History Main / TRexpy

''TyrannosaurusRex'' is one the most famous, fearsome and majestic creatures that ever lived on Earth. In a story featuring giant monsters, ''T. rex'' is an obvious choice. However, some authors just find that ''T. rex'' itself is a little ''too'' cliché and want something more original, or that using a real dinosaur species just wouldn't fit the setting. So instead of using the tyrant lizard king itself, they show an original creature that obviously resembles it, resulting in something of an {{Expy}} of ''T. rex'' -- a T-Rexpy.

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer'' gives us the Carnosaur, which is one of the ''many'' dinosaur/pterosaur-like megafauna native to the jungles of [[Mayincatec Lustria]]. They basically look like exaggerated ''Tyrannosaurus'' (with a smidgen of RaptorAttack) and are one of the most prized war mounts of the [[LizardFolk Lizardmen]].

''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOutOfWater'': When Patrick takes the TimeMachine for a joyride, he unwittingly brings back a Squidasaurus Rex to the present day, which proceeds to rampage within the Krusty Krab. The Squidasaurus Rex is essentially a ''T. rex'' with Squidward's head attached.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Dinosaur}}'': The ''Carnotaurus'', while much smaller than ''T. rex'' in reality, are beefed up to tyrannosaur size in the film, and serve the classic role of monstrous, fearsome predators harrying the peaceful herbivores. The film is also set in North America, where the ''T. rex'' lived but ''Carnotaurus'' did not, and in the wake of end-Cretaceous mass extinction, at the end of the tyrannosaurs' life span but long after ''Carnotaurus'' died out. The animatics for the film do in fact depict a ''T. rex'' in place of the ''Carnotaurus'', suggesting that the filmmakers only secondarily substituted the ''Carnotaurus'' into a role originally written for ''T. rex''.

* ''Film/KingKong2005'': The fictional theropod ''Vastatosaurus rex'' is designed to resemble an evolved Tyrannosaurid with notable similarities to ''Tyrannosaurus'' itself. There are some obvious differences: instead of a prominent overbite, the V. rex has overlapping teeth like a crocodile, as well as hardened body armor and three fingers on its hands. They're also ''huge'' due to island gigantism, with almost twice the body mass of a ''Tyrannosaurus'' (16 tons vs 9).

* ''Film/KingKong2005'': The fictional theropod ''Vastatosaurus rex'' is designed to resemble an evolved Tyrannosaurid with notable similarities to ''Tyrannosaurus'' itself. There are some obvious differences: instead of a prominent overbite, the V. rex has overlapping teeth like a crocodile, as well as hardened body armor and three fingers on its hands.

* ''VideoGame/Mother3'': The Dragos are ''Tyrannosaurus''-like creatures encountered on Mt. Oriander and the aptly named Drago Plateau. Unusually for T-Rexpies, they are normally very friendly, [[spoiler:but then the Pigmasks appear and reconstruct one into the feral Mecha-Drago, causing Hinawa?a death and the disappearance of Claus]].

* ''Website/{{Neopets}}'': There's a species of neopet called the Grarrl, which heavily resembles a miniature ''T. rex'' with 4 fingers on each hand.

* ''Website/{{Neopets}}'': There's a species of neopet called the grarrl, which heavily resembles a miniature ''T. rex'' with 4 fingers on each hand.

** The fossil Pokemon Tyrunt, as well as its leveled-up counterpart Tyrantrum, are essentially ''Tyrannosaurus'' with the Pokemon touch to their design.

* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'': Many monsters are based on ''T. rex'':
** From the second generation there's Tigrex the flagship monster of ''Monster Hunter Freedom 2'', who has a ''T. rex''-like head and reputation, but is actually a Flying Wyvern.
** From the third generation, there's Deviljho (who debuted in ''Monster Hunter Tri'') and its variant Savage Deviljho (who debuted in ''Monster Hunter Tri Ultimate''), both monsters are Brute Wyverns with small arms and large heads just like the ''T. rex''.
** In the fourth generation there's Glavenus one of the flagship monsters of ''Monster Hunter Generations'', who takes on ''T. rex'' like traits while also drawing some others from ''Carnotaurus''.
** In the ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'' there's Anjanath, who is a cross between a ''T. rex'' and a vulture. ''Iceborne'' introduces a subspecies named Fuljur Anjanath.

* ''Literature/EmpireFromTheAshes'': The planet Birhat's mixed up ecology includes a creature that, on early scouting flyovers, is reported to seemingly "combine the more objectionable aspects of Tyrannosaurus and a four-horned Triceratops." The monstrosity is eventually named "Tyranotops".

