger in the ''{{Literature/Redwall}}'' books and serve as the series' equivalent to sea serpents and water dragons.
** In ''Mossflower'', the heroes are captured by a tribe of hostile toads and thrown into a pit with a massive eel called Snakefish, whom the toads trapped there years earlier and used him to get rid of their prisoners since then. Surprisingly for a series in which fish are generally portrayed non-sentient creatures, Snakefish not only turns out to be quite intelligent, but fully capable of speech, and agrees to spare the heroes’ lives if they manage to release him from the pit. They do, and Snakefish finally gets his revenge on the toads by devouring most of them.
** ''Taggerung'' features Yo Karr, another giant eel worshipped as a god by a tribe of pygmy shrews who sustain themselves on his offspring. In exchange, they regularly sacrifice some of their own to Yo Karr until Tagg kills him.
** In ''The Long Patrol'', a yellow eel that is not quite as big as the two mentioned above, but still very dangerous to smaller animals, has settled in an abandoned well underneath Redwall Abbey and attacks a young nun before being killed by Skipper, the leader of the Mossflower otters.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'': Varro's AnimalMotif.

[[AC:Music]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]
* In ''VideoGame/FreddiFish'', Eddie the Eel is depicted as a trickster who prevents Freddi and Luther from trying to go where they needed to, unless he is bribed.
* ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'': Volteel Biblio in ''Mega Man Zero 3'' is a very sneaky character, his level being particularly trap-infested and snaking through secret passages all over his BossFight arena to get the drop on you, being ThatOneBoss of the game.

* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
** ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'': Unagi the Eel is an [[NightmareFuel infamous]] example. While not necessarily malicious, it does not appear to like Mario, as it will start roaring and swimming around if he comes close and contact with it causes damage. Unagi later becomes a type of enemy in ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'', and return for ''Videogame/SuperMarioOdyssey'' now looking less cartoony and more like the demonic morays they were always meant to be.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'': Eely-Mouth is a monster eel (that appears to be a hermaphrodite, oddly enough; some species are sequential hermaphrodites in real life) whose teeth are so bad that they somehow infect the water in Noki Bay, meaning Mario and FLUDD must go and clean things up, yet again.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' features giant eels as enemies in water planets.
%%* ''VideoGame/TheLegendaryStarfy'': Ogura, the BigBad of the first two games.
* ''VideoGame/KaijuCombat'': Moratitan the giant moray is not particularly friendly.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': Huntail and Gorebyss are eel-like creatures that live in the sea; the former has characteristics of moray eels, [[SeldomSeenSpecies viperfish and gulper eels]], while the latter is based on the [[SeldomSeenSpecies snipe eel and pipefish]]. Both are predator species, and use their respective characteristics to lure prey into range of attack.
* ''VideoGame/{{Bug}}'' has red coloured moray eels as enemies in [[UnderTheSea Quaria]]. They stick out of wall areas to attack an unsuspecting Bug, and some of them can spit fireballs. While underwater.

[[AC:WebAnimation]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/FlipperAndLopaka'', Serge is a sea snake (although easily mistaken for an eel) who acts as the 'brains' to Dexter's motivation. He is bright green, with a devious and sharp mind.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': In "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS2E13PrehibernationWeekLifeOfCrime Life of Crime]]", Mr. Krabs refers to a thief he saw on TV as an "eel in the kelp" (a play on the term "snake in the grass").

[[AC: Film -- Live-Action

[[AC: {{Film}}]]
* [[MeaningfulName Flotsam and Jetsam]] from ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'' are a prime example of this trope, two slippery moray eels working as spies for the villain Ursula. Unusually for Disney villain sidekicks, they are not humorous the least bit, averting VileVillainLaughableLackey.
* There's an eel in ''The Water Babies'' film who's the lackey of the evil shark king. Don't recall if he was particularly sneaky in the trickster sense, but he was certainly a sycophantic brown-noser.
* According to the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" from ''WesternAnimation/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas'', the Grinch is actually "cuddly as a cactus and charming as an eel."
* ''Disney/RobinHood'': When Prince John gets upset with Sir Hiss, he calls him an "eel in snake's clothing!" as he is a snake already, and therefore he had to go further than the typical insults.
* Morey from the Flying Dutchman's cursed crew that appears in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest'' and ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'' has an eel's head and neck as a personal mutation. Making the best out of it, it bites people in the face.
* One of the nastier bizarre AlternateHistory animals generated by the time waves in ''Film/ASoundOfThunder'' is a gigantic eel. It uses ambush tactics for its initial attack on the hero, then bends its body like a hairpin to line up its jaws for another strike, while coiling its tail around him like a constrictor snake.

