History Main / AngelicTransformation

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': In the ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'' setting, phaethons are elf-descended humanoids who can manifest [[HotWings wings of fire]] at will. For reasons even they don't understand, a few phaethons at some point in their lives feel compelled to fly skyward to the very limits of their endurance, until they're in the upper atmosphere, as close to the sun as possible. Those who survive this Rite of Ascension return as elder phaethons, whose fiery wings are fully 30 feet wide and even more intense, and are as much angel as they are elven, becoming ageless beings who only rarely need to eat. Councils of elder phaethons act as their people's leaders, or they serve as aloof guardians who patrol their territory in search of wrongs to right or dangers to deal with.

* ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'': The Creator/PeterDavid version becomes an "Earth-born Angel" after she's saved from death by the creature known as Matrix.

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfTheHunchback'', [[spoiler:Quasimodo's hunched back]] was his wings trying to emerge, which they eventually did to rescue him.
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* Literature/TheBookOfEnoch, an apocryphal work not considered canon by mainstream Abrahamic denominations, describes the antediluvian patriarch Enoch, Noah's great-grandfather, as ascending to Heaven to become an angel, afterwards taking on the name {{Metatron}} and becoming God's scribe. A similar story developed in the early Roman period among Jewish and Christian mystical traditions -- although never codified or accepted by any formal theology -- concerning the angel Sandalphon, who was said to have originally been either the prophet Elijah or Metatron/Enoch's twin.

* ''TabletopGame/GrimHollow'' has rules for characters transforming into any number of supernatural beings, including angels, which are called Seraphs. It's also the only unambiguously heroic transformation, compared to the outright monstrous, like the [[OurLichesAreDifferent Lich]] and [[DemonOfHumanOrigin Fiend]], or the [[BlueAndOrangeMorality morally ambiguos]], like the [[TheFairFolk Fey]] and [[ElementalEmbodiment Primordial]]. It does, however, include the drawback that every evil creature that gets sight of you will drop everything, and make killing you it's top priority.
* ''TabletopGame/InNomineSatanisMagnaVeritas'': Many angels and demons are former mortals who were "promoted" in the afterlife. Most notably, Eve, Archangel of Women, is ''the'' biblical Eve.

* After Alois Hingerl dies in ''Literature/DerMuenchnerImHimmel'', he is dragged into FluffyCloudHeaven where [[GodOfTheDead God himself]] outfits him with a gown and [[WingedHumanoid a pair of wings]], gives him [[GoldAndWhiteAreDivine a golden harp]] and renames him Aloisius. [[GrumpyBear He is]] [[ClusterFBomb not amused]] because [[HellOfAHeaven there is no beer in Heaven]].

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfTheHunchback, [[spoiler:Quasimodo's hunched back]] was his wings trying to emerge, which they eventually did to rescue him.

Compare DeityOfHumanOrigin and DemonOfHumanOrigin.

* ''ComicBook/TheSandman'': Played with when Lucifer resigns as the ruler of Hell and gets Dream to cut off his wings, appearing to give up his angelic abilities. However, in a later arc, he claims that he never actually gave up his powers.

* ''Film/{{Constantine}}'': In the climax, Gabriel is de-winged as punishment for plotting to unleash Mammon upon the world, leaving a pair of bloody stumps. Constantine introduces [[OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous them]] to pain with a punch to the mouth.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''Film/{{Constantine}}'' states that the forces of Heaven and Hell are forbidden by an ancient truce to interfere with the mortal world, and they work their influence by "half-breeds", who are confirmed in the novelization to be humans who have earned their way into one or the other realm and been sent back as an agent. We see this happen with [[spoiler: Chaz]], who appears above his own gravestone with wings and a tattered straightjacket before flying away.

* ''TabletopGame/InNomienSatanisMagnaVeritas'': Many angels and demons are former mortals who were "promoted" in the afterlife. Most notably, Eve, Archangel of Women, is ''the'' biblical Eve.

** The case of Enoch, who became the angel Metatron in Talmudic tradition, is also mentioned across the franchise.

Compare DeityOfHumanOrigin, DemonOfHumanOrigin.

* It's rare, but ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' has angels transform into other... things.

* Played with in ''ComicBook/TheSandman'', where Lucifer resigns as the ruler of Hell and gets Dream to cut off his wings, appearing to give up his angelic abilities. However, in a later arc, he claims that he never actually gave up his powers.
* The Creator/PeterDavid version of ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} was an "Earth-born Angel" after she was saved from death by the creature known as Matrix.

* In ''Film/WingsOfDesire'' (as well as in its ForeignRemake ''Film/CityOfAngels'') angels can literally fall from grace to become human. The main character wishes to do this out of love for a mortal.
* In the climax of ''Film/{{Constantine}}'', Gabriel is de-winged as punishment for plotting to unleash Mammon upon the world, leaving a pair of bloody stumps. Constantine introduces [[OtherworldlyAndSexuallyAmbiguous them]] to pain with a punch to the mouth.
* The plot of the film ''Film/{{Dogma}}'' centers around a pair of disgraced angels planning to reenter heaven by entering an arch that has been blessed by a clueless Cardinal to forgive all sins of any who walk through. In order for the blessing to work, they have to become human. Jay [[NiceJobBreakingItHero accidentally]] does this for them by shooting off their wings.

* The angels of ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' universe are revealed to be capable of transubstantiation in ''Literature/SkinGame'', when [[spoiler:Archangel Uriel]] temporarily transfers his Grace to [[spoiler:Michael Carpenter]]. Doing so renders the angel, for all intents and purposes, a mortal, while giving the mortal some of the angelic powers. The biggest downside, though, is that if the mortal ever willingly abuses those powers for evil (as mortals are prone to), the angel automatically {{Fall|enAngel}}s.

* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve2pS-jxXz0&t=0s&index=15&list=PLA93FBFFB92366058 music video]] for Music/WithinTemptation song "Fire And Ice" shows an angel who seems to have had enough of battle and slaughter go to a church and have her wings cut off by the priest, resigning and becoming human. [[spoiler: She appears to regret it at the end.]]

* Tyrael, the Archangel of Justice, gets sick of being mired in the CelestialBureaucracy in ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'' (namely, being forbidden to help humanity directly against TheLegionsOfHell) and pulls off his armor and wings before [[FallenAngel falling to Sanctuary]], becoming a man who is frail and amnesiac until his sword El'druin is restored and returned to him. The transformation is apparently one-way, though. A distinction is also made between being mortal and being one of the Nephalem, the humans of the setting who are the descendants of angels and demons commingling.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Narbonic}}'' Caliban, a demon/fallen angel, becomes human in order to escape some demonic loan sharks.

* In ''Film/ItsAWonderfulLife'', Clarence Oddbody introduces himself as an "Angel, Second Class." His reward for helping George is that he is promoted to First Class and earns wings. His name and somewhat bumbling nature suggest that he was once a living man.
* In ''Film/TheAngelLevine'', Levine was a shoplifter who was hit by a car while fleeing the scene of the crime. Instead of being let right into Heaven, he's put on probation and given 24 hours to work a miracle in Morris's life.

* In the Podcast/WelcomeToNightVale special “The Debate” the angels inhabiting Old Woman Josie’s house recruit Marcus Vanston, the richest man in Night Vale. He then disappears from the show, only for an angel dressed in nothing but a very expensive suit jacket[[note]]Marcus was a shameless nudist[[/note]] to arrive and buy Strexcorp just before the culmination of its evil plan.

** [[https://scryfall.com/card/anb/3/angelic-reward Angelic Reward]] is the most blatant example.
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/m21/3/angelic-ascension Angelic Ascension]] is another blatant example, replacing one of your creatures with an angel token. This could be interpreted rather grimly, but the flavor text and name both clarify that the card is about this trope.
** [[https://scryfall.com/card/grn/10/divine-visitation Divine Visitation]] works like this mechanically, but not in the flavor.
* The ''TableTopGame/GrimHollow'' setting for ''TableTopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has rules for characters transforming into any number of supernatural beings, including angels, which are called Seraphs. It's also the only unambiguously heroic transformation, compared to the outright monstrous, like the [[OurLichesAreDifferent Lich]] and [[DemonOfHumanOrigin Fiend]], or the [[BlueAndOrangeMorality morally ambiguos]], like the [[TheFairFolk Fey]] and [[ElementalEmbodiment Primordial]]. It does, however, include the drawback that every evil creature that gets sight of you will drop everything, and make killing you it's top priority.
* Saint Celestine in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000''. She is a Living Saint, great heroes of the Imperial Creed gifted with holy supernatural powers, and functioning as the {{Good Counterpart}}s (for a [[BlackAndGrayMorality certain value of good]]) of the daemons that serve the Chaos Gods. Saint Celestine combines the baseline otherworldliness of Living Saints with feathered wings, a HolyHalo, and ResurrectiveImmortality.

* Occurs symbolically in ''VideoGame/TheTalosPrinciple''. [[spoiler:If one of Elohim's children exceeds at the puzzles they've been tasked with solving, they're given the chance to give up their life and become a "messenger", charged with aiding those who come after them. In doing so, they choose an epitaph and lie dormant in a sarcophagus until awoken to give advice]].
* ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'': Occurs late in the game where Law Hero [[TheCutie Zelenin]] decides to become one, an action that in theory allows her to TakeAThirdOption rather than enter a [[LastStand battle of attrition]] with [[GeneralRipper Captain Jack]] OR surrender to the FateWorseThanDeath he has planned. [[spoiler: It works and her [[MagicMusic Song of the Lord]] [[EmptyShell renders Jack's army docile]], but [[LightIsNotGood since angels aren't any better than devils]], she quickly falls into TranshumanTreachery and her song becomes the catalyst for heaven's WorldOfSilence.]]

* Particularly virtuous humans in the ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' franchise occasionally reincarnate as angels upon death, like what happened with [[spoiler:[[Videogame/Disgaea4APromiseUnforgotten Artina]]]]. This would have happened with [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/DisgaeaD2ABrighterDarkness Laharl's mother]]]] as well, but the circumstances of her death resulted in her passing that right onto her unborn daughter instead.
* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', the Kyrian are blue-skinned {{Winged Humanoid}}s who serve as [[{{Psychopomp}} the ones to guide the souls of the dead]] to the Shadowlands. [[JudgementOfTheDead The Arbiter]] sends the souls of those who were selfless, self-sacrificing, and devoted to a cause greater than themselves in life to Bastion so they can undergo training and rituals to eventually become Kyrian themselves.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Nanase has a spell that gives her an angelic form when defending herself or others. While it's unknown whether it's divine in nature ([[http://egscomics.com/?date=2013-05-20 in-universe]] as well as [[ShrugOfGod out]]), the form is a lot more than a WingedHumanoid form would suggest as it gives her a massive power boost, several unique abilities and is the closest thing to a traditional angel that is likely to show up.
* In ''{{Webcomic/Lessa}}'', the originally mortal Rano ascends in Season 2 and becomes the angel Rayel aka one of Ra's Apostles, after meeting Ra in person. In Season 3, it's revealed that the angel Mitt has similar origins, [[spoiler:as a human soul who was meant to die but was then given a chance to live by ascending]].