The

giant squid The giant squid (''Architeuthis dux'') is a species of deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae. It can grow to a tremendous size, offering an example of abyssal gigantism: recent estimates put the maximum size at around Trac ...

's elusive nature and fearsome appearance have long made it a popular subject of legends and folk tales. Its popularity as an image continues today with references and depictions in literature, film, television, and video games. Often, the giant squid is represented as being in dramatic, evenly matched combat with a sperm whale. This powerful image is no longer considered accurate given the evidence that exists for a simpler predator-prey relationship between whale and squid, with the whale being the predator and the squid the prey, though sucker scars have been seen on sperm whale skin.

Books and comics

(Alphabetical by author) *In Book 27 ('' The Exposed'') of K. A. Applegate's ''

Animorphs ''Animorphs'' is a science fantasy series of children's books written by Katherine Applegate and her husband Michael Grant, writing together under the name K. A. Applegate, and published by Scholastic. It is told in first person, with all ...

'' book series, Rachel and Tobias morph sperm whales to find a giant squid, and then the rest of the group morphs the one squid to find the Pemalite ship. *''

Jaws Jaws or Jaw may refer to: Anatomy * Jaw, an opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth ** Mandible, the lower jaw Arts, entertainment, and media * Jaws (James Bond), a character in ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Moonraker'' * ...

author

Peter Benchley Peter Bradford Benchley (May 8, 1940 – February 11, 2006) was an American author, screenwriter, and ocean activist. He is known for his bestselling novel '' Jaws'' and co-wrote its film adaptation with Carl Gottlieb. Several more of his works ...

's novel ''Beast'' features a giant squid terrorizing Bermuda. A TV movie
''IMDB entry''
was also made. However Benchley's description of the Beast (with clawlike teeth in the center of its suckers) more accurately describes the

Colossal Squid The colossal squid (''Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni'') is part of the family Cranchiidae. It is sometimes called the Antarctic squid or giant cranch squid and is believed to be the largest squid species in terms of mass. It is the only recognized ...

. *''

The Lost Symbol ''The Lost Symbol'' is a 2009 novel written by American writer Dan Brown. It is a thriller set in Washington, D.C., after the events of ''The Da Vinci Code'', and relies on Freemasonry for both its recurring theme and its major characters. Rel ...

'' by

Dan Brown Daniel Gerhard Brown (born June 22, 1964) is an American author best known for his thriller novels, including the Robert Langdon novels ''Angels & Demons'' (2000), '' The Da Vinci Code'' (2003), ''The Lost Symbol'' (2009), '' Inferno'' (2013), ...

includes the body of a giant squid kept in storage at the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

. At one point the novel's villain viciously drowns a woman in the containers alcohol solution. * Arthur C. Clarke used giant squid in many of his works. In ''

The Deep Range ''The Deep Range'' is a 1957 science fiction novel by British writer Arthur C. Clarke, concerning a future sub-mariner who works in the field of mariculture, herding whales. The story includes the capture of a sea monster similar to a kra ...

'', a squid of exaggerated size is captured and exhibited. In the short story "Big Game Hunt", a device capable of controlling the behavior of invertebrates is used in an attempt to capture and film a giant squid. In ''

Childhood's End ''Childhood's End'' is a 1953 science fiction novel by the British author Arthur C. Clarke. The story follows the peaceful alien invasionBooker & Thomas 2009, pp. 31–32. of Earth by the mysterious Overlords, whose arrival begins decade ...

'', one of the characters stows away on an alien spacecraft by hiding inside a model of a giant squid battling a whale. *A giant squid is a key player in Michael Crichton's novel ''

Sphere A sphere () is a geometrical object that is a three-dimensional analogue to a two-dimensional circle. A sphere is the set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three-dimensional space.. That given point is th ...

'', as well as in the

film version A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...