The T-Rexpy can be a fantasy creature like [[DinosaursAreDragons a dragon]], an alien, a mutant, or a descendant of ''T. rex'' that [[LivingDinosaurs somehow survived into the modern age]]. It is typically bipedal, with a bulky body, long tail, relatively short arms, and a massive head with a broad mouth full of sharp teeth. However, it may have extra features that distinguish it from ''T. rex'' while potentially making it even more fearsome, such as horns, spikes, armor-like scales or feathers (which ''T. rex'' may or may not have had). As ''T. rex'''s puny arms are one feature that taint its badass image, sometimes the T-Rexpy will have longer arms with massive claws instead. In the most bizarre examples, it may even have wings. It will typically be at least as large as a real ''T. rex'' was, but there's no upper limit - some T-Rexpies are {{Kaiju}}-sized. The T-Rexpy will often end up in a BehemothBattle with another dinosaur-like monster or a [[PrimateVersusReptile giant ape]]. Although most of the time it relies on brute strength in combat, it will sometimes be given a BreathWeapon, since DinosaursAreDragons. It will often have the word "rex" somewhere in its name.

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** Originally, Godzilla in ''Film/GodzillaVsKingGhidorah'' was meant to be revealed as a mutated T-Rex before they changed it into the fictional species ''Godzillasaurus'' who is pretty heavily based on a T-Rex.

** There was a version of Godzilla from an unproduced movie named ''Godzilla King of the Monsters 3-D'' for 1983 who was heavily inspired on [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/godzilla/images/9/93/William_Stout_and_Godzillas.jpg T-Rexes]] for his design, especially in his head shape.

* The ''Indominus rex'' from ''Film/JurassicWorld'' is an in-universe example, a genetically modified hybrid dinosaur that is intended to be "super T-rex" of sorts, albeit with longer, grasping arms and camouflage abilities.

* The 1998 TV movie ''Gargantua'' focuses on amphibians that have mutated into semi-aquatic Rex-like monsters.

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* ''Literature/AfterManAZoologyOfTheFuture'' has an unusual ''mammalian'' variant of this trope, the raboon, which is a [[ManiacMonkeys baboon]] that evolved into a ''Tyrannosaurus''-like carnivore walking on two legs, with short arms, a thick tail and massive fangs. It is said to be primarily a scavenger that chases away smaller, weaker predators from their kill, which is a now-debunked theory about how ''Tyrannosaurus'' foraged.

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* ''Series/UltramanNeos'': The Rock Eaters are a race of Kaiju that resemble an upright red T-Rex. They fight a KingKongCopy named King Bamos, to further the resemblances.
* In ''Dinosaur Great War Izenborg'', the first antagonist is a T-Rex-like Kaiju known as Uuru.

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* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'': Many monsters are based on T-Rex:
** From the second generation there's Tigrex the flagship monster of ''Monster Hunter Freedom 2'', who has a T-Rex-like head and reputation, but is actually a Flying Wyvern.
** From the third generation, there's Deviljho (who debuted in ''Monster Hunter Tri'') and its variant Savage Deviljho (who debuted in ''Monster Hunter Tri Ultimate''), both monsters are Brute Wyverns with small arms and large heads just like the T-Rex.
** In the fourth generation there's Glavenus one of the flagship monsters of ''Monster Hunter Generations'', who takes on T-Rex like traits while also drawing some others from Carnotaurus.
** In the ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'' there's Anjanath, who is a cross between a T-Rex and a vulture. ''Iceborne'' introduces a subspecies named Fuljur Anjanath.

* ''VideoGame/NinjaShadowOfDarkness'': The Boss of the cloud city level is a Winged T-Rex-looking monster. The dragon-like wings sticking out it's back, combined with it's tiny T-Rex arms, makes it look as ridiculous and awkward as it sounds.

* First introduced in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'', the Rex enemy looks like a indigo or violet T-Rex [[DependingOnTheArtist {depending on the game)]] with a single nasal horn and [[DinosaursAreDragons tiny dragon wings]] on its back. They act like [[TheGoomba Goombas]] but can take two hits with their bodies becoming compressed on the first jump.
** While the normal variant doesn't appear in ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime'', a Shroobified version of the Rex, known as a Shroob Rex, exists in [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Shroob Castle.]] They can GroundPound, shoot boulders and breathe fire, and if not flattened at least once, are too tall to counterattack by jumping. All in all, they are tough enemies.

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* On ''Website/{{Neopets}}'', there is a species of neopet called the grarrl, which heavily resembles a miniature ''T. rex'' with 4 fingers on each hand.

