Body swap

For the Red Dwarf episode, see Bodyswap.

A body swap is a storytelling device seen in a variety of fiction, most often in television shows and movies, in which two people (or beings) exchange minds and end up in each other's bodies. Alternatively, their minds may stay where they are as their bodies adjust. The two people usually keep their voices in cartoons, for purposes of knowing who is who.

There are three distinct types of body swapping. Switches can be caused by magic items such as amulets, heartfelt wishes, or just strange quirks of the universe. The switches typically reverse after the subjects have expanded their world views, gained a new appreciation for each other's troubles by literally "walking in another's shoes" and/or caused sufficient amounts of farce. Notable examples include the books Vice Versa (1882) and Freaky Friday (1972), as well as the film versions of both.

Switches accomplished by technology, exempting gadgets advanced sufficiently to appear as magic, are the fare of mad scientists. Body-swapping devices are characterized by highly experimental status, straps, helmets with complicated cables that run to a central system and a tendency to direly malfunction before their effects can be reversed. Those without such means may resort to brain transplants. Such experiments can have overtones of horror; evil mad scientists seldom use willing test subjects.

On the internet, many amateur authors write and share body swap stories with one another. Fictionmania is a website publishing and archiving transgender fiction, some of it focusing on male-to-female body swaps.

Science

While swapping bodies remains fictional as of 2011, scientific research points to the possibility of head transplants, a brain transplant or mind uploading somewhere in the future.

In 1973 a group of scientists from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland Ohio, led by Dr. Robert White, a neurosurgeon inspired by the work of Vladimir Demikhov, transplanted the head of one monkey onto another monkey's body. The animal was still able to smell, taste, hear, and see. The animal survived for eight days after the operation, even at times attempting to bite some of the staff. Dr. White successfully repeated the operation on a monkey in 2001.

In 2002, other head transplants were also conducted in Japan involving rats. Unlike the head transplants performed by Dr. White, however, these head transplants involved grafting one rat's head onto the body of another rat that kept its head. Thus the rat ended up with two heads.

Appearances in media

List of movies with body swaps

• 18 Again (1988) – George Burns and his grandson.
• A Saintly Switch (1999) (TV) – NFL Quarterback and his wife.
• Alison's Birthday (1981) - Young girl and old crone.
• All of Me (1984) - aging millionairess tries to switch with a young woman but ends up in her lawyer's body
• All Screwed Up (2009) - jock and a girl science nerd.
• Body Switch (1995) - Old scientist and teenage boy.
• Dame Tu Cuerpo (2003) - Football team coach and young female ex-model.
• Day Watch (2006) - Anton and Olga
• Dating the Enemy (1996) - Boyfriend and girlfriend
• Child's Play 5 (2004) - Tiffany Ray and Jennifer Tilly
• Dogmatic (1999) - A man and his dog.
• Dream a Little Dream (1989) - Elderly man and young teenager.
• Every Dog Has His Date (2001) - A man and his dog.
• Eine wie Keiner (2008) - A guy and his girlfriend
• Face/Off (1997) - FBI Agent and Terrorist (Technically not a true 'switch'; both men had plastic surgery performed to make themselves look like the other to infiltrate the other's life and learn their plans).
• Freaky Friday (1976, 1995 and 2003) - Mother and daughter. Disney has produced several different versions.
• Help, I'm a Boy (2002) - Boy and girl.
• Holiday Wishes (2006) - Britney and Rachel
• Identity Theft (2009) - A man who wins the lottery has his body stollen by a girl he meets in a bar
• It's a Boy Girl Thing (2006) - Male teen and neighbor girl.
• The Change-Up (2011) - A married guy and his best friend/co-worker.
• Just Follow Law (2007) - Supervisor and Subordinate.
• Like Father Like Son (1987) - Father and son.
• Mulholland Drive (2001) - Several or all of the characters are portrayed with other's names.
• Pon un Hombre en tu Vida (1996) - Male sports coach and female singer.
• Prelude to a Kiss (1992) - Bride and mysterious old man.
• Sex, Drugs, and Natalie Portman (2000) - Male teen and neighbor girl.
• Scooby-Doo (2002) - Shaggy, Fred, Daphne and Velma accidentally swap their minds in one scene after demons use their bodies as hosts.
• Shrek the Third (2007) - Donkey and Puss in Boots
• Soowitch (2001) - Man and woman.
• The Immortalizer (1990) - Mad scientist swaps rich elderly people with young kidnap victims.
• The Skeleton Key - (2005) - Voodoo horror movie starring Kate Hudson.
• The Hot Chick (2002) - Clive (Rob Schneider) and Jessica (Rachel McAdams).
• The 10th Kingdom (2000) - Prince Wendell and a dog.
• Turnabout (1979) - Husband and wife
• Vice Versa (1988) - Father and son.
• Wish Upon a Star (1996) - Girl and her sister.
• Xchange (2001) - Multiple sci-fi body swaps.

