Lizard Folk: Difference between revisions

* [[Andre Norton]] examples:

** The stand-alone short story "The Gifts of Asti" featured [[Non-Human Sidekick]] Lur, a good guy example; he doesn't walk upright, and speaks only through [[Psychic Powers|telepathy]].

** Norton's Zacathans turn this trope upside down and inside out. Yes, they're reptiles. They're also highly intelligent, ''extremely'' civilized, and tend to be top-level Intelligentsia (having very long lifespans gives them '''lots''' of time to learn a lot of stuff). And they're still outstanding fighters if they have to be, due to reptile hide and Very. Long. Teeth. (Oh yes, and the highest known psi rating in the galaxy, which they keep a Deep Dark Secret.)

* Tamora Pierce's ''[[Tortall]]'' series has basilisks, which are bipedal, 7-foot tall, slender, lizard-like immortals that use [[Sssssnaketalk]], speak most mortal languages, and can turn enemies to stone with a spell. Interestingly, the only basilisk seen in the series, Tkaa, is a good guy.

* ''[[Anonymous Rex]]'' had some dinosaurs surviving their mass extinction. They adapted to human society by disguising themselves as people.

* The Reptile Forces in ''[[The Ancestral Trail]]'' includes both crocodilian lizardmen and actual crocodiles; unusually, they're the good guys (OK, so they start off under [[Big Bad|The Evil One's]] control, but so does everybody else). The Cyber Dimension has a group of peaceful, highly cultured lizardfolk who are oppressed by Goffal and Pixar.

* The ''[[Dragonlance]]'' universe has Draconians. They start off [[Exclusively Evil]], and usually appear as some variety of [[Mooks]] (either regular or [[Elite Mook|improved]], depending on the story), but the depictions have become more nuanced over time. The most notable subversion is Kang and his band of engineers, who while starting out as evil (in the alignment sense) are nonetheless sympathetic, likable, and relatively honorable characters (they eventually ensure their race's future, found a city, and if a scene at the end of the War of Souls trilogy is anything to go by, pull a [[Heel Face Turn]] on {{spoiler|Takhisis}}).

* A minor character in ''[[Duel of Sorcery Trilogy|Moonscatter]]'' is "scaled like a viper and green as the new leaves of spring," and has a voice that's described as "[[Sssssnaketalk|harsh and inhuman]]." The implication, however, is that he ''looks'' very human otherwise. ([[Petting Zoo People|Petting Zoo Lizardman]]?)

* The Sleestak of ''[[Land of the Lost (TV series)|Land of the Lost]]''.

* The Lizardmen, led by Tribune, from ''[[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World|Sir Arthur Conan Doyles the Lost World]]''.

 

== Film ==

 

* ''[[Super Mario Bros. (film)|Super Mario Bros]].'' presents [[Another Dimension]] where [[Everything's Better with Dinosaurs|dinosaurs]] have survived and evolved into a species that outwardly resemble humans. There are still a handful on dinosaurs that haven't fully evolved, namely Yoshi.

'''[[Big Bad|Koopa]]:''' [[Tyrannosaurus Rex]] -- the lizard king, thank you very much. }}

 

 

* Gagagigo and his subsequent forms in the [[Yugioh Card Game]]

** In the same series are the smaller draconic (in more recent editions) Kobolds, and the similar-in-appearance but more hostile Troglodytes.

** There's also the Yuan-ti, snake people. Pureblood versions look like people with scales and reptile like eyes. And ophidians, who often serve them or nagas.

** Current cannon is that the Slann were engineered as the favoured servents to the [[Ancient Astronauts]] ... and that their culture is slowly degenerating and being lost.

** Note also that they are sided with order rather than destruction and therefore one of few examples of lizardmen on the good side.

** The [[Precursors|Old Ones]], ubiquitous in the backstories of both games, are described as being reptilian and/or amphibian.

** Technically the Lizardmen are four races: The aforementioned Slanns; the Skinks, small and skittish skirmishers and wizards; the [[Everything's Better with Dinosaurs|Saurus]], [[Proud Warrior Race Guy|strong, ruthless and single-minded warriors]]; and the Kroxigor, [[Smash Mook|huge, strong]], [[Dumb Muscle|not overly bright]] saurians who work both as heavy support fighters and manual labour.

* The Urrt of ''[[The Challenges of Zona]]''

* The Galapados from ''[[Terinu]]'', justified in that they were genetically engineered from Galapagos Lava Lizards to serve as cannon fodder for the [[Big Bad]].

** The prequel book Start of Darkness also featured a tribe of swamp-dwelling lizardfolk.

* ''[[The Mansion of E]]'' has (cave-dwelling) Troglodytes and (forest-dwelling) Saurs.

[[Category:Fantastic Sapient Species Tropes]]

[[Category:Index of Fictional Creatures]]