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{{trope}}
▲[[File:rsz_sneeze_change_3942.jpg|link=Slightly Damned|right]]
{{quote|''"In the heat of composition I find that I have inadvertently assumed the form of a large centipede. I am accordingly dictating the rest to my secretary."''
|A letter from '''Screwtape''', ''[[The Screwtape Letters]]''}}
A character possesses some manner of [[Shapeshifting]] ability, but is unable to control when their transformations from one form to another occur.
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This can be classified into a few rough groups:
* Sometimes this is the natural state of the shapeshifter: Their abilities are triggered by an external stimulus. [[Empathic Shapeshifter
* A character who is normally a [[Voluntary Shapeshifting|Voluntary Shapeshifter]] is currently suffering [[Phlebotinum Breakdown]] (perhaps a damaged [[Transformation Trinket]], or a [[Shapeshifter Identity Crisis|split personality disorder]]). Their transformations may occur at random or in response to specific external stimuli, and their [[The Mind Is a Plaything of
If the character can successfully identify and isolate the external stimulus they react to, they may be able to limit or control their exposure to it (for example, a [[Transformation Trinket]] containing the stimulus) and generally use it like a Voluntary
Sometimes, a character who has recently acquired [[Voluntary Shapeshifting]] abilities may need time to [[How Do I Shot Web?|learn how to control their powers]], and will go through a short phase of triggering their transformations unexpectedly or accidentally as they come to terms with their power.
If their transformations are specifically triggered by stress or anger, the character may be [[Hulking Out]].
Note that being an
▲Note that being an [[Involuntary Shapeshifter]] is ''a recurring character ability'' -- the character is usually aware that they have such power and just lack the ability to control it -- the ability must not be confused with any of the following, superficially similar shapeshifting subjects or transformation topics:
* [[Baleful Polymorph]]: A magic spell, curse (disease, etc.) causes a non-shapeshifter to become transformed into something else. It may or may not work on an existing Voluntary Shapeshifter, depending on whether it also imposes a [[Shapeshifter Mode Lock]].
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See also [[Animorphism]], which itself can be voluntary or otherwise.
{{examples}}
== Anime and Manga ==
* The titular character from the one-shot 1989 OVA Baoh: The Visitor. Less a true shapeshifter than a being with amazing transformative abilities. While the protagonist, Ikurou Hashizawa, certaintly won't be winning any points for his looks any time soon (at least in his transformed state; in his [[Ordinary High School Student]] persona, he's not nearly so hideous) he ''is'' outfitted with a [[New Powers
* ''[[Urusei Yatsura]]'' has Rei, [[Green-Skinned Space Babe|the green-haired space bishonen]] [[Chick Magnet|99.9% of the female cast lusts after at one point]]...and his anger (jealousy)/excitement (food) - triggered transformation. Has to be seen to be believed.
* ''[[Ranma ½
* Most of the cast on ''[[Fruits Basket]]''.
* On ''[[
** This later intensifies as she [[Animorphism|becomes an actual kitten]].
* In the ''[[Revolutionary Girl Utena]]'' movie, Utena and Shiori turn into cars, for reasons that only make sense if you read the plot as an [[Mind Screw|allegory]].
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** Tutu's own transformation might be considered involuntary, too, as the behind-the-scenes author that "writes fate" at the beginning of the story calls her into being by speaking her name; however, she always agrees to it. What Ahiru ''doesn't'' agree to, though, is turning into a duck when she gets excited and having to cart her clothes to the nearest water source.
* Young mermaids in ''[[Seto no Hanayome]]'' transform if splashed with water, making a water gun a viable weapon on one occasion. With enough practice and focus, one can (painfully) resist this effect.
* ''[[
** In Akira Toriyama's less famous work, ''[[Doctor Slump]]'', Chinese immigrant Tsun Tsuku-tsun inexplicably turns into a tiger when he comes into contact with a girl.
