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Voluntary Shapeshifting: Difference between revisions
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Usually, the character can transform simply by thinking about it, but occasionally they may use a [[Transformation Trinket|gadget]] or a [[By the Power of Greyskull|magic phrase]].
[[Magic Pants]] are almost always in effect, unless the shapeshifting character demonstrates or mentions they are simply molding what looks like clothing out of his/her body cells for the common decency of those around them. (In which case, it's [[
Many [[Superhero|Superheroes]] have this power, along with nearly all [[Our Gods Are Different|gods]] and [[Sufficiently Advanced Alien|Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]]. It's particularly popular with [[Tricksters]] and [[Reality Warper|Reality Warpers]].
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Being able to [[Shapeshifter Weapon|form limbs into stabbing weapons]] and [[Pulling Themselves Together|reform oneself after being blown apart by explosives]] has become an almost standard ability of the clay-consistency metamorph in recent years, probably due to the popularity of the T-1000 character from the ''[[Terminator (Film)|Terminator]]'' films.
Quite a few Shifters boast [[Elemental Rock
Exactly where their extra body mass comes from (or goes) when a shapeshifter transforms from one ''size'' to another is known as [[Shape Shifter Baggage]].
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Sooner or later, a [[Phlebotinum Breakdown]] may leave the character suffering [[Involuntary Shapeshifting]] or [[Shapeshifter Mode Lock]], if only temporarily. If badly beaten or near death, they may have a [[Superpower Meltdown]] and lose control of their power, resulting in a [[Shape Shifter Swan Song]].
{{examples
== Anime & Manga ==
* Ditto from ''[[Pokémon (Anime)|Pokémon]]''. In the game it can only transform into whichever Pokémon it is facing at the time with a purple tint (this was later removed in newer games, where the transformed Ditto was simply a lighter tint of normal Pokémon). In the anime, they can transform into all different things including Pokémon, but some of them keep the creepy looking face of the original. The legendary Mew also possesses this ability both in the games and shown in one of the movies.
** In ''[[Pokémon Heroes (Anime)|Pokémon Heroes]]'', the Pokémon Latias commonly shapeshifts into the human Bianca; the only differences between the pair is that Latias does not wear the beret and is voiceless. Her version is unlike Ditto/Mew's as here it is that the Latias can be seen in her true form with a pair of thermogoggles owned by [[Big Bad|Annie and Oakley]].
* All characters with Youma blood in ''[[Claymore]]'' have some degree of shapeshifting ability. Full Youma and Awakened Ones (aka Voracious Eaters) usually have a human form and a [[One
* Envy of ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]''. S/he finds it most useful to change into people, but isn't limited to that; in the anime he turns into a giant dragon, and in the manga his/her "true form" is... let's just say you don't want to meet it down a dark alley.
** Heck, his/her true form wouldn't even ''fit'' in a dark alley.
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** And the third class is are the Logia, which allows the user to [[Elemental Baggage|generate]], [[Elemental Powers|control]] or [[Elemental Shapeshifter|become]] a particular element. All of the users of Logia Devil Fruits are Elemental Shapershifters by definition.
* Eve from ''[[Black Cat (Manga)|Black Cat]]''.
* ''[[Tenchi Muyo! (Anime)|Tenchi Muyo]]''
** Zero (later Ryoko Hakubi) and (sort of) Washuu, and in the spinoffs there are: Ryoko Balouta of ''[[Tenchi Muyo! GXP (Anime)|Tenchi Muyo GXP]]'', Doll/Mexiah of ''[[Isekai no Seikishi Monogatari (Anime)|Isekai no Seikishi Monogatari]]'', and even Kei in ''[[Spaceship Agga Ruter (Anime)|Spaceship Agga Ruter]]''.
** Ryo-Ohki has the ability to transform into a spaceship; after absorbing Mass she can also transform into a full-sized human female (possibly) covered in brown fur ([[Barbie Doll Anatomy|it's hard to tell]]), a small sized human/cabbit form, her spaceship form, and her default cabbit form.
** In ''[[Tenchi Universe (Anime)|Tenchi Universe]]'' there is also Ken-Ohki, a white cabbit able to also transform into a spaceship.
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* Saint Dane in ''[[The Pendragon Adventure]]'' can shift into nearly any form suited for any Territory, even if the Territory is inhabited by [[Mega Neko|cat people]] (which Eelong is). Sometimes he creates an alias, sometimes he steals one, sometimes he even changes genders. He also has the form of a black crow for quick movement. If it weren't for his [[Red Right Hand|icy-blue eyes]] and tendency to want to reveal himself, [[Villains Blend in Better|he'd be near-impossible to find]].
* Sun Wukong, the magic monkey of the Chinese epic novel, ''[[Journey to The West]]'', has among his many powers the 72 transformations. Despite the name, this ability allows him to transform into absolutely anything.
** Also worth mention is Zhu Bajie (aka Pigsy) who only knew 36 transformations, half as many as Sun Wukong (aka Monkey). He makes up for it with being better at fighting underwater (despite being a [[Half
* The main characters of ''[[Switchers]]'', by Kate Thompson, have the ability to transform into any animal they wish at will... at least until [[Growing Up Sucks|they turn 15]].
* [[HP Lovecraft]]'s Nyarlathotep is an interesting case. He has over 1000 different forms, although it's never really made clear whether he can switch between forms or is he stuck to the one he manifests in. It might also be possible for him to manifest in more than one form at once (being the herald and soul of the Outer Gods means he can ignore pesky things like the laws of our space-time continuum).
