shapeshifting
utility
Figures wielding this power (88)
Kitsune · salience 0.95
“These shapeshifters are renowned for their ability to assume human form, often appearing as stunningly beautiful women.”
Babi ngepet · salience 0.95
“However, this creature possesses the extraordinary ability to transform into a large, black boar at will, typically under the cover of darkness.”
Bakeneko · salience 0.95
“Once they attain this mystical status, Bakeneko gain the power to shape-shift, often taking on human form to blend in with society or to carry out their intentions undetected.”
Mujina · salience 0.95
“The Mujina can transform not only its body but also its clothing and accessories, allowing it to blend seamlessly into human society.”
Peng / Kun · salience 0.95
“When the time is right, Kun undergoes a miraculous metamorphosis, transforming into Peng, a colossal bird whose wings span the breadth of the sky.”
Huli jing · salience 0.95
“The huli jing is most often described as an ordinary fox that, through age or ascetic practice over centuries, accumulates enough spiritual power to take human form, typically appearing as a beautiful young woman, though some tellings have it appear as a man, an old woman, or a scholar.”
Jorōgumo · salience 0.95
“In most tellings, a Jorōgumo is a spider of great age, sometimes several hundred years old, that gains the power to take the form of a beautiful woman.”
Loup-Garou · salience 0.95
“In the core belief, a living man sheds his human shape by night and walks as a wolf or wolf-like beast, returning to his own form by day.”
Anansi · salience 0.9
“Anansi's shape-shifting abilities allow him to adapt to various situations, often transforming between spider and human form as needed.”
Peryton · salience 0.9
“This macabre ritual is said to finally allow the Peryton to cast a shadow that matches its physical form, though the reasons behind this transformation remain shrouded in mystery.”
Peuchén · salience 0.9
“The Peuchen, a fearsome creature from Chilean mythology, is a master of shapeshifting with a primary form resembling a flying snake.”
Aatxe · salience 0.9
“Primarily manifesting as a formidable red bull, the Aatxe possesses the remarkable ability to transform into human form, allowing it to navigate both the wilderness and human settlements with equal ease.”
Akhlut · salience 0.9
“This shape-shifting entity possesses the remarkable ability to transform between two of nature's most formidable predators: the killer whale and the wolf.”
Bake-danuki · salience 0.9
“Beyond their musical talents, bake-danuki are master shape-shifters, capable of transforming into various objects, animals, or even human beings.”
Ifrit · salience 0.9
“This shapeshifting ability, combined with their innate strength and cunning, makes Ifrits formidable opponents in both physical and mental contests.”
Kawa-uso · salience 0.9
“However, what truly sets them apart is their remarkable ability to transform their appearance at will.”
Morinji-no-okama · salience 0.9
“In its animated form, the Morinji-no-okama sprouts furry legs and a bushy tail, its spout morphing into a pointed snout with twinkling eyes.”
Okuri-inu · salience 0.9
“However, this protection comes with a grave caveat - should the traveler stumble, fall, or show any sign of weakness, the Okuri-inu's nature shifts dramatically. In an instant, it can transform from protector to predator, ready to devour the very soul it was escorting.”
Soucouyant · salience 0.9
“This shape-shifting witch is believed to shed her aged human skin at night, transforming into a ball of fire that streaks across the dark sky.”
Tsuchigumo · salience 0.9
“It possesses an uncanny ability to shapeshift, often taking the form of a warrior monk to lure unsuspecting victims into its deadly trap.”
Valravn · salience 0.9
“This duality allows the Valravn to move seamlessly between the world of beasts and the realm of humans, making it a master of deception and manipulation.”
Adze · salience 0.9
“the Adze is consistently described as a shapeshifter whose most distinctive form is that of a firefly or other small flying insect”
Aisha Qandisha · salience 0.9
“In Moroccan and Amazigh (Berber) folklore, Aisha Qandisha is a shapeshifting jinniya who appears as a beautiful woman but conceals goat or camel hooves beneath her skirts, luring and dominating the men she encounters.”
Aswang · salience 0.9
“The Aswang is described in some tellings as capable of shapeshifting into animal forms, most often a black dog, a pig, or a large bird, moving through a community unnoticed until it strikes.”
Boto Encantado · salience 0.9
“By day the Boto is described as an ordinary river dolphin, but at night, especially during festivals, dances, and celebrations held near the riverbank, it is said to take the form of a tall, handsome man, typically dressed in white and wearing a hat to conceal a telltale blowhole at the crown of his head.”
