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Shapeshifter Default Form: Difference between revisions
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There are usually two types of Default Forms:
Some shifters can use a combination of the two. Compare [[A Form You Are Comfortable With]], [[Sleep Mode Size]], [[Super Mode]], [[Morphic Resonance]], and (of course) [[This Was His True Form]]. Tends to go hand in hand with [[Coconut Superpowers]].
{{examples
== The Shapeshifter's Actual Appearance ==
=== Anime and Manga ===
* [[Mahou Sensei Negima|Albireo Imma's]] artifact allows for shapeshifting to a wide variety of people, including Gateau Vanderburg, {{spoiler|Takamichi and Asuna's teacher}} and Nagi Springfield. But the robed appearance is what he really looks like.
* Due of ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]]'', though as a very effective assassin, the only enemies who've seen her default form don't live long enough to squeal about it. {{spoiler|At least, until Zest proves to be too much for her and promptly kills her to avenge his friend, Regius}}.
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=== Comic Books ===
* Mystique of the ''[[X-Men]].'' Interestingly done in ''X2'', where Rebecca Romijn played Mystique in disguise—sans makeup. From ''X-Men 3'', it seemed like the ''X2'' no-makeup appearance would be her normal human appearance, except with dark hair.
** In ''X-Men: First Class'', Mystique could almost be considered to be Type A ''and'' Type B. Her original form is the blue skin and red hair we all know and love, but she spends most of her time as Jennifer Lawrence, much like Rebecca Romijn sans makeup in X2. The fact that, like Clayface, she has to continually put effort into shifting, coupled with the final abandonment of her "regular human" disguise tips her into Type A by the movie's end.
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=== Fan Works ===
* In ''[[With Strings Attached]]'', George's default form is sort of Type A: his 21-year-old body with any changes he might have made to himself, like a new hairstyle. However, since he has no time limit or stress in other forms, he will cheerfully stay other things as long as he feels like it.
=== Literature ===
* Played against in [[Larry Niven]]'s ''What Good is a Glass Dagger?'', wherein {{spoiler|[[Our Werewolves Are Different|the true form of werewolves is the wolf form, not the human form]]}}.
* In [[Octavia Butler]]'s [[Patternist|Wild Seed]], the character Anyanwu takes on different identities when moving from place to place, and is able to change her race, gender, and even her species. In private or with someone who knows her secret, she reverts to the form of a beautiful, petite twenty-year-old African woman. This is the original body she had before her mutant abilities first developed.
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=== Live-Action TV ===
* ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'': [[Trickster Mentor|The Trickster]], although he's been shown to be able to assume other forms (Doctor Sexy, the guy he dropped in a wormhole) tends to stick with the one played by Richard Speight Jr. That form actually consisted of the entirety of his first appearance, sans wardrobe changes. {{spoiler|As he's actually the [[Archangel Gabriel]] it's not explained his default form is the visage of his vessel, as all other angels require. It's certainly not his ''actual'' true form, as an unmasked angel is an eye-burning, ear-splitting [[Brown Note]].}}
* ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' episode ''Whom Gods Destroy". Lord Garth is a human being who learned the ability to shapechange. His default shape is his original (human) body.
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=== Mythology ===
* [[Older Than Feudalism]]: Most gods of [[Greek Mythology]] who can shapeshift (Zeus, I'm looking at you here) have a normal, everyday form. Of course, Zeus had a preferred form and a true form, so he was both A and B. He didn't appear in his true form to mortals, for [[You Cannot Grasp the True Form|reasons Semele discovered just before she burnt to death]].
=== Tabletop Games ===
* In ''[[Exalted]]'', each Lunar has three "default" forms: their original human form, their totem animal, and their [[One-Winged Angel|Divine Beast Transformation]]. When their [[Battle Aura|Anima Banner]] reaches a certain level, they are restricted to these three forms.
* The vast majority of shapeshifting creatures and classes in ''[[Dungeons
* [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle|Tzeentch]]'s [[Warhammer
=== Video Games ===
* Druids in ''[[Warcraft]]'', although some have been shown to have given in to feral instincts after staying in one form for too long.
* ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' Has Manakeetes, who are basically humans with wings. They need special stones to access their dragon forms.
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===
* [[April Fools' Day]] from ''[[Holiday Wars]]'' has a default form where he looks like a scruffy punk from the 80's.
* Jymre from ''[[Hitmen for Destiny]]'' usually appears as human, but in his real form he is a weird-looking alien (see [http://www.webcomicsnation.com/thorsby/destiny/series.php?view=archive&chapter=26629 here]).
