History Main / SnakePeople

Snake People may have some proficiency for aquatic movement as well, either being superior swimmers than other species or actually being able to breathe underwater, in which case they would be a subtrope of UnscaledMerfolk, with the best of both worlds. They may or may not talk in SssssnakeTalk. Similarly, they are often evil because SnakesAreSinister, but like many other {{Cute Monster Girl}}s, DarkIsNotEvil may come into play. Or they were already villains who just [[ScaledUp turned into snakes]].

* ''VideoGame/XCOMUFODefense'': The aptly named Snakemen. They are infamous among X-COM veterans, mostly in part of their race's terror unit, the Chryssalid.
** The remake, ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' and its expansion pack ''Enemy Within'' replace Snakemen with Thin Men; snake-eyed, [[SuperSpit venom-spewing]] [[NoodlePeople exaggeratedly slender and tall]] humanoids with subtle patches of scales. The sequel to the remake, ''VideoGame/{{XCOM 2}}'', has the Vipers, which are basically Snakemen with better graphics and given a more feminine mein (subtle NonMammalianMammaries and HartmanHips) due to being a OneGenderRace (the Elders bioengineered all male Vipers out of existence to control their reproduction). By the time of ''VideoGame/XCOMChimeraSquad'', Vipers are among the remaining aliens who have integrated into human society following the defeat of the Elders at the end of ''2'' (with one of them, Torque, being a member of the titular counterterrorism squad), while several of them [[https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1830542-viper-x-com seem to have found a niche]] in the, shall we say, [[SnakesAreSexy "personal entertainment" industry...]]

* ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'': Metus was turned into one by Mata Nui using the Mask of Life, as punishment for betraying his folk. He turned back into his original form some time later as a result of Mata Nui using his powers to restore the planet Spherus Magna into its original state and undo all mutations that befell the characters.

Snake People, Nagas, Lamias, Valusians, or [[WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse Snersons]] are a type of {{liminal being}} usually depicted with a human head, arms and torso with the added twist of a snake's tail as a lower body, similar in many respects to a [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent mermaid]], [[OurCentaursAreDifferent centaur]], and [[FogFeet some]] [[OurGeniesAreDifferent genies]]. Beings like this can also involve more exotic bodily configurations such as [[WingedTropes wings]] or changing the ratio of snake to human. Also, for some reason, most examples are female.[[note]]The reason is breasts.[[/note]]

* ''Literature/AllTommorrows'' has two versions of this:

** In the [[Manga/FairyTail100YearsQuest sequel series]], after being defeated and captured by the servant of the Moon Dragon, Selene, [[spoiler: Lucy is transformed into a {{Youkai}} called a nure-onna, which gives her snake-eyes, and a snake body from the waist down.]]

** ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': ''Detective Comics'' #514-517 features a villain named Lady Viper who is a naga. In issue #516 she bites Batgirl, who later has a nightmare in which she has grown her own serpent tail replacing her legs. She awakens later relieved it was a dream only to [[http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZDt9nzS2gXs/Tu3sArARYtI/AAAAAAAAXa0/Trr1_C2YB08/s1600/scan105.jpg discover to her horror that she has become half snake in reality as well]]. In issue #517 Batgirl in her naga form manages to defeat Lady Viper and finds a way to become human again.
** The ''ComicBook/RobinSeries'' villain Tapeworm is structured like a snake person but with a long tail of detachable regenerating flat segments rather than a scaled tail.

*** During "The Witch and the Warrior" Circe transforms Batman into a giant snake with a human torso and head.
** Controversially, the post-Comicbook/ZeroHour version of the previously totally [[HumanAliens human-looking]] Princess Projectra from ''Comicbook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' was turned into an alien resembling a giant snake, who wore a robotic harness with little arms. She was named Sensor. Despite her appearance, she was friendly and sweet. She was later mutated into a half-humanoid Snake Person, which [[BodyHorror upset her very much.]]

** The Viper ([[ComicBook/{{HYDRA}} Madame Hydra]]), a regular foe of ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, launched a hostile takeover of the Serpent Society so she could use them to carry out a plot against Washington, D.C.: to poison the population and turn them all into Snake People. Slither was her right-hand man for the operation.

* ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'' and ''WesternAnimation/Ben10UltimateAlien'' A villain called Ssserpent, He is an anthropomorphic snake alien.

