Shapeshifting



Shapeshifting and transformation are the ability to completely change one's body from one form to another, usually by magic or Applied Phlebotinum. Common in Speculative Fiction, and folklore and myths are replete with tales of princes transformed into frogs, gods turning themselves into animals, and so on. Several of these tropes are Older Than Feudalism.

There are a wide variety of ways that this can occur, but thematically it can be sorted into two broad classes:


 * Shapeshifting: A character can transform their own body as a special power or ability. Obviously enough, they are called shapeshifters, and often ply their powers for fun and profit (whether good or evil), or simply to trick or play practical jokes on normal folks.


 * Transformation: An otherwise non-shapeshifting character has a transformation cast upon them from an outside source (again, usually by magic or Applied Phlebotinum). This is typically Played for Drama; it may be part of a character's backstory, or even form the central conflict within the work. Curses are a popular source here, as it requires the character to go on a Quest to satisfy the Curse Escape Clause. A list of possible causes for transformations can be found here.

Related indexes:
 * Autonomous and Artificial Appendage Index
 * Disguise Tropes

Tropes related to Shapeshifting as a power or ability

 * Dual Age Modes - The ability to change between an "older" and "younger" form.
 * Older Alter Ego
 * Elemental Shapeshifter - Transforming oneself (in whole or part) into an elemental energy.
 * Super Smoke - Transformation into a gaseous form like smoke, air, mist, etc.
 * "Growing Muscles" Sequence - Bulking up as you transform.
 * Henshin Hero - A character who gains superpowers by transforming.
 * Humanshifting - The ability to only transform into humanoids.
 * Involuntary Shapeshifter - If you can't control when/where your shapeshifting powers kick in.
 * Empathic Shapeshifter - If other people dictate what you transform into.
 * Hulking Out - The You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry version.
 * Shapeshifter Identity Crisis - Mental instability causing you to transform into whatever identity/persona is currently dominant in your mind.
 * Shapeshifter Swan Song - Uncontrolled transformations triggered by a critical (or fatal) injury to the shapeshifter.
 * Kaleidoscope Hair - Some forms, where you can change your hair color repeatedly.
 * Long Neck
 * Magic Pants - What happens to all your clothing when you transform (or more importantly, transform back) ?
 * Morphic Resonance - When a shapeshifter's forms all have some common feature that the audience can identify them by.
 * Multiform Balance
 * My Instincts Are Showing - Behavior is frequently influenced by another form's instincts, during or after the morph.
 * Narrative Shapeshifting - A silent character recounts a story by playing shapeshifting charades.
 * Our Werebeasts Are Different
 * Our Werewolves Are Different - Most Werewolves posess shapeshifting abilities.
 * Wolf Man
 * Beast Man
 * Selkies and Wereseals
 * Rubber Man - He can stretch and flex himself into almost any needed shape.
 * Sexier Alter Ego - Transform into a more attractive or otherwise sexually appealing form
 * Shapeshifter Baggage - Some forms are smaller/larger or lighter/heavier than others.
 * Shapeshifter Mashup - When attempting to mix-and-match multiple forms goes horribly wrong.
 * Shapeshifter Mode Lock - A Phlebotinum Breakdown that leaves a shapeshifter Brought Down to Normal and trapped in one form.
 * Shapeshifter Showdown - Shapeshifter vs. shapeshifter! Awesomeness ensues.
 * Shapeshifting Seducer
 * Shapeshifting Squick - Shapeshifters must have a very interesting love life...
 * Shapeshifters Do It for A Change
 * Sizeshifter - The ability to alter one's size, rather than shape.
 * Skin Walker - A supernatural skin-thief of Native American legends, but isn't always a bad type as some Skin Walkers are empowered by good spirits instead of Ritual Magic.
 * Slow Transformation - The change happens gradually.
 * Swiss Army Hero - Shapeshifting where each form has some kind of exclusive ability. A popular manifestation for Video Games.
 * Totally Not a Werewolf - A shapeshifter becomes mistaken for whatever creature or monster they appear as.
 * Transforming Mecha: Shapeshifting for robots!
 * Transformation Is a Free Action
 * Transformation Sequence - Activating one's superpowers may also induce a physical transformation. May become Stock Footage in serial works.
 * Tricking the Shapeshifter - If you can't defeat a shapeshifter in one of his forms, convince him to transform into something you can.
 * Voice Changeling - The ability to imitate anyone's voice, rather than their shape.
 * Voluntary Shapeshifting - The "standard" shapeshifter package.
 * Partial Transformation - Mix-and-match shapeshifting to create one sleek Hybrid Monster.
 * Shapeshifter Default Form - Whatever form they're usually seen in when not actively using their powers.
 * Shapeshifter Guilt Trip - Impersonating the form of an opponent's friend or teammate during battle, to mentally break the opponent down.
 * Shapeshifter Weapon - Using your shapeshifter powers to create weapons from your own body.
 * Unstable Genetic Code - A more scientific explanation for shapeshifting.
 * You Sexy Beast - For cases where a less human form is considered more attractive.