** The Oozaru, or "great ape" transformation on the full moon is essentially this for all Saiyans. The only way to stop an Oozaru rampage is to chop off the Saiyan's tail or blow up the moon. For Goku and Gohan, it's very much a curse, though other, more bloodthirsty Saiyans (such as pre-Namek Vegeta) use the transformation to their full advantage. This of course has something to do with the fact that they are apparently able to keep their minds while transformed and direct the brute power. Goku became fully animalistic while transformed with no memory of his actions in Oozaru form afterwards. {{spoiler|Making him unaware that it was he who killed his grandfather.}}
* ''[[Kanon]]'' has an animal to human one in {{spoiler|Makoto}}.
** Which gets revisited in ''[[Clannad (
* [[Literal Split Personality|Ren/Run]] in ''[[To
* Much of the initial storyline of the manhwa ''[[The Bride of the Water God]]'' is moved by the fact that {{spoiler|the eponymous Water God Habaek becomes a little boy during the day and only regains his true adult form at night}}.
* {{spoiler|Negi}} of ''[[
* In [[The Cat Returns]], the [[Fisher Kingdom]] effect of the cat's world lingers on protagonist Haru; even after returning home, she still turns into a [[Catgirl]] whenever she's around the Baron.
* This is done several times in ''Pokémon''. Castform changes shape depending on the weather. In the [[
* ''Saban's Adventures of the Little Mermaid'' saw the title character able to use a magic whistle to switch forms between human and mermaid, but she would revert back to a mermaid whenever she got wet. Cue the villains constantly dumping things on her at the most inopportune moments.
* Protagonist Kate Menella from ''[[Love
* The five protagonists in ''[[Ame Nochi Hare]]'' will transform into girls whenever it rains.
* Yayori from ''[[Neko
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* [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]]'s [[The Incredible Hulk|Bruce Banner]] is the poster child (and [[Trope Namer]]) for [[Hulking Out]], due to his transformations being involuntarily triggered by anger or stress.
** At a couple of different points he becomes more stable, either locked into a particular form for a stretch or able to take control over his emotions to the point that he can mostly suppress or evoke the change as desired.
* [[Spider
* [[Ghost Rider]] used to transform at night. After a while, he would transform whenever there was danger nearby, regardless of the time of day. But eventually, he became
* In ''[[Batman
== Newspaper Comics ==▼
* In ''[[Safe Havens]]'' it is established that although [[Our Mermaids Are Different|mermaids]] can [[Voluntary Shapeshifting|generally shapeshift freely]] between mermaid, fish, and human forms, if a mermaid remains in human form for 12 hours they must spend their next 12 hours as a fish (and vice versa) to balance it out. This is a plot point for the mermaid Remora after she joins the (otherwise human) regular cast; in one event her personal [[Masquerade]] was nearly discovered when a basketball game ran into overtime and the team had to get her off the court before her transformation kicked in.▼
== Film ==
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* ''[[The Nutty Professor]]'': Quite a lot happens in the '90s remake, especially at the end.
* ''[[Ladyhawke]]'', a story of two lovers. By day, she is a hawk. By night, he is a black wolf. And as long as a [[No Man of Woman Born|day is followed by night and a night is followed by day]], they can never meet.
* The title character of [[Woody Allen]]'s film ''[[Zelig]]'' is so neurotically driven to to fit in with those around him that he physically transforms to become "just one of the crowd", and is able to spontaneously become morbidly obese or ''black'' as needed to not stand out.
== Literature ==
* In ''[[
** One book had Marco changing into hybrid morphs whenever he was stressed out. At the worst possible times. And some of them, like the Osprey/Lobster, couldn't even ''breathe.''
* In [[Terry Pratchett]]'s [[Discworld]] series, Nanny Ogg's cat, Greebo, is temporarily turned human. Afterwards, his morphic field remembers the shape and shifts back to it when under stress, much to Greebo's consternation. Also, in ''[[
* In Katie MacAlister's Aisling-Grey-Series, Drake (Aisling's mate and dragon-in-human-form) shapeshifts only when he orgasms, otherwise he isn't able to willingly shapeshift anymore.
* Sewer Jack of the ''[[Wild Cards]]'' series turns into a huge alligator under stress. His life has a ''lot'' of stress.