List of TV shows with body swaps

• Boy Meets Girl (TV series): Two strangers swap bodies when struck by lightning.

List of TV episodes with body swaps

• The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius: "Trading Faces" — Jimmy and Cindy.
• American Dragon: Jake Long: "Switcheroo" — Jake and Haley switched bodies due to a magic mirror, then later Huntsboy #88 and #89 switch because of the mirror as well.
• American Dad: "Don't Look a Smith Horse in the Mouth" - Stan switch minds with his new horse.
• Angel: "Carpe Noctem" — a spell switches Angel with an old man called Marcus.
• Animal Yokochō: "Doki☆Doki Volume: Ami And Iyo's Big Misunderstanding" — Ami and Iyo
• Ape Escape: "Suddenty bodies switch?!" - Spike and Natalie
• Ben 10: "A Change of Face" — Charmcaster and Gwen, then later Ben and Gwen.
• Big Wolf on Campus — a body jumper named Alice switches bodies with Lori, then the face-eater that Merton had on his public-access television show.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "Witch" — a dark witch switches bodies with her daughter Amy to relive her cheerleading glory days.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "Who Are You" — Faith swaps bodies with Buffy using a magical device.
• Chalkzone: "Bullsnap" — Snap swaps bodies with a bull.
• Charmed: "Enter the Demon" - Phoebe and Paige, Piper and the Zen Master
• Charmed: "Freaky Phoebe" — Phoebe and Amara.
• Charmed: "The Lost Picture Show" — Piper and Leo.
• Code Lyoko: "A Fine Mess" — Yumi Ishiyama and Odd Della Robbia due to the error in the materialisation program.
• Chowder: "A Little Bit of Pizzaz" Mung, Truffles, Schnitzel, and Chowder switch
• Danny Phantom: "Splitting Images" — Danny and ghost nerd Sidney Poindexter switch bodies when Poindexter possesses Danny and kicks the latter out into his section of the Ghost Zone.
• Daphne in the Brilliant Blue: "Heaven Can Wait For Maia Mizuki" — Mizuki and Gloria.
• Darkwing Duck: "Trading Faces" — Darkwing and Gosalyn, also Launchpad and Honker due to Darkwing's computer gone haywire.
• Dexter's Laboratory: "Mom and Jerry" — Dexter switches brains with a mouse. Also in the episode
• Donkey Kong Country: "The Big Switcheroo" — Donkey Kong and a robot designed for Bluster Barrel Works, followed by Candy Kong and General Klump.
• Dragon Ball Z — Ginyu has the power to switch bodies with people at will. He switches bodies with Goku to become more powerful, but is quickly conned into switching bodies with a frog.
• The Edwin J. Hill Social Club: "Versa Vice" — George and Drew swap bodies after forgetting to return the movie Vice Versa to the video store. They must learn to be each other before midnight, which means Drew has to go on a date with George's girlfriend and Drew has to fight zombies.
• Eerie, Indiana: "No Brain, No Pain" — Simon Holmes's mind is transferred into the Brainalyzer and replaced by Charles "Chappy" Furnell, saying that he would gladly go through puberty again (by not abandoning Simon's body) until his rightful body is found. Then Chappy is transferred to his own body. Then his wife shows up and the Brainalyzer discharges, leaving it Marshall in the woman's body, Chappy back into Simon's body, Simon in Chappy's body and the woman in Marshall's body.
• 8 Simple Rules: "Freaky Friday" — Grandpa and C.J., Bridget and her mother, Rory and his hamster.
• Excel Saga: "Going Too Far" — Excel and Hyatt.
• The Fairly OddParents: "Dog Daze Afternoon" — Timmy swaps bodies with Vicky's dog.
• The Fairly OddParents: "Presto Change-o" — Timmy swaps with the dog again, and with other characters.
• The Fairly OddParents: "Manic Mom-Day" -Timmy swaps bodies with his mother as part of a bet with Wanda.
• The Troop: "Taming of the Cube" - Jake and Haley switch due to a monster.
• Family Guy: "Lois Kills Stewie" — Peter and Lois shortly switch bodies due to one of Stewie's inventions.
• Farscape: "Out of Their Minds" — The Moya crew swap bodies twice due to the effects of an alien weapon 'interacting' with their deflector shield's energy.