* Volteel Biblio from ''VideoGame/MegaManZero 3'' is a very sneaky character, his level being particularly trap-infested and snaking through secret passages all over his BossFight arena to get the drop on you, being ThatOneBoss of the game.

* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' examples:
** Unagi the Eel is an [[NightmareFuel infamous]] example from ''VideoGame/SuperMario64''. While not necessarily malicious, it does not appear to like Mario, as it will start roaring and swimming around if he comes close and contact with it causes damage. Unagi later becomes a type of enemy in ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'', and return for ''Videogame/SuperMarioOdyssey'' now looking less cartoony and more like the demonic morays they were always meant to be.
** Eely-Mouth from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'' is a monster eel (that appears to be a hermaphrodite, oddly enough; some species are sequential hermaphrodites in real life) whose teeth are so bad that they somehow infect the water in Noki Bay, meaning Mario and FLUDD must go and clean things up, yet again.
** Eels appear as enemies in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy''.
* Ogura, the BigBad of the first two games in the ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendaryStarfy Starfy]]'' series.

* Huntail and Gorebyss, Franchise/{{Pokemon}} that first featured in the [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire third generation]], are eel-like creatures that live in the sea; the former containing characteristics of moray eels, [[SeldomSeenSpecies viperfish and gulper eels]], and the latter based on the [[SeldomSeenSpecies snipe eel and pipefish]]. Both are predator species, and use their respective characteristics to lure prey into range of attack.

* The black ooze that pursues the protagonist throughout ''VideoGame/{{Gris}}'' takes the form of a gigantic eel that chases and snaps at her in the climax of the water level.

* ''WebAnimation/DSBTInsaniT'': White Killer Eels really live up to their name.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "Life of Crime", Mr. Krabs refers to a thief he saw on TV as an "eel in the kelp" (a play on the term "snake in the grass").

* Morey from the Flying Dutchman's cursed crew that appears in ''PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest'' and ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'' has an eel's head and neck as a personal mutation. Making the best out of it, it bites people in the face.

* ''Disney/RobinHood'': When Prince John gets upset with Sir Hiss, he calls him an "eel in snake's clothing!"
* Morey from ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'' has an eel's head and neck. He bites people in the face.

Moray eels are the species most often used, due to their fearsome appearance, though the occasional PsychoElectricEel may be used for this trope as well (despite electric "eels" being a type of knifefish).

Of all the sea creatures in the world, alongside dolphins, [[{{Everythings Squishier With Cephalopods}} octopuses]], [[{{PlayfulOtter}} sea otters]], and whales, the sneakiest sea creature alongside the [[ThreateningShark shark]] would be the moray eel. In nearly every form of media, eels are depicted as being sneaky creatures that have a propensity for tricking other sea creatures. It's a sure sign that they cannot be trusted. In other words, they're basically [[UndergroundMonkey the oceanic version]] of [[SnakesAreEvil snakes]]. Actual ''sea snakes'' (as opposed to mythical sea serpents) are SeldomSeenSpecies, probably because they're [[RuleOfScary far less intimidating-looking]] than moray eels, which basically look very bizarre and downright alien, right down to [[NestedMouths having Xenomorph-like jaws in its throat.]]

Moray eels are the species most often used, due to their fearsome appearance, though the occasional PsychoElectricEel may be used for this trope as well.

Of all the sea creatures in the world, alongside dolphins, [[{{Everythings Squishier With Cephalopods}} octopuses]], [[{{PlayfulOtter}} sea otters]], and whales, the sneakiest sea creature alongside the [[ThreateningShark shark]] would be the moray eel. In nearly every form of media, eels are depicted as being sneaky creatures that have a propensity for tricking other sea creatures. It's a sure sign that they cannot be trusted. In other words, they're basically [[UndergroundMonkey the oceanic version]] of [[SnakesAreEvil snakes]]. Actual ''sea snakes'' (as opposed to mythical sea serpents) are SeldomSeenSpecies, probably because they're [[RuleOfScary far less intimidating-looking]] than moray eels.