Which type of monster (the classic fantasy monsters) do you believe is the best represtentation for the deadly sin of pride?

[OP1000]

Hello!!!!

If you had to choose a fantasy monster that would best represent the sin of pride, which monster would choose and why?

 

[RedMuffin]

Griffins.

A combination of both eagle and lion, lord of the sky and the king of the land in animal kingdom, it's a perfect representative of pride and nobility.

 

[RepresentingDesire]

A titan because big body and strength equal big ego?

 

[RedMuffin]

A titan because big body and strength equal big ego?

They're not really monsters, more like a mythical race.

 

[OP1000]

They're not really monsters, more like a mythical race.

I have to agree. They tend to be written as beings that heavily resembled humans.

 

[MatchaChocolate69]

Dragon.

 

[LilRora]

Putting aside demons of pride for obvious reasons, probably dragons?

 

[2wordsperminute]

Dragon.

I feel like dragons would probably be greed.

 

[BearlyAlive]

Elves. Those incompetent tree-huggers live for hundreds of years, but only have a few years more working experience than everybody else, and are still full of themselves for it. Unless you throw them into Sloth, those lazy asses belong there as well.

Griffins are a pretty good idea. Giving a cat wings would make those menaces really smug. And a big cat with big wings? Big smug.

Dragons are a contender, but they're more greed-aligned if we go by mythology.

Vampires as well, but going by the same standards as above they should rather be representing Envy (yes, pun endeed intended) or Wrath.
((small explanation for envy: not being able the see their reflection and not using doors unless invited in, they also don't get along with running water or sunlight.
For wrath: Vlad the Impaler. It should be self-explanatory))

 

[BouncyCactus]

Given that a group of lions is called a Pride, I'd said anything part lion would do well. Griffin or a Spinx would be my pick

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I could see a dragon, but that might fit gluttony or greed better.

Tolkien's elves seemed to show a lot of pride and that seems to filter out to most modern takes, so they would get my first vote.

A sphinx would also be a great contender - the whole "Riddle of the Sphinx" story suggests pride is a defining trait.

Actually, probably the biggest example of pride would be ... humans. That is our most common sin, and one that often leads to most of the others, I think.

 

[RepresentingDesire]

I have to agree. They tend to be written as beings that heavily resembled humans.

If I remember correctly elves and dwarves were originally cryptids, so elves then.

 

[Chaos_Sinner777]

As with all things, I'd say dragons reign over all of the seven deadly sins, really. Able to breed with most anything, know to sleep for years or even centuries at a stretch, possessed of unnatural desire for treasure, arrogant to a fault most of the time, often can and will eat anything, will take what they want regardless of who it originally belonged to, and wrath? Those bastards will burn down entire kingdoms for a slight from a single person.

 

[John_Owl]

I could see a dragon, but that might fit gluttony or greed better.

I'd say it depends. I've seen representations of dragons that could fit each pride, gluttony, or greed individually. I've seen some that slaughter for an endless hunger, some that slaughter to protect (and grow) their hoard. But i've also seen representations that kill simply for people insulting them. OP could write it that they prefer to eat animals and they choose to live a simple life (thus, no hoard), but they're insanely prideful about their appearances. So much so that even mentioning a scuffed scale could provoke an attack.

 

[T.K._Paradox]

The hags, wish granting crones, they always seem to flaunt their magical power and make deals out of their control that end up with them dead.

Because their hubris knows no bounds because of their strange mystical powers.

 

[Navillus]

I think maybe Hydra, Dragon or Wyverns.

 

[theInmara]

I feel like dragons would probably be greed.

Speaking as dragons, in the European traditions (particularly those shaped by Christianity), dragons have been used to represent all of the deadly sins. Each individual dragon varies. But Gluttony is just as big amongst dragons as Greed. And Pride has absolutely been the downfall of a few of them.

A while back, we were working on a board game in which you would play a dragon, and for character creation you'd pick your defining sin, but you'd also rank the others, and they'd give you a set of weaknesses and powers accordingly. Still want to finish that game, just got distracted by writing novels instead.

But, yeah, a single given dragon might represent Pride better than any other monster, but as a whole, Greed, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth are a bit stronger amongst the monstrous dragons.

Now, Chinese Lung, however, might be a good representation of Pride, if the translations we've read are accurate (we're no real authority on them), but we wouldn't call them monsters, and some contend that "dragon" is a Western colonialist label applied to them and not actually what they are. Same may be said of other similar indigenous beings around Eastern Asia and the rest of the world, really.

 

[Deleted member 84247]

representing Envy

 

[Navillus]

Medusa could work as well, Though I am not sure if she could be a classic fantasy monster.

 

[Cipiteca396]

The only monster I know is meant to represent pride off the top of my head is the Beholder.

Griffons are... Acceptable.

Dragons to me represent pure Power. They're sinless and virtueless, but can have sins or virtues depending on their portrayal.

Similarly, elves represent perfection of humanity. They aren't always jerks about it, so pride isn't accurate.

Perhaps one of the monsters in Godzilla represents pride as well, maybe Ghidorah.
Godzilla himself represents the power of the atom or whatever, but maybe also the pride of man come crashing down?

I had one type of undead listed as being people who died but were so prideful that they got back up and decided to conquer the world with necromancy. Can't remember which one.

There's also certain angels and demons, but they're boring.