** In ''The Hands of Time'', the {{Mook}}s are the Vermillion, a hive mind of snakes that can work together to operate human-sized armor and larger mechs.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretSaturdays'': A whole cryptid race of Naga shows up, though the one the audience gets to know about is Rani'Nagi. They're primarily serpentine in appearance with long snake tail for legs, a narrow humanoid torso, long skinny arms and fingers terminating in claws, and an oversized head with elongated skulls and prominent fangs on their faces. While mainly antagonistic due to their worship of Kur and hope that he'll wipe out humanity for them, they're quite capable of teaming with the heroes when in their best interests, such as rescuing [[TheChosenOne Zak]] from a WellIntentionedExtremist who planned to kill him in order to stop Kur's resurrection.
* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' features an alternate universe where snakes evolved to be the dominant species, not humans but history is loosely the same, including Snake Abraham Lincoln and Snake Hitler.

-->''[[MakeWayForTheNewVillains WAS]] [[SssssnakeTalk ONCCCCCCCCEEEEEE]] [[BalefulPolymorph A]] [[WasOnceAMan MAN]]!"

%%* ''Literature/AllTommorrows'' has two versions of this; the first being the Snake People themselves, descendants of humans who were first turned into a non-sentient burrowing Worms before eventually evolving into a sentient form millions of years later. These Snake People are almost completely serpentine in shape, except for the hands on the end of their tails derived from their ancestor's feet, and are noted to have spiral-shaped brains. The second are the Amphicephali, an unrelated race of aliens from another Galaxy encountered millions of years later, and are best described as 'snakes with snakes inside their snakes'.

Snake People, Nagas, Lamias, Valusians, or (courtesy of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'') "Snersons" are a type of {{liminal being}} usually depicted with a human head, arms and torso with the added twist of a snake's tail as a lower body, similar in many respects to a [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent mermaid]], [[OurCentaursAreDifferent centaur]], and [[FogFeet some]] [[OurGeniesAreDifferent genies]]. Beings like this can also involve more exotic bodily configurations such as [[WingedTropes wings]] or changing the ratio of snake to human. Also, for some reason, most examples are female.[[note]]The reason is breasts.[[/note]]

Snake People, Nagas, Lamias, Valusians, or (courtesy of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'') "Sneople" are a type of {{liminal being}} usually depicted with a human head, arms and torso with the added twist of a snake's tail as a lower body, similar in many respects to a [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent mermaid]], [[OurCentaursAreDifferent centaur]], and [[FogFeet some]] [[OurGeniesAreDifferent genies]]. Beings like this can also involve more exotic bodily configurations such as [[WingedTropes wings]] or changing the ratio of snake to human. Also, for some reason, most examples are female.[[note]]The reason is breasts.[[/note]]

* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'': Cassopeia became a snake from the waist down after she triggered a tomb-guarding curse. She likes her new form. In-game, she is the one character who cannot buy Boots (items that increase the movement speed stat) -- her passive, "Serpentine Grace," gives her increasing movement speed to make up for it.

* ''VideoGame/LuciferRing'' has the Echidna, a green-skinned snake-woman with massive talons, serving as a boss at the mausoleum's entrance.

* In ''Film/The7thVoyageOfSinbad'', an evil magician temporarily combines a woman and a snake to create a four-armed woman with a snake's tail.
* ''Film/{{Ahas}}'' features a murderous half-snake woman, the result of a dodgy fertility drug that a couple took so that they could conceive a child. She is hidden away by her father in the depths of a shopping mall and things go downhill from there.
%%* ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'': Snake!Beetlejuice, except with no arms.
%%* ''Film/ClashOfTheTitans1981'': Medusa in the original and in [[Film/ClashOfTheTitans2010 the 2010 remake]].%%How?

* ''Film/{{Hisss}}'': TheProtagonist is a shapeshifting cobra who is able to take the form of giant cobras, humans, or a combination in between.
* ''Film/TheLairOfTheWhiteWorm'': The vampires hover between this and LizardFolk.%%How?

** Some of the original inhabitants of Terra Secunda are the Ophidians, a race of snake people who don't take too kindly to the new invaders.

* ''VideoGame/{{Sinjid}}'': In ''Sinjid: Shadow of the Warrior'', Mountain Nagas are humanoid serpents that serve as mid-level enemies in the Monster Portal. They're notable for [[HighPressureBlood releasing fountains of blood]] when killed, which contrasts with [[BloodlessCarnage all the other on-screen deaths that occur in the game]].

