This is a list of

unicorn The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead. In European literature and art, the unicorn has for the last thousand years o ...

s in modern popular culture, chiefly literature, film and television, arranged chronologically: * 1871: ''

Through the Looking-Glass ''Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There'' (also known as ''Alice Through the Looking-Glass'' or simply ''Through the Looking-Glass'') is a novel published on 27 December 1871 (though indicated as 1872) by Lewis Carroll and the ...

'' by

Lewis Carroll Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (; 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are '' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865) and its sequ ...

, features the nursery rhyme characters of "

The Lion and the Unicorn The Lion and the Unicorn are symbols of the United Kingdom. They are, properly speaking, heraldic supporters appearing in the full royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. The lion stands for England and the unicorn for Scotland. The combinati ...

." *1940 (November 13): '' Fantasia'' depicts unicorns and a unicorn donkey in the Pastoral Symphony segment of the film. * 1940: ''

Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe ''Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe'' is a 1940 American black-and-white science fiction 12-chapter movie serial from Universal Pictures, produced by Henry MacRae and co-directed by Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor. The serial stars Buster Crabbe, Ca ...

'': Unicorns are seen being ridden by

Princess Aura Princess Aura is a fictional character in the Flash Gordon comic strips and serials. She has been portrayed by various actresses in the many ''Flash Gordon'' adaptations in film and television. Character overview Aura is the daughter of the ser ...

and Lady Sonja in the sixth chapter, "Flaming Death". * 1956 (March 15) ''

Forbidden Planet ''Forbidden Planet'' is a 1956 American science fiction film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, produced by Nicholas Nayfack, and directed by Fred M. Wilcox from a script by Cyril Hume that was based on an original film story by Allen Adler and Irvi ...

'' makes reference to a virgin's ability to tame unicorns. * 1956 (September 4) ''

The Last Battle ''The Last Battle'' is a high fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis, published by The Bodley Head in 1956. It was the seventh and final novel in ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' (1950–1956). Like the other novels in the series, it was illustr ...

'', by

C. S. Lewis Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge Univers ...

, describes Jewel, a noble male unicorn who is King Tirian's best friend. * 1962: " The Unicorn" is a song by

Shel Silverstein Sheldon Allan Silverstein (; September 25, 1930 – May 10, 1999) was an American writer, poet, cartoonist, singer / songwriter, musician, and playwright. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Silverstein briefly attended university before ...

, best known in the 1968 recording by

The Irish Rovers The Irish Rovers is a group of Irish musicians that originated in Toronto, Canada. Formed in 1963'Irish Rovers are Digging out those old Folk songs', By Ballymena Weekly Editor, Ballymena Weekly Telegraph, N. Ireland – 20 August 1964 and na ...

. * 1965: '' The Wandering Unicorn'', a novel by the Argentinian Manuel Mujica Láinez features a magical unicorn's horn used as a lance during the Crusades. * 1965: '' Elidor'' by

Alan Garner Alan Garner (born 17 October 1934) is an English novelist best known for his children's fantasy novels and his retellings of traditional British folk tales. Much of his work is rooted in the landscape, history and folklore of his native coun ...

features a lost unicorn from another world. * 1968: ''

The Last Unicorn ''The Last Unicorn'' is a fantasy novel by American author Peter S. Beagle and published in 1968, by Viking Press in the U.S. and The Bodley Head in the U.K. It follows the tale of a unicorn, who believes she is the last of her kind in the wor ...

'', a worldwide best-selling novel by Peter S. Beagle, believes she is the last of her kind in the world and undertakes a quest to discover what has happened to the others. * 1976: ''

Unico is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka. It was serialized in Sanrio's manga magazine ' from November 1976 to March 1979 and collected in two volumes. A pilot film for a potential television series was produce ...

'' features a baby unicorn from Osamu Tezuka. * 1978 (November 19):

Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series) ''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction television series created by Glen A. Larson and starring Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch, and Dirk Benedict. The series follows the surviving humans as they flee in the fictional spacecraft ...

: Unicorns are seen living on the planet Atilla in the episode "The Young Lords." * 1980-1990: '' Apprentice Adept'' is a

heptalogy A heptalogy (; from Greek ἑπτα- '' hepta-'', "seven" and -λογία ''-logia'', "discourse"), also known as a septology, is a compound literary or narrative work that is made up of seven distinct works. While not in wide usage, it has been ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

and

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

novels written by

English American English Americans (historically known as Anglo-Americans) are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England. In the 2020 American Community Survey, 25.21 million self-identified as being of English origin. The term is distin ...

author

Piers Anthony Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob (born 6 August 1934) is an American author in the science fiction and Fantasy (genre), fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is best known for his :Xanth books, long-running novel series set in ...