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* In the [[Chivalric Romance]] ''The Swan Children'', the children are born (to a [[Shapeshifting Lover|swan maiden]]) with chains about their necks. When these are removed, they turn into swans.
* As werewolves, Wolfs of course transform at the full moon. However, if they become too distressed they will also transform then, which is a very painful process. {{spoiler|The strain of it plus injuries sustained kills Wolf.}}
* In JK Rowling's [[Harry Potter]] books, involuntary shapeshifting at the full moon is [[Our Werewolves Are Different|part and parcel of lycanthropy]]. It cannot be cured, but a Wolfsbane potion can be used to counteract [[The Mind Is a Plaything of
* Played for laughs in Thorne Smith's screwball comedy novel ''The Stray Lamb'' (1929): T. Lawrence Lamb meets a little russet man who puts a spell on him that causes him to transform into different animals uncontrollably - first a horse, but also a seagull, a goldfish, a cat, a lion, a dog and a kangaroo.
* A ''[[
* In [[Devon Monk]]'s ''[[Age of Steam
== Live Action TV ==
* ''[[Galidor]]'': The main character's special ability allows him to exchange his limbs with other beings, an ability which works properly a very small percentage of the time.
* The British TV show ''[[Woof
* ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]''
** Odo's race, the Changelings, cannot maintain solid forms for extended periods of time, with Odo himself having to occasionally return to his native liquid form, usually once per day. His main piece of furniture? A bucket to sleep in.
** In one later season, Odo is [[Shapeshifter Mode Lock|locked into]] his [[Humanity Ensues|humanoid form]] as a punishment for being the only Changeling to kill another Changeling. He got better.
** In another he's the victim of a device that prevents him from shapeshifting while it's active, as a form of torture. What happens to him isn't pretty.
* ''[[Fraggle Rock]]'' gives us Skinfred, a one-off [[Empathic Shapeshifter]] whose physical appearance changed depended on ''what other people thought about him''; it's impressive how upbeat his personality was given this form of being [[Blessed
* ''Julia Jekyll and Harriet Hyde'' had this as the theme, the main character was a girl who uncontrollably turns into a furry yeti-like thing at inopportune moments.
* ''[[H₂O: Just Add Water]]'': The mermaid girls change forms when in contact with water.
* In one episode of ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'', "The Undead", a witch named Lydia (who transforms into a bat in the movie), appears on the Satellite of Love. As she tries to deliver a scary speech to Mike and the 'Bots, she starts shapeshifting into all sorts of things, uncontrollably. "I've never been a football before!" She ends the segment [[And I Must Scream|stuck]] as a bottle of drain cleaner. The funniest one is when she very briefly shifts into Pearl Forrester, who looks very confused at her new surroundings.
* ''[[
** Also, regeneration does not seem to be a particularly traumatic experience in Time Lord society, with its members casually congratulating each other on their new appearance. It's only the Doctor who seems to have a particularly tough time of it.
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== Mythology and Folklore ==
* In European folklore, werewolves are not in control of their shapeshifting; it being an artifact of phases of the moon and/or the presence of certain plants (such as "Wolfsbane", aka ''Aconitum'' spp.). Well, there are two kinds of werewolves in European mythology - the merely cursed and the truly evil. The former indeed usually change under certain conditions (like the aforementioned full moon), while the latter ''deliberately'' turn themselves with evil witchcraft, which typically involves wearing fur of a wolf on their back.
▲== Newspaper Comics ==
▲* In ''[[Safe Havens]]'' it is established that although [[Our Mermaids Are Different|mermaids]] can [[Voluntary Shapeshifting|generally shapeshift freely]] between mermaid, fish, and human forms, if a mermaid remains in human form for 12 hours they must spend their next 12 hours as a fish (and vice versa) to balance it out. This is a plot point for the mermaid Remora after she joins the (otherwise human) regular cast; in one event her personal [[Masquerade]] was nearly discovered when a basketball game ran into overtime and the team had to get her off the court before her transformation kicked in.