** The [[VideoGameRemake remake]] reveals that the the First Children were snake people, and {{retcon}}s [[spoiler:the Mother]] into having a more serpentine form. [[VideoGame/LaMulana2 The sequel]] reveals that [[spoiler:bipedalism was actually a trait introduced by [[AncientAstronauts alien interlopers]]]].

Snake People, Nagas, Lamias, or (courtesy of ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'') "Sneople" are a type of {{liminal being}} usually depicted with a human head, arms and torso with the added twist of a snake's tail as a lower body, similar in many respects to a [[OurMermaidsAreDifferent mermaid]], [[OurCentaursAreDifferent centaur]], and [[FogFeet some]] [[OurGeniesAreDifferent genies]]. Beings like this can also involve more exotic bodily configurations such as [[WingedTropes wings]] or changing the ratio of snake to human. Also, for some reason, most examples are female.[[note]]The reason is breasts.[[/note]]

** ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' has Man-Serpents similar to but not quite the same as the ones in the first game. They have a more hunched posture, are capable of [[RubberMan stretching their snake-necks long distances]], and the females, if there are any, are indistinguishable from the males. Since they are only found in Archdragon Pek, and ''Dark Souls'' mythology indicates that serpents are "incomplete" dragons, it's believed they may be [[WasOnceAMan dragon-worshipping humans]] who tried to turn themselves into dragons and failed. Supporting this is the fact that they are capable of breathing fire.

** The first game has the snakemen in Sen's Fortress. Unlike most other examples listed here, though, these snakemen have humanoid bodies but with a snake head atop a long neck. The snakewomen have cobra hoods and four arms as well. It's not clear where they came from, but since a few of them also show up in the Duke's Archives, they're popularly believed to be a result of Seath's insane experiments.

** ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' has snakemen similar to but not quite the same as the ones in the first game that populate Archdragon Peak. Since ''Dark Souls'' mythology indicates that serpents are "incomplete" dragons, it's believed they may be dragon-worshippers who tried to turn themselves into dragons and failed. Supporting this is the fact that they are capable of breathing fire.

** Many Nagaraha ("king nagas") are named, including Vasuki, who lives in the netherworld. The Nagas living in the human world are nature spirits associated with water — rainfall, lakes, rivers, wells, seas and springs — and will bring droughts and floods if provoked.

* In Thailand, the Naga is a Pluto-analogue, an underworld deity associated with wealth. Another related being is a dragon that lives in the Mekong River, where the Naga Fireball phenomenon occurs.
* The Malay believe nagas are multiple-headed dragons.
* Laosians view the naga as sea serpents with beaks.
* Cambodians believe they are descended from the daughter of the King of the Nagas, a race of snake creatures with a vast empire under the Pacific Ocean. Seven-headed Nagas decorate Angkor Wat, hinting at this union.

* UsefulNotes/{{Hinduism}}
** Nagas can shift from their (often multi-hooded) snake form to human form and almost all are capable of magic in some form or the other. One of the most powerful is the thousand-headed Naga named [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shesha Ananta Shesha]] (roughly "That Which Remains Endlessly"), a servant of the God Vishnu, who reincarnated as his master's brother in some incarnations (notably, as Rama's brother Lakshmana and Krishna's brother Balarama), and is said to have lived before the universe was created and will continue to exist even after [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt said universe is destroyed]] (hence his name).
** The king of Nagas is Vasuki, who lives in the netherworld. The Nagas living in the human world are nature spirits associated with water — rainfall, lakes, rivers, wells, seas and springs — and will bring droughts and floods if provoked.
** Naga occur frequently in the ''Literature/{{Mahabharata}}''. Even though the text proclaims them to be the "persecutors of all creatures" and they are powerful, poisonous creatures, the naga we see in the story vary between good and evil.
** The Buddhist tradition, on the other hand, tends to associate the naga with whatever dragon-like deity exists in the local culture, such as the Chinese long or Tibetan klu. The Buddhist naga is usually depicted as a cobra, sometimes with several heads, or as a human with a snake behind its head, indicating that it shapeshifted into a human form. The most famous naga in Buddhism is Mucalinda, the naga that protected the Buddha. When you see the Buddha meditating under the hood of a coiled cobra, that is Mucalinda.

** Controversially, the post-Comicbook/ZenoHour version of the previously totally [[HumanAliens human-looking]] Princess Projectra from ''Comicbook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' was turned into an alien resembling a giant snake, who wore a robotic harness with little arms. She was named Sensor. Despite her appearance, she was friendly and sweet. She was later mutated into a half-humanoid Snake Person, which [[BodyHorror upset her very much.]]