Bishonen Line: Difference between revisions

** Saiyans initially reach their highest power by transforming into mindless giant apes, but later reach a power level where their hair just turns blonde and spikier (Super Saiyan 1). Super Saiyan 3 is a very mild subversion: the most prominent change is that a Saiyan's hair gets extremely long, but he also has his eyebrows vanish and his [[Forehead of Doom|forehead grow]], producing a Neanderthal-like look.

** Frieza's intermediate states are larger and more monstrous than his delicate-looking final form. His second form looks to a large extent like a much bigger version of his first, plus his horns become bull-like (allowing them to gore an opponent, which he does in fact do). His third form looks like an even freakier version of the [[Alien (franchise)|Queen Alien]], except in Frieza's standard two-tone purple color scheme. His final form, though, looks almost human (aside from the tail, reptilian/alien ears, and prehensile feet), and even seems downright unimpressive, even to the other characters, until he starts kicking ass. He bulks back up when powering up to 100%, though.

** Cell's initial form looks like some kind of a reptile-insect hybrid. His second form is slightly more humanoid, but bulkier and even more monstrous. His ultimate form, shorter than the last one, looks a lot like a very chiseled bishounen wearing reptile/bug armor. This might be justified because Cell transforms by absorbing the Androids, who are made from and resemble normal humans.

** Majin Buu's final form is that of a boy ("Kid Buu"), as opposed to the hulking Fat Buu and the muscular Super Buu. Unlike most examples, Kid Buu isn't technically his ''strongest'' form, but it's still the most ''dangerous''. Fat Buu represented a fusion with the bulky and pacifistic Great Kai, which in turn tempered Buu's desire for destruction. Super Buu fused with a bunch of warriors, and put off [[Kill'Em All|wiping out humanity]] for as long as possible so he could [[Blood Knight|get a better fight out of the heroes]]. Kid Buu was weaker than any of the above, but he destroyed planets with the glee of a child destroying someone's sand castle.

* ''[[Bleach]]''

** Hollows start out as 7–10 foot monsters, get bigger until they reach the size of a skyscraper (Gillian-class, Menos level), then get smaller (past Adjuchas-class, Menos level), until they are the size of normal humans. At this point, the Vasto Lorde-class Menos—who are so powerful they are basically humans with masks—are only speculated on (a handful of characters who ''might'' be Vasto Lordes have been introduced, but it's not been confirmed), but the Shinigami are rightfully terrified of the idea of one deciding to attack.

** Aizen does all kinds of bad things to this trope. He starts off as a bishonen, evolves into a featureless humanoid, evolves into a DIFFERENT bishonen with a hint of [[One-Winged Angel]], then goes properly OWA in the wrong order, starting with the 'angel' and finally ending in 'bizarro'. It's not so much the Bishonen Line as the Bishonen Scribble.

** Averted with Yammy, who never seems to cross the Bishonen Line. He just keeps getting bigger and bigger with each power level. This is probably the reason why {{spoiler|he's so weak even if he's deemed the strongest espada #0, as Byakuya and Kenpachi were able to beat him without too much effort, both of which were given quite a bit of trouble with espada #7 and #5.}}

* ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]'' has an interesting take on this trope. Most of the antagonists on the show are in a human form but the ones that are fought during the Saint Beast and Dark Tournament arc seem to follow this. During the Saint Beast arc, the four leads have to fight the Four Saint beasts and each one looks more human than the last going from Genbu (the giant talking rock), Byakko (the giant white tiger), Seiryu (the giant blue humanoid dragon) and finally their leader Suzaku the most human looking out of the four and the absolute strongest and most sadistic. Then in the Dark Tournament most of the more humaniod opponents are shown with varied levels of strength. Take the very first round against the Rokuyokai team. Roto who fought the Bishonen Kurama was the weakest and looked much less human than the stronger Rinku, Zeru and Chu who was the strongest. This is somewhat averted though with the Younger Togoro who gets less human as his power increases. Also based on the [[Random Power Ranking]] of demons, we start from very animalistic and brutish E and D Class demons to the semi-humanoid C Class with all shorts of [[You Gotta Have Blue Hair|technicolor hair]] then taking a huge jump in [[Bishonen]] with the B Classes who's only differences from humanity is their height or a hair of a different color, leading to a downgrade where the A Classes look like grotesque alien freaks, and finally ending with S Classes which could be best described as humans with the occasional horn, extra ears or different hair/skin tone.

** Palmon/Lilymon is a perfect example of the trope, going from short, cute plant-monster to giant cactus with boxing gloves to beautiful, pink humanoid.

** Or just compare either Agumon line (Small Dinosaur > Big Dinosaur > Even Bigger Cybernetic Dinosaur > 7 ft-ish semi-reptilian knight).

* The Akuma from ''[[D.Gray-man|D Gray Man]]'' start off looking like round things with cannons; by level two they could look like pretty much anything; by level 3, they resemble humanoid armored creatures. When they reach {{spoiler|level 4, they resemble a freaky angel-like child with three halos and fairy wings}}. Straight out of the [[Uncanny Valley]].