. *

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

fights a giant squid in Ian Fleming's book, '' Dr. No''. The scene is absent from the film adaption. * A giant squid is mentioned in the book '' Andrew Lost in the Deep'' by J. C. Greenburg. * H. P. Lovecraft frequently used tentacled, squid-like monsters in his

Cthulhu Cthulhu is a fictional cosmic entity created by writer H. P. Lovecraft. It was first introduced in his short story " The Call of Cthulhu", published by the American pulp magazine ''Weird Tales'' in 1928. Considered a Great Old One within the p ...

mythos. *The giant squid specimen currently housed in the Darwin Centre at London's

Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...

forms a key role in the plot of fantasy author

China Miéville China Tom Miéville ( ; born 6 September 1972) is a British speculative fiction writer and literary critic. He often describes his work as '' weird fiction'' and is allied to the loosely associated movement of writers called '' New Weird''. M ...

's 2010 novel '' Kraken''. *Chapter 59 ("Squid") of

Herman Melville Herman Melville ( born Melvill; August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. Among his best-known works are ''Moby-Dick'' (1851); ''Typee'' (1846), a rom ...

's ''

Moby-Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is the sailor Ishmael's narrative of the obsessive quest of Ahab, captain of the whaling ship ''Pequod'', for revenge against Moby Dick, the giant whi ...

'' details the '' Pequods encounter with a giant squid. *The creature used by

Ozymandias "Ozymandias" ( ) is a sonnet written by the English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822). It was first published in the 11 January 1818 issue of '' The Examiner'' of London. The poem was included the following year in Shelley's c ...

Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including '' Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', '' The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and '' From He ...

Dave Gibbons David Chester Gibbons (born 14 April 1949) is an English comics artist, writer and sometimes letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries ''Watchmen'' and the Superman story "For the Man ...

, and Jim Higgins' comic book series ''

Watchmen ''Watchmen'' is an American comic book maxiseries by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987 before being collected in a single-vo ...

'' resembles the likeness of a squid. *

James Rollins James Paul Czajkowski (born August 20, 1961), better known by his pen name of James Rollins, is an American veterinarian and writer of action-adventure/thriller, mystery, and techno-thriller novels who gave up his veterinary practice in Sacra ...

' SIGMA Force Book 4: '' The Judas Strain'' (2007) provides detailed descriptions of sightings of schools of giant predatory attacks by '' Taningia danae'' squid in the waters off the island of Pusat and graphic descriptions of collaboratortive squid attacks of several characters. *A giant squid also dwells in the lake at

Hogwarts Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional Scotland, Scottish boarding school of Magic in Harry Potter, magic for students aged eleven to eighteen, and is the primary setting for the first six books in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Pot ...

J.K. Rowling Joanne Rowling ( "rolling"; born 31 July 1965), also known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and philanthropist. She wrote ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to 2007. The ser ...

's '' Harry Potter'' series of books. It seems to be quite friendly towards the students, and sometimes even acts as a lifeguard when they swim or fall in the lake. *A giant squid acts as a minor character in

Charles Sheffield Charles Sheffield (25 June 1935 – 2 November 2002), an English-born mathematician, physicist and science-fiction writer, served as a President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and of the American Astronautical Society. ...

's novel ''The Web Between the Worlds''. * Many giant squids are mentioned in ''Tentacles'', the sequel to Cryptid Hunters, by Roland Smith. The character of E-Wolf is hired to capture a giant squid for the Northwest Zoo and Aquarium. Smith portrays the squids as pack hunters, when in real life they are solitary. *In J.R.R. Tolkien's ''Lord of the Rings:

The Fellowship of the Ring ''The Fellowship of the Ring'' is the first of three volumes of the epic novel ''The Lord of the Rings'' by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It is followed by '' The Two Towers'' and ''The Return of the King''. It takes place in the ficti ...

'', the Fellowship come up against the

Watcher in the Water The Watcher in the Water is a fictional creature in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth; it appears in '' The Fellowship of the Ring'', the first volume of ''The Lord of the Rings''.'' The Fellowship of the Ring'', book 2, ch. 4 "A Journey in the D ...