, and features unicorns as secondary characters of varying levels of importance. Includes ''Split Infinity'' (1980), ''Blue Adept'' (1981), ''Juxtaposition'' (1982), ''Out of Phaze'' (1987), ''Robot Adept'' (1988), ''Unicorn Point'' (1989), and ''Phaze Doubt'' (1990). * 1981: '' Unicorn Variation'', a novelette by

Roger Zelazny Roger Joseph Zelazny (May 13, 1937 – June 14, 1995) was an American poet and writer of fantasy and science fiction short stories and novels, best known for ''The Chronicles of Amber''. He won the Nebula Award three times (out of 14 nomin ...

, is about a chess game between a man and a unicorn in an abandoned bar. * 1982 (October 28): ''

Tokimeki Tonight is a Japanese manga series by Koi Ikeno. It was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Ribon'' from July 1982 to October 1994. An anime television series directed by Hiroshi Sasagawa was adapted from the manga and was broadcast on Nippon ...

'' episode 4 features a unicorn pulling a carriage that the star family takes to the underworld. Two are also seen at the end of episode 6 when an imaginary one is seen pulling a carriage carrying the two stars in wedding regalia, and then another appears tugging another pursuing carriage. * 1982 (November 19): ''

'', a film adaptation of the 1968 novel, features a unicorn on the cover. * 1983: ''

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. (TS ...

'' features a unicorn called Uni. * 1983: '' My Little Pony'' features three unicorns known as Moondancer, Majesty, and Glory. * 1984: '' She-Ra: Princess of Power'': She-Ra's horse turns into a unicorn during She-Ra's transformation. * 1985: ''

Legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess ...

'' features a unicorn's horn being cut off by the villain. * 1985: In '' Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World'' by

Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been bestsellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his ...

, the narrator learns to 'read' dreams from the skulls of unicorns. * 1985:

Meredith Ann Pierce Meredith Ann Pierce (born July 5, 1958, in Seattle, Washington) is a fantasy writer and librarian. Her books deal in fantasy worlds with mythic settings and frequently feature young women who first wish only to love and be loved, yet who must ...

's Firebringer Trilogy features a society of speaking, multicolored unicorns. * 1987: ''

The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland ''The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland'' is a 1987 animated musical fantasy film and the third theatrically released film in the Care Bears franchise. It was released in the United States and Canada on August 7, 1987, by Cineplex Odeon Films, ...

'': saving a unicorn is part of Alice's princess test. * 1987: ''

The Real Ghostbusters ''The Real Ghostbusters'' is an American animated television series, a spin-off/sequel of the 1984 comedy film ''Ghostbusters''. The series ran from September 13, 1986, to October 5, 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television and DI ...

'': Unicorns are freed from a painting. * 1992: ''

Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick' ...

'': in the director's cut,

Rick Deckard Rick Deckard is a fictional character and the protagonist of Philip K. Dick's 1968 novel ''Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?''. Harrison Ford portrayed the character in the 1982 film adaptation, ''Blade Runner'', and reprised his role in ...

has a dream of a unicorn. The meaning of the dream is central to his self-identity. * 1994-2010: '' The Unicorn Chronicles'' are a fantasy series by Bruce Coville, including '' Into the Land of the Unicorns'' (1994), '' Song of the Wanderer'' (1999), '' Dark Whispers'' (2008) and '' The Last Hunt'' (2010). * 1995-1996: ''

Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders ''Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders'' also known outside of North America as ''Starla & the Jewel Riders'' (and sometimes spelled as the more traditionally Arthurian "Guinevere") is a 1995–1996 American comic fantasy-themed girl audiences ...

'' includes a trio of girls who ride unicorns. The protagonist has a

winged unicorn A winged unicorn (cerapter, flying unicorn, pegacorn, or unisus) is a fictional ungulate, typically portrayed as a horse, with wings like Pegasus and the horn of a unicorn. In some literature and media, it has been referred to as an alicorn, a ...

. * 1996: '' Kleo the Misfit Unicorn'' also features a wide cast of normal unicorns to complement the main character, who is a

. * 1996: ''

Pokémon Red and Blue (an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise. In terms of what each of those c ...

'', the Pokémon Rapidash is a unicorn with a mane made out of

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames a ...

. * 1997: ''

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' is a 1997 fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. The first novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series and Rowling's debut novel, it follows Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, a youn ...

'' a unicorn is injured and its blood is drunk. * 1998: '' Nico the Unicorn'' movie, based on the 1996 book by Frank Sacks. * 1999: " Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned" a unicorn is seen throughout the game, and represents the purity and holiness of the bloodline of

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

. * 2000 ''

Fantasia 2000 ''Fantasia 2000'' is a 1999 American animated musical anthology film An anthology film (also known as an omnibus film, package film, or portmanteau film) is a single film consisting of several shorter films, each complete in itself and distin ...

