Line #167 Main/DireBeast


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4	[[quoteright:350:[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/direbear_9305.jpg]]]]
5	[[caption-width-right:350:And you thought [[BearsAreBadNews bears were bad news]] ''before'' you met one the size of an African elephant.]]
6
7	->''"You know what a dire X is, right? They're like X, only dire."''
8	-->-- ''VideoGame/SouthParkTheStickOfTruth'', describing the wildlife of...Canada
9
10	The dire animal: a larger, often more "prehistoric"-looking version of a normal animal. It's popular in fantasy works. After all, watching your hero fight a normal-sized rat is hardly impressive, but make it [[RodentsOfUnusualSize the size of a small dog]], now, ''that'' is impressive. A wolf might be threatening, but a sabre-toothed wolf the size of a bear... now, that's even more impressive.
11
12	Note that dire wolves did actually exist in real life, though they were only slightly larger than "normal" wolves, and disappointingly, recent DNA evidence has suggested that they were not actually in the genus ''Canis'', nor were they closely related to gray wolves.[[note]] Their skeletal structure is very similar to a gray wolf's, though, which is what caused the assumption. It's a result of convergent evolution.[[/note]]
13	In addition, during the Cenozoic era there were many relatives of modern mammals such as rhinos, sloths, and hyenas that were far larger than their extant cousins and could easily be seen as further inspiration to this trope.
14
15	Dire Animals have become a staple of fantasy works, often serving as early game enemies (with Dire Rats ideal for a RatStomp). Dire version of more impressive animals can still pose a challenge later in the story (Dire Bears the size of elephants, [[ArtisticLicensePaleontology Dire]] ''[[ArtisticLicensePaleontology Tyrannosaurus rex]]'') but most often these form one of the earliest challenge heroes must face.
16
17	May be the subject of GiantAnimalWorship.
18
19	Dire Animals may fit into various related tropes depending on what animals they are:
20	[[index]]
21	* AmphibianAtLarge
22	* AngryAngryHippos
23	* BatOutOfHell
24	* BearsAreBadNews
25	* BigCreepyCrawlies
26	* BrutalBirdOfPrey
27	* BrutishBulls
28	* CanisMajor
29	* CruelElephant
30	* DreadfulDragonfly
31	* FullBoarAction
32	* GiantEnemyCrab
33	* GiantFlyer
34	* GiantSpider
35	* GiantSquid
36	* TheGreatSerpent
37	* KillerGorilla
38	* KingKongCopy
39	* KrakenAndLeviathan
40	* MammothsMeanIceAge
41	* MegaNeko
42	* MonsterWhale
43	* NeverSmileAtACrocodile
44	* PantheraAwesome
45	* RhinoRampage
46	* RocBirds
47	* RodentsOfUnusualSize
48	* SandWorm
49	* SavageWolves
50	* ScaryScorpions
51	* SeaMonster
52	* SeaSerpents
53	* SlayingMantis
54	[[/index]]
55
56	Related to {{Whateversaurus}} and PrehistoricAnimalAnalogue. Compare AnimalsNotToScale, AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever when these beasts turn ''gigantic''. Prehistoric variants often overlap with PrehistoricMonster (and, as mentioned above, many prehistoric animals ''were'' giant relatives of modern animals). Contrast FunSize.
57	----
58
59	!!Examples
60
61	[[foldercontrol]]
62
63	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
64	* In ''Manga/BakiTheGrappler'', there exist a gigantic elephant killed by yujiro and some other abnormally animals, like yasha-zaru a giant ape or noro the tibetan mastiff.
65	* ''Manga/{{Guyver}}'': In a FlashBack, the [[AbusivePrecursors Uranus]] test the abilities of the first [[GoneHorriblyRight Guyver]] by having it fight one of their last surviving T-Rexes, which has been [[BioAugmentation biochemically enhanced]] through the same process which transforms humans into [[MonstrousHumanoid Zoanoids]]. It's also mentioned that ancient Zoanoid genes still resurface from time to time, with the resultant "dire humans" having inspired mythical creatures like werewolves and Bigfoot.