Deer Woman · salience 0.9
“Deer Woman is a shapeshifting spirit who appears as a beautiful woman with the legs (or hooves) of a deer, luring unfaithful or predatory men to their doom while protecting women and children.”
Mo'o · salience 0.9
“Mo'o are frequently described as shapeshifters, able to take human form, most often appearing as a strikingly beautiful woman, and in many accounts this human guise is how they interact with, test, or occasionally marry or seduce human men.”
Vila · salience 0.9
“Vile are consistently described as skilled shape-shifters, able to take the form of a swan, a horse, a wolf, a falcon, or a whirlwind”
Dunnie · salience 0.9
“It appears as a horse or a pony standing conveniently where a traveller wants one — often a farmer needing to fetch a midwife in a hurry, which is the version most often retold — submits to being saddled and ridden, and then dissolves, drops, or bolts, leaving the rider sitting in a bog, a ford, or the mud of the road. Local tradition attaches it to particular crags and to a specific district, and some accounts connect it with the ghost of a Border reiver who hid plunder in the rocks, which gives it a treasure-guarding aspect that sits loosely alongside the practical joking.”
Oschaert · salience 0.9
“Its method is consistent across the accounts: it appears to someone travelling after dark, usually as an animal with glowing or fiery eyes, and fastens itself onto the traveller's back or shoulders.”
Ceffyl Dŵr · salience 0.85
“is a shape-shifting water horse that embodies the mystical and treacherous nature of bodies of water.”
Each-Uisge · salience 0.85
“The Each Uisge is not limited to its horse form. It can also take on human appearance, often that of a handsome man, to better deceive its prey.”
Manananggal · salience 0.85
“This nocturnal predator takes the form of a beautiful woman by day, blending seamlessly into human society.”
O Goncho · salience 0.85
“At intervals given as fifty years it rises transformed into a golden bird, and the sound it makes on those occasions is described as resembling the howl of a wolf — an unusual comparison for a bird, and the detail that most fixes the account. The cry is an omen.”
Kludde · salience 0.85
“The figure takes a range of animal disguises, most often a black dog or horse but also cat, bat, frog, or wolf, and its approach is signalled by rattling chains and a flickering blue flame, a detail that links it to the wider family of will-o'-the-wisp and bogey lights reported on lonely roads at night. The most consistently reported behaviour has Kludde falling in behind a traveller walking home after dark, or a rider's horse, in the shape of a dog; it then leaps onto the victim's back and grows steadily heavier, driving them down into exhaustion or into a ditch or pond, sometimes with fatal intent and sometimes as a fright rather than a killing.”
Ekek · salience 0.8
“By day, they may appear as ordinary humans, but as night falls, they undergo a grotesque transformation.”
Oni · salience 0.8
“They possess a cunning intelligence and are known for their ability to shapeshift, often taking on human form to deceive and manipulate their victims.”
Raijū · salience 0.8
“This divine beast is often portrayed as shapeshifting, taking on the form of various animals such as a cat, wolf, or weasel, always enveloped in a crackling aura of electricity.”
Kaukas · salience 0.8
“The descriptions vary between a small bearded man, a goblin-like figure, and a fiery trailing serpent or dragon seen flying at night — the last of these being the form in which it is said to travel, carrying what it has taken.”
Xolotl · salience 0.8
“In one widely-repeated account, when the gods must sacrifice themselves to set the new sun in motion, Xolotl refuses, flees, and transforms repeatedly to escape — into a maize plant, an agave, an amphibian — before being caught and killed. That flight is the detail that complicates him.”
Mamlambo · salience 0.8
“Its true form is generally given as an immense serpent, but it is credited with other forms as well, including a creature with a horse's head and a beautiful human semblance it can assume when it chooses to be seen.”
Quinotaur · salience 0.7
“The Quinotaur's manifestation is fluid, able to appear as a majestic bull on land or a sleek, powerful form in water.”
Tengu · salience 0.7
“They are said to possess the power of flight, shape-shifting, and thought projection.”
Yacumama · salience 0.7
“Some legends even suggest that the Yacumama can take on human form, appearing as a beautiful woman to lure unsuspecting travelers or as a wise elder to impart knowledge to those deemed worthy.”
