List of shapeshifters in myth and fiction

This is a list of shapeshifters from mythology and modern fiction.

See list of creatures that pretend to be human for some related entities. See also shapeshifting and werewolves in fiction for lists of novels, movies and other media featuring shapeshifters.

Notable mythological shapeshifters

• Berserkers -- Norse warriors who were thought to use their rage to shapeshift into bears and wolves.
• Bouda -- a matriarchal African tribe, thought to be capable of changing into were-hyenas. Other were-hyenas, known as Qora, were punished in the old Kingdom of Kaffa, now part of Ethiopia.
• Encantados -- according to stories from Brazil, they are "the enchanted ones," creatures from an underwater realm, usually dolphins with the ability to change into humans.
• The Frog Prince is a transformed prince who must be restored his original form; few variants specify why he was transformed.
• The Frog Princess, a fairy tale of a frog married to a prince, concludes with her transformation into a beautiful princess. In some variants, she was originally a princess.
• Japanese Foxes (Kitsune) -- in Japanese myth, foxes would fool unsuspecting humans by assuming other forms, most often beautiful women. Similar fox myths abound from other countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, and even the United States.
• Leszi -- spirits of Slavic mythology, capable of changing into any creature or plant.
• The loathly lady is transformed into a hideous shape. Upon her marriage to a knight, the spell is sufficiently broken that she could appear lovely at night, or during the day, and she informs the knight that he has to select which one. When he asks which she prefers, the spell is entirely broken, and she remains lovely day and night.
• Loki -- Trickster god of the Norse pantheon.
• The Master Maid of the fairy tale of the same name, can transform objects to block the pursuit by her troll masters -- a common trait of women rescued from evil magicians or monsters.
• Nahuales -- In Mexican and Mesoamerican lore, shamans that have shapeshifting abilities, usually turning into coyotes, wolves or jaguars.
• Nagas -- snake-people of Asian countries, especially India & Nepal; may appear either as transforming between human and snake, or as a cross between the two (such as the upper torso being human and the lower torso being serpentine); some Nagas may also assume the form of dragons.
• Odin - War/death god of the Norse pantheon often changes forms becoming men, women, children and other forms.
• Proteus -- a Greek sea god who was capable of changing his form to avoid being captured.
• Púca and some other Celtic spirits and Síde (fairies) can change their form at will and typically pose as animals or loved ones. Leprechauns turn into hideous creatures to scare you into releasing them when captured.
• Runa-uturungu -- werejaguars from Argentina (regional name), also spelled runa-uturuncu.
• Selkie -- Seal-maidens and seal-men of Irish/Scottish myth.
• Spriggan-- cat-like fae.
• Swan Maiden -- shapeshifting birds from worldwide mythology.
• Tanuki -- Japanese raccoon dogs have a strong mythological background as shapechangers who are adept at mimicking inanimate objects.
• Tengu -- Japanese bird monsters who can shapeshift to human form.
• Thunderbirds -- huge birdlike creatures described in the lore of several Native American tribes; some thunderbirds turn into human beings.
• The two magicians of Child ballad #44 "The Twa Magicians" stage their respective attempts to escape and capture as a series of transformations into shapes that can flee or hide, and chase or work into the hiding place. This is a common motif in pursuit in fairy tales.
• Vampires -- corpses who can turn into wolves and/or bats.
• Wolfweres -- wolves who can become human or semi-human.
• Wendigo -- a shapeshifter from Canadian legend said to transform only after the individual fated to transform has for some reason succumbed to or been forced into the practice of human cannibalism.

Somewhat ape-like or of an appearance of an ape-like humanoid, but distinct from and not to be confused with the Sasquatch

• Werecats -- feline shapeshifters.
• Werewolves -- humans who turn into wolves.
• PtesanWi -- a woman of Lakota legend, rumored to have appeared as a white buffalo. There are numerous tales of shapeshifting in Native American mythology, the most notable being prey animals such as buffalo and deer, and predators such as bears and wolves.
• Yaguareté-abá -- werejaguars from Argentina and Bolivia (regional name), also uturunco.
• Zmei -- Romanian mythological creatures, similar to Ogres.
• Zeus -- Head of the Greek pantheon, who routinely transformed into various animal forms and had sexual congress with human women to beget half-god mortals.

Note that some of the above are more examples of transformation (a permanent/semi-permanent one time change) and not really shapeshifters (creatures with an ability to change back and forth)

Notable shapeshifters in modern fiction

• In Genndy Tartakovsky's hit American animated series, Samurai Jack, the main antagonist is an ancient and evil demon named Aku, who can change his form at will.

