History Main / EnergyBeings

* The aliens of ''Series/{{Tracker}}'', or at the very least, Cole and Zin. It's never clarified for sure with the others. All of them are possessing human bodies (except one who possesses a dog). Cole extracts their "essense" and stores it in crystals. It's safe to say that all creatures from that area of space are energy beings in one way or another. In fact, Cole is the only one who manifested his own body based on an underwear ad. The rest took the bodies of people on a train. It's possible that nothing material can pass through a wormhole, so this may have required all the escapees to be turned into energy. All of them still possess their racial abilities (e.g. Cole's [[TimeStandsStill hyperspeed]] and Zin's [[MindOverMatter Telekinesis]]).

* Negative Man from ''ComicBook/DoomPatrol'' has the ability to release an energy form capable of amazing feats, but only for one minute at a time.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Stellaris}}'', the big risk that comes with toying with Jump Drive technology is the risk of opening a portal to another dimension, populated by strange beings known simply as The Unbidden. And they see a galaxy full of living things filled with energy themselves as a gigantic all-you-can-eat buffet.
-->''"... prey..."''

In a sense, '''''you are an energy being''''', because 99.9999999% of your body [[RealityIsUnrealistic is really empty space]]. If you were to remove all of the empty space contained in every atom, from its electrons to its nucleus, in every person on planet Earth and compress us all together, our volume would be ''smaller than a sugar cube''. So why does our mass stay the same? '''Energy!''' Almost all the mass of our bodies comes from the kinetic energy and binding energy of fundamental particles called quarks and gluons, that make up the atom. Why don't we fall through the floor? Because space isn't empty, its filled with wave functions and invisible quantum fields (Zero-point energy). You can't fall through a solid floor because the electromagnetic force of your body's electrons is pushing away at the floor's own electrons.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeries''. In "[[Recap/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeriesS1E1BeyondTheFarthestStar Beyond the Farthest Star]]", a being made out of magnetic energy tried to take over the Enterprise. In "Bem" one of these was protecting a primitive species from outside interference.

* ''ComicBook/EMan'' is about an energy being alien who comes to Earth and can turn himself into whatever he wants. HilarityEnsues.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThreeBelow'': Many aliens are HardLight around a Core that serves as a HeartDrive. However, unlike Gems, all the aliens in ''WesternAnimation/ThreeBelow'' actually age.

* ''VideoGame/CommanderKeen5'' features a race of extragalactic energy beings called the Shikadi as the main antagonists. They want to use a quantium explosion dynamo to [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt blow up the whole galaxy.]]

* ''VideoGame/DotA2'': Io is the very essence of the fundamental forces that hold the world together. In a more meta example, Io's in-game model is purely made of particle effects.
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''

* The ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series, starting with ''Videogame/FinalFantasyVI'', generally presents Ultima Weapon as an Energy Being. In ''VI'', its self-introduction includes the phrase, "... I do not bleed, for I am but strength given form...", and its Summon Profile in ''[[VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy Dissidia]]'' says that "[i]t neither harbors nor represents life, but is rather a manifestation of [[PureEnergy pure power]]."
* The lands in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' are often littered with Sprites, small elementals that are born of concentrated Aether. They are mostly annoyances that can add a little danger to using Area of Effect attacks or be farmed for crystals for crafting. A number of minor sidequests have you gathering cores from them that civilian quest-givers use for various tasks.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Portal2}}'' one of the alternate Cave Johnson's in the perpetual testing initiative states that Aperture's experiments inadvertently turned all of mankind into energy beings. He is enthusiastic about this because it brings them one step closer to humanity's ultimate goal... becoming pillar of salt beings.

* Zorthan the Irritable from ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureToolsOfDestruction''.
** The Zoni are also revealed to be this in [[AllThereInTheManual a piece of Galactic Trivia that displays in ''A Crack Time'''s loading screens]]. The parts that seem robotic are just special suits required for them to survive outside of their home dimension.

* The Pkunk in ''Videogame/StarControl'' claim that the Ilwrath used to be perfect beings of shining light, which would seem to fit this bill, before they became ''too'' perfect and wrapped around to pure evil spider beings. It's never actually established whether this is actually ''true'', like [[TheCuckoolanderWasRight most of their other bizarre claims]] or just random PhonyPsychic posturing, though.
* The Archons and Dark Archons from ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft}}''. Affectionately called blue and red balloons respectively by some players, they are made up of [[AppliedPhlebotinum psionic energy]] and are created when two high or dark templar, powerful psychic protoss, merge together. As they lack substance, they're tragically fragile without their energy shields, meaning they may be less useful than the sum of their parts if you're facing an enemy that can deplete shields. Generic archons are made from two high templar, two dark templar make a dark archon, and, in ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'', two of either templar can come together to make a [[strike:Twilight Archon]] regular archon. Interestingly, at least one dark templar, Ulrezaj, knows of a way to become an especially potent dark archon consisting of multiple templar. The result was probably one of the most powerful beings in the Starcraft universe.
** [[spoiler:Tassadar apparently became an immortal being made of pure light after his HeroicSacrifice at the end of the first game.]]