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* ''[[Red Dwarf (TV)|Red Dwarf]]'''s Polymorph is a genetically engineered super-soldier that feeds on negative emotions by transforming into objects or people that trigger them. A tamed version called the Emohawk appears later on.
* In ''[[Lost]]'', {{spoiler|the smoke monster can take the form of several people, but they have to be dead first. He takes the place of John Locke midway through season five.}}
* [[
* In ''[[The X-Files]]'' shapeshifting aliens are a recurring menace - though they don't need to kill someone to take their shape, they often do to avoid complications. The alien bounty hunter is probably the most notable example.
** In a completely unrelated incident, there's an episode called 'Small Potatoes' in which a man can shapeshift, and uses the ability to sleep with women while disguised as their husbands. He locks up Mulder and takes his form to elude capture, and then, understandably, tries to get it on with [[Hot Scientist|Scully]].
*** It should be pointed out that his natural form was ugly and came complete with tail, and his children retained these traits, much to the horror of the women who had essentially been unknowingly raped.
* Maya, the Metamorph in [[Space: 1999]].
* In Volume Four of ''[[Heroes (TV)|Heroes]]'', [[You Will Be Assimilated|Sylar]] tracks down and kills a man who can change his form to look like any other human being, and thus claims the power for himself.
* [[Roger Rabbit Effect|Ttark]] from ''[[Kratts Creatures]]''.
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** In both ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade (Tabletop Game)|Vampire: The Masquerade]]'' and ''[[Vampire: The Requiem (Tabletop Game)|Vampire: The Requiem]]'', there is a vampiric discipline known as Protean which allows for limited shapeshifting. Though the first few levels allow the changing of a single feature (eyes, claws, get fur and such), higher levels allow a character to shift into any form normally associated with vampires (i.e. wolves, bats, [[Super Smoke|mist]]).
** In ''[[Mage: The Ascension (Tabletop Game)|Mage: The Ascension]]'', mages can also shapeshift depending on the magic used. Life is a pretty common one.
* In ''[[Exalted (Tabletop Game)|Exalted]]'', Lunar characters have the ability to change into animals that they have eaten. [[I'm a Humanitarian|Also humans,]] though they can eventually learn to add new human forms to their repertoire non-lethally. Also... Well, actually, there aren't really all that many limits on what a Lunar can and can't turn into, as some of their Knacks allow them to acquire the forms of plants, elementals, ''demons'', and '''''gods'''''. [[Beyond the Impossible|This is Exalted,]] [[This Is for Emphasis, Bitch|bitch!]] (The Lunars' patron Luna, the shapeshifting god/dess of the moon, is able to take virtually any form in existence (and some that aren't).)
* Curiously, Manra shapechangers seem to be the only beings in ''[[Talislanta]]'' with this power.
* ''[[GURPS (Tabletop Game)|GURPS]]'' has lots of ways to do this but the Morph version of Shapeshifting allows the user to become virtually anything he or she has seen before (within point limits). There are numerous spells that allow the user to alter their shape as well.
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== Webcomics ==
* Luna in [[Sailor Moon CS]].
* In [[Holiday Wars]], [[April Fools' Day]] is a shapeshifter who can take any form he wants. We first see him swap forms in [http://www.th3rdworld.com/web-comic/Holiday-Wars/episode/Holiday-Wars-Episode-42 this strip].
* The Amoeba in ''[[The Incredible and Awe Inspiring Serial Adventure of The Amazing Plasma Man]]''.
* Grace in ''[[El Goonish Shive (Webcomic)|El Goonish Shive]]:'' an escaped [[Half
** Ellen recently got a form of this. She can zap someone (animals included) with an invisible beam and turn into a perfect replica of it. Elliot also has voluntary [[Gender Bender]] abilities, but he often is [[Does This Remind You of Anything?|forced to transform himself when his magical energy builds up too much]].
** Elliot's basically a semi-voluntary shapeshifter. ''Someday'' he'll be able to control it but for now if he doesn't shapeshift briefly every few hours when he gets the opportunity, he'll build up an excess of magical energy and [[Involuntary Shapeshifter|shapeshift at inopportune times]]. [[Does This Remind You of Anything?|Did we mention he's a teenage boy]]?
* Brian Parker from ''[[Abstract Gender (Webcomic)|Abstract Gender]]'' can [[Gender Bender|change his sex]] whenever he likes. His friend Ryan, who was in the same experiment, wasn't quite so lucky -- he also became a girl, but can't change back.
* ''[[Gunnerkrigg Court (Webcomic)|Gunnerkrigg Court]]'' has a few. Mort is a [[Our Ghosts Are Different|ghost]] who can change his form at will. Reynardine can currently alter the shape of the stuffed toy he's possessing. Ysengrin received new arms from Coyote: arms that he can [[Shapeshifter Weapon|shape into weapons]]. [[The Trickster|Coyote's]] size and proportions are constantly changing.
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* [[Fantastic Four]]-like superhero [[Imagine Spot]] episode of ''[[Rugrats]]'' has this with Tommy able to shape-shift into animals.
* [[Yam Roll (Animation)|Yam Roll]] and his mentor Katcho Miso can both transform into a variety of objects, along with possessing [[Stock Super Powers|a slew of other special powers]].
* [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (Animation)|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]:
** Princess Luna is capable of shifting to or from her Nightmare Moon form at will. She also turns into a thorn and several ponies at once (the [[Evil Knockoff|Shadow Bolts]]) as [[Jekyll and Hyde|Nightmare Moon.]]
** The Changelings are a race that are capable of taking the shape of any pony.
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