66	[[/folder]]
67
68	[[folder:Art]]
69	* In ''Art/BeastFables'', [[https://twitter.com/A3Dnazrigar/status/1644893724709888001 dire beasts]] are animals that can gradually and permanently transform into bigger versions of themselves.
70	[[/folder]]
71
72	[[folder:Comic Books]]
73	* ''ComicBook/TheBlackbloodAlliance'' has many examples, as it takes place in prehistoric America. Dire wolves are a prominent race in this setting, known as the Rubicund. There are also prehistoric hyenas (even bigger than the protagonist Swiftkill), Broadhorns (giant rhinos), and prehistoric horses.
74	[[/folder]]
75
76	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
77	* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Mei and her female relatives have the ability to transform into what are effectively dire red pandas.
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
81	* ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' has the Direhorse, a six-legged alien beast ridden by the Na'vi as a mount. As the gravity of Pandora is far less that of earth, the creatures there get quite big, with the Direhorse reaching about the size of an African elephant.
82	* In ''Film/TheKillerShrews'' relatively giant shrews are attacking and killing. The "giant shrews" are played by German Shepherd dogs with not very convincing makeup.
83	* As with the literary version, the film adaptations of ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' feature wargs and oliphaunts, basically Dire Wolves and Dire Elephants. The wargs in ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheTwoTowers The Two Towers]]'' look less like wolves however and more like grotesquely mutated hyenas, while the oliphaunts are 50 feet tall and have six tusks, with the largest pair covered in spikes.
84	* ''Film/TheHobbit:'' Has its own Wargs, which have changed appearance and now actually do look like wolves.
85	* Film/{{Mothra}} and her parody, [[WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens Insectosaurus]] -- the latter even turns into a butterfly.
86	* ''[[Film/Rampage2018 Rampage]]'' has three ordinary animals: an albino gorilla named George, a wolf named Ralph, and an alligator named Lizzie, who are exposed to an experimental CRISPR mutagen that transforms them into rampaging {{Kaiju}}. While George looks the same, though bigger, Ralph and Lizzie gain monstrous appearances, complete with SpikesOfVillainy.
87	* In ''Film/SinbadAndTheEyeOfTheTiger'', Sinbad and his crew are attacked by a giant walrus on the ice floe before Hyperborea. It was animated by Creator/RayHarryhausen.
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder:Literature]]
91	* ''Literature/BruceCovillesBookOf Nightmares II'': In ''The Shadow Wood'', while traveling through the titular forest, one of the obstacles the hero faces is a giant wolf with an iron muzzle and limbs made of rock. Fortunately, he defeats it.
92	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': According to ''The Compleat Discworld Atlas'', the disc has dire yaks. However, although they are noticeably larger than regular yak, they are so named because they come from the Dire Peninsula (which is separated from the main continent by the Music/DireStraits).
93	* ''Literature/InheritanceCycle'': The Beor Mountains are home to a number of giant versions of regular wild animals, including feldûnost (giant goats), shrrg (wolves the size of horses), nagra (boars who grow even larger than the shrrg), and urzhad (cave bears the size of houses). Feldûnost are raised as livestock by the dwarves, but the others are dangerous wild animals -- nagra are prized as challenging and dangerous prey by particularly brave dwarf hunters, while urzhad are stated to be dangerous foes even for dragons.
94	* ''Literature/TheIronTeeth'': There are many examples of this. They usually have a well defined ecological role, though, and aren't just supersized versions of normal animals.
95	* ''Literature/JoesWorld:'' The two-novel series features Snarls, giant furry beasts equipped with enormous claws and fangs who come in every variety, Forest, Desert, Mountain, Swamp.. and tend to be deadly to all they encounter, except for those lucky few who are "Snarl-friends." Oddly, the books never clearly ''describe'' the creatures, but they are evidently cat-like quadrupeds.
96	* ''Literature/ThePendragonAdventure'': "Quigs" take the form of some local wild fauna but are even more dangerous and single-mindedly attack anyone they dance across. On one territory they look like bears, in a marine one they're sharks, on Earth they're dogs, etc. On one territory where man isn't the dominant species, they look like feral, bestial humans.