* [[WillOTheWisp The wisps]] in the ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'' series are composed of energy and spend their existence gathering knowledge across the various planes of reality. In ''VideoGame/UltimaUnderworld'', one can give you a truly devastating spell, [[spoiler:Armageddon, which destroys absolutely everything in the game. Including doors and stairways, so that you cannot escape the room.]]

* The Naaru from ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', although they do appear somewhat crystallized. They're also the [[OurAngelsAreDifferent closest thing in the Warcraft universe to angels.]]
** The Ethereals, who are essentially [[ProudMerchantRace Azerothian goblins]] [[RecycledINSPACE from space]], embody this trope a bit more; their material shapes are created by wearing mummy-style wrappings and other elements of clothing.
* ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' has the Outsiders, beings of "almost pure energy" that materialize out of glowing orange crystals.
** ''VideoGame/TheBureauXCOMDeclassified'' features [[spoiler:Ethereals]] as energy beings. [[spoiler:They are somewhat different than their ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' cousins but still possess impressive PsychicPowers. In fact, it's revealed near the end that the PlayerCharacter is not William Carter but Asaru, the Ethereal controlling him. The BigBad also has an Ethereal under his control, but Carter manages to capture her. For some reason, they turn out to be vulnerable to ballistic fire, as Carter shoots and kills Shamash, the other Ethereal, with a regular pistol after she suggests destroying Earth]].

* In ''Videogame/{{Xenogears}}'', [[spoiler:the Wave Existence is an energy being from another dimension that was trapped in the Zohar Engine that powers Deus. Most of the 10,000 year long history of the world was shaped by the Wave Existence's attempts to free itself via its Contact 'Abel' and his reincarnations (Fei being the latest) and Deus' attempts to keep it imprisoned while cultivating humanity so they could become the new spare parts it needs to repair itself.]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''{{WebOriginal/Mortasheen}}'' has several, including [[http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/lobotomask.htm a creature made of mental energy that sucks it out of others]], [[http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/psychodrome.htm a semi-sentient television signal]] and [[http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/arkhex.htm a creature that's like]] [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Pokerus]] [[JustForFun/XMeetsY meets]] [[Creator/HPLovecraft The Colour Out Of Space]].

It is also considered nonsensical because "energy" beings usually act more like floating clouds of luminescent gas. So a better term to use here might be "gaseous beings". Or, they might just plain be ''[[CelestialBody made of stars.]]''

* A subset of this trope, especially in comic books, is the idea of the "man in the can" -- the energy being that needs to be kept in a containment suit, lest he lose all coherency and [[SuperPowerMeltdown possibly wipe out Detroit]]. Examples include:

** ComicBook/CaptainAtom from the ''Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse''.
** Fuji from ComicBook/{{Stormwatch}}, who wears a suit that looks like a giant robot and provides some... interesting side effects. [[spoiler: Due to his form being extremely sensitive to vibrations, he has an orgasm every five minutes.]]
*** This is explicitly said to be because he is made out of plasma (ionized gas), not PureEnergy.
*** Lately it was revealed his bosses found out about the orgasms and [[StopHavingFunGuy had his suit outfitted with dampeners]].
** Johann Krauss of ''ComicBook/{{Hellboy}}'' spinoff ''ComicBook/{{BPRD}}'' (and the films of the main series) is composed of "ectoplasm" (a "spiritual energy" similar to {{Mana}}) in a containment suit.
** Venus Dee Milo of [[ComicBook/XForce X-Statix]] is another Energy Being in a bag, though not having a body doesn't stop her from becoming an international sex symbol.

* In the Magazine/DoctorWhoMagazine comics, the Mondas Cybermen eventually evolve into these.
* Negative Man from the Comicbook/DoomPatrol has the ability to release an energy form capable of amazing feats, but only for one minute at a time.
** For that matter, Antibody from ComicBook/TheNewUniverse title ''ComicBook/DP7'' had basically the same ability.

* Stardust, one of the recent additions to ComicBook/{{Galactus}}' ever growing list of Heralds, already was an energy being before being imbued with the Power Cosmic. In fact, he and his kin were invisible to the naked eye.

