History Main / GoodShapeshiftingEvilShapeshifting

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'': [[spoiler:The two draconification transformations we see have very different circumstances and outcomes. Princess Zelda performs a HeroicSacrifice, becoming the Light Dragon [[DeathOfPersonality at the expense of her mind]] so that she can use that form over the following millennia to restore the Master Sword for Link to use in the game's present day. Ganondorf, in contrast, transforms into the Demon Dragon as part of a SuicidalCosmicTemperTantrum in a last ditch effort to kill Link and destroy Hyrule. How they eat their secret stones to trigger their transformations also differs: Zelda calmly plops the stone into her mouth, while Ganondorf furiously rips the stone off his forehead and shoves it down his throat (along with most of his ''hand''). They also have contrasting appearances as dragons: the Light Dragon has a GoldAndWhiteAreDivine color scheme and has a somewhat cute and benevolent look despite also looking rather alien, whereas the Demon Dragon is a [[DarkIsEvil dark]] and bestial DraconicAbomination covered in fleshy masses of [[MadeOfEvil gloom]]. Lastly, Ganondorf is killed as the Demon Dragon, Zelda is turned back to her original form thanks to Rauru and Sonia magical intervention.]]

*** Generally, the Animorphs try to avoid using human morphs unless they have the consent of the donor, as it's essentially an act of theft, and any situation in which they break the rule is considered desperately serious. As such, it's another red flag when David gets casual about morphing Controllers and even fellow Animorphs with zero consent. Later, David takes this further when [[spoiler:he replaces Jake's cousin Saddler while he's in hospital, and though it's never specified if he went so far as to enact a SickbedSlaying [[note]]K.A. Applegate has since stated that David didn't kill Saddler[[/note]] or just stole his identity after he flatlined, the fact that he was willing to exploit the grief of Saddler's parents to essentially get himself adopted is a sign that David is now beyond redemption.]]

*** In the finale of this particular trilogy, David makes use of [[YouDirtyRat a