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{{quote|''"My lord,"'' it was the master of the goblin blacksmiths, offering to build the king a new army, a mechanical army ''"seventy times seventy soldiers that can never tire, never know hunger or pain, and never be stopped."''|'''[[Hellboy]] II: The Golden Army'''}}
This is a type of monster that is immune to starvation and dehydration, it may not even [[The Insomniac|have to sleep]] or breathe. Much like the Energizer Bunny, it just keeps going and going and going. '''Perpetual Motion Monsters''' are either explicitly supernatural, a set super advanced [[Mecha-Mooks]], or [[Magitek|both.]]
Science savvy characters may [[Discussed Trope|discuss]] how implausible it is that the walking dead in a [[Zombie Apocalypse]], despite craving brains, can keep walking 24/7 for years or longer without any kind of sustenance. Compounded by that fact that though decayed they [[Sliding Scale of Undead Regeneration|never actually rot enough to stop posing a threat.]] Frequently, [[The Professor]] / [[Mad Scientist]] will fear (or marvel) at [[Just Think of the Potential|the potential]] these thermodynamic law breaking monsters represent. This is the whole idea behind undead armies in any setting—they are weak but fearless and while slow, they can march 24/7 with no supply lines, all while [[The Virus|assimilating the enemies' fallen]].
This is usually a [[Justified Trope]] for [[Our Ghosts Are Different|Ghosts]], [[Dem Bones]], and [[Elemental Embodiment]]s since they aren't really biologically based, so they don't need traditional food sources. Although, they may need some ''other'' form of energy or material as a [[Power Source]] [[Gods Need Prayer Badly|(like prayers]] or lighter fluid), thus [[Averted Trope|averting this trope.]] For [[Mecha-Mooks]] and other technology based creatures they usually incorporate some near infinite [[Power Source]] (or a means to tap into an external one) and some form of [[Regeneration]].
It's worth noting that a character with the right type of [[Immortality]] who eats and drinks can still be a Perpetual Motion Monster—or rather, a Perpetual Motion ''Man''
For extra threat, the Perpetual Motion Monster is also usually unaffected by dismemberment (except for the "annoyance" of a lost limb, though a [[Appendage Assimilation|needle and thread can solve that]]). For extra ''extra'' threat, it's also a [[Super-Persistent Predator]]; since being a Perpetual Motion Monster means it doesn't actually need to eat except for the pleasure of it, it can afford to go to the ends of the Earth in pursuit of that one tasty hero-sized morsel.
Compare [[Automaton Horses]] (not the [[Mechanical Horse|mechanical variety]]), where this is noted as one of the features that make fictional horses unusual. Compare [[Forgot to Feed the Monster]] when this is averted.
Related to [[The Insomniac]] type 4 (doesn't need to sleep).
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A [[Sub-Trope]] of [[The Needless]].
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{{examples}}
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* The [[Artificial Human|synthetic humans]] in ''[[Biomega]]'' come pretty darn close. They can live for months without food and for weeks without water and not lose efficiency.
* Androids 17 and 18 in ''[[Dragonball Z]]'' are "infinite energy models" according to their creator, Dr. Gero. Androids 19 and 20 must absorb energy from people instead. This "Infinite energy" is also their weakness, since they can't exceed their power level unlike Cell or Gero.
* Alucard, a vampire, in ''[[Hellsing]]'' was sealed in the Hellsing estate for decades without blood and was still "alive". Granted, greatly weakened, and dessicated into a husk, but he still woke up when exposed to blood.
* [[Our Vampires Are Different|Chiropterans]] in ''[[Blood
* The [[In-Series Nickname|eponymous]] warriors in ''[[Claymore]]'' do not need to eat or drink except in small doses. Though, when they awaken, they eat human flesh regularly, but can go without for a long time (several years), but it does weaken them...
* The Angels in ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' are explicitly stated to have an infinite power source in their bodies: the S2 Organ. Therefore, while alive, they have no need for sustenance, rest, etc. and are effectively immortal, though they can still be killed if damaged enough.
* The [[Our Titans Are Different|Titans]] from ''[[Shingeki no Kyojin]]''. While lack of sunlight and fatigue can slow them down, they do not age, sleep, or thirst and do not need the human flesh they eat.<ref>They lack digestive tracks beyond their stomachs and just regurgitate when full</ref> They even regenerate biomass instantly and out of nowhere while thriving.
== [[
* [[Fantastic Four|Reed Richards]] in ''[[Marvel Zombies]]'' cites this trope as his justification for believing the zombie plague is the next step in evolution. He then proceeds to {{spoiler|infect the rest of the Fantastic Four.}} In this case, [[Reed Richards Is Useless|Reed Richards is]] [[Evilutionary Biologist|Genocidal]].
* [[Disney Ducks Comic Universe|Scrooge McDuck]] once had an immortal zombie go after him for very long time, often walking nonstop across oceans, being frozen in ice for long time, and so on.
* The zombies in ''[[The Walking Dead]]'' are very much Perpetual Motion Monsters.
* For ''[[X-Men]]'' foe Juggernaut, this is basically his power (mystical power in the comics, mutant power in the movie).