== Video Games ==
* ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'':
** Due to a [[Heroic Sacrifice]] from the first game, when Sora transforms into his [[Super Mode|"Drive" forms]], it may occasionally "malfunction" and turn him into "Anti-Sora" (who looks very similar to a Heartless) instead in ''[[
** Also, Riku using Darkness changes his appearance to look like {{spoiler|Ansem}} in [[Kingdom Hearts]] II. Why he's {{spoiler|eventually able to stay Riku}}...well...That's what the [[MST3K Mantra]] was made for.
** Riku only transforms into {{spoiler|Xehanort's Heartless}} when tapping into his power. Riku himself isn't unskilled in the use of Darkness himself, he loses his new form only because the {{spoiler|exploding}} Kingdom Hearts' power 'purified' him. Or something. Kingdom Hearts doesn't really make sense.
* Vincent Valentine of ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'' has this problem thanks to Hojo. He has [[Limit Break|varying degrees of control]] over it, although in ''Dirge of Cerberus'', he can't control his Chaos transformation {{spoiler|when the Protomateria is pulled out of his body.}}
* ''[[Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan]]: Goro Okami wolfs out at the sight of round objects (Be it a bald head, eggs, a baseball, ear rings and eyes). He fears that this will freak out her date but in the end, {{spoiler|she finds out and loves him even more.}}
* ''[[
* Certain [[Pokémon]] in the videogames have the ability to change between various physical forms. The third-generation Pokémon "Castform", for example, changes its shape (and elemental type) depending on the current weather. (Castform also has the ability to control the weather). Giratina can only assume its serpentine Origin Form with the help of the Griseous Orb, and Shaymin can only transform into its Sky Form with a Gracidea flower in its possession.
* In ''Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones'', the Prince acquires a "Dark Self" that takes over his body during times of extreme danger (though the player is still in control of the Prince), and can only change back if he touches water.
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== Web Comics ==
* In ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]'' Aylee will occasionally have to wrap herself in a cocoon and emerge in a new form, though usually retaining a green skin tone and vaguely reptile/dragon like features. This was originally done because Aylee's first form was too close to the Xenomorphs from ''[[Alien (
* Kieri, an angel in ''[[Slightly Damned]]'', was cursed by a guardian and turned into a snow bunny (subsequently nicknamed "Snowy"). The curse is weak enough for her to generally control it, but she does regularly transform ("poing!") into her bunny form at inopportune moments, such as any time she gets excited, [http://www.sdamned.com/2010/08/08282010/ suddenly startled], or starts [http://sdamned.com/2007/09/09232007/ having a sneezing fit].
** Or if she just needs some [[Cuteness Proximity|puppy dog eyes]][http://www.sdamned.com/2011/01/01082011/\]...
* The changes in Jules from ''[[The Key to Her Heart]]'' are controlled by his/her emotional state, over which he's learned [[Voluntary Shapeshifting|meticulous control]]; except, of course, [[Rule of Funny|when it's funny]].
* In ''[[
* ''[[8-Bit Theater]]'':
▲* In ''[[El Goonish Shive (Webcomic)|El Goonish Shive]]'', there are multiple examples. Elliot, for example, has shapeshifting [[Gender Bender]] powers, but he's at a stage where his body doesn't know its limits, so basically, he needs to transform every day to burn off excess magical energy, or else it'll overload at some inopportune moment, causing him to involuntarily transform with barely any warning.
▲* [[8-Bit Theater (Webcomic)|Red Mage]] has this happen to him late in the series. He randomly shofts between himself and a [[Buffy-Speak|flowery...tentacled...thing...]] that resembled a monster the team had previously encountered.
== Web Original ==
* ''[[Global Guardians PBEM Universe]]'': Both Fenris and The Beast are villainous werewolves who have a hate on for the world that cursed them into being monsters. They are both villains [[For the Evulz]] rather than for money or power.
* For whatever reason, Sonic shapeshifts into several [[Platform Game]] protagonists during ''[[
== Western Animation ==
* In the ''[[Evolution]]'' animated series, as a result of him volunteering as a human guinea pig for finding a cure against the Genus, Wayne Grey undergoes random mutations (including growing extra limbs, splitting into more copies of himself, or becoming animal-like in appearance) every time there is a high concentration of alien cells in the surroundings.