Krasue · salience 0.7
“By day it is said to appear as an ordinary woman, indistinguishable from her neighbors, with the affliction sometimes described as hereditary, passed down through a family line, or acquired through the practice or failure of certain black magic and taboo-breaking.”
Popobawa · salience 0.7
“it is said to be able to change its shape at will, sometimes appearing as an ordinary person or animal before revealing its true monstrous form.”
Badb · salience 0.7
“Her name is generally understood to mean something like "battle-crow" or "scald-crow," and the crow or raven is her characteristic form: she is met on the battlefield as a bird, and her presence there marks the field as hers.”
Underwater Panther (Mishipeshu/Mishibizhiw) · salience 0.65
“It is said to have the ability to shape-shift, allowing it to move seamlessly between the physical and spiritual realms.”
Bunyip · salience 0.6
“Some stories attribute shape-shifting abilities to the Bunyip, allowing it to lure victims by appearing as something familiar before revealing its true, terrifying form.”
Tiamat · salience 0.6
“Tiamat embodies fluidity and change, adapting her form and nature as easily as water shapes itself to its container.”
Barghest · salience 0.6
“In some versions of the lore, the Barghest is capable of shape-shifting, sometimes appearing as a headless man or a white cat, though its dog form remains the most common and feared.”
Cherufe · salience 0.6
“The Cherufe's form is said to be constantly shifting, like the molten rock it's composed of, making it difficult for human eyes to comprehend its true appearance.”
Ghoul · salience 0.6
“Some legends speak of ghouls having the ability to shapeshift, taking on the appearance of their most recent victim to lure more unsuspecting humans to their doom.”
Hábrók · salience 0.6
“Some legends even suggest that Hábrók has the ability to shape-shift, taking on human form when needed to interact more directly with the gods or heroes of Norse tales.”
Nāga · salience 0.6
“They are highly adaptable, able to thrive in various aquatic environments and even temporarily assume human form when necessary.”
Raróg · salience 0.6
“Some tales depict the Raróg as a shape-shifter, able to take on the form of a whirlwind or a comet streaking across the night sky.”
Strigoi · salience 0.6
“Some accounts describe it as capable of shapeshifting into an animal, becoming invisible, or growing stronger, younger, and more vigorous with each victim”
Plat-Eye · salience 0.6
“It is also reported taking other animal shapes, including a calf, hog, or cat, and some tellings describe it as a shapeshifting spirit not fixed to any one body at all.”
Ushi-oni · salience 0.5
“Some legends describe the Ushi-oni as capable of shape-shifting or possessing victims, further emphasizing its supernatural and terrifying nature.”
Coyote · salience 0.5
“He reads as socially engaged but unreliable, quick to imitate what he sees others do and quick to overreach at it, and entirely without the capacity to learn from a humiliation, since the next cycle finds him doing something similar.”
Div · salience 0.4
“in some tellings they can shapeshift or disguise themselves to lure travelers astray.”
Satan · salience 0.4
“The folk material makes him considerably more approachable — outwittable in bargains, comic in places — which sits oddly beside the theological figure and is one of the reasons the tradition around him is so uneven. [Generated Content]: Read as a personality, Satan comes across as forensic before he is malevolent — the earliest layer gives a prosecutor who wants a case tested, and something of that persists into the later figure's preference for temptation over force.”
Afanc · salience 0.3
“Some stories even attribute to it the ability to shape-shift or to lure unsuspecting victims with hypnotic powers.”
Aitvaras
“Inside the house, it is said to take a smaller, more mundane form, appearing as a black cat, a black rooster, or a small, colorful bird, moving quietly among the rafters or the stove.”
Draugr
“The Draugr's powers include superhuman strength, the ability to pass through solid earth and rock as though it were open air, shapeshifting into forms such as a seal, a great cat, or a roiling mass of hide-like darkness, and the power to grow to monstrous size.”
Kumiho
“The Kumiho's signature power is shapeshifting, especially into human form, which it uses to infiltrate villages, marry unsuspecting men, or seduce travelers.”
Kutkh
“He can shift between raven and human form and is credited with the cunning to trick stronger animals out of food or possessions.”
Marid
“Marids are credited with immense physical strength, the power of flight, and shapeshifting, and in some tellings with granting wishes or performing impossible tasks once bound to a human master, as in the tale of the fisherman and the Marid confined in a bottle from the Nights.”