97	* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
98	** The dire wolf is the symbol of house Stark. At adulthood, if the [[Series/GameOfThrones TV show]] is any indication, they grow to the size of a horse. They normally live north of the Wall but in the first book Ned Stark finds a dead female and a litter of pups in his lands on the south side and gives the pups to his six children.
99	** There are also aurochs, which are prehistoric cattle and seem to be about as common as regular cows would be in real life, and mammoths.
100	* ''Literature/TalesOfKaimere'': Many animals are named as Dire versions of Earth counterpart due to their larger size, though like the Dire Wolves most aren't that related to their namesakes. The Dire Bobcat frok Parkardia is a type a lynx that's more similiar to a cougar in niche. The Dire Badger is more related to the wolverine, The Dire Panther is a nimravid, the Dire Otter is a semi-aquatic Hyenadont from Kaishel, the Dire Petrel is a Pelagornis, and the "Dire Hares" refer to predatory multituberculates descended from rabbit-like ancestors.
101	** Due to the most commonly seen proboscidians in the Known World undergoing island dwarfism, Kaimerans see their larger relatives, like the Drenduga from the Arvelith Highlands and the Koga from the Eastern Continent, as example of this trope.
102	** In the Eastern Continent, a giant cockatrice[[note]]a branch of Eudromaeosaurs unique to Kaimere[[/note]] called the Komu Ka Bawe evolved to be as large as land-dwelling Robust Megaraptorans and specialized in hunting down Titanosaurs.
103	* ''Franchise/TolkiensLegendarium'':
104	** Wargs are perfect examples of giant, evil wolves, although a distinction is made in-universe between them and true wolves; the latter are natural animals, while wargs are monsters in Morgoth's and Sauron's service.
105	** Oliphaunts are essentially dire elephants (the films take this last one to a far greater extreme than the books, with the Oliphants in the books described as being "house sized", but the film versions being outright {{Kaiju}} sized).
106	** Giant eagles and giant spiders are also featured; both are ancient spirits in animal form, the former are AlwaysLawfulGood, often acting as TheCavalry in the most dire situations, and the latter are AlwaysChaoticEvil.
107	[[/folder]]
108
109	[[folder:Live Action TV]]
110	* ''Series/{{Ahsoka}}'' has the the howlers from Peridea. They are massive wolf-life creatures whose head resembles a hyena and are used like small horses. They behave like domesticated dogs. Their design brings in mind the wargs from ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings''.
111	* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': In the first episode the Stark children adopt 5 direwolves puppies whose mother was killed by a stag: Ghost, Shaggy Dog, Nymeria, Lady and Grey Wind.
112	* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'' features two different species of wargs, and a giant eagle in the intro. The wargs have changed appearance ''again'', and now resemble a rabid ''poodle''.
113	[[/folder]]
114
115	[[folder:{{Podcast}}]]
116	* Podcast/DiceFunk: Jayne can shapeshift into a dire wolf. She always employs this when combat occurs.
117	[[/folder]]
118
119	[[folder:TabletopGames]]
120	* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''
121	** This game is likely the TropeCodifier: Dire Animals are numerous, and Dire Rats, Badgers, Wolves and Bears are staples of the game and many adaptation, but more creative examples include Dire Crocodiles and Dire Sharks. Basically any animal you can think of often has a dire version. Dire animals are distinguished by their size and being covered in spikes.
122	** In 3.5, even Dire Animals had their own "more dire" counterpart in the form of "Legendary" beasts and "Paragon" beasts.
123	** The ''TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}'' setting also adds horrid animals: dire animals that were bred into living weapons for use against the daelkyr. They tend to have even more spikes and plates than ordinary dire animals, to the point where the horrid rat has almost no actual fur visible between the spikes.
124	* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' adapts most of D&D's dire animals, but links many of them to various real life prehistoric creatures - dire apes are ''Gigantopithecus'', dire boars are ''Daeodon'', dire tigers are sabertooth cats, etc. This comes with a fair bit of ArtisticLicensePaleontology, since not all the prehistoric creatures named were actually all that closely related to their mundane counterparts: ''Daeodon'', for instance, wasn't really part of the pig family, and the sabretooth cats weren't tigers.