'' A unicorn in Pomp And Circumstance, along with a dragon and a griffin, is laughing at all the other animals for going into Noah's ark. * 2001 (October 17): ''

Zoo Tycoon ''Zoo Tycoon'' is a series of business simulation video games. The worlds focus around building and running successful zoo scenarios. The series was initially developed by Blue Fang Games and published by Microsoft Studios who later in 2001–20 ...

'' video game Easter egg unicorn cheats exhibits. * 2001 (November 4): '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)'',

Lord Voldemort Lord Voldemort ( , in the films) is a sobriquet for Tom Marvolo Riddle, a character and the main antagonist in J. K. Rowling's series of '' Harry Potter'' novels. The character first appeared in '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's S ...

and Professor Quirrell are shown to be feeding off the blood of a dead unicorn. * 2002: ''

The Twelve Kingdoms is a Japanese series of fantasy novels written by Fuyumi Ono and illustrated by Akihiro Yamada. The first entry in the series called ''The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow'' was published by Kodansha in Japan in 1992; the last Kodansha volume ...

anime is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...

has "

Qilin The qilin (; ) is a legendary hooved chimerical creature that appears in Chinese mythology, and is said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a sage or illustrious ruler. Qilin are a specific type of the mythological family of ...

", the Chinese (mandarin) term for unicorns. *2005, 2015: '' Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot vs. the Uranium Unicorns from Uranus'' features an antagonist named Uncle Unicorn, as well as three unicorns that lived on Uranus and stayed there for so long, they mutated into uranium unicorns due to the toxic waste that was dumped everywhere on Uranus. * 2005 (May): ''

Jack Frost (manhwa) Jack Frost (잭 프로스트) is a complete manhwa series by Jinho Ko (고진호). In May 2009, the first volume of Jack Frost was released by Yen Press in English. Plot ''Jack Frost'' follows the story of Noh-A Joo, the new student at Amityville ...

'' features a very ugly unicorn. * 2005 (November 26): '' Charlie the Unicorn'', a viral video first released on Newgrounds, features the eponymous unicorn Charlie as well as two other unicorns. * 2005 (December 8): '' The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' shows Peter riding a unicorn into battle. * 2006 (February): ''

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn is a novel by popular Japanese author Harutoshi Fukui (''Shūsen no Lorelei'', ''Bōkoku no Aegis'', '' Samurai Commando: Mission 1549''). The novel takes place in Gundam's Universal Century timeline. Character and mechanical designs ar ...

'' serial novel begins. * 2006 (March 17): ''

Wonder Pets! ''Wonder Pets!'' is an American educational animated children's television series created by Josh Selig for Nickelodeon. The series follows a trio of classroom pets—Linny the Guinea Pig, Turtle Tuck and Ming-Ming Duckling—who use teamwork to ...

'' features a baby unicorn in the season 1 episode "Save the Unicorn." * 2006 (March 20): '' The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion'' Sidequest. * 2006 (June 10): ''

Sugar Sugar Rune or Sugar² Rune is a Japanese magical girl manga series written and illustrated by Moyoco Anno and serialized in the ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Nakayoshi'' from September 2003 to May 2007. The series was collected into eight volumes publi ...

'' anime episode 49 has a unicorn transformed into a boy in the final exam, Chocolat and Vanilla need to retrieve his horn. * 2007: '' Planet Unicorn'' features 3 unicorns named Feathers, Cadillac, and Tom Cruise. * 2007 (July 5): ''

Noah's Ark Noah's Ark ( he, תיבת נח; Biblical Hebrew: ''Tevat Noaḥ'')The word "ark" in modern English comes from Old English ''aerca'', meaning a chest or box. (See Cresswell 2010, p.22) The Hebrew word for the vessel, ''teva'', occurs twice in ...

'' features unnamed unicorn. * 2007 (August 10): '' Stardust'' features a unicorn coming to help out Yvaine the fallen star. * 2007 (September 7): '' Animal Mechanicals'' features a character who is named Unicorn and is one of its main characters. She has the ability of flight and can shoot ice, wind, and lightning from her horn. * 2009 (February 24): '' The Princess and the Unicorn'' is a children's novel in which a unicorn is vital to the survival of a fairy community. * 2010 (February 4): '' Robot Unicorn Attack'' is a side-scrolling platform game in which the user controls the movement of a robotic unicorn. The object of the game is to prolong gameplay without falling off the stage, crashing into the edges of platforms, or colliding with crystal stars (without first dashing). * 2010 (June 18): ''

Toy Story 3 ''Toy Story 3'' is a 2010 American computer-animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the third installment in the ''Toy Story'' series and the sequel to '' Toy Story 2'' (1999). It wa ...

