History Main / DemonicPossession

-->-- '''Shendu''', '''''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'''''

* This is how {{Devilman}} works. In the manga, it's very pronounced, since anyone can be possessed the instant they succumb to acting on instinct. Naturally, bars and nightclubs prove great places for demons to go to possess people since there are so few inhibitions in them.

* A more benevolent version happens in ''[[Anime/AfterWarGundamX Gundam X]]'', where [[TheCaptain Jamil's]] former commander Lucille, now [[SealedGoodInAJar in a stasis pod]], uses her PsychicPowers to temporarily take control of [[MysteriousWaif Tifa's]] body to provide him with critical information (and closure). After her job is done, she willingly leaves, with no harm done to Tifa.

* Gaara from {{Naruto}} and his malevolent [[SealedEvilInACan Shukaku]], that won't even let him sleep. Also, Naruto himself, being the vessel for Kyuubi, the 9-tailed fox that almost destroyed his village. Both learn to control them, though.

* This happens to Konekomaru in a filler episode of Manga/BlueExorcist. The demon, lured by Konekomaru's fear of Rin, uses this fear to temporarily take control of Konekomaru's body. When the opportunity comes along, it fully possesses him, absorbing him and making him a part of its' body. Rin snaps him out of it though.

* Happens all the time in TetragrammatonLabyrinth due to the fact that demons need human hosts to manifest into the real world.
* Manga/MarchStory: The Ill that the main character fights have to do this to get a body. Also, if the ill commits murder while in your body they are there for good.
* This is what happens when one is unable to control their Hollowfication in {{Bleach}}. Their Inner Hollow eventually will take over, reducing them to a rampaging, nearly-unstoppable Hollow. Mastering the Hollow however, grants them a MaskOfPower, and access to other Hollow abilities, pretty much PowersViaPossession.

* "The Shrine" takes place in a small Polish village that is cursed with a demonic statue standing in constant fog. Those who approach the statue in the fog, eventually become possessed by the demon.
* Arguably the effect of the demonic mask in Film/{{Onibaba}}, though whether this is actually what happens, or just what the characters fear has happened is up to interpretation.

* Literature/TrappedOnDraconica: [[spoiler: Lucia]] has been possessed by [[spoiler: Kazebar]] from before the start. The names in the spoiler tags are critical to TheReveal.

* Daemons in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' and ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' can possess humans whose minds are pliable to such; in 40K, some radical inquisitors turn the tables on the daemons and use this to create Daemonhosts: Ritually prepared humans forcefully possessed, imprisoning and enslaving the daemon inside the shell of the human body. Both types are immensely powerful, but the possession physically destroys the body over time. For kicks, daemons can possess vehicles too, with the Defiler being only the most iconic of these possessed vehicles. They can also possess weapons, though this tends to be induced by powerful sorcerers/psykers rather than voluntary on their part.
** However, a somewhat overlooked element of the series is that it's actually possible to invert this trope; some daemon-possessed beings actually form a symbiosis with their daemon, allowing them control over their body whilst still being able to access the power of the daemon. In the now-obsolete Hordes of Chaos sourcebook for Fantasy, this was the basis behind the Exalted Daemon hero. In 40K, this is the general nature behind the Possessed unit for Chaos Space Marines. Doing so requires considerable amounts of HeroicWillpower, to say the least.
*** The most spectacular inversion of this trope has to come from ''BlackCrusade'', however; the sample Daemon Prince is based on a Slaanesh worshipper who summoned a Keeper of Secrets into her body as a way to achieve eternal youth. Keepers of Secrets, keep in mind, are {{Physical God}}s of [[HornyDevils depravity and debauchery]]. ''She succeeded completely'' in her goal. However, this didn't earn her daemonhood. Instead, she eventually ''digested'' the daemon inside her body and so summoned and reverse-possessed another, equally powerful daemon to continue extending her life. And then she did so a ''third'' time. It was only on the 4th attempt that Slaanesh [[{{hermaphrodite}} hirself]] appeared to her and granted her true immortality as a Daemon Princess, in admiration of her willpower.

* In the {{Kirby}} series, the Dark Matter is this, even capable of changing the shape of the body currently being possessed.