** Taken to an interesting new height in Fear Itself. While possessed, he truly becomes unstoppable. At some point in the event, he calmly walks to San Francisco from a dozen miles away, while the X-men try a [[Crazy Prepared|bajillion]] plans to stop him. Teleporting him away does nothing, he just reappears instantly. Digging a giant trench in front of him does nothing, somehow he strolls calmly across thin air!
* Willy Pete from ''[[Empowered]]'' is an incredibly powerful fire elemental that eats superhuman flesh because he likes the taste, and because super-strong flesh is the only food that his mouth won't instantly incinerate. Being a fire elemental, he doesn't actually ''need'' to eat.
== [[Film]] ==
* The eponymous army in ''[[Hellboy (film)|Hellboy]] II: The Golden Army'' is a positively inhuman combination of perpetual motion monster, [[The Juggernaut]], and ''[[Pulling Themselves Together|regenerating]].'' It was an ancient weapon [[Gone Horribly Right]] to the point the elf king who commissioned it sued for peace after it massacred a human army.
* The monster from the movie version of ''[[Peter Benchley's Creature]]'' survived locked in a cage on the sea floor without any food or room to move for decades without any debilitating effects. The book version averts this by having it stalk out of its cage in a deep sea trench ever so occasionally.
* The original ''[[Terminator]]'' movie made the eponymous cyborg sound like this trope, until the second film subverted it by revealing that his power cell would eventually run out.... after 120 years.
== [[Literature]] ==
* In [[Robert E. Howard]]'s [[Conan the Barbarian]] story ''[[Black Colossus]]'' there's a giant venomous python which slithers out of a ''3000 years old tomb'' and is still lively and in top shape.
* In ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' there's the Watcher in the Water, a massive squid-like beast living in the pool of water just outside Moria. It had been driven from the deeps of Moria into the flooded valley as a guardian and to trap the dwarves inside Moria. A creature that big just hanging around in caves needs to have SOME of this going on though.
* In ''[[The Zombie Survival Guide]]'' zombies are explained by the virus which creates them replacing their mitochondria and taking over respiratory functions so they no longer need to eat or breath ([[Hand Wave|...somehow]]) and slightly more plausibly, delaying decomposition by protecting the body from rotting as the immune system would have. The later part of the trope is also averted, since zombies do rot away after a few years, unless they're in arid environments or end up being frozen.
* Not "monsters" per se, but ''[[Discworld]]'' [[Golem]]s just keep going and going and going and going. They're used for menial, tedious labor typically, since they don't have to sleep and, for the most part, enjoy it as much as they can enjoy anything. They even use this as a form of passive-aggressive protest via [[Literal Genie]]; they're smart enough to take initiative and can read the intent behind orders, but if you mistreat them, they're liable to fight back by doing ''exactly'' what you say, constantly, until someone figures it out and tells them to stop. This can mean that the golem you asked to "pump some water" doesn't stop until your shop's street is partly underwater.
** A more traditional version, also a golem, is Mr. Pump in ''[[
* In ''[[John Carter of Mars|The Synthetic Men of Mars]]'', a malfunction at an already imperfectly working cloning facility produces a constantly growing mutant entity that consists of a huge blob of human flesh and random body parts. It's stated that [[It's the Only Way to Be Sure|if it hadn't been]] [[Kill It with Fire|fire-bombed]] from above until there was nothing left, it could have grown forever by ''eating itself''. Just think of the potential applications of something like that on a starving planet.
* The zombies in ''[[Diario de un Zombi]]'', minus some very gradual wear and tear.
== [[Live
* The Jem Hadar in ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' are genetically engineered so that the only source of nourishment they need is [[Phlebotinum|Ketracel White]], a narcotic which keeps them loyal and without which they die after going violently insane. On top of that, they are conditioned to be unwaveringly loyal (though this has proven to be slightly unreliable, hence the White as a secondary measure).
== [[Mythology]] ==
* The serpent that guarded the [[Golden Fleece]], which never slept or left the tree except when drugged.
== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
* All creatures that lack a Constitution score in ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', such as constructs and undead, don't need any rest to remain operational or any external ressource to sustain themselves. As a drawback, they can't recover from damage naturally, unless they have the [[Healing Factor|fast healing ability]], which is the case for a few of them.
** While similar, living constructs, the Warforged in particular are this as well, though it was changed to needing down time similar to sleep, though less of it than other races.
** ''[[Pathfinder]]'' has a borderline case with clockwork constructs that need to be wound with special keys every few days to keep working, and only intelligent clockworks can wind themselves.
* Artifacts in ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'' usually have this quality, as do a lot of undead. Phyrexians in particular are prone to combining the two.
== [[Video Games]] ==
* Necromorphs in ''[[Dead Space (series)|Dead Space]]'' don't need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. Have fun!
* The [[Implacable Man|Dahaka]] from ''[[Prince of Persia]]'' fits the role.
* ''[[Dwarf Fortress]]'' actually has tags for these including [NOEXERT], [NO_EAT], [NO_DRINK], and [NO_SLEEP]. In-organic creatures like bronze colossi and iron men don't need any, while Goblins just don't need to eat or drink.
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Robot Roll Call]]
[[Category:Undead Index]]
[[Category:Our Ghosts Are Different]]
[[Category:This Index Is Unstoppable]]
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