125	* ''TabletopGame/SavageWorlds'' includes numerous dire beasties in its core rulebook's list of pre-generated foes.
126	* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' has a bunch of super-sized animals found across the setting. They're usually some kind of [[PrimordialChaos Wyld]] mutant or supernatural creature.
127	* ''TabletopGame/{{Scion}}'': Introduced in ''Hero 1e'' are titanspawn enemies known as nemeans (taken from the Greek legend of the Nemean lion), which are animals, insects or beasts tens of times bigger than their mundane versions with [[SuperToughness immensely durable hides]]. They can be any species of animal; the provided example in the source book is a gigantic nemean wild boar called [[FullBoarAction Hogzilla]]. ''God'' takes it to the next level with typhonian animals, beasts that are ''hundreds'' of times larger that can even give gods a hard time; one example is the 300-ft-long typhonian dunkleosteus called Leviathan.
128	* In the ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' expansion pack for the game ''{{TabletopGame/Munchkin}}'', one of the treasures is a [[https://munchkin.game/site-munchkin/assets/files/1378/pacards.jpg "Dire Teddy Bear."]]
129	** While ''Munchkin: Legends'' has the "Dire" monster buff.
130	* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' puts a spin on this with its dire wolves, which are [[RaisingTheSteaks undead creatures]] under the control of the Vampire Counts faction.
131	[[/folder]]
132
133	[[folder:VideoGames]]
134	* Dire creatures appear in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII''. Dire Rats and Dire Flans (a flan is a type of BlobMonster).
135	* Dire wolves appear in ''Videogame/RuneScape'''s forest of Isafdar as larger-sized versions of their cousins, guarding the entrance to the Elven city of Lletya.
136	* Dire wolves are a pain in the ass in ''Videogame/AgeOfEmpiresII'', due to their propensity to violently murder your villagers.
137	* Dire Wolves appear in ''VideoGame/TheBattleForMiddleEarth''. They did not appear in the books however (instead there were Wargs).
138	* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has a ton of dire animals: Dire Wolves, Dire Boars, Dire Bats, Dire Apes, Dire Condors and Dire Lions.
139	* In the ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'' franchise, there are often large, mean versions of common animals, especially [[GiantSpider spiders]]. Justified in the cosmology since all animals were originally based on demons, and are easily corrupted.
140	* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' has the [[TheCorruption "Blighted"]] versions of some animals, such as spiders, wolves, and bears, which are bigger and tougher than their baseline counterparts. The blighted bear (known as "Bereskarn") in particular is much larger and even grows bony spikes all over its body.
141	* In ''VideoGame/SouthParkTheStickOfTruth'', [[GrimUpNorth Canada]] (in 16-bit top down view) has a whole array of dire woodlands creature like bears, snakes and spiders. Oh, and dire AIDS too, they're like regular AIDS but dire.
142	* In ''VideoGame/{{Elsword}}'', there exist giant versions of Phoru creatures that serves as minibosses. There are also giant, mutated rats in the Elder BonusDungeon.
143	* Seemingly as a parody, the ''VideoGame/AgeOfWonders'' series has exactly one kind of dire beast: the Dire Penguin.
144	* Also parodied in ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm'', this time with the Dire ''Turnip''.
145	* In ''VideoGame/GemsOfWar'', the Dire Wolf is, as per its card, "like a wolf, only more dire". They're distinct from the wolf-''people'' who live in the same area.
146	* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'':
147	** A variation exists with the Ice Wolf, Snowy Sabre Cat and Snow Bear -- much tougher and deadlier versions of normal predators, only encountered in the colder regions and distinguished by their pale fur. This is FridgeBrilliance, since these animals would ''have'' to be stronger to survive in their cold, unforgiving environment, and [[TruthInTelevision the polar bear is indeed the largest species of bear still alive today]]. Given that two out of three of those were DemonicSpiders to begin with... yeah.
148	** Skyrim also has Cave Bears, which are stronger than regular bears (but slightly weaker than Snow Bears). Just like dire wolves, [[TruthInTelevision cave bears are a real (though extinct) species]].