• Stephen King's IT features a shapeshifter that turns into a child's worst fear before killing it, and likes to lure them by changing into a clown named Pennywise.
• The Green Knight in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a 14th century English epic poem, can shapeshift due to the magical power of Morgan le Fay.
• Beorn in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is a skin-changer, a man who could assume the appearance of a bear.
• T. Lawrence Lamb in Thorne Smith's novel The Stray Lamb (1929) finds himself changing into various animals on inopportune occasions.
• Michael, the automaton, Benjamin Parker's 2007 novel features a creature that evolves, alongside human society, from a pig-like being to a person.
• Mavin Manyshaped and her son Peter in Sheri S. Tepper's True Game novels are both shifters, being a subspecies of humans having this power.
• C. S. Lewis transforms several characters in the Chronicles of Narnia. Aslan himself appears in several forms besides that of a lion, including a lamb and perhaps an albatross. Eustace in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Rabadash in The Horse and His Boy are, punitively, turned into a dragon and a donkey respectively, and must fulfill conditions to regain their original form. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader includes Monopods that were once Dwarfs; though the transformation was punitive, and they call it "uglification", they become reconciled with their new forms. In The Silver Chair, the Lady of the Green Kirtle is revealed to be able to transform herself into a large, green, and poisonous snake, at will.
• Sharon Shinn's The Shape-Changer's Wife depicts a magican who can shift the shapes of other beings, including humans into non-human lifeforms, and non-human lifeforms into a semblance of human.
• Many types of shapeshifters occur in Laurell K. Hamilton's novels in the Anita Blake series, such as werewolves, werejaguars, wererats, and even a wereswan and a selkie.
• In the Harry Potter series, trained Animagi can transform at will into one specific animal, and each example in the books has taken a different form: Rita Skeeter can transform into a beetle, James Potter can transform into a stag, Peter Pettigrew can transform into a rat, Minerva McGonagall can transform into a cat, and Sirius Black can transform into a large dog. Also, Metamorphmagi including Nymphadora Tonks possess shapeshifting abilities which were only sketchily defined throughout the 7-part series. There is also a creature called a Boggart which will transform itself to his opponent's most profound fear, and when not confronting any humans, has no definite shape. Remus Lupin, a werewolf, and other werewolves like him are arguably shapeshifters of a sort as well, though their changes are not consciously governed.
• D. M. Wind's novel The Others is about a group of shapeshifters from another dimension who can turn into any animal at will, though they usually take the form of either wolves or panthers.
• Many of Jack L. Chalker's novels involve one or more transformations; he wrote an essay on physical transformation as a metaphor for various psychological changes, included in his short story collection Dance Band on the Titanic.
• Several characters in the Jerry Cornelius stories by Michael Moorcock
• Several of the witches in Nina Kiriki Hoffman's novels transform themselves or others, notably in The Thread that Binds the Bones.
• Piers Anthony's Xanth series features a magician, Trent, who can transform others into any form, and another, Dolph, who can transform himself at will. The same author's Apprentice Adept series includes not only a race of werewolves but a race of unicorns that can transform themselves into human form, and another animal form specific to the individual unicorn.
• Anne Rice's novels features vampire characters who have transformation ability.
• The Animorphs series is about a group of five kids who are able to "morph" into any animal they have touched and purposely "acquired" its DNA. The Animorphs received their powers--rather, technology--from a scientifically advanced alien species called the Andalites.
• The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, in which the main character wakes up to find himself transformed into a monstrous vermin.
• The vermicious knids from Roald Dahl's novel Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator are able to stretch or compress themselves into any shape they want.
• Amelia Atwater-Rhodes's Kiesha'ra series features falcon, snake, and hawk shapeshifters.
• The Irda, a race derived from the original ogres in the Dragonlance world, were given the power to shapechange by the gods of good after the gods of evil abandoned them.
• The alien creature in Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell, Jr. (and the movie The Thing based upon it) is able to imitate any organism perfectly, until exposed to too much stress. It is also able to combine the DNA of various previously-imitated organisms to form composite creatures.
• Face Dancers from Frank Herbert's Dune series are capable of assuming the guise of any human (provided they know what the person looks like), usually for espionage and assassination.
• The novel Changeling in the series of books based on the table-top game Shadowrun feautures a teenager who morphs into a troll upon puberty and how he comes to terms with his new self. Similarly, the novel The Lucifer Deck from the same setting deals in part with a teenage girl who has turned into an orc.
• The Werlings in Thorn Ogres of Hagwood by Robin Jarvis have the power to transform into various forest animals.
• The Ursula books by Sheila Lavelle feature a girl who discovers a magic potion that allows her to turn into a bear cub.
• LEGO BIONICLE Villain Makuta can Shapeshift. A Rahi known as Krahka also can shapeshift as well.
• The Carpathians (race) in Christine Feehan's Dark Series have the ability to shapeshift into various forms such as animals and mist.
• Cap'n Trips in the Wild Cards series of books can change into various superhero-like forms for an hour at a time by ingesting certain chemicals.