* [[PuyoPuyo Puyo Pop Fever 2]] has Klug transforming into Strange Klug when the demon in the [[SoulJar possessed book]] decides to move in. Some people just never learn that carrying around something like that book is a BAD IDEA.
* Roa in {{Tsukihime}} has gained effective immortality by switching bodies. Whenever his current one dies, he goes to the next prepared host. In the event he couldn't prepare one in time, he can end up as someone like Ciel who has immense power but not the lineage and wealth he prefers. In a way, though, he's actually already dead as his ego has been reduced to two goals: continue seeking immortality, and [[spoiler:apologize to Arcueid, which he doesn't realize he wants to do.]]
* A core player ability in the DungeonKeeper series, in which you can do this to any creature under your control. Mainly useful for combat, fast scouting, digging and claiming of territory, and in the unofficial expansion, ''Ancient Keeper'' to suppress normal emotional responses at key times.

* SonicUnleashed: you can converse with the townsfolk in the hub worlds, and some of them at night become possessed by Dark Gaia monsters, who make them either depressed, apathetic, or weirdly for some normally serious characters, laid-back and happy. As side missions, you can perform 'exorcisms' on them by flashing them with a camera and then defeating their "demons."

* In VideoGame/{{Fahrenheit}} (Indigo Prophecy in the U.S.) the protagonist is possessed by the BigBad and [[spoiler: murders a man in a diner.]]

* {{MAG ISA}} - Demonic possession is standard in this comic:

* This is the major plot point in {{Garanos}}.

* TheDragonDoctors: While initially believed to be an alien, [[spoiler:the Crax]] is later revealed to be [[spoiler:the manifestation of a sociopathic man who learned how to become [[ImmortalityImmorality immortal]] by taking over other people's bodies. Did we mention he's become what is basically [[BodyHorror sapient cancer]]?]]
* {{Drowtales}}: There's basically two levels of demonic possession. First, there's tainting. This is generally done in a controlled manner, so that the demon will not progress to the next level. It leaves the host in full control, while making sure that she can't be possessed accidentally in a more dangerous manner. Very weak taints can sometimes be reversed. Tainting also is generally used to dull fear and pain. In the full form of possession, the demon has full control, and the host's body commonly [[BodyHorror deforms]]. Both forms leave the host with [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]].

* Karkull in "WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries" wreaks havoc in Metropolis after possessing a petty thief who recites the incantation on a tablet he steals from a museum. Several of his subservient demons take control of characters like Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen.

-->Hmm, Kelvek the Seducer must admit, [[ShowingOffTheNewBody all that jazzersize you did certainly has paid off.]] I do hope you don't mind [[FateWorseThanDeath "hanging]] [[AndIMustScream out"]] while Kelvek the Seducer buys new leather pants in y-- ''her'' size.

* In ''SuperRobotWarsNEO'', Amane Inaba gets possessed by [[spoiler: Larva]]

* This is one of the more frustrating strange moods in ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress''. Not because the dwarf does something unpleasant (that's fell moods), but because ''they don't get experience for whatever it is they make''.

* Arguably, the entire point of the movie ''Film/TheExorcist''.

** Wait, no mention of [[spoiler:''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass''' Bellum-Beck]]?!]]

** Considering she has a SuperpoweredEvilSide as one lovely feature of her dual nature, one could argue that on the occasions where it takes control, she's possessed by her ''own'' inner demon.

* ''[[[[VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon FEAR 3]]'' has Paxton Fettel possessing people, but without a constant intake of souls the possession will fail within a minute, [[PossessionBurnout causing the host to explode]]. [[http://fear.wikia.com/wiki/Spectre Spectres]] also possess people in a similar way.

* {{FEAR}} 3 Has Paxton Fettel possessing people, but without a constant intake of souls the possession will fail within a minute, [[PossessionBurnout causing the host to explode]]. [[http://fear.wikia.com/wiki/Spectre Spectres]] also possess people in a similar way.