149	* ''The Isle'' has the Hyperendocrin Rex, which is three times the size of the standard T. rex in the game and has far more attack power and health. However, it depletes its hunger meter very quckly, and must eat constantly to avoid starving.
150	** Later updates included the Hyperendocrin versions of the Spinosaurus and Giganotosaurus.
151	* ''VideoGame/AncientEmpires'' has Dire Wolves as a unit type. They're strong and fast and apparently have poisonous fangs, as their attack poisons the enemy.
152	* ''Videogame/RedDeadRedemption2'' has Legendary Animals, unique critters that are larger and more powerful than their ordinary cousins. The one that stands out the most in this regard, though, is the Legendary Bull Gator, an alligator that's close to 40 feet long, over three times the size of the game's other, more proportionally accurate gators.
153	* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedOdyssey'' has the legendary creatures from The Goddesses' Hunt side quest. Each one is an OptionalBoss that must be tracked down and killed to complete the quest. They are: two [[FullBoarAction rhino-sized boars]], a massive Hind, [[BrutishBulls a huge bull]], [[MegaNeko an enormous lion]], [[BearsAreBadNews a gargantuan bear]], [[CanisMajor a wolf the size of a horse]], and [[HeinousHyena a monstrous hyena]].
154	* ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'' has giant versions of most animals in the game. The largest cross into AttackOfThe50FootWhatever territory.
155	* ''VideoGame/OriAndTheWillOfTheWisps'' has a dire wolf named Howl as its first boss, a giant [[SpikesOfVillainy spiky]] [[BigCreepyCrawlies rhinoceros beetle]] as it's second boss, and the dire ''[[OminousOwl owl]]'' Shriek as the BigBad. On the more benevolent side, there's the giant frog guardian Kwolok, and the giant brown bear Baur of Baur's Reach.
156	* In ''VideoGame/YsVITheArkOfNapishtim'', Admiral Agares' pet, Lanaluna AKA Elizabeth, is a giant toad from [[DarkestAfrica Deep Afroca]].
157	* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series:
158	** ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas: Honest Hearts'' has Giant [[BearsAreBadNews Yao Guai]], whose cubs are the size of the normal Yao Guai from ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}''. Other staple dire creatures include [[SlayingMantis Giant Mantises]](whose Zion Valley variety are even bigger), [[MascotMook Deathclaws]](dire chameleons), [[ScaryScorpions Radscorpions]], [[WickedWasps Cazadores]] (giant tarantula hawk wasps), [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent Geckos]], [[RodentOfUnusualSize Mole Rats]], and Bighorners(dire sheep).
159	** ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}: Far Harbor'' plays this trope straight with its Fog Crawlers (Deathclaw-sized mantis shrimp), Gulpers ([[AmphibianAtLarge dire salamanders]]), and [[GiantEnemyCrab giant Hermit Crabs]], but averts it with the relatively normal Wolves.
160	* ''VideoGame/EldenRing'' has normal Bears which are a bit more dangerous than the other normal wildlife but not too much trouble. It also has Runebears, which are massive LightningBruiser monsters that will relentlessly try to tear you apart if they notice you.
161	* Animals (and plants) in ''VideoGame/TheSapling'' have the ability to evolve into one of four different body sizes. Larger body sizes (which were even named "Greater [X]" in earlier versions of the game) have proportionally greater hit points and lifespans at the cost of needing a lot more energy and having much slower reproduction rates. Larger predators also have the chance of swallowing smaller prey whole, as opposed to similar sizes ones that would have to kill their target and eat the carrion dropped.
162	* ''VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet'' introduces Paradox Pokémon to the franchise, being ([[AmbiguousSituation supposed]]) distant ancestors/descendants to modern day species. In the case of ''Scarlet'', the various ancient Pokémon are all significantly larger than their modern counterparts and usually more powerful as well.
163	[[/folder]]
164
165	[[folder:Webcomics]]
166	* An arc of ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater'' where the Light Warriors are looking for a dire rat's tail prompts a discussion on the meaning of the term [[http://www.nuklearpower.com/2005/07/12/episode-575-rats-of-unusual-size/ "dire"]].