, a monster that lurks in the waters of the Sirannon, beneath the western walls of Moria. Although Tolkien's description is vague, the creature is frequently depicted as a giant squid or kraken with varying (often exaggerated) numbers of tentacles, and appeared as such in the 2001 film. *The River Moth, which flows through author Jeff VanderMeer's fictional city of Ambergris, is inhabited by giant squid. The city is named after

ambergris Ambergris ( or , la, ambra grisea, fro, ambre gris), ''ambergrease'', or grey amber is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull grey or blackish colour produced in the digestive system of sperm whales. Freshly produced ambergris has a mari ...

, a substance secreted by sperm whales. *

Captain Nemo Captain Nemo (; later identified as an Indian, Prince Dakkar) is a fictional character created by the French novelist Jules Verne (1828–1905). Nemo appears in two of Verne's science-fiction classics, ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' ...

's submarine, the ''

Nautilus The nautilus (, ) is a pelagic marine mollusc of the cephalopod family Nautilidae. The nautilus is the sole extant family of the superfamily Nautilaceae and of its smaller but near equal suborder, Nautilina. It comprises six living species in ...

,'' fights a band of seven giant squid in Jules Verne's ''

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' (french: Vingt mille lieues sous les mers) is a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne. The novel was originally serialized from March 1869 through June 1870 in Pierre- ...

.'' In the 1954 film adaptation, there was only one giant squid, which was played by a large prop and served as the film's antagonist. *In

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

The Sea Raiders", a voracious swarm of giant squids (of the fictional species ''Haploteuthis ferox'') slay a total of eleven people in boats and even attack a man on shore. *

John Wyndham John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris (; 10 July 1903 – 11 March 1969) was an English science fiction writer best known for his works published under the pen name John Wyndham, although he also used other combinations of his names ...

's book '' The Kraken Wakes'' depicts an invasion of squid-like aliens.

Film and television

Film

(Chronological) * John Wayne and Ray Milland battle a giant squid in the climax to

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cine ...

's 1943 film ''

Reap the Wild Wind ''Reap the Wild Wind'' is a 1942 American adventure film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Ray Milland, John Wayne, and Paulette Goddard, with a supporting cast featuring Raymond Massey, Robert Preston, Lynne Overman, Sus ...

''. *

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

's adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954 film) features a scene where Capt. Nemo's Nautilus is attacked by a giant squid (that probably mistook it for a sperm whale). *A menacing giant squid briefly appears in the film ''

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' is a 1961 American science fiction disaster film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, and starring Walter Pidgeon and Robert Sterling. The supporting cast includes Peter Lorre, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden, M ...

'' (1961). * In the film ''

The Pagemaster ''The Pagemaster'' is a 1994 American live-action/animated fantasy adventure film starring Macaulay Culkin, Christopher Lloyd, Whoopi Goldberg, Patrick Stewart, Leonard Nimoy, Frank Welker, Ed Begley Jr., and Mel Harris. The film was produced ...

'' (1994), Adventure, looking for a book to help Richard get past his fear of heights, picks out '' 20000 Leagues Under the Sea'' and turns to a page with an illustration of a giant squid. Immediately water gushes out of the book, and the giant squid's tentacles slowly emerge, as Richard and Adventure ascend a ladder to escape. *'' The Beast'' (1996), a film (with William Petersen, Karen Sillas) is about a giant squid terrorizing a Pacific NW Island, based on Peter Benchley's novel. *At the end of the film ''

Rugrats Go Wild ''Rugrats Go Wild'' is a 2003 American animated crossover adventure film based on the Nickelodeon animated television series ''Rugrats'' and ''The Wild Thornberrys''. It is the third and final installment in the ''Rugrats'' film series and the se ...