Melusine
“She is typically described as a beautiful woman who is transformed, or reveals herself to be, a serpent or dragon from the waist down every Saturday, and in some tellings she additionally bears wings and a fish-like tail associated with her legendary role as ancestress of the Lusignan line.”
Rakshasa
“Rakshasas are credited with formidable magical powers, including illusion (maya), flight, and the ability to change size and shape at will, and many are granted near-invincibility through boons won by ascetic penance (tapas) to gods such as Brahma or Shiva, as Ravana himself does.”
Selkie
“A Selkie's central power is this transformation between seal and human shape, but the act depends entirely on the sealskin itself: without it, a Selkie cannot return to the sea and remains trapped in human form.”
Skinwalker
“A skinwalker is understood to be a person, usually described as a witch or medicine person who has turned to evil, who has gained the ability to transform into, possess, or take on the appearance and abilities of an animal, most commonly a coyote, wolf, fox, owl, or crow.”
Bannik
“Where the sources give him a shape at all, it is that of a small, aged figure, white-haired and long-bearded, though he was said to be rarely seen directly, and when he did appear he was credited with the ability to shapeshift into the likeness of a familiar person, which in the dim and steamy bathhouse would have made a true sighting hard to confirm either way.”
Cabyll-Ushtey
“Its most distinctive trait beyond its equine form is shapeshifting: several sources describe it taking on the appearance of a handsome young man, a disguise that lets it approach potential victims without immediately betraying its true, dangerous nature.”
Incubus
“church writers of the period frequently discussed the incubus as a species of fallen angel or demon whose lust for human women led it to take physical, if illusory, form.”
Kiyo
“Transformed into a dragon capable of breathing fire, Kiyo pursues the priest to his monastery, where he attempts to hide from her beneath the temple's great bell, a massive object described as inches thick and weighing several tons.”
Kolowisi
“In this telling, Kolowisi took the form of an abandoned infant in the spring, was carried home and cared for by the unsuspecting woman, and in the night resumed his true enormous shape, coiling around her until her father, a priest, interceded and negotiated her passage into the serpent's keeping.”
Korrigan
“Male Korrigans in particular are described as dwarf-like figures who guarded buried treasure and could transform into black horses or goats, showing shapeshifting alongside their other supernatural traits.”
Mucalinda
“When the weather cleared, several sources describe Mucalinda taking the form of a young man to bow before the Buddha and pay his respects, before returning to his serpent shape and his kingdom beneath the lake.”
Robin Goodfellow
“That pamphlet frames him as the half-fairy son of Oberon by a mortal woman, raised well by his fairy kin before running off around the age of six, at which point he is granted, through a vision and a golden scroll left by his father, the powers of shapeshifting and of obtaining whatever he wishes, on the condition that he turn them on the malicious and spend them on behalf of honest folk.”
Ryujin
“he is also credited with the ability to take human form, in which guise he is said to have fathered children with human women.”
Amen
“In one strand he takes the form of a serpent said to have engendered the primeval gods themselves, and in the myth of the king's divine birth he comes to the queen in the borrowed shape of her own husband — even his fatherhood of pharaohs is conducted in disguise.”
Arawn
“The amends he sets become the frame of the whole tale: the two exchange shapes and kingdoms for a year, and at the year's end Pwyll, wearing Arawn's form, must meet Havgan — Arawn's rival among the kings of Annwn — and fell him with a single blow, striking no second.”
Asmodeus
“The sequel inverts it: Asmodeus tricks Solomon into handing over the ring that binds him, flings the king into exile, and reigns in his shape until the ring is recovered.”
Brag
“It appeared variously as a calf wearing a white handkerchief around its neck, as a coach-horse trotting the lane ahead of people, as a donkey, as four men carrying a white sheet, and once as a headless naked man.”
Buggane
“The buggane is the Isle of Man's contribution to the family of northern shape-shifting goblins, and the tradition is blunt about where it stands in that family: adept at changing form like the English brag or the Hedley Kow, but more dangerous and more vicious.”
Mormo
“The lore the compendia preserve is grisly: in her true form the mormo is covered in her own blood and blisters — though the tradition allows she is not so hideous as her kin the empousa — and she is a shape-shifter of legendary range, credited with a thousand horrid forms as well as one lovely one, the beautiful young woman with which she lures young men to be drained and eaten.”