• Freefonix — Lady Lux and BB
• Fullmetal Alchemist — Dante has lived for hundreds of years by continually switching bodies with others.
• Futurama: Benders Game — The Professor uses a machine that puts his brain and voice in the body of a monkey and vice versa.
• Futurama: "The Prisoner of Benda" — Professor Farnsworth and Amy build a machine that allows them to switch minds so that they may each pursue their lifelong dreams. However, they learn that the machine cannot be used twice on the same pairing of bodies. To try to return to their rightful bodies, they involve the rest of the crew in the mind switches, leaving each member free to pursue their own personal endeavors in a different crew member's body.
• Garfield and Friends: "The Idol of id" — Garfield and Odie swapped brains and then Jon and a Gipsy.
• Genie in the House: "Out of Our Minds" — Philip Norton and Emma Norton, father and daughter.
• Gilligan's Island: "The Friendly Physician" (originally aired 4/7/1966) — A mad scientist lands on the island and takes the castaways to his castle on a nearby island to perform mind-swapping experiments on them. The castaways are locked in a dungeon and trapped in the wrong bodies thanks to the mind-swapping machine.
• Girls Bravo: "Bravo at the Pool!" — Fukuyama, with the inadvertent help of Lisa's magic, switches bodies with Yukinari, later with Kirie and Miharu.
• Hamtaro: In a later Japanese episode, Bijou and Auntie Viv look into a magic mirror, and it switches their bodies with each other. The mirror can switch two or more bodies. Later, Hamtaro and Elder Ham switch bodies as well, and later, the other ham-hams switch bodies. Howdy in Oxnard's body, Penelope in Boss' body, Boss in Lapis' body, Stan in Sandy's body, etc.
• Intergalactic Kitchen: "Take me to your Larder" — When an alien removes the Kitchenaut's brains and Snoo unsuccessfully tries to put their brains back, everyone in the kitchen swaps bodies as follows: Kirk and Kirstie, Robin in Jay's body, Jay in Fleur's body and Fleur in Robin's body. At one point, Kirstie and Snoo share Kirk's body.
• Jackie Chan Adventures — Jackie Chan and Jade.
• Jimmy Two-Shoes: "Monster Mutt" — Beezie and Cerby; Jimmy and Heloise.
• Johnny Test: "Papa Johnny" - Susan and Mary Switch Johnny and Hugh's Brains.
• Jumanji — A weird ball of light kept switching things, first seen with Peter and his sister Judy and then with Alan and VanPelt in the episode "Who am I?". It also switched animals such as giraffes with snakes and turtles with rabbits.
• Justice League Unlimited: "The Great Brain Robbery" — the Flash and Lex Luthor swap bodies due to a combination of a spell cast by Doctor Fate and a mental scan being carried out by Luthor on Gorilla Grodd.
• Kappa Mikey: "Manic Monday" — Lily and Mitsuki.
• Keroro Gunso: "Keroro, Turn Once and Switch Bodies, De Arimasu!" — Keroro and Natsumi with ordinary-looking gashapon machine that swaps Keroro and Natsumi's bodies.
• Kid vs. Kat: "Board Kat"- Coop and Kat.
• Kim Possible: "Mind Games" — an accident swaps Kim and Ron; series villain Doctor Drakken had previously used the machine to transfer himself into the body of a soldier guarding a vital piece of technology that he sought to steal.
• Kochikame: 313 "I'm Reiko and I'm Ryuou-chan?!" — Ryotsu and Reiko.
• Krypto the Superdog "Dog-Gone Kevin" — Krypto and Kevin Whitney, in a red kryptonite incident.
• Lilo & Stitch: The Series: "Swapper" - An experiment causes various characters to swap bodies.
• Lizzie McGuire: "Those Freaky McGuires" — Matt and Lizzie.
• Lloyd in Space: "Lloyd Changes His Mind" — Lloyd and his sister.
• Mahou Sentai Magiranger: "Contrary Brother and Sister" / "The Gorgon's Garden" - Kai Ozu and his sister Houka Ozu, zapped by a foe, switch bodies and lose their ability to morph.
• Mamotte! Lollipop: "Nina is Zero and Zero is Nina!"
• Mega Man: "Bot Transfer" — Mega Man and Snake Man.
• The Mighty B!: "Hen And Bappy" — Ben and Happy, then Bessie and Hippie
• Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: "Switching Places" — Squat sabotages a machine invented by Billy, causing the latter to temporarily switch bodies with Kimberly. The episode involves each ranger teaching a class and using the Ranger Powers specific to the body they are in.
• Murder Princess — After nearly falling to their death, a proper princess and a notorious bounty hunter swap bodies. The show follows the adventures of the bounty hunter now princess.
• My Friends Tigger and Pooh: "The Tiglet and Pigger Switcher" — Tigger in Piglet's body calls himself "Pigger", while Piglet in Tigger's body calls himself "Tiglet".
• Naruto - Orochimaru switches bodies every three years.
• The Outer Limits: "The Human Factor" — Dr. James Hamilton and Major Roger Brothers, by accident, while using an experimental mind-reading device.
• Papa to Musume no Nanokakan (パパと娘の七日間) — Kawahara father and daughter.
• The Penguins of Madagascar: "Roger Dodger"- Rico switched bodies with Roger the Gator.
• Pepper Ann — Pepper Ann and Lydia
• Phil of the Future: "Neander Phil" — Phil and Curtis switch their personalities and bodies due to a malfunctioning gadget.
• Phil of the Future: "Versa Day" — Lloyd forces Phil and Pim to switch bodies.
• Phineas and Ferb: "Does this Duckbill make me look fat?" — Phineas and Ferb make a teleportation device, but it ends up switching Candace and Perry's bodies. Candace realized this almost immediately, whereas Perry doesn't realize it until Major Monogram commented him on being disguised as a teenage girl.
• Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea — Team Rocket, then Ash, and Jackie due to Manaphy's Heart Swap.
• Power Rangers: S.P.D.: "Recognition" — Wootox switched bodies with Sky so that the rangers would chase Sky instead of him; similar to the adaptation of the episode "Fake Blue" in Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger.
• The Powerpuff Girls: "Criss Cross Crisis" — Many different characters switch bodies due to a malfunction in Professor Utonium's experiment.
• Quantum Leap — Sam Beckett body-swaps with random people, leaping to various points in time, to change the course of their lives.
• Red Dwarf: "Body Swap" — Rimmer and Lister, then Rimmer and the Cat.
• The Replacements: Agent K and Dick Daring.
• Robocop: Alpha Commando: "The ERG and I"- Agent Nancy Miner and The Erg switch bodies twice through the use of a mind swapping device.
• Robotboy (separate episodes) — Robotboy and Gus; Robotboy and Protoboy; Gus and a pigeon.
• Sabrina: The Animated Series: "Generation Zap" — Sabrina and Entachra.
• The Secret World Of Alex Mack: "The Switch" — Alex and Barbara.
• Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!: "Runaway Robi" — Dr. Phibes and Agent 2.
• Smallville: "Transference" — Clark and Lionel, using a Kryptonian artifact.
• Spongebob Squarepants: "The Algae's Always Greener" — Plankton and Mr.Krabs switch lives, to see what it's like from each other's point of view and part of Plankton's evil plan.
• Star Trek: "Turnabout Intruder" — Kirk and Dr. Janice Lester. William Shatner performs like a hysterical woman for the better part of an hour.[5]
• Star Trek: Voyager: "Vis à Vis" — An alien has the ability to swap bodies and does so, first with Tom Paris, then with Captain Janeway.
• Stargate Atlantis: "Duet" — Rodney and Lt Laura Cadman share Rodneys body after they're released from a crashed Wraith Dart.
• Stargate SG-1 — At least four episodes to date have dealt with body swapping.
• Strange Days at Blake Holsey High: "Brainwaves" — Lucas and Vaughn switch bodies accidentally. While in Lucas's body, Vaughn experiences Lucas' asthma and Lucas, in Vaughn's body, discovers Vaughn's closeted dyslexia.
• Sugar Sugar Rune: "The Contrary Macaroon Pandemonium!?" — Chocolat and Vanilla after eating special biscuits in conversions of bodies.
• Super Gals: "Ran-pyon♥Dizzy→Becomes Sayo!?" — Ran and Sayo.
• Supernatural: "Swap Meat" - Sam Winchester and Gary.
• Switched!: episode 6 — Jiang Xin Yu and Xin Hui switch indentities (not voices).