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=== Western Animation ===
* ''[[Ben 10]]''. His Phlebotinum only allows him to change form for a set period of time, afterward he changes back into his normal form. In the future of "Ben 10,000," he unlocked the master code removing the timelimit, and he instead chose the really fast XLR8 as his default form. {{spoiler|Until his younger self showed him that he should stay human}}
** In ''[[Ben 10: Ultimate Alien]]'' episode "Ben 10,000 Returns", {{spoiler|Ben's Future Self has unlocked the humans ultimate form, meaning he can stay human, but use the powers of all the aliens.}}
* In ''[[The Fairly
* Beast Boy from ''[[Teen Titans (animation)|Teen Titans]]'' [[Captain Obvious|stays humanlike when not an animal.]]
** Madame Rouge's default form can be described as [[The Baroness]] and [[The Vamp]] (might by a type B- it's never said if it's her true form or merely a preferred one).
** On the other hand Beast Boy from ''[[Young Justice (animation)|Young Justice]]'' is a type B. He has a (green) human form but usually shape shifts to look like a human-monkey hybrid.
* Master shapeshifter Amorpho from ''[[Danny Phantom]]'' is really a faceless ghost in a black trenchcoat/hat.
* Pain and Panic Hades' minions from ''[[Hercules (
* In ''[[Futurama]]'', Alkazar courts Leela and other aliens by shapeshifting to resemble a male of their species. When Fry and Bender blow Alkazar's cover, Leela and his other wives beat him up until he reveals his true form: a 3-foot alien cricket.
== The Form the Shapeshifter Likes Best ==
=== Anime and Manga ===▼
▲== Anime and Manga ==
* Envy of ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]''. His/her default form is rather conspicuous looking, with rather feminine attire and unusual hair that resembles the leaves of a palm tree. However he/she chooses to keep this form because he thinks it's cute. This is not his/her real form in either the anime or manga, but what is it incredibly different, as in the anime it's {{spoiler|an adult human male, namely Hohenheim's son with Dante}} while in the manga it's what could best be called a {{spoiler|corpse dragon}}, though {{spoiler|he has a "truer" form if all the aforementioned "corpses" are destroyed. It's a tiny slug/leech-like thing with big eyes.}}
* In ''[[Inuyasha]],'' when we first hear about Naraku, it's like shapeshifting was going to be a significant part of his arsenal, and it was how he'd gotten the drop on Miroku's grandpa. However, within the series, his mask is always worn until he takes on the form of a certain feudal lord, impersonating him for that two-parter... and from then on, that's the face he always has, [[One-Winged Angel|whatever he may be doing]] with the rest of his body. The idea of turning into one of the cast and kindly asking whoever has the jewel shards if he might hold them for a moment never seems to occur to him.
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=== Comic Books ===
* Xavin, a Skrull in ''[[Runaways]]'', was originally sexless, but when (s)he began a [[Shapeshifters Do It for a Change|lesbian relationship]], his/her female human form became the default. Though like all Skrulls, (s)he will revert to skrull form if rendered unconscious.
** Karolina later determined that Xavin's "true" self was the female body s/he reverted to when they were being romantic, because that was the form Xavin took when s/he temporarily stopped focusing on her physical form while arguing with Karolina.
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===
* In some ''[[Harry Potter]]'' fics, Nymphadora Tonks has long ago forgotten (or never really had) her "original" form, and the best she can do is make a guess at what she would have looked like. In others she dislikes her true appearance (in at least one story because she strongly resembles her aunt Bellatrix) and has settled on a more acceptable "self image".
=== Film ===
* ''[[The Terminator]]'' had the lanky Robert Patrick police officer T-1000 or the supermodel Kristina Loken Terminatrix T-X. Their true appearance is a liquid metal blob and an endo-skeletal robot, respectively.
** Catherine Weaver of ''[[The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'' spends most of her time in a form played by [[wikipedia:Shirley Manson|Shirley Manson]]. She's also pretending to actually be the person who's form she's wearing, so she would retain that one.
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=== Literature ===
* In the ''[[Garrett P.I.]]'' novels, shapeshifters fall under type B. It's mentioned that one of the unnamed shifters takes on the looks of a soldier he fought with during the war, several decades before the current story and a few months before the entire group of shapeshifters pull a [[Face Heel Turn]].
* The [[Physical God|Valar]] and [[Demigod|Maiar]] of [[J. R. R. Tolkien|JRR Tolkien]]'s ''Silmarillion'' (in particular [[Satan|Morgoth]] and [[The Dragon|Sauron]]) lose their ability to walk around as "unclothed spirits" if they invest too much energy in a form. In the latter case, they [[Humanity Ensues|assumed human form, tall dark and terrible]] and after being wounded or killed off too many times, lost the ability to [[Shape Shifter]] into a pleasing appearance.
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=== Live-Action TV ===
* Odo of ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]''. Makes sense as he is an authority figure, but on the other hand not skilled at imitating humanoid faces, so he created his own "face" (he based his other features on the appearance of the scientist who first studied him). His true appearance is a jello-like blob.