** In one particular episode where the aliens grow out of control and briefly take over the whole world, he kicks into overdrive and explodes into a pink goo.
** In the final episode, the whole team gets sent on the Moon. Makes you wonder what the hell a ''two-headed spacesuit'' was doing in a space shuttle.
* Various ''[[Transformers]]'' have had occasions where they lose control of their transformations between robot and alternate modes. Most commonly, this happens when they're hit hard enough, or as a reflex when one is startled. ''[[
* ''[[American Dragon: Jake Long]]'', Jake began to shift randomly from human to dragon, sometimes [[Partial Shapeshifting|one body part at a time]], in one episode. Application of "liquid plot" did this once, revealing his identity to his worst ''human'' enemy.
* Early in ''[[Danny Phantom]]'', Danny has trouble controlling his powers and would sometimes go partially ghost at random. Led to his pants falling down at one point, memorable for a line that followed later that episode. The beginning of the episode "Identity Crisis" ''really'' emphasized this with Danny's shape shifting abilities. Very amusing.
* In the ''[[Teen Titans (
** Or that one episode where Raven learned how to use her powers to force him to change into another creature against his will.
* ''[[Beetlejuice (
* Similarly, ''[[
** In another episode his first partner, Detective Lucky Piquel, caught "toon flu" and turned into this little three-inch high character when he sneezed.
* The main character of ''[[Turbo Teen]]'' would shapeshift into a ''talking car'' when his body temperature rose, always at inopportune times.
* [[Darkwing Duck (
** And this was only one of many episodes of ''Darkwing Duck'' with this trope as the premise.
** A ''[[Donald Duck]]'' comic story by Carl Barks once used a variation where Magica De Spell comes up with a concoction that, after having been sprayed onto somebody's face, would change the victim's face to that of anyone they look at. She naturally plans to use it to blackmail Scrooge to get his dime.
* In the episode "Dexter's Date," ''[[Freakazoid!]]'' is zapped at a television station and cannot change back into Dexter Douglas, leaving his date waiting - and turning instead into random celebrities. (Fortunately, he turns into a blue Louis Armstrong just in time for his lines in the huge splashy ''"Hello Dolly"'' musical number parody. Don't ask.)
** The weird part was he always had his own voice, except for the Louis Armstrong bit...
* A TV series titled ''[[Monster By Mistake]]'' features a main character who is a young boy named Warren, Warren turns into a blue monster whenever he sneezes.
* The episode of ''[[Batman:
** Though, given the way the episode ends, it's equally possible that Hagen was simply playing to his audience: Batman. He ''was an actor'', after all....
* In ''[[Project
* Dingo of ''[[Sonic Underground]]'' had the ability of transforming into virtually any other object or person, though these were invariably orange in color. His transformations were completely under control...of his partner Sleet, that is, not himself.
* [[Word of God]] has it that, in the ''[[Transformers]]'' metaseries, Primus, Unicron, and the Original 13 Transformers's bodies automatically change to fit the physics of whatever universal stream they enter (similar in effect to a [[Fisher Kingdom]], but caused by themselves, not the universe they enter). Primus and Unicron stopped there, but the other 13 changed further to fit the specific idiosyncrasies of the local Transformers. For example, when The Fallen was in the G1 universe, he looked blocky, and in the live action movie universe he looks more thin, lithe, and pointy. Also, in G1 he was [[Incendiary Exponent|on fire]], while in the movie universe, due to physics, he was merely glowing red-hot.
* ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1987
* An episode of ''[[The Fairly
* Chuck Jones' bizarre late-entry ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' "I was a Teenage Thumb" had a wizard with the hiccups who would transform into different random things with each 'hic' - a lamppost, a touring car, a hot-air balloon...
* ''[[Kaeloo]]''{{'}}s Mr. Cat is one of these, his transformations into random objects usually brought upon by Kaeloo beating the stuffing out of him.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Shapeshifting]]
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