• TaleSpin: "A Baloo Switcheroo" — Baloo and Kit Cloudkicker, and later Rebecca Cunningham and Don Karnage, switch bodies due to a magical idol.
• Teen Titans: "Switched" — Starfire and Raven swap bodies during a confrontation with the Puppet King.
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: "The Big Switcheroo" — Splinter (aka Hamato Yoshi) and Shredder (aka Oroku Saki). Raphael once switched bodies with a cab driver in a rather humorous season 4 episode.
• 3rd Rock from the Sun: "Two-faced Dick" - After three years, Sally's forgotten request for gender reassignment is granted and she changes bodies with Dick.
• Thundarr The Barbarian: "Island of the Body Snatchers" — The Evil Witch (Circe) of the island is under a curse that prevents her body from leaving the island, so she swaps with Ariel.
• The Tick: "Tick vs Science" — a body-changing machine is stolen by Professor Cromedome and Chairface Chippendale, leading the device to be used used to switch both Tick and Arthur into each other's bodies. Eventually, The Tick, Arthur, Carmalita, Dr. Vahtoss, Professor Cromedome, Chairface Chippendale, Tongue Tongue and A Zebra each switch bodies with one another, eventually having Chippendale inside Tick's body to take over to take over the world before being stopped by Maneuver 14Z
• El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera: "These Freaky Riveras" — Manny and Frida swapped their bodies and look at their mirrors. Then, Grandpapi and Rodolfo and finally Maria and Señor Chapi.
• Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger: "Fake Blue" — Wojon Seijin Jinche switched bodies with Hoji to escape deletion in hope that the other four Dekarangers would delete Hoji instead. His plan backfired when "Hoji" called Ban partner when the real Hoji would have replied with "Don't call me partner." This was adapted into Power Rangers: S.P.D..
• Turnabout - This TV series starring Sharon Gless and John Schuck lasted six episodes in 1979. Tough sportswriter Sam and cosmetics exec Penny are a married couple who find themselves inhabiting each other's bodies thanks to a magic statue. They try to live the lives of each other and keep their body-switching a secret, while trying to discover the statue's method of switching them back to normal.
• 2 Stupid Dogs — both the dogs might have swtched their bodies or their personalities.
• Warehouse 13:"Merge with Caution" — Pete and Myka's attempt to have a normal weekend is ruined when they are affected by an artifact that causes them to switch bodies.
• Wizards of Waverly Place: "Quinceañera" — The family prepares for Alex's quinceañera, a traditional celebration to mark her 15th birthday, but she doesn't want to wear the customary frilly ball gown and casts a spell to swap bodies with her mom, who never had a quinceañera of her own. Justin and Max also switch bodies with their dance instructors, and at the beginning of the episode Alex practises the body-switching spell on her and her dad.
• The New Woody Woodpecker Show: "Frankenwoody" — Woody and Wally swap;then Woody and Hinga;then Wally and the Badger
• Wizards of Waverly Place: "Family Game Night" — Alex decides to swap bodies with Harper.
• The X-Files: "Dreamland" — Mulder and Morris Fletcher.
• Xena: Warrior Princess — Callisto works with Ares, god of war, to invade Xena's dreams and switch bodies with Xena, so that she is free and Xena is trapped in Tartarus. But Xena persuades Hades to let her return to earth, although still trapped in Callisto's body, where she defeats Callisto and sends her back to Tartarus. Xena remains trapped in Callisto's body for one episode before Ares restores them to their normal selves.
• Yogi's Treasure Hunt: "Beswitched Buddha'd and Bewildered" — Yogi Bear and Boo Boo; Huckleberry Hound and Quick Draw McGraw; Snooper and Blabber; Ranger Smith and Snagglepuss; Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy; later Dick Dastardly and Muttley.
• Yvon of the Yukon: "The Siamese Twits" — Tommy and Yvon swap bodies with a wish that was accidentally granted while they were near the Aurora Borealis.

