Heroic Dolphin: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

It seems that in most media, especially most fiction, dolphins will be portrayed primarily as heroic and helpful creatures. They're a very marketable species of hero, [[Rule of Cute|partly because of their cuteness]], but also partly because of real-life stories of dolphins saving human lives.

 

{{examples}}

* The comics based on the ''[[Ecco the Dolphin]]'' game series make Ecco's noble nature clear in no uncertain terms; though his [http://ecco-darksea.com/comics/ecco_the_dolphin/chapter_2/page_4.jpg somewhat]{{Dead link}} [http://ecco-darksea.com/comics/ecco_the_dolphin/chapter_4/page_4.jpg dark]{{Dead link}} methods of fighting enemies may make him seem like a bit of an [[Anti-Hero]].

* Porm, the dolphin who acted as a surrogate mother to ''[[Aquaman]].''

* In [[Grant Morrison]]'s ''[[Animal Man]]'', one story features Animal Man saving dolphins from murderous Scandinavian townsfolk who kill them for fun. At the end, one of the dolphins saves an evil townsperson from drowning.

 

* ''[[Flipper]]'' might be the [[Trope Codifier]] as far as recent western media go.

* Darwin the (talking) Dolphin from ''[[SeaQuest DSV]].''

* Some editions of ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'' have depicted dolphins as sentient Good-aligned creatures with their own patron goddess.

* In one [[Traveller]] sourcebook a story is told of some uplifted sapient dolphins who helped bring to light a scandal involving the secret enslavement of an intelligent species by a megacorporation.

* The board game ''Escape from Atlantis'' (recently reprinted with the name ''Survive!'') has dolphins which give swimmers a boast of 3 spaces per turn rather than the usual 1.

 

* ''[[Super Mario World (video game)|Super Mario World]]'' features a few levels with Scuba-wearing Dolphins that jump out of the water regularly and can be used as platforms to reach far away areas. [[Video Game Cruelty Potential|They can be eaten by Yoshi too.]]

 

* ''[[The Adventures of Dr. McNinja]]'' story Death Volley has the implication of dolphins getting revenge on [[Heroic Sociopath|Agent Bearclaw]]. His story: "One time I swam out to sea, and pretended to be injured so that dolphins would swim up to rescue me. I did this so that I could kill them with my bare hands."

 

* Subverted in ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'', when Bart, Homer, Flanders and his kids stranded at sea and being approached by dolphins. Flanders is relieved, stating that dolphins always help people lost at sea. The dolphins merely chitter that they are all going to die, giggle a bit, and then leave.

** Later inverted in a Treehouse Of Horror episode when dolphins [[Makes Just as Much Sense in Context|rebel aganst humans, take back the land for themselves, and force humans back into the sea.]]

 

* Brutally subverted in real life: [http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2009/05/13/dolphins_are_violent_predators_that_kill_their_own_babies.html Dolphins] are the closest thing to an [[Exclusively Evil]] race in real life, it seems - they have some [[Pet the Dog]] moments, but [[Everything's Even Worse with Sharks|sharks]] are less vicious than the little buggers.

** They rape ''human women'' on occasion. Does anything really need to be said at that point?

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Dolphins, Dolphins, Everywhere]]