167	* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick,'' being based on D&D, has a few dire beasts on occasion.
168	** One of the incentive comics has the joke monster [[https://i.giantitp.com/bcx/MonsterMash005.gif Dire Lemming]], which looks fierce but ignores the characters to dive off a cliff.
169	** Hinjo's paladin mount is a horse-sized celestial wolf named [[https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0432.html Argent.]]
170	[[/folder]]
171
172	[[folder:Real Life]]
173	* In prehistoric times, there were some animals that were, in fact, larger than their modern relatives. These included dire wolves, entelodonts (relatives of modern hippos that looked like giant pigs with MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily), ''Elasmotherium'' (an ice age rhino with one horn, that grew to the size of an elephant), and ''Deinotherium'', ''Stegodon'' and several mammoth species (elephant relatives). None of them tended to be quite so large as modern media portrays them (dire wolves, for example only grew to about 110-175 lbs and were actually shorter at the shoulders than modern wolves), and needless to say they weren't covered in spikes, either.
174	* ''Thylacoleo'', the so-called "marsupial lion", was in fact more of a carnivorous Dire Wombat.
175	* Another real-life example: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurochs Aurochs]], the ancestors of cattle, were on average larger and stronger than modern cows, and were more aggressive and territorial as well -- far more like bison and cape buffalo than farm cows. It took some kind of serious badassery to domesticate them. They also went extinct ''less than 400 years ago'', which means that [[TheDungAges Knights and Peasants]], [[AncientGrome the Romans and Greeks]], and most other ancient Afroeurasian peoples kept these as ''a source of food'' and often hunted them in the wild, and were thus badasses in their own right.
176	** Some scientists today are exploring backbreeding the aurochs' closest living relatives to "re-evolve" the giant sizes of the originals.
177	** Other giant ancient cattle included the long-horn bison of North America and the giant African bison, both stood more than eight feet tall at the shoulder and weighed more than two tons, that's heavier than a giraffe!
178	* The aptly-named ''Hyaenodon'', which looked somewhat like a Dire Hyena or Dire Dog the size of a small horse, though it was a creodont and thus not closely related to hyenas or any other member of Order Carnivora. It had a straight back and a proportionally very large head, giving it a warg-like appearance.
179	** The fossil record also produced a number of dire "true hyenas", such as the bear-sized ''Dinocrocuta'' (originally believed to be a hyena relative but now considered a true hyena) and the lion-sized ''Pachycrocuta'' (aka the giant short-faced hyena).
180	* The short-faced bear, ''Arctodus simus'', was the largest known species of bear. A large male could stand six feet tall on all fours and rear up to eleven or twelve feet on its hind legs while weighing over a ton. It was one of the largest predatory land mammals of all time.
181	* Megalodon, an enormous prehistoric shark that was three times as long as the modern Great White Shark.
182	* In the Carboniferous period, basically every arthropod fit into the BigCreepyCrawlies trope.
183	* Hornets are essentially Dire Wasps, and some species, notably the Asian Giant or "Murder" Hornet, can reach lengths of up to over two inches. The so-called bald-faced hornet is actually not a true hornet, but a black & white dire yellowjacket.
184	* ''Argentavis'' was a vulture-like bird with a wingspan of 26 feet. It was part of a group of truly immense birds called teratorns, literally "monstrous bird".
185	* Haast's Eagle, once found in New Zealand hunting moas, did not have a wingspan excessively larger than the largest modern eagles, but was much more massive than any modern raptor. The Australian "Dynatoaetus" was nearly the size of Haast's Eagle, if only a little smaller.
186	* The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flemish_Giant_rabbit Flemish Giant Rabbit]] and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Giant_rabbit Continental Giant Rabbit]] are rabbits that grow ''way'' larger than the average rabbit, the largest ones being the size of a small child. They're [[WhatMeasureIsANonCute still]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flemish_Giant_rabbit#/media/File:Runt_and_Paxie.jpg adorable.]]
187	** There was also the ''[[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuralagus Nuralagus rex]]'', the largest lagomorph to ever live.