* The demons of ''[[Inuyasha]]'' don't transform in stages, but there is a visible progression in power; small demons, larger demons, monstrously huge demons, and then the most powerful, who can generally assume a human-like form, much as the title half-demon hero's father (as shown in the third movie), as well as his full-demon brother. Another example would be the referenced father of a monstrous-looking half-demon named Jinenji, a horse-demon, who was said to be a handsome man. Exceptions exist, but size is a general indicator of power, with the most powerful obviously able to hop the Bishonen Line at will. One character notes that while many demons are huge and horrific, the ones that take human form are often far more dangerous.

* In ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist (manga)|Fullmetal Alchemist]]'', the [[Big Bad]] {{spoiler|[http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a271/SanCerulean/Homuncurus.jpg Father] first appeared in the form of Hohenheim, a handsome [http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a271/SanCerulean/462px-Father1.jpg older man]. He then reverted to a formless blob with too many eyeballs, until Chapter 104 where he finally settled for [http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a271/SanCerulean/806px-Brotherhood61.jpg a teenage Hohenheim]}}.

* Followed by ''[[Zatch Bell]]'', save for the fact that very few characters actually transform there. Weakest mamodo opponents encountered at the beginning mostly look like humans with cosmetic differences, then much less human-like mamodo, up to and including gigantic dragons, make their entry, yet the first two [[Big Bad]]s, Zophise and Zeon, look like humans with cosmetic differences, and the final one, Clear Note, is virtually indistinguishable from a human, save from his monstrous [[Battle Aura]]. Then subverted, when he is revealed to have an [[One-Winged Angel]] uber-form after all.

** Another heroic example is Sage Mode. Jiraiya's imperfect Sage Mode gives him a goatey, warts, webbed fingers and other toad-like features. The only physical changes Naruto gains from perfect Sage Mode are toad-eyes.

 

== Films -- Animation ==

 

== Tabletop Games ==

** Asmodeus, king of the Nine Hells and most powerful Archdevil of all, is most commonly encountered looking like "an unprepossessing humanoid with red eyes, horns, and well-tailored robes." Recent sourcebooks have increased his height to thirteen feet, though. (But it is mentioned in a few books that his true form is some kind of monstrous, serpent-like beast.) This example is pretty clearly based on certain depictions of Satan. Lucifer was traditionally both the most powerful and the most beautiful of angels, at least prior to his Fall. (And, in some versions, he retains both qualities even afterward.)

** D&D also has the slaadi, extradimensional spirits of Chaos which, as they get more powerful, get bigger and scarier—until you get to the Death Slaad. Although vastly more powerful than all the others and the only slaad that's [[Exclusively Evil|naturally evil]], death slaadi are human-sized and shaped. Sorta this trope without the "Bishonen" part. And then they leave the trope with the ''[[Epic Level Handbook]]'' White and Black Slaad—the white are gigantic and the black are vaguely froglike...''things'' made of pure darkness.

** Many lines of extraplanar beings follow this rule. for example the [[Lawful Neutral]] Modrons: the lowest have basic geometric shapes with eyes and arms; the higher you rise in their ranks, the more humanoids they are.

** Daelkyr of ''[[Eberron]]'', the ultimate rulers of the plane of madness, lords and creators of monstrosities such as beholders and mind flayers, resemble "perfectly formed athletic human males, possessing unearthly beauty."

** Generally proceeds like this: the weakest or stupidest daemons are entirely inhuman and animalistic. Daemonic foot-soldiers are bestial humanoids, but lack intelligence beyond basic tactics. Greater daemons are gigantic bestial humanoids that are basically avatars of their respective god and can lead entire armies of their ilk - depending on the god they might also be dangerously intelligent. Daemon princes are humans raised up to daemonic level - they're on par with greater daemons, but generally more humanoid and more dangerously intelligent. Finally in Warhammer 40,000 there are the Daemon Primarchs, who were demigods before they were raised to daemonhood and are now some of the most dangerous beings in existence. They can assume human or indeed any form seemingly at will, and will kill almost anything that gets in their way.

** Daemonic possession usually inverts the line - as the daemonhost becomes more dangerous, its form becomes less and less human until it reaches [[One-Winged Angel]] status. If the host is destroyed the wrong way, though, the daemon proper might emerge crossing the Bishonen Line.

* Played straight and averted at the same time for all the dragons' Super forms in ''Dragon Seeds''. They evolve from Baby, to Adult, and to Senior, gradually becoming more complex and massive each time, with one dragon type even becoming a ''harrier''! From there, they can branch off into two categories: Old, where they retain their Senior form, but lose a bunch of stats and only live for a few more days (dragon years), and Super, which plays the trope straight, and they revert into a more humanoid form that looks relatively small, but becomes biologically immortal and ungodly powerful. So powerful, in fact, that you can't do anything else with the dragon but defend the title of World Dragon Champion (assuming you did get to that point) and duel against another player.