The T-Rexpy can be a fantasy creature like [[DinosaursAreDragons a dragon]], an alien, a mutant, or a descendant of ''T. rex'' that [[LivingDinosaurs somehow survived into modern age]]. It is typically bipedal, with a bulky body, long tail, relatively short arms, and a massive head with a broad mouth full of sharp teeth. However, it may have extra features that distinguish it from ''T. rex'' while potentially making it even more fearsome, such as horns, spikes, armor-like scales or feathers (which ''T. rex'' may or may not have had). As ''T. rex'''s puny arms are one feature that taint its badass image, sometimes the T-Rexpy will have longer arms with massive claws instead. In the most bizarre examples, it may even have wings. It will typically be at least as large as a real ''T. rex'' was, but there's no upper limit - some T-Rexpies are {{Kaiju}}-sized. The T-Rexpy will often end up in a BehemothBattle with another dinosaur-like monster or a [[PrimateVersusReptile giant ape]]. Although most of the time it relies on brute strength in combat, it will sometimes be given a BreathWeapon, since DinosaursAreDragons. It will often have the word "rex" somewhere in its name.

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': Devilsaurs are dinosaurs that look like gigantic ''T. rex''es with spikes on their back. They are the apex predators in several LostWorld-type areas, such as Un'Goro Crater and Sholazar Basin. They are tameable by hunters with the Exotic Beasts talent, becoming powerful Ferocity-type hunter pets.

''TyrannosaurusRex'' is one the most famous, fearsome and majestic creatures that ever lived on Earth. In a story featuring giant monsters, ''T. rex'' is an obvious choice. However, some authors just find that ''T. rex'' itself is a little ''too'' cliché and want something more original, or that using a real dinosaur species just wouldn't fit the setting. So instead of using the tyrant lizard king itself, they show an original creature that obviously resembles it, resulting in something of an {{Expy}} of ''T. rex'' - a T-Rexpy.

* Literature.EmpireFromTheAshes: The planet Birhat's mixed up ecology includes a creature that, on early scouting flyovers:
--> seemed to combine the more objectionable aspects of Tyrannosaurus and a four-horned Triceratops
--->-- '''The Armageddon Inheritance, Chapter 11'''
::The monstrosity is eventually named "Tyranotops"

** In the ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'' there's Anjanath, who is a cross between a T-Rex and a vulture. ''Iceborne'' introduces a subspecies named Fuljur Anjanath

''VideoGame/NinjaShadowOfDarkness'': The Boss of the cloud city level is a Winged T-Rex-looking monster. The dragon-like wings sticking out it's back, combined with it's tiny T-Rex arms, makes it look as ridiculous and awkward as it sounds.

''TyrannosaurusRex'' is one the most famous, [[KingOfTheDinosaurs fearsome and majestic]] creatures that ever lived on Earth. In a story featuring giant monsters, ''T. rex'' is an obvious choice. However, some authors just find that ''T. rex'' itself is a little ''too'' cliché and want something more original, or that using a real dinosaur species just wouldn't fit the setting. So instead of using the tyrant lizard king itself, they show an original creature that obviously resembles it, resulting in something of an {{Expy}} of ''T. rex'' - a T-Rexpy.

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''Tyrannosaurus rex'' is one the most famous, [[KingOfTheDinosaurs fearsome and majestic]] creatures that ever lived on Earth. In a story featuring giant monsters, ''T. rex'' is an obvious choice. However, some authors just find that ''T. rex'' itself is a little ''too'' cliché and want something more original, or that using a real dinosaur species just wouldn't fit the setting. So instead of using the tyrant lizard king itself, they show an original creature that obviously resembles it, resulting in something of an {{Expy}} of ''T. rex'' - a T-Rexpy.

When real dinosaurs, such as ''Allosaurus'', ''Carnotaurus'' or ''Giganotosaurus'', get depicted with ''T. rex''-like features, that is not this trope, but rather ArtisticLicensePaleontology. Also, a T-Rexpy cannot be explicitly a ''Tyrannosaurus rex'' (though it can be an "evolved" descendant of it) - examples for actual ''T. rex''es go under KingOfTheDinosaurs.

When real dinosaurs, such as ''Allosaurus'', ''Carnotaurus'' or ''Giganotosaurus'', get depicted with ''T. rex''-like features, that is not this trope, but rather ArtisticLicensePaleontology.

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!! In the [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1603018686022987400&page=1 Tyrannosaurus rex]] TRS thread, we discussed that other dinosaurs resembling ''T. rex'' is a tropable concept that is distinct enough from examples of fictional ''T. rex''es.