188	* The largest canid to ever exist was the appropriately named ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicyon Epicyon]]'', "more than a dog". With a more robust build than any modern canine and powerful, bone-crushing jaws that were more like a hyena's, this borophagine from the Miocene of North America was an impressive 5 feet in length, 3 feet tall at the shoulder and weighed up to 370 lb. There are ''tigers'' smaller than this!
189	* Killer whales might be better described as dire dolphins.
190	* Temnospondyls, an extinct group of tetrapods from the late Palaeozoic and Mesozoic eras, are essentially Dire Amphibians. A good number of them could get to the size of a crocodile, with some like the absolutely gargantuan ''[[https://en.wikipedia.com/wiki/Prionosuchus Prionosuchus]]'' approaching [[SerialEscalation the size of a bus]]. Temnospondyls often filled the same niches as crocodiles, and as such generally looked pretty similar.
191	** ''Beelzebufo'' was originally thought to be a Dire Frog large enough to eat baby dinosaurs, but a more thorough review of its fossils have shown that it wasn't any larger than some modern species of frogs (though it was probably a bit heavier).
192	* ''Livyatan melvillei'' was pretty much a Dire Whale. While not much bigger than today's sperm whale, it had far more powerful jaws equipped with massive teeth on both upper and lower jaws, and was believed to have preyed upon small baleen whales as well as sharks.
193	* Inverted, however, with the blue whale, which is still the largest animal known to have existed, and as such is bigger than any of its ancestors. Studies of whale evolution indicate that the "supersizing" of whales is a still-ongoing trend that began within the last ice age; in other words, ''they're still getting bigger''.
194	* Glyptodonts were giant armadillos. Some of them even had clubs on their tails like ankylosaurs!
195	* ''Paraceratherium'' (called by its other name ''Indricotherium'' on ''Series/WalkingWithBeasts'' or ''Baluchitherium'') was a relative of the modern-day rhinoceros. Like modern rhinos, it was bulky, but unlike modern rhinos, it had a long neck like a giraffe, and it stood ''two stories'' tall! It didn't even have a horn, because it was so big, it simply ''did not need one.'' To date, it is tied with the Asian straight-tusked elephant as the largest terrestrial mammal known to have ever existed!
196	* ''Megalania.'' Picture a Komodo dragon...the size of a pickup truck!
197	** For that matter, the modern Komodo dragon is essentially a dire lizard.
198	* ''Gigantopithecus'' was a giant ape that lived in Asia between 2 million and 300,000 years ago. Its size has been estimated (from a handful of jawbones and teeth) as being over 9 feet tall and weighing over 1000 lbs. There is still some debate as to whether it walked on all fours as most apes (including its closest living relative, the orangutan) do, or [[BigfootSasquatchAndYeti whether it walked upright]].
199	** Note that a lot of this is an extreme and among scientists it's mostly agreed upon to be much smaller (although still the largest known ape) and a quadruped.
200	* ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanoboa Titanoboa]]'' was a dire boa constrictor or anaconda that was 48 feet long (longer than the average transit bus) and weighed about two tons! It occasionally fed on large animals, [[AlwaysABiggerFish such as prehistoric crocodiles]], though some evidence suggests that the majority of its diet was comprised of fish.
201	* Gigantic crocodiles are recurrent in the fossil record, such as the Cretaceous genera ''Deinosuchus'' (sometimes called ''Phobosuchus'';10-12 meters long) and ''Sarcosuchus'' (11-12 meters long), as well as post-Mesozoic creatures like ''Purussaurus'' (11-13 meters long). For comparison, the largest saltwater crocodile on record is about 6.6 meters long.
202	* Wolverines, as the largest members of the mustelid family, are essentially dire weasels. The same can also be said of several prehistoric mustelids such as the leopard-sized ''Ekorus'' or ''Megalictis'', a wolverine the size of a black bear.
203	* The gaur, which is a type of large wild bovine found in Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. It is the largest living bovine.
