Butterfly of Transformation: Difference between revisions

{{Trope}}

{{quote|"If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies."|'''Anonymous'''}}

 

 

{{examples}}

* In ''[[Sailor Moon]]'''s third season, a butterfly motif is heavily featured in the titular heroine's [[Transformation Sequence]] in "Crisis Make Up!" were she transition from Sailor Moon into Super Sailor Moon. This not just touches on this but also on the [[Butterfly of Death and Rebirth]], which is used elsewhere, as in {{Spoiler|using the Sailor Soldiers' power themselves instead of using the usual Holy Grail [[Transformation Trinket]], which was in the hands of the foes.}}

 

* In the ''[[The Inhumans]]'', one of the Inhumans was petitioning to be re-exposed to the Terrigen Mists, because she's hoping for a better genetic draw since she's ugly. She transforms into a butterfly woman.

*[[Psylocke]] of the [[X-Men]], her telepathy's butterfly motifs symbolize this. Fitting, since her character has undergone tremendous changes, becoming Captain Britain, gaining new psychic powers, and switching bodies.

 

* In ''[[The Silence of the Lambs]]'', Jame Gumb keeps butterflies and moths. Since they symbolizes his desire to change {{spoiler|into a woman}}.

* The ''[[Kung Fu Hustle]]'' hero gets wrapped in bandages similar to a cocoon, after he discards it, his Chi finally got unblocked and his destiny awaiting. While this was happening, the audience was treated briefly to a butterfly emerging from its cocoon imargy to drive the point home.

* ''[[The Butterfly Effect]]'', the hero tries to change the present by fixing the past.

* The butterfly motif appears often in the ''[[I Am Legend (film)|I Am Legend]]''. In the actual film, it does not amount to anything, but in the original ending, the butterfly represented that {{spoiler|the Dayseekers are not the usual mindless, evil zombies, but rather sentient beings that had transformed into "better" forms than being an old-fashioned human. Though "better" is a [[YMMV]].}}

* In 2006's ''[[The Illusionist (film)|The Illusionist]]'', butterflies are used for this and all the other "Butterfly of..." tropes simultaneously.

 

== Literature ==

* In ''[[Freckles]]'', by [[Gene Stratton Porter]], Freckles observes in wonder of how a Luna moth came out of the cocoon and feels frustrated at his lack of knowledge of the creature, though he knows it's not a butterfly. This made him to ponder, until it dawns on him that he could find his answers about things.

* The ''[[Animorphs (Literature)|Animorphs]]'' book ''The Departure'' heavily shows the theme of a caterpillar, which will later become a butterfly. It's when Cassie encounters a surprisingly sympathetic [[Puppeteer Parasite|yeerk]], one willing to give up her host body {{spoiler|if only Cassie is willing to spend the rest of her life as a Yeerk...Or as a caterpillar, which was the closest thing at hand.}} This and Cassie's realization that the world isn't as [[Black and White Morality|black and white]] as she thought, signifies change.{{spoiler|This also brings another fact that natural metamorphosis can somehow undo the [[Mode Lock]] of remaining more than two Earth hours, this is something Cassie willingly does to free herself of her host.}}

* In ''[[The Girl Who Chased The Moon]]'', by [[Sarah Addison Allen]], when Emily's wallpaper changes for the first time, it changes to butterflies, which appeared to be trapped and want to escape. She had just learned things about the town that makes it hard for her to stay. Neither her nor the butterflies manages to flee.

 

== Live-Action TV ==

* In an early episode of ''[[Lost]]'', a moth coming out of its cocoon was a metaphor for Charlie weaning himself out of drugs. Locke [[Lampshade Hanging|made this very explicit]].

* In ''[[Doctor Who]]'', the Second Doctor compared his regeneration as a renewal, similar to a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. That's why the ring no longer fits.

{{quote|'''Doctor''':I'd like to see a butterfly fit into its chrysalis case after it's spread its wings!

* ''[[BioShock 2]]'', Dr. Lamb's [[The Evils of Free Will|extremely altruistic views]] are symbolized by a blue butterfly, this motif is worn by most of the Rapture family members, and it appears in most of [[Underwater City|Rapture]] as well. Even the graffiti have the butterfly motif and a written message: "WE will be reborn in the cold womb of the ocean. She is our savior" {{spoiler|Turns out to be insanely literal than you think, since Lamb's plan of using her own daughter as a "database" of Rapture's population to create a human completely driven to the group's benefit entirely.}}

* In ''[[Gears of War]]'''s fourth entry, JD Fenix and Kat were talking about how a cocooned butterfly changes just before they go on a raid. {{Spoiler|This foreshadows the Locust Horde's reveal that they were not totally destroyed at the third game's end. But have returned in stronger forms and converting humans into the Swarm through cocoons.}}

 

== Visual Novel ==

 

== Web Comics ==

** [http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2012-03-14 And there's Buddha, in one strip enlightens some Illuminati drones, they grew butterfly wings.]

** [http://www.sinfest.net/view.php?date=2003-02-18 Crimney also reflects on the possibilities of change, then a butterfly alights on him.]

== Western Animation ==

* During the end of ''[[Bambi II]]'', Bambi has lost his spots, antlers are starting to grow, and more importantly, his relationship with his father has improved. In some nearby [[Hope Sprouts Eternal|entwined sprouts]], a butterfly lands on it.

 

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