'' (2003), Nigel Thornberry & the

Rugrats ''Rugrats'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on a group of toddlers; most prominently— Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and twins Phil and Lil, a ...

see a live giant squid. *The title of the film ''

The Squid and the Whale ''The Squid and the Whale'' is a 2005 American independent comedy-drama film written and directed by Noah Baumbach and produced by Wes Anderson. It tells the semi-autobiographical story of two boys in Brooklyn dealing with their parents' divorc ...

'' (2005) refers to the popularly imagined combat between sperm whale and giant squid, specifically as depicted in the diorama at New York's American Museum of Natural History, which the main character visits in the last scene of the movie. *A blue, bioluminescent giant squid makes an appearance in the 2016

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californ ...

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

film, ''

Finding Dory ''Finding Dory'' is a 2016 American computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Andrew Stanton, produced by Lindsey Collins and written by Stanton and Vict ...

'' as a antagonist.

Television

(Alphabetical by series) *The squid becomes a contender in the twelfth episode of '' Animal Face-Off'' (2004) against the sperm whale, in which it loses. *The '' Doctor Who'' episode "

The Power of Kroll ''The Power of Kroll'' is the fifth serial of the 16th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 23 December 1978 to 13 January 1979. The serial is set o ...

" (1978) features a carnivorous monster resembling a giant squid which lives at the bottom of a swampy lake, and is worshipped by the natives despite the fact that it sometimes eats them. *The Giant Squid a.k.a. Doctor Voltrang's Clone Monster made its appearance in ''

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films prod ...

'' by Hanna-Barbera in Episode 14: "Calico Clones". When the Calico crew escaped sinister clones of themselves, the scientist responsible for the clones' creation, Doctor Voltrang, sent out his deadly Giant Squid to recapture them. Captain Majors summoned Godzilla, who tied the Squid's tentacles into knots, forcing the Giant Squid to retreat. *In the '' Family Guy'' episode " Death Is a Bitch", a giant squid appears as an uninvited and threatening guest in the Griffin home that they choose to "just ignore and pretend it doesn't exist." *In the ''

Free Willy ''Free Willy'' is a 1993 American family drama film, directed by Simon Wincer, produced by Lauren Shuler Donner and Jennie Lew Tugend, written by Keith A. Walker and Corey Blechman from a story by Walker and distributed by Warner Bros. Picture ...

'' episode " Cephalopod", a giant squid named Goliath is genetically altered by The Machine, and sent to catch and devour Willy the

orca The orca or killer whale (''Orcinus orca'') is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member. It is the only extant species in the genus '' Orcinus'' and is recognizable by its black-and-white ...

, his adopted little brother Einstein, the young orphaned

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the ...

and their human friend Jesse. But in the end, Willy defeats Goliath and foils The Machine's evil plan again. *In the '' Futurama'' episode "

The Deep South The Deep South or the Lower South is a cultural and geographic subregion in the Southern United States. The term was first used to describe the states most dependent on plantations and slavery prior to the American Civil War. Following the war ...

" (2000), Fry and Umbriel cheer at a fight between a sperm whale and a giant squid. *An episode of the TV show ''

Invader Zim ''Invader Zim'' is an American animated science fiction dark comedy television series created by comic book writer and cartoonist Jhonen Vasquez for Nickelodeon. The series centers on an extraterrestrial named Zim (voiced by Richard Steven Ho ...

'' which was unaired in the United States, called "Zim Eats Waffles", shows Dib watching Zim battling a "Giant Flesh-Eating Demon Squid" to the disbelief of his colleagues. *In '' Godzilla: The Series'' episodes '' New Family Part 1'' and '' New Family Part 2'' Mutant Giant Squids were causing trouble in Jamaica, so H.E.A.T. came to check them out. They were saved by Godzilla (Junior) (who was presumed dead after being attacked by the military in the last episode) and find out that the reported trouble must be coming from a more powerful, super predator which turns out to be Crustaceous Rex. *The giant squid was #3 in the '' Most Extreme'' episode, "Body Parts", because it has the largest eyes of any living animal. It was #5 in another episode, "Monster Myths", because it's not a sea monster and can't sink ships. *The documentary series ''

The Future Is Wild ''The Future Is Wild'' (also referred to by the acronym ''FIW'') is a 2002 speculative evolution docufiction miniseries and an accompanying multimedia entertainment franchise. ''The Future Is Wild'' explores the ecosystems and wildlife of thre ...