** Parallax is made of fear, but it acts just like an energy being as does Ion (made of Willpower) and The Predator ([[PowerOfLove made of love]]).

* The Celestials in the MarvelUniverse are composed of a very intense and powerful form of energy -- which is intangible and can't do much of anything on its own. It makes a very handy source of energy for the HumongousMecha that they essentially "wear".
* Quite a few appear in Creator/MarvelComics. Two notables are Living Laser, a photonic being made of light, and Klaw, who is composed of solidified sound. Both were human supervillains who got an upgrade into energy beings.
** ComicBook/XMen's Phoenix, originally just Jean Grey with a GodMode power upgrade, was famously [[RetCon retconned]] into an alien Energy Being after they wanted to bring back Jean but have her not be guilty of mass murder.
** And ComicBook/WonderMan, too (technically he's made of ionized matter, which ''contains'' a lot of energy).

* The Vorlons from ''Series/BabylonFive'' appear to be mostly energy beings, although they apparently still have some degree of physicality left, too. In "[[Recap/BabylonFiveS01E06MindWar Mind War]]", super-psychic Jason Ironheart, having undergone a DeadlyUpgrade, gives up corporeal existence to become pure psychic energy. According to "[[Recap/BabylonFiveS04E22TheDeconstructionOfFallingStars The Deconstruction of Falling Stars]]", at least part of humanity appears to be [[EvolutionaryLevels destined to go this way]], too, within the next one million years. Note that the far-future human seen in this episode looks like an ordinary man at first, then turns into a cloud of glowing particles which fly into a human-shaped encounter-suit. Similarly, [[{{Precursors}} precursor being]] Lorien is a quite physical humanoid when he feels like it, but can turn into a glowing cloud (possibly his true form) for travelling through space. This suggests that all these beings are basically physical creatures that have gained the ability to turn into a more or less gaseous/plasma/energy form at will. The episode "[[Recap/BabylonFiveS01E02SoulHunter Soul Hunter]]" and the film ''[[Recap/BabylonFiveFilm03TheRiverOfSouls The River of Souls]]'' confirm this suggestion: the Soul Hunters trap souls in spheres because of it.

* The Guardian's true form from ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'' is essentially a cloud of iridescent energy and light.

* The eponymous Angels in ''Literature/MatthewSwift'' '''used''' to be these, back when they were living in the telephone wires. Then [[FirstEpisodeResurrection Mathew got better]] and they're [[WillingChanneler stuck with him]].

* The Angels from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'', despite their typically rather imposing physical presence are said to have both "waveform" & particle properties, not unlike light. [[ItRunsOnNonsensoleum This despite the fact that, genetically, they're supposedly closer to humans than chimps are]]. Metaphysically, some are essentially....literally, beings made of Light or...other abstract concepts that the human mind cannot mathematically comprehend.

* In ''{{Noah}},'' the [[FallenAngel Fallen Angels]] started out as beings literally made of light, but became encased in stone as punishment for their transgression.[[spoiler: Under all that rock, they are still beings made of light. All it takes is for the rock to be pulled off for them to return to Heaven.]]

* The {{Precursors}} from Creator/ArthurCClarke's ''Literature/TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'' fit into the description, having somehow [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence woven themselves]] into the very fabric of space-time. [[spoiler:The protagonist of the first novel/film also becomes one of these due to the aliens' interference.]]

* The high spirits from Adam R. Brown's ''Literature/AstralDawn'' are eternal beings with vast power, composed of astral energy. The high spirits evolved from the normal non-corporeal state all humans and other living things assume when their bodies stop functioning or are destroyed. As the energy that once occupied a physical body, they retain the thoughts and experiences gained in that life.
* OlderThanTelevision: The creature in Creator/HPLovecraft's 1927 ''Literature/TheColourOutOfSpace'' is a bodiless ''something'' that's released from the inexplicably colored bubbles in a meteorite and possesses and gradually drains all the life from a farm and its inhabitants. Eventually, the creature gains enough strength to fire itself out of a well and back into space, appearing as a geyser of shimmering alien light as it does so. But then the hero sees a second, weaker entity trying to escape as well, only to tumble back down again. And then the abandoned farm's turned into a city reservoir...

* In ''Literature/{{Eragon}}'' strange beings called "spirits" crop up occasionally. They are weird little floating balls of... something... that float around and are most plot-relevant when they are fueling evil Shades.