** Later, the Changelings are shown to use the same rough imitation of a humanoid face as their Shapeshifter Default Form even though they can mimic humans perfectly when they want to. This is probably because they never really had a solid default form, since their only interactions were with each other and the Vorta, who were genetically engineered to see them as gods no matter what they looked like. When they met Odo, they used this form to make him feel comfortable and eventually adopted it, since it was the only distinctive, recognizable form they had when dealing with the outside world...like, say, fighting a war.
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** Another character was capable of imitating other peoples' appearance; possibly that of anyone he came in contact with. We never got to learn how his ability worked or what he actually looked like before {{spoiler|he got brain-fingerbanged, care of Sylar. [[It Got Worse|Wait... Oh crap...]]}}
* [[Doctor Who Magazine|Frobisher]] in the ''[[Doctor Who]]'' [[Expanded Universe]]. He's a shapeshifter, but is usually in the form of a large talking [[Everything's Better with Penguins|penguin]] simply because he likes it.
* In the original ''[[V (TV series)|V]]'' miniseries, the alien invaders took on human form to disguise their true reptilian nature (as well as their intentions to cannibalize the human race). Oddly, the aliens continued to maintain their human appearance long after the jig was up. (It's possible the human suits had some sort of protective factor against the environment, but it also conveniently kept half the cast from having to don expensive alien makeup before shooting.)
==
* In ''[[Eberron]]'', the changeling philosophy of The Passer is based on this part of the trope: pick an identity from a common race and stick to it, never letting anyone find out your true race, and essentially turning your back on your kind to become a member of your new race.
* Changelings in ''[[Rifts]]'' have a Type A default form, but since they are usually so hated they never use it when they can help it. Every Changeling NPC described in a [[Sourcebook]] has a "Favorite" form they use for an unofficial default when around friends.
=== Toys ===
* ''[[Bionicle]]'': Krahka. Her toy is actually a combination of all six Toa Metru toys, and is the final form she took in ''The Darkness Below''. She has no known real form.
** The Makuta, mainly because their ''real'' form is [[Pure Energy]] contained in armor.
=== Video Games ===
* Decoy Octopus averts this slightly in ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' - and much more thoroughly in ''[[The Last Days of Foxhound]]''. In ''MGS'', he's only ever seen 'in disguise', and the only way you know what he 'actually' looks like, is from an old photo from his personal file. In TLDOF, he's also almost always in disguise - usually as one of the other characters - and when he's transferred to the spiritual realm, he shows up as an invisible man in a trench coat, remarking that he doesn't actually think of himself as looking like anything.
** [[Cloudcuckoolander|Or was he never there to begin with?]].
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=== Webcomics ===
* Cassiel from ''[[Misfile]]'' usually uses her school-girl form on earth, even when it would make more sense to take a different form to avoid detection. The implication is that she is just too lazy or too unimaginative to come up with another one.<ref>and it has bigger boobs than her real body, which may be a factor too</ref>
=== Western Animation ===
* Nergal Junior from ''[[The Grim Adventures of Billy
** However, in a later episode, he takes on a [[Eldritch Abomination|grotesque, monstrous form]] several times to scare people. With its bumpy black skin, tentacles and other features which were shown in partial shots of his true form, this is arguably the first appearance of his actual form onscreen.
* ''[[The Zeta Project]]'' (A robot built for infiltration could don virtually any holographic disguise, but always went for a dark haired man in a purple trench coat.)
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* Inque from ''[[Batman Beyond]]'' had a slightly human-like "combat form" that had a white blot on a featureless face and her hands were barbed whips or some other weapon. When in a peaceful mood she would take on human features, which is assumed to be an approximation of her human appearance before the mutation serum was used on her, as she still has an oily look. Otherwise she looked just like a blob of ink.
* Beast Boy from ''[[Teen Titans (animation)|Teen Titans]]'' spends most of his time in the form of a green teenage boy, unless he has some reason to be otherwise.
* In the ''[[South Park]]'' episode "Cancelled", an alien greets the boys in the form of Stan's father. He explains that this is [[A Form You Are Comfortable With]] but they think that's stupid because its reminiscent of ''[[Contact (film)|Contact]]''. When Najix takes its [https://web.archive.org/web/20200122200241/http://images.wikia.com/southpark/images/d/d2/Vlcsnap-2010-04-24-13h32m07s167.png true form], they scream and quickly ask it to go change into something else. They then spend a few moments going through possible forms (including [[Santa Claus]], Saddam Hussein, Don King, and [[Frank Sinatra]]) until they decide on [https://web.archive.org/web/20131111124541/http://images.tvrage.com/screencaps/27/5266/159656.jpg a taco that craps ice cream].
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