'' depicts certain species of squid evolving into land-based, air-breathing forms culminating in the tall, 8 ton "Megasquid" 200 million years in the future. Other squid species include an ocean-dwelling, long "Rainbow Squid" capable of highly sophisticated optical camouflage and color alterations, and the small, arboreal "Squibbon", highly agile terrestrial squid which spend their lives swinging through the branches of massive lichen trees of the future. It is implied that the Squibbon may someday evolve into Earth's next sapient life form. * In ''

Jonny Quest ''Jonny Quest'' is a science fiction-adventure media franchise that revolves around the titular boy named Jonny Quest, who accompanies his scientist father on extraordinary adventures. The franchise started with a 1964–1965 television serie ...

'' Episode 18 "Pirates From Below" The Giant Squid a surprise visitor gave Dr. Quest the opportunity to try out the underwater prober's arms. * The British show ''

Octonauts ''Octonauts'' is a children's television series, produced by Silvergate Media for the BBC channel CBeebies, and based on the children's books written by Vicki Wong and Michael C. Murphy. The show follows an underwater exploring crew made up of ...

'' also features both giant squid and colossal squid. * A giant squid appears in the ''

Rocko's Modern Life ''Rocko's Modern Life'' is an American animated television series created by Joe Murray for Nickelodeon. The series centers on the surreal life of an anthropomorphic Australian immigrant wallaby named Rocko and his friends: the eccentric stee ...

'' episode ''Fish-N-Chumps''. Unlike other depictions of a giant squid, the squid in this episode is very friendly and saved Rocko, Heffer and Filburt in exchange for some cheese. * A giant squid attacks the ship

Alton Brown Alton Crawford Brown Jr. (born July 30, 1962) is an American television personality, food show presenter, chef, author, voice actor, and cinematographer. He is the creator and host of the Food Network television show '' Good Eats'' that ran for ...

is working on in the ''

Good Eats ''Good Eats'' is an American television cooking show, created and hosted by Alton Brown, which aired in North America on Food Network and later Cooking Channel. Likened to television science educators Mr. Wizard and Bill Nye, Brown explores th ...

'' episode, ''Squid Pro Quo 2.'' *''

The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest ''The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest'' (also known as ''Jonny Quest: The Real Adventures'') is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera and broadcast on Cartoon Network from August 26, 1996, to April 16, 1997. A continuati ...

'' (a re-imagining of the franchise in the 90s) featured an entire episode dedicated to the giant squid, although the squids in the episode were as large as buildings. *In '' The Replacements'' episode " The Means Justify the Trend" (2006), a giant squid can be seen attacking a submarine. * In the ''

Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated ''Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated'' (also known as ''Mystery Incorporated'' or ''Scooby-Doo! Mystery, Inc.'') is an American animated television series that serves as the eleventh incarnation of the ''Scooby-Doo'' media franchise created by Han ...

'' episode "The Midnight Zone", a giant squid briefly appears when Mystery Incorporated investigate an undersea town in a submarine. * On the '' Cartoon Network'' show ''

The Secret Saturdays ''The Secret Saturdays'' is an American animated television series created by Canadian cartoonist Jay Stephens for Cartoon Network. It debuted on October 3, 2008 in the United States. The series follows the adventures of the Saturdays, a family ...

'', a show about a family of

cryptozoologists Cryptozoology is a pseudoscience and subculture that searches for and studies unknown, legendary, or extinct animals whose present existence is disputed or unsubstantiated, particularly those popular in folklore, such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness M ...

