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Category:Shapeshifting: Difference between revisions
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{{IndexTrope}}
[[File:CastlevaniaAlucardShapeshift 4294.jpg|link=Symphony of the Night|frame|Not depicted: [[Deadly Gas|Refried Bean]] [[Made of Air|Gas Cloud]].]]
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 [[Voluntary Shapeshifting|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. [[Curse]]s 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 [[Transformation Causes|here]].
<tabber>
Related indexes=
* [[Autonomous and Artificial Appendage Index]]
* [[Disguise Tropes]]
|-|
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 [[The Speechless|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 [[Gone Horribly Wrong|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! [[Rule of Cool|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.
</tabber>
<tabber>
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]] - [[Three Wishes|My third wish]], make me an all-powerful genie! ([[Be Careful What You Wish For|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 [[Angst|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, [[Narbonic|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 [[Puppeteer Parasite|possessing]] or [[Mind Control|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.
</tabber>
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Narrative Devices]]
[[Category:Doppelgänger]]
[[Category:Genre Tropes]]
[[Category:Stock Super Powers]]
[[Category:Plots]]
[[Category:Turn-On Tropes]]
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