** However the spirits of unborn Makuta (basically liquid Antidermis[[hottip:*: AKA "Makuta essence"]] that hasn't been materialized and assigned to a specific Makuta body yet) are fully capable of possessing even souled bodies, which is what happened to Brutaka after he fell into the Antidermis pit containing said souls. Though it helped that to his species, Antidermis was essentially a drug, which made his body easily accessible for the souls swirling in it.

* ''MassEffect'' and its sequel have [[EldritchAbomination Reapers]] do this once they decide their [[YouHaveFailedMe mooks have failed]], or the fight is important enough to require personal intervention.

** There's actually a Song (which are the spells of the game) that allows any Celestial to possess any living thing.

* In the last book of ''TheBartimaeusTrilogy'' [[spoiler: an ill-advised magical experiment leads to a number of powerful demons inhabiting most of the higher members of the government. The demons have no ability to possess people, but the magicians summoned them into their own bodies, believing they could control them. Instead they obliterated their minds and set up shop.]]

* And ''Film/({{Fallen}}'' (1998), with Denzel Washington.

* And ''{{Fallen}}'' (1998), with Denzel Washington.

* ''{{REC}}'' has a mysterious virus that could be [[spoiler: and is]] Demonic Possession.
* ''{{Demoni}}'' brings this to gory extremes.

* "The Shrine"takes place in a small Polish village that is cursed with a demonic statue standing in constant fog. Those who approach the statue in the fog, eventually become possessed by the demon.

* ''ThePossession'' itself. Full stop!
* The ''NightOfTheDemons'' movies each have this as part of the main plot.

* ThePossession itself. Full stop!

* {{Diablo}} has this in spades! Why won't this game not have one if its [[AntagonistTitle title itself]] is a dead giveaway?
** Game 1: [[spoiler: [[BigBad Diablo]] has possessed Prince Albrecht, the [[TheHero Warrior's]] little brother. And the ending? The player character gets possessed after he got tricked into inserting the dark Soul Stone unto his forehead]]
** Game 2: [[spoiler: [[TheCorruption The other two heroes that helped The Warrior became evil.]] as a [[GoMadFromTheRevelation result of the darkness that tortured their minds]]. And that is just the tip of the iceberg! [[TheArchmage Tal Rasha]] was possessed completely by [[BigBad Baal]] as a result of Marius' action thus mutating [[HumanoidAbomination into a dark lord]]. Well? Are we there yet? No! Almost all of the Zakarum's followers became possessed as well. ThePope equivalent of the game's universe, The current Que Hegan was already possessed by [[BigBad Mephisto]] and mutated into him.]] And it became amped UpToEleven by the third game!
** [[{{DiabloIII}} Game 3]]: [[spoiler: Leah was then betrayed by her own mom who revived not just Diablo but the overall EldritchAbomination Tathamet. Ho boy. Heaven got invaded thanks be to that.]]

* The title archdemon of the ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'' series does this a lot, as do his brothers.

* Subverted with Burden from ''ComicBook/TheMovement''. He appears to be possessed when he enters a church, but it's actually his metahuman powers.

-->Hmm, Kelvek the Seducer must admit, [[ShowingOffTheNewBody all that jazzersize you did certainly has paid off.]] I do hope you don't mind [[FateWorseThanDeath "hanging out"]] while Kelvek the Seducer buys new leather pants in y-- ''her'' size.

* ''Fanfic/MyLittleCastlevania'': [[spoiler: Marble, an apparent pony CompleteMonster allied with Dracula, turns out to actually have been possessed by [[WickedWitch Actrise]] in order to pass among the ponies undetected.]] The scene in which the possession ends is pure NightmareFuel, as she exits her victim by ''crawling out of her mouth''.

* In ''[[RogueLike TOME]]'', Spirits can possess any body on the ground; effectively raising them BackFromTheDead. GameplayAndStorySegregation means there is little difference between a possessed corpse and its original. For clever individuals with a Wish spell, one can create a Familiar Spirit and have it possess ''anything'' with a corpse; making that your familiar. [[TheLordOfTheRings Gandalf]], the BonusBoss, ''anything that you killed with a body that you perserved.'' One of the classes is "Symbiote" which means you can fuse yourself with any Familiar that doesn't move. One of the Bonus Bosses is a Mold...