Tropes related to transformations as an event

 * Baleful Polymorph - Transformation used as a weapon or punishment, to disable or dispose of an individual.
 * Becoming the Costume - Particularly popular around All Hallow's Eve, a curse that transforms the individual into whatever their costume resembles.
 * Becoming the Genie - My third wish, make me an all-powerful genie! (Wait a second...)
 * Become Your Weapon
 * Emergency Transformation - If the only way to save your dying body is to have it transformed into something else. Whether or not you'd be better off dead is up to you.
 * Fountain of Youth
 * Overnight Age-Up
 * Fisher Kingdom - A world or setting that transforms your mind, mood, and/or physical form to match its expectations or requirements.
 * Freaky Friday Flip - Switching bodies with another person...
 * Voices Are Mental - ...but not switching voices.
 * Gender Bender - Being transformed into a member of the opposite sex.
 * Attractive Bent Gender - People start asking your new self out on dates.
 * First Law of Gender Bending -- It's easier to change into a female than it is to change back.
 * Second Law of Gender Bending -- Your new gender is always more enjoyable than your old one.
 * Third Law of Gender Bending -- And it comes with cool new clothes!
 * Man, I Feel Like a Woman -- Hey, free boobs!
 * Humanity Ensues - An animal (or non-human) is transformed into a human. They usually aren't happy about the change...
 * Pinocchio Syndrome - ...unless they already wanted to become human.
 * Sense Freak - If they go wild over senses that we humans take for granted.
 * Incredible Shrinking Man
 * Just Woke Up That Way - A common way for involuntary transformations to take place.
 * Karmic Transformation - Getting transformed into something you despise or that is otherwise ironic; often caused by Laser-Guided Karma.
 * Long Neck
 * Metamorphosis - A permanent, one-time transformation that occurs over the long term, and you may know about it well in advance.
 * The Mind Is a Plaything of The Body - Your thoughts and instincts transform to match whatever new form you have.
 * Mutagenic Food- You are what you eat... literally.
 * Mutagenic Goo- Gooey Applied Phlebotinum that can mutate and transform living beings into monsters.
 * Not Quite Back to Normal - When a transformation leaves residual effects on the individual even after being transformed back.
 * Scaled Up - Is turning yourself into a giant snake ever a good idea?
 * Transformation Causes - Lists the number of ways a character can wind up transformed.
 * Transformation Comic
 * Transformation of the Possessed - You're transforming because of Demonic Possession
 * Transformation Ray
 * Viral Transformation - Spreading a transformation from one person to another

Other shapeshifting tropes

 * Animorphism - Transformation into an animal, either as a special power or a one-time event...
 * Attractive Bent Species - When other animals think your new form looks sexy!
 * Appearance Is in The Eye of The Beholder - How you look varies depending on who's looking at you.
 * Attack of the 50 Foot Whatever
 * Miracle-Gro Monster
 * Biological Mashup - Two heads are better than one...
 * Multiple Head Case - ...or are they?
 * Body Horror - Sometimes changing shape ain't pretty.
 * Painful Transformation - If it looks painful, what must it feel like?
 * Breast Expansion - A character's bosom grows a few cup sizes (often as Fetish Fuel).
 * Chest Monster - The seemingly innocent object that transforms into a predatory creature.
 * Face Stealer - For when you have to harm the target to look like them
 * Game Face - Revealing the true face of evil.
 * Lie to The Beholder - A psychic illusion that makes you look/sound like someone else, without involving a physical transformation or shapeshifting.
 * Morph Weapon - A transforming weapon.
 * One-Winged Angel
 * Clipped-Wing Angel
 * Puppet Permutation - Transformation into a puppet doll.
 * Shapeshifting Lover - Females are usually a Voluntary Shapeshifter; males are usually victim of a Baleful Polymorph Curse.
 * Showing Off the New Body - The individual closely inspects their new body, giving free Fan Service for everyone!
 * Man, I Feel Like a Woman
 * Transformation Conventions - Personality Powers applied to shapeshifting and transformations, often involving Animal Stereotypes.
 * Transformation Trinket
 * This Was His True Form - A reveal occuring after a shapeshifter has been killed or defeated.
 * Was Once a Man - That monster used to be human?
 * They Look Like Us Now - Previously inhuman creatures discover a way to appear human, without possessing or controlling actual humans in the process.
 * Toon Transformation
 * You Are Who You Eat - Eating people allows non-humans to pretend to be human, and sometimes look like the person that was eaten.

See also:

 * Instant Armor - The ability to summon protective armor from nowhere. May be part of a Super Mode.
 * The Shadow Knows - A particular kind of Glamour Failure hinting that a character has a dark secret or shapeshifting prowess.
 * Super Mode - Sometimes involves a physical transformation.