, the parents (Solomon "Doc" and Drew Saturday) are telling their son, Zak Saturday briefly in one episode about how they spent their last anniversary in the stomach of a Giant Squid. This is impossible, as neither a giant squid nor even a

colossal squid The colossal squid (''Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni'') is part of the family Cranchiidae. It is sometimes called the Antarctic squid or giant cranch squid and is believed to be the largest squid species in terms of mass. It is the only recognized ...

can swallow a human whole. * In the 1970s cartoon series ''

Super Friends ''Super Friends'' is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1985 on ABC as part of its Saturday-morning cartoon lineup. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and was based on the Justice League of ...

'', Superman and

Aquaman Aquaman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in '' More Fun Comics'' #73 (November 1941). The character is a pastiche of Namor. Initially a ...

rescued a cruise ship from a giant squid, which had been enlarged by the scientist Dr Pisces. The giant squid's ink had the effect of instantly enlarging any marine creatures that came into contact with it. * A giant squid and a colossal squid both made an appearance in ''

Wild Kratts ''Wild Kratts'' is a live action/ Flash-animated educational children's television series created by the Kratt brothers, Chris and Martin. The Kratt Brothers Company and 9 Story Media Group produce the show, which is presented by PBS Kids in t ...

''.

Music

(Alphabetical by artist)

Artists

*The post-metal band

Giant Squid The giant squid (''Architeuthis dux'') is a species of deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae. It can grow to a tremendous size, offering an example of abyssal gigantism: recent estimates put the maximum size at around Trac ...

takes its name from the animal. *Deathcore band "Here Comes the Kraken" refers to a giant squid. *The indie group Modest Mouse sold shirts on tour in the year 2001 featuring a giant squid fighting a sperm whale. *The

Wizard Rock Wizard rock (or Wrock) is a type of novelty rock music themed around the ''Harry Potter'' franchise. The music was largely prevalent in the United States in the early 2000s. Wizard rock initially started in Massachusetts with Harry and the Potter ...

band "The Giant Squidstravaganza" takes its name from the animal, and its appearance in the Harry Potter series, and sings songs exclusively from the point of view of that specific giant squid, often expressing his love for toast.

Albums

*A giant squid fighting a sperm whale in space is shown on the album cover of

They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a ...

' '' Apollo 18'' (1992).

Songs

*Scottish pirate metal band Alestorm has a song on their album ''

Back Through Time ''Back Through Time'' is the third studio album by Scottish heavy metal band Alestorm. It was released on 3 June 2011 by Napalm Records and is the first Alestorm recording to feature Gareth Murdock on bass and Peter Alcorn on drums.

'' (2011) called "Death Throes of the Terrorsquid", about a band of pirates fighting a giant squid. The song is actually a sort-of continuation of a previous song called "Leviathan" from their ''

Black Sails at Midnight ''Black Sails at Midnight'' is the second studio album by Scottish heavy metal band Alestorm. As with their first album, all the drums tracks were recorded by session drummer Migo Wagner but touring drummer Ian Wilson added additional percussi ...

'' (2008) album. *The artist "Allergic to Shellfishness" has written and recorded a song "The Great Vampire Squid" *Australian songwriter Baterz wrote and recorded a humorous ballad entitled "Giant squids" in which he speculated that the animals "have a much better time than we do". *Folk Rock Singer/Songwriter

Jonathan Coulton Jonathan William Coulton (born December 1, 1970), often called "JoCo" by fans, is an American folk/comedy singer-songwriter, known for his songs about geek culture and his use of the Internet to draw fans. Among his most popular songs are " Co ...

's EP ''Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow'' includes a song, "I Crush Everything," about a remorseful giant squid. *Metal band "Engorged" have a song entitled " Architeuthis" from the album ''Where Monsters Dwell.'' *Squid in general - and giant squid in particular - are mentioned in several songs written by

Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Rowan Hitchcock (born 3 March 1953) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar. After leading the Soft Boys in the late 1970s and releasing the ...