Film and Television

• Garth, A character from an episode of Star Trek (TOS), titled Whom Gods Destroy. He could shapeshift into anyone he wished.
• Maya from Space: 1999.
• Odo, one of the main characters of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
• Martia from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
• Zam Wesell in Star Wars, appearing in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, from a race of shapeshifters called Clawdites.
• T-1000, an evil robot with shapeshifting abilities from Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
• Doctor Jonathan Chase from the TV-Series Manimal is able to change into any animal.
• Nergal Junior, a character in The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, has a shape-shifting power. In this media, it is referred to as "form-shifting."
• Xiaolin Showdown has Shen Gong Wu that allow the user to transform into an animal, i.e. the Monkey Staff, the Gills of Hamachi and the Manchurian Musca.The villain Chameleon also has the ability to transform into people by Jack Spicer,the version 2.0 could change itself. Another Shen Gong Wu, the Moby Morhper, allows a person to change their size and shape at will, including mimicking a person's voice and speaking pattern. The character of Chase Young also has the ability to shapeshift into a lizard-creature.
• Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light was an animated television series in which fourteen knights were given the ability to shape-shift into the animals which most represented their skills and personalities.
• The Thing
• Being John Malkovich (the ending)
• In the animated movie Treasure Planet there is a shapeshifter named Morph (according to the movie he was rescued from Proteus 1) He is a squishy pink blob, that mainly mimics voices, and morphs into small objects.
• Mumm-Ra, the main villain in Thundercats, has the ability to assume the form of other beings. In several episodes, he uses this ability to deceive the Thundercats.
• The Kimera from Earth: Final Conflict are a race of shapeshifters.
• In a scene from the comedy movie 'Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan', Borat thinks his Jewish hosts have shapeshifted into cockroaches and attempts to ward them off by throwing money at them.
• The Futurama episode A Bicyclops Built for Two featured Alkazar, a shape-shifting alien tricking women into marrying him.
• The South Park episode Cancelled featured the character Najix, who ultimately took the form of "a taco that craps ice cream" to satisfy the boys.
• Gloop and Gleep from the animated television series The Herculoids.
• In the Family Guy episode Family Guy Viewer Mail, Peter gained the ability to shapeshift into any object or organism.
• Helen Parr/Elastigirl from the film The Incredibles possesses the ability to deform her body at will. At the end of the film, her youngest child Jack-Jack transforms himself into a number of forms, but the exact extent of his abilities is not revealed.
• The Omnitrix in the television series Ben 10 allows the main character to shapeshift into various aliens for limited periods.
• Atomic Betty, the titular character of the Canadian animated series, has an enemy named The Chameleon who has "the curious ability to mimic the sound and appearance of any form possible".
• In the series Supernatural, there are several shapeshifters. Most notable being season one, episode six 'Skin' where a shapeshifter changes into various people to murder their friends/loved ones. Season two, episode twelve 'Night Shifter' where a similar creature holds up a bank, and finally season two, episode seventeen 'Heart' which features a werewolf. Vampires and other arguably shapeshifting creatures are also used in the series.
• In The X-Files, the aliens depicted in the mythology of the series have the ability to shape shift (the most notable example being the Alien Bounty Hunter). Also, the Season 1 episode "Shapes" deals with werewolves and the Season 4 episode "Small Potatoes" deals with a man named Eddie Van Blundht Jr. who (as well as his father) has a genetic mutation that allows him to take the form of anyone he chooses (Eddie Jr. of courses uses his ability to seemingly rape women). Lastly, the Season 7 episode "X-Cops" dealt with a mysterious fear entity who has the ability to manifest itself in different forms to depict its victims' worst fear (however, the being itself or its forms are never seen only mentioned).
• The main characters from the popular Hasbro toy line Transformers, have the ability to shape-shift into various vehicle modes and other forms
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer's villain, The First Evil, can transform into any dead, undead and resurrected person.
• In the Immortals Series by Tamora Pierce, the heroine Veralidiane Sarrasri is able to transform into any creature she knows of, save magical creatures, due to her father Weiryn's god blood.