'' features Buttercup. * 2010 (October 10): '' My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' features two unicorn protagonists, Twilight Sparkle and Rarity, along with many other unicorn characters in subsequent seasons. * 2011: '' Puella Magi Madoka Magica'' episode 9 features one alongside a mermaid. * 2012 (February 10): The Season 7, 14th episode of '' Supernatural'', "Plucky Pennywhistle's Magical Menagerie" shows a unicorn chasing down a neglectful father and impaling him on its horn. * 2012 (March 9): ''

The Cabin in the Woods ''The Cabin in the Woods'' is a 2011 science fiction horror comedy film directed by Drew Goddard in his directorial debut, produced by Joss Whedon, and written by Whedon and Goddard. It stars Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, ...

'' depicts a unicorn killing a man by stabbing him through the chest * 2012 (April 22): '' Phoebe and her Unicorn'' webcomic series debuts * 2013 (April 30): ''The Fire Ascending'' from the series '' The Last Dragon Chronicles'' by Chris d'Lacey features an unnamed unicorn. * 2013 in the book, ''The Garden at the Roof of the World'' by W. B. J. Williams, Britomar, and Gwenaella (human) try to return to Eden to save the life of the unicorn who walked with Eve in paradise. * 2013 (December 4): Lana Del Rey's short film '' Tropico'' features a unicorn along with other animals. * 2013 (June 25): ''Butt Stallion'' as a unicorn-like (it has two horns) character from the DLC "Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep" of Borderlands 2. * 2014 (October 24): Diomedes in ''

Bayonetta 2 is a 2014 action-adventure game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Nintendo. It is the sequel to the 2009 game ''Bayonetta'', and was directed by Yusuke Hashimoto and produced by Atsushi Inaba, Akiko Kuroda, and Hitoshi Yamagami, under ...

'' is a demon that looks similar to a unicorn, having a black horse-like body with a sword protruding out of its head instead of a horn. “Unicorn horns” are also a collectible compound within the series. * 2015, in the cartoon '' Star vs. the Forces of Evil'': :'' Star vs. the Forces of Evil'' episode 1b ("Party With a Pony", January 18): Flying Princess Pony Head, who is a floating unicorn head, is introduced. :'' Star vs. the Forces of Evil'' episode "Quest By": a unicorn on a

treadmill A treadmill is a device generally used for walking, running, or climbing while staying in the same place. Treadmills were introduced before the development of powered machines to harness the power of animals or humans to do work, often a type o ...

is revealed to power Star's wand. :'' Star vs. the Forces of Evil'' episode 7b ("Sleep Spells", June 22): when Star paints a picture of her childhood, there is a purple unicorn in it. * 2015 (September 7): In the ''

Gravity Falls ''Gravity Falls'' is an American mystery comedy animated television series created by Alex Hirsch for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series follows the adventures of Dipper Pines ( Jason Ritter) and his twin sister Mabel ( Kristen Schaal) ...

'' episode "The Last Mabelcorn", unicorns appear, parodying those seen in ''The Last Unicorn''. They are believed to be able to judge how "pure of heart" humans are, but this is revealed to be a scam they use to trick humans. * 2015: In the book ''Unicorn on a Roll'' by Dana Simpson, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils (a unicorn) and Phoebe (a human) have many fun adventures throughout the year. * 2016: The book series '' Melowy'' is released, featuring unicorns with wings. * 2017 (January 12): '' Hanazuki: Full of Treasures'' features unicorns that are from Kiyoshi's moon. Sleepy Unicorn and Twisted Unicorn are voiced by Avery Waddell while the others are voiced by

Debi Derryberry Debi Derryberry is an American voice actress who has provided voices for a number of animations and video games. Biography Derryberry was born in Indio, California to a family of Hungarian Jewish descent. Her grandparents were Holocaust surviv ...

. * 2018: In the Season 4 premiere of Legends of Tomorrow, the team finds a unicorn in the Woodstock Peace Rally that comes from hell. * 2019 (February 22): In the series '' Corn & Peg'', one of the main characters is Corn whose name is a play on the word unicorn. * 2019 (March 11): ''

Filly Funtasia ''Filly Funtasia'' is a computer-animated fantasy television series created by Jacob and Henrik Andersen for Dracco. The series follows filly Rose and her friends as they attend a magical academy in the royal kingdom of Funtasia. It is based ...

'' features unicorn

fillies A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

, including the main character, Rose. * 2020 (April 30): Unicorns are a sentient species in the indie game '' Them's Fightin' Herds''. Oleander, one of the game’s main characters, is a rebellious unicorn who formed a pact with a demon and uses dark magic to help fight, going against the traditional mindset of the rest of her clan who believes only light magic can be used for good.

References

See also