, notably the Soft Boys' song ''

Underwater Moonlight ''Underwater Moonlight'' is the second studio album by English rock band the Soft Boys, released on 28 June 1980 by record label Armageddon. Initially unsuccessful, the album has gone on to be viewed as a psychedelic classic, influential on t ...

'' *A song by the heavy metal group "

Tourniquet A tourniquet is a device that is used to apply pressure to a limb or extremity in order to stop the flow of blood. It may be used in emergencies, in surgery, or in post-operative rehabilitation. A simple tourniquet can be made from a stick an ...

" titled "Architeuthis" is about the mysteries of the giant squid. *"Mary The One-Eyed Prostitute Who Fought The Colossal Squid And Saved Us From Certain Death On The High Seas, God Rest Her One-Eyed Soul" is a song from The Dreadnoughts' debut album "Legends Never Die".

Video games

(Alphabetical by game or franchise title) *In ''

Abzû ''Abzû'' is an adventure video game developed by Giant Squid Studios and published by 505 Games for PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Amazon Luna. Initially released as a digital title in August 2016, a retail version fo ...

'' giant squids appear in the chapter 4 of the game. *In ''

Assassin's Creed II ''Assassin's Creed II'' is a 2009 action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Montréal and published by Ubisoft. It is the second major installment in the ''Assassin's Creed'' series, and the sequel to 2007's '' Assassin's Creed''. The g ...

'' and '' Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag'', encounters with a giant squid appears as an Easter egg in both games. In ''

'', Ezio can encounter a giant squid in the Assassin Tomb located under the Santa Maria Delle Visitazione. In '' Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag'', pirate Edward Kenway can watch a battle between white sperm whale and a giant squid while diving on the Antocha Wreck from the window of a wrecked ship. *In ''

BioShock ''BioShock'' is a 2007 first-person shooter, first-person shooter game developed by 2K Boston (later Irrational Games) and 2K Australia, and published by 2K Games. The first game in the BioShock (series), ''BioShock'' series, it was released f ...

'', when entering the fictional city Rapture aboard an underwater elevator, a giant squid can be seen for a fair amount of time before it moves away, either fleeing from the elevator, or from the whale seen almost immediately afterwards. Later in the game, a dead giant squid can be seen in a display case. *In '' Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2'', mind-controlled giant squids are one of the most powerful naval units in the

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

arsenal. *In '' Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King'', one of the bosses you fight is a giant squid called Khalamari who uses two of its tentacles to act as hand puppets. It has attacked several ships but when it is defeated, Khalamari reveals he is friendly but was brainwashed by Dhoulmagus. After being cured, Khalamari gives you a Gold Bracer. *In '' Endless Ocean'' for the Wii, a giant squid can be found in the Abyss, along with a Sperm Whale. Being a

non-violent game Nonviolent video games are video games characterized by little or no Violence#Media, violence. As the term is vague, game designers, developers, and marketers that describe themselves as non-violent video game makers, as well as certain reviewer ...

, the giant squid will not hurt you and the sperm whale will not attack the giant squid. In its sequel '' Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the Deep'', however, the giant squid is too dangerous to continue the quest and the only way to proceed is to lure a sperm whale to fight it while you find the mini-sub. *In the game " Jaws Unleashed", the shark encounters a Colossal squid in a level called "the Deep". Juvenile Colossal Squid can be encountered in free roam mode. The squid in the level "The Deep" is very exaggerated, if JAWS is in the game then the giant squid is at least . *In ''

Kirby's Epic Yarn ''Kirby's Epic Yarn'' is a platform video game developed by Good-Feel and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is an installment of the ''Kirby'' series and was released in October 2010 in Japan and North America and in February 2011 in Aust ...

'', the boss Capamari is what first appears to be a giant squid wearing a knit cap, but he then turns out to be an octopus. *A giant squid is the boss of a level for Super Adventure Island II. To defeat it, you must attack its tentacle while the body is out of the water then attack the body. Defeating it gives you the Moon Stone. *In the

Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his cre ...

franchise, large squid-like monsters called "Bloopers" are common enemies of the video game character Mario. In a few games giant Bloopers serve as bosses. **In ''

Super Mario RPG ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars'' is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1996. It was the final ''Mario'' game published for the SNES. The game was ...