Comics

• Chameleon, (Marvel Comics). Originally, this Spider-Man foe was just a master of disguise. But later, with the aid of a serum and a device hidden in his belt, he became a shapeshifter, able to copy the appearance of anyone he wished.
• Morph, Mystique and Copycat in the Marvel Comics universe. Mr. Fantastic too was seen shapeshifting in one story, although this comes from his main power of rubbery joints and extensions.
• Warlock and his progenitor Magus also in the Marvel Comics universe are aliens from the Technarchy of the planet Kvtch who, like all their kind, are formed from a technorganic material which they can reshape into any form imaginable, from functional starships to precise imitations of human form. The less energy they possess the more limited this ability becomes until they become inert/dead. An offshoot of their race is the Phalanx
• Beast Boy, The Martian Manhunter, Metamorpho, Plastic Man, and Amazing Man as well as (to a limited extent) Elongated Man in the present-day DC Universe, as well as Chameleon Boy/Chameleon of the Legion of Super-Heroes and other natives of his home planet, Durla.
• The Wonder Twins, Zan could turn into any form of water and Jayna could take the form of any animal.
• Numerous characters in various webcomics, including Chelsea and Corrine (Melpomene) Chattan (Clan of the Cats), Choo-Choo Bear (Something Positive), the Cubi race (Dan and Mab's Furry Adventures), Roger Pepitone (College Roomies from Hell), Brian (Brittany) Parker (Abstract Gender), Artie (Narbonic), Grace Sciuridae and Elliot Dunkel (El Goonish Shive), Ultima (Gaming Guardians), and Samantha Wolf and Katie McBride (The Wotch). In addition, many series have instances of shapeshifting that is not intrinsic to the characters, but imposed by some outside supernatural or superscientific force.

Some webcomics use gender shifting/changing as the central plot device:

• Abstract Gender: Protagonists Brian & Ryan experimented on, Brian can shift between male & female and Ryan is locked in female form. At first more of a comedic fantasy, the webcomic has become much more of a dramady (a combination of drama and comedy).
• Black tapestries Webcomic centres on the transformation of Lorelei from a human to a fox Kaetif into a human and back again due to a curse. Referred to as a 'WereFox' by self and others.
• Clan of the Cats: Protagonist turns into a black panther.
• El Goonish Shive: Probably more (plot based) shapeshifting than any other webcomic.
• Zebra Girl: Protagonist Sandra accidentally turned into a demon.
• The Wotch & The Wotch: Cheer!: Near Constant Magical transformation (often guys being transformed into girls. There are also several werecat and werewolf characters.).
• Shifters: The Beast Within: Many of the characters are able to transform into werecreatures - werewolves, werecats, werebears, etc.

Anime and manga

• Envy from the anime series Fullmetal Alchemist is a Homunculus with the ability to assume any human appearance, as well as at least one additional monstrous form. He is mostly depicted as turning into other humans that he has met before, and commonly uses this ability to impersonate others and deceive humans. He also uses this to murder others by shifting into a loved one of that person, then taking advantage of their natural hesitation to kill them.
• In the anime Hellsing, the vampire Alucard is shown to have the ability to both alter his human form in various ways and transform into a hellhound or a swarm of bats.
• In manga & anime Ranma ½ most of the main characters are under an ancient Chinese curse that forces them to transform when hit with cold water, and back with hot water.
• 13 members of the Sohma family in the manga & anime Fruits Basket transform into the animals of the Chinese zodiac + the cat when hugged by a person of the opposite sex.
• In the anime and manga Dragonball, both Puar and Oolong have ability to shapeshift. Each can turn into anything they want. Puar graduated from the same shapeshifting school as Oolong, but he completed that training and does not have Oolong's difficulties with maintaining his transformed state. Also a race of warriors called Saiyins (or Saiyajin in Japanese) can assume a number of forms. This change can effect their strength and self-control.
• Claude is a modified soul –an artificial spirit with special abilities– from the Bleach franchise who has the ability to shapeshift.
• Mr. 2 Bon Clay has the ability to shapeshift using the cursed fruit abilities.
• In InuYasha, several characters can manipulate their forms, including Naraku and Shippou.
• In the anime & manga Naruto, Pain, the leader of the criminal organization Akatsuki is able to perfectly clone his subordinates onto the bodies of human sacrifices by taking their chakra. The strength of the imitations are proportionate to the amount of chakra offered.
• In the anime Magical Princess Minky Momo, Momo can shapeshift herself into an adult by using a wand.
• In Fushigi Yuugi the Suzaku seishi Chichiri is able to shiftshape into numerous characters. The Seiryū seishi Ashitare can change into a wolf if his human side is killed. In Fushigi Yuugi - Genbu Kaiden the Genbu seishi Uruki is able to switch between being a man and a woman.
• In the Digimon movie Island of Lost Digimon the main antagonist Murmuxmon has the ability to change into any digimon it wishes. Two that were seen were d'Arcmon and HippoGryphomon.