* In ''Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'' series (the books, radio show, towel...), Douglas Adams makes one or two throwaway references to "super-intelligent shades of the colour blue". Color being a form of light, it makes this an "energy being" concept if anything even more bizarre than that suggested for most regular instances of the trope (which may well have been the whole point). StarfishAliens indeed.
* In ''Literature/ImminentDangerAndHowToFlyStraightIntoIt'' the Triila qualify as this, appearing as small balls of light. They are also extremely intelligent and lack any form of empathy, making them very dangerous.
* The eponymous character of Stephan King's ''Literature/{{It}}'' generally is portrayed as YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm. The closest the human mind can come appears in the climax, as [[spoiler: a giant Spider.]] When [[spoiler: Stuttering Bill initiates the Ritual of Chud, "It" flings him through It's mind into a "Darkness beyond the universe", towards where It's true form resides as a swirling mass of Orange Light.]]
* The eponymous homicidal Catepillar (no, not ''that'' kind) in ''Film/{{Killdozer}}'' was possessed by an energy being.
* In the short story ''Literature/TheLibrarian'' (2015) this is Nick's true form, though it takes on a humanoid shape.

* The "Rakasha" from Creator/RogerZelazny's ''Literature/LordOfLight'' are the prior native race of the planet that had discovered a technique for "strengthening the flames of the mind that they may burn independently of the body." They can manipulate electricity, among other abilities, and still interact with the material world.
* ''Literature/LukeSkywalkerAndTheShadowsOfMindor'' has an unusual take on this trope in the Melters, who do appear to have matter bodies or a matter medium -- a mineral called meltmassif, which is electroconductive -- and which perceive the electrical activity in human bodies to be like themselves. Problem is, the meltmassif is completely undifferentiated and doing just about anything to it does not hurt the Melters, and Melters always seek to mix their meltmassif so their individual signals merge. They have no concept of how it's different for others. In the end they are freed from the meltmassif and become proper energy beings... or die. It's Franchise/StarWars and everyone is a "luminous being" functioning in a shell of matter already.

* The eponymous Angels in ''[[Literature/MatthewSwift A Madness of Angels]]'' '''used''' to be these, back when they were living in the telephone wires. Then [[FirstEpisodeResurrection Mathew]] got better and they're stuck [[WillingChanneler with him]].
* In Creator/JamesHerbert's ''Literature/{{Once}}'', the ''[[OurFairiesAreDifferent faerefolkis]]'' seem to inhabit bodies born of energy rather than matter, whose demeanour and intent human senses proportionately interpret. Multicoloured sparks of light, [[SentientCosmicForce part of]] "[[Literature/TheMagicCottage the hidden life-force of all that exists]]", arrive to heal protagonist Thom Kindred of stroke-induced weariness.
* Peter F. Hamilton's ''Literature/NightsDawnTrilogy'' features the energy-based hive mind Ly-Cilph, whose evolutionary history the author spends a few pages summarizing. The antagonists of the series, [[spoiler: body-snatching souls invading from TheNothingAfterDeath]], also seem to be made of energy.
* Creator/PiersAnthony used a race of these in ''OX'', mostly as an excuse to toss in references to VideoGame/ConwaysGameOfLife. No rationale for why a cluster of disembodied energy nodes would work like Conway's cellular automata is provided, but give Piers his credit: at least he ''tried'' to base his Energy Beings on something coherent, which is more than other users of this trope seem inclined to do.
* The sentient, living stars in ''Literature/RogueStar'' fall somewhere between this and CosmicEntity. They are, literally, stars. Fusing hydrogen. And they have powers near those of a RealityWarper.

* In ''Literature/TheSpaceTrilogy'' by Creator/CSLewis, the ''eldils'' are essentially Judeo-Christian angels, or their cousins. They are imperceptible energy beings whose forms exist on a radically different wavelength than ours -- for them, gaseous matter doesn't exist, and liquids and solids are gaseous, so the planets of the Solar system are just clouds. To them, light itself is the water through which they swim, and the Sun is their wellspring. "Visiting" a planet means moving into one of those moving clouds and then keeping pace with its orbit to maintain the appearance of standing still, while using some sort of projection to interact with wispy, ephemeral creatures they cannot fully see (i.e.: ''us'').
* In ''The Star Dwellers'' and its sequel ''Mission to the Heart Stars,'' by Creator/JamesBlish, humans makes contact with energy beings that are created in the births of stars and look like globes of orange light. We dub them "angels," and as the stories go on, the name feels more and more uncomfortably appropriate.

* The Guardian's true form from ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'' is essentially a cloud of iridescent energy and light

* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' can be seen as this, being sentient computer programs. In the ''Anime/DigimonTamers'' continuity, when a Digimon enters the "Real World" it is necesary to construct bodies assembled out of nearby elements in a process called ''bio-emergence''. Similarly, humans and any other physical matter is automatically converted to data upon entering the Digital World.

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