'', the first boss of the sunken ship is a giant squid that goes by the name, King Calamari. Log from the former crew revealed the squid attacked the ship and the trapped it in the treasure room while the ship sank. It is capable of speech and when its mind is read, King Calamari states that the ship is his. It has 800 Hit Points and its left tentacles have 200 Hit Points while its right tentacles have 260. *In the

Dreamcast The is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, Nint ...

game ''

Skies of Arcadia ''Skies of Arcadia'' is a 2000 role-playing video game developed by Overworks and published by Sega. Players control Vyse, a young air pirate, and his friends as they attempt to stop the fictional Valuan Empire from reviving ancient weapons with t ...

'', the main character fights (in a ship battle) a giant squid named Obispo. *In '' Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves'', Sly and the gang attempt to subdue the legendary giant squid known as "Crusher" in order for them to defeat Blood Bath Bay's main antagonist, Captain Lefwee. After an arduous battle between Crusher and Sly's crew aboard a pirate ship of their own, they are able to subdue the giant creature and possess its mind with the help of The Guru for use in their operation. *In the game ''

Soulcalibur III is a fighting game, fighting video game produced by Namco as a sequel to ''Soulcalibur II'' and the fourth installment in the ''Soulcalibur'' series. It was originally released for the PlayStation 2 in 2005. An improved arcade game, arcade versi ...

'', the character Nightmare gains a "giant" squid as his joke weapon. *In Stranded Deep, the most powerful boss in the game,

Lusca In Caribbean folklore, the Lusca is a name given to a sea monster said to exist in the region of the blue holes nearby Andros, an island in the Bahamas. Description It is described as a giant octopus, a giant cuttlefish, or a half dragon, half oc ...

The Great is a giant squid. *In ''

Super Metroid is an action-adventure game developed by Nintendo and Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. It is the third installment in the ''Metroid'' series, following the events of the Game Boy ...

'', the boss character Phantoon resembles a giant squid, as well as the Ozymandias squid creature from the comic series

. *In ''

Void Bastards ''Void Bastards'' is a science-fiction first-person shooter and roguelike video game developed by Australian studio Blue Manchu and published by Humble Bundle. It was released on May 28, 2019, for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One. Ports of the game ...

'', "junk squids" are a species of omnivorous giant squids capable of surviving in hard vacuum and large enough to devour even sizeable spacecraft. *In ''

World of Warcraft ''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the ''Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of Warcraft'' takes place within the world of Azeroth ...

'', the final boss in the Throne of the Tides dungeon is a giant squid called Ozumat. Its model has since been used in ''Mists of Pandaria'' as a quest enemy and a dying one can be seen in the Isle of Thunder. *In the fighting game '' X-Men: Children of the Atom'', a giant squid is visible in the background in Omega Red's stage.

Statues and sculptures

*The House on the Rock in

Spring Green, Wisconsin Spring Green is a village in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,628 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Spring Green. Geography Spring Green is located at (43.177268, -90.067277). According ...

has an enormous

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...

of a giant squid and sperm whale battling. *A thirteen meter giant statue was constructed in the Japanese fishing town of

Noto Noto ( scn, Notu; la, Netum) is a city and in the Province of Syracuse, Sicily, Italy. It is southwest of the city of Syracuse at the foot of the Iblean Mountains. It lends its name to the surrounding area Val di Noto. In 2002 Noto and i ...

in 2021. The purpose of the statue was to attract tourists to the town, although it was widely criticised for being funded with coronavirus relief money.

Miscellany

*The Lego Aqua Raiders "Aquabase Invasion" set is centered on a giant squid.

References

{{reflist Giant squid Cephalopods in popular culture Marine life in popular culture Fictional squid