Games

• Cryptosporidium, or Crypto for short, from the video games Destroy All Humans and Destroy All Humans 2, can shapeshift into any human.
• The Pokémon Ditto is able to transform into other pokémon in battle. In addition, the Pokemon Deoxys can alter its physical form, but not truly shape-shift. The Normal Type Castform is capable of changing shape to suit the current weather conditions, and the Legendary Pokemon Mew is able to use Transform in the games (in one movie, it even transforms into another Legendary Pokemon Ho-Oh)
• Kirby's main ability, in the Nintendo series of the same name, is to swallow his enemies and copy said enemy's ability.
• Vincent Valentine of the game Final Fantasy VII can changed into four strange, vicious creatures, as a result of an experiment that manipulated his genetic structure.
• In Sony's Everquest 2 game, several classes have the option to shapechange, such as shaman into bears, hawks, and stags, monks into tigers, and druids into lions (females and males have different models).
• The Dungeons & Dragons series of Baldur's Gate games showcases numerous encounters with a race of shapeshifters known as Dopplegangers. These beings kill and assume the lives of their victims, altering their outward appearance appropriately. They are a preditory and ruthless race who frequently appear Human until confronted with violence, and exhibit a prejudice against Humans and other "primates".
• In Blizzard's World of Warcraft, the minotaur-like Tauren and elvish Kaldorei Druids of the Claw are capable of shapeshifting into bears and cats to fight, cheetah-like cats to flee, sea lions to swim, and some individuals may even change into owlbears called Moonkin. Long before this game takes place, Druids of the Talon were able to shapeshift into raven-like birds called stormcrows (the stormcrow model does exist in the game, however). With the release of the Burning Crusade expansion to the game, Druids are able to learn the transformation to the Stormcrow form. In addition, Mages can use the spell Polymorph to transform their target into a harmless animal, usually a sheep.
• Shang Tsung, an evil sorcerer who can copy the appearance and abilities of his opponents in the Mortal Kombat video game series. Also, fallen Elder God Shinnok of the same series, who possesses the ability to imitate any person down to the voice.
• The characters of the Bloody Roar video games transform into anthropomorphic creatures.
• Various transformations often occur in The Legend of Zelda series. In A Link to the Past, Link is transformed into a rabbit upon entering the Dark World, and must obtain the Moon Pearl in order to retain his usual form. The most prominent use of shapeshifting occurs in Majora's Mask, in which Link can use masks to transform into a Deku, Goron, or Zora, become giant during the battle with Twinmold, or become the Fierce Deity. A transformation also occurs in Twilight Princess, in which Link is transformed into a wolf while inside the Twilight Realm.
• One of the villains in the game Super Paper Mario, Mimi, can transform into anything she's seen before.
• In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, the main antagonists, the Ing can shape themselves into liquid and take control of organic lifeforms and machines. Gandrayda is a shapeshifter from Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
• In Okami, the natives of Kamui can morph into wolves at will.

Dungeons & Dragons

In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game universe, therianthropes are sentient animals that can take the form of a humanoid or an anthropomorph, being the exact opposite of the real world definition. They are similar to D&D lycanthropes, but are a completely different type of shapeshifter and do not possess or pass on the lycanthropic disease. The most famous of which (and the first and only ones to see print in official products) were the "Wolfwere" and "Jackalwere" variations, ironically, these two animals are also quite popular with the real-life therianthrope and furry communities.

World of Darkness

The fictional werewolf race(s) of the World of Darkness series of game lines, the Garou (Werewolf: The Apocalypse) and the Uratha (Werewolf: The Forsaken), could be considered to be at least partially (if not overtly) inspired by real-life therianthropes. For example, they are shapeshifters (which many real-world therianthropes say about themselves in varying degrees), practice a form of shamanism/animism (as do many real-world therianthropes), and are deeply associated with spirituality (as are many real-world therianthropes).

Spirits in the World of Darkness are different from ghosts, though both are creatures of ephemera. Spirits are beings that inhabit animals, plants, inanimate objects, etc. and are not the animate souls of dead humans, vampires, etc.