Kampfer: Kampfer and there Entails animals

• Yin Yang Yo!: "Personality Problem" Yuck uses a level-five aura switch attack on Yin and Yang to distract them, giving time for Yuck to run amok.

List of video games with body swaps

• Avenging Spirit - The entire game focuses around switching bodies to fight your way through the levels.
• Chrono Cross - Serge and Lynx due to the Dragon Tear.
• Dragon Ball Z games - Captain Ginyu in some games has the power to switch bodies with the opponent.
• Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door - The Twilight Town chapter. After battling the Creepy Steeple boss, the boss and Mario swap bodies until Mario can defeat the boss with the help of Vivian.
• Pitfall: The Lost Expedition - The title character gets body-switched by each of three animal spirits in the boss levels.
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl - After throwing a Poké Ball, there is a chance that Manaphy will come out and swap the bodies of you and your opponents.
• Tales of Rebirth - The character Agarte has the Force of Moon, which forces her to switch bodies with other characters, including Claire, multiple times.
• Under the Skin - You have to change body in body with disguise, to Completed goals.
• Whacked! - if you get a red button, you temporarily swap bodies with your opponents.

List of graphic novels and manga with body swaps

• Angel Sanctuary - Setsuna and Alexiel in volumes 8-11.
• Instant Teen: Just Add Nuts - Natsumi and Asuma in volume 2.
• Petshop Of Horrors - Count D and a mermaid in volume 8.
• Urusei Yatsura - Ataru and Ten in chapter 72.
• Your and My Secret - Uehara and Momoi.
• shararat-thoda jadu thodi najakat - grandmother and grand daughter.

List of novels with body swaps

• Castle Roogna in Piers Anthony's Xanth series
• Freaky Friday the book by Mary Rodgers [6]
• Gender Blender by Blake Nelson
• The Help! I'm Trapped... series by Todd Strasser
• Laughing Gas by P. G. Wodehouse
• Mindswap by Robert Sheckley - Marvin Flynn and a Martian
• The Barking Ghost, Why I'm Afraid of Bees and Switched by R. L. Stine
• The Identity Matrix by Jack L. Chalker
• The Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice - Lestat de Lioncourt and Raglan James [7]
• The Toilet Of Doom by Michael Lawrence
• Tiffany Twisted by Alison Tyler
• Transmigration by J. T. McIntosh
• Turnabout by Thorne Smith - Tim and Sally Willows. [8] [9]
• Vice Versa by F. Anstey - Paul and Dick Bultitude

List of short stories with body swaps

• The Great Keinplatz Experiment by Arthur Conan Doyle. [10]
• "The Thing on the Doorstep" by H. P. Lovecraft
• "Wild Wood" by Mildred Clingerman
• "The Distances" by Julio Cortázar
• "The Story of the Late Mr Elvesham" by H. G. Wells
• "Ichchhepuron(Fulfilling the wish)" by Rabindranath Tagore
• "Mefisto In Onyx" by Harlan Ellison

See also

• Body swap appearances in media
• Mind uploading in fiction
• Whole-body transplants in popular culture

External links

• Body swap movies at Internet Movie Database
• 10 Cliches of the Body Swap Movie
• Metamorphose.org — the catalog of transformations, plus reviews and alerts

References

• IMDB list of movies with the 'Body Swap' keyword
• The Numbers: Box Office figures for films in the Body Swap genre
• New York Times article on monkey head transplant
• BBC article on monkey head transplant
• New Scientist article on rat head transplant