* Nintendo realized in ''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker|The Legend of Zelda the Wind Waker]]'' that the humanoid Ganondorf was a far more compelling character and thus a better arch-enemy than his boarlike bestial form Ganon, so they saved the duel with Ganondorf for ''last'', following a battle with a giant transforming puppet version of Ganon. In ''[[Twilight Princess]]'' {{spoiler|they did it all over again, giving the big man ''two'' human phases ''after'' you'd already dealt with his bestial form.}}

** ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword|The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword]]'''s [[Bigger Bad|The Imprisoned]] starts off as a giant [[Armless Biped]] covered in black-red scales with only a mouth and legs. Its second form grows arms, and its third form grows a tail, as well as the ability to levitate. {{spoiler|Once it absorbs the Goddess Hylia's soul, it achieves its true form Demon King Demise, which pretty much resembles [[X Meets Y|a cross between]] Ganondorf and [[Street Fighter|Akuma]].}}

* ''[[Final Fantasy]]''

* In ''[[Treasure of the Rudra]]'', {{spoiler|Mitra fits the theme, as she starts as a statue-like being, then a giant half-human, half-serpent monster, and then assumes a smaller, more humanoid form for the final battle.}}

* ''[[Castlevania]]''

** In ''Symphony of the Night'' and ''[[Castlevania: Harmony of Despair|Harmony of Despair]]'', Dracula's final form is a massive dragon, but Dracula's human form is visible slouching in the center of it.

** Graham in ''[[Castlevania Aria of Sorrow]]'' has a [[One-Winged Angel]] transformation, with him sitting comfortably within what appears to be two giant pale women ''joined at the eyes and ribs''. Dracula in general, with Dracula's incaration here as Soma Cruz, later in the series, being by far the bishiest.

* Hunters from ''[[Prototype (video game)|Prototype]]'' are massive, ugly hulks. Leader Hunters are even larger, even uglier and even more powerful. {{spoiler|The Supreme Hunter}}, on the other hand, while impossible to call handsome, is still slightly better-looking than the previous two, not that much bigger than Alex, and predictably even more powerful than Leader Hunters. Alex himself is also bordering on physical godhood by endgame, though he usually looks like a normal human. {{spoiler|PARIAH looks completely human, and as far as the Web of Intrigue can say, is capable of single-handedly wiping out all life on Earth.}}

* Many ''[[Pokémon]]'' get more humanoid as they evolve; Abra to Alakazam, Torchic to Blaziken, Mareep to Ampharos, just to name a few examples. Some subvert this, such as Togepi.

* In ''[[Spectrobes]]'' the [[The Heartless|Krawl]] start off as relatively small monsters, growing in size slowly with each passing boss until the final boss who is relatively large, basically the largest enemy of all (to say nothing of your ally Tindera). Immediately in the second game you are introduced to the {{spoiler|high Krawl}} who are human shaped Krawl. but then this trope is subverted as the {{spoiler|high Krawl}} all {{spoiler|go [[One-Winged Angel]]}}. but then this is [[Doubly Subverted]] with {{spoiler|the final boss[[Sequential Boss|(s)]]}} who are all massive and only grow larger until {{spoiler|you face the ultimate Spectrobe, whom you ''cant'' defeat. then this trope is [[Playing with a Trope|somethinged]] by the [[True Final Boss]] being [[Fallen Hero|Krux]], a human.}}

* In ''[[The World Ends With You]]'', when {{spoiler|Sho Minamimoto becomes part Taboo Noise}}, he basically just loses his [[Nice Hat]] and gains another [[Red Right Hand|black hand]]; much more human than his original [[One-Winged Angel|noise form]], and he becomes, in his own words, strong enough to rival the Conductor.

== Western Animation ==

* In the fourth season of ''[[Justice League (animation)|Justice League]]'', [[Lex Luthor]] is [[Grand Theft Me|possessed]] by the intelligent supercomputer Brainiac, who turns his body into a hulking, half-machine, betentacled monstrosity with a robotic "face" on its abdomen, containers sticking out of his back, and tentacles coming out of his arms. Then they "merge completely" into one being with the power to remake matter with a thought, and become...green-skinned Lex Luthor wearing gold armor and a Brainiac tattoo on his forehead. This "complete merger" {{spoiler|just gets broken off and then phased out by [[The Flash]]}}.

* In ''[[Ben 10: Ultimate Alien|Ben 10 Ultimate Alien]]'', Ben 10,000's most powerful form just happens to be{{spoiler|...himself, not having any alien features. In this form (called "Ultimate Ben"), he can use the powers of all the aliens in the Ultimatrix without having to transform into them.}}

* In ''[[Wakfu]]'', Rushu at first looks huge, demonic-looking, and brimming with fire. His ''true'' form is a much smaller cyclopean humanoid demon that is actually even more powerful than his giant form. The only opponent strong enough to force him to fight in this form is {{spoiler|Goultard, the demigod son of Iop himself.}}

[[Category:Japanese Media Tropes]]

[[Category:Personal Appearance Tropes]]