204	* The GiantSquid could be considered an example that has survived to modern day, as not only are they way bigger than normal squid they are far older than most species around today. Their genus name (''Architeuthis Dux'') reflects this, it translates to "ancient squid". Though contrary to most expectations so far it appears to be more of a GentleGiant than a SeaMonster. The very few cases of giant squids "attacks" were by extremely sick, wounded or dying squids surfacing and lashing out at a perceived threat.
205	* ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalicotherium Chalicotherium]]''. It was a relative of the modern ''horse'', but thanks to convergent evolution, was built more like a ground sloth. (Hence its other name, the "sloth horse." It had long forelimbs, and it walked on its knuckles.)
206	* Not to mention the ground sloths themselves. The largest species grew as large as hippos, and were so bulky and monstrous in appearance that you probably wouldn't recognize them as sloths.
207	* Muskoxen look similar to cows, but they're actually an arctic-dwelling dire sheep or dire goat. In the same subfamily is the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takin takin]] of the eastern Himalayas, which rivals the muskox as the largest living caprine.
208	* Leopard seals are basically dire seals.
209	* ''Dunkleosteus'' was an ancient species of fish called a placoderm. It grew to around thirty feet long, weighed four tons, and its head and most of the front of its body was covered in heavy bone plates that acted like natural armor. It was also a voracious predator that lacked teeth but instead had jaws that had two pairs of sharp bony plates that formed a beak-like structure and the strongest bite of any animal, living or extinct. It died out before vertebrates began colonizing land.
210	* ''Megaloceros'' were dire deer. The largest species, ''Megaloceros giganteus'', vernacularly known as the Irish elk, was seven feet tall at the shoulders and had a twelve-foot antler span. Modern-day moose and elk (wapiti) also qualify, being the largest living members of the deer family.
211	* ''[[PantheraAwesome Panthera atrox]]'', commonly called the American lion but more of a Dire Jaguar, was the second largest carnivoran in the Americas at its time, after the aformentioned short-faced bear.
212	* The California condor is a giant New World vulture that evolved to scavenge on Pleistocene megafauna, and when they were around, it ranged all across what's now the United States. It's been described as an animal that's "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWP_tFJmC40 lost in time]]."
213	* As the largest feline that can purr but not roar, the cougar is effectively a dire house cat.
214	* Picture a cute lil' otter. Now picture one the size of a American black bear. That's ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhydriodon_dikikae Enhydriodon dikikae]]''. It lived alongside your ancestors in East Africa, and probably ate some of them.
215	** The living [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_otter Giant Otter]] also qualifies. While not quite as impressive in size as its aforementioned prehistoric relative, is still huge for an otter at 5.6 ft long, and is a voracious predator which hunts in close-knit groups. They don't have the nickname "River Jaguar" for nothing.
216	* ''Leptoptilos robustus'', a prehistoric relative of the modern marabou stork, was essentially a ''dire stork''. Two meters tall, it would dwarf a modern human, but it shared its habitat with (and likely preyed on) ''Homo floresiensis'', a dwarf hominid, compared to which it was gigantic. And if it looked similar to modern marabou storks, then it had a bald, scabby-looking head, making it even more monstrous-looking.
217	* ''Archelon'', a dire sea turtle of the Cretaceous Period, was four meters long and five meters front flipper to front flipper, nearly four times the size of the present-day leatherback turtle.
218	* Although [[GentleGiant not exactly dire]], the [[RodentsOfUnusualSize capybara]], being a cavy, is more-or-less a giant guinea pig.
219	** And there were once dire capybaras in South America around 8 million years ago: the largest of which was ''Phoberomys'', which grew up to four-and-a half feet at the shoulder and weighed three-quarters of a ton: roughly the size of ''a full-grown water buffalo.''
220	* The giant Pacific octopus is much larger than other octopus species, with the largest live individual being recorded at 156 lb and over 20 ft across, though there an unconfirmed report of a carcass weighing in at 600 lb with a 30-foot arm span.
221	* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halszkaraptorinae Halszkaraptorinae]] and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unenlagiinae unenlagiinae]] were subfamilies of [[RaptorAttack dromaeosaurid dinosaurs]] that basically acted as "dire ducks" and "dire herons" respectively.
222	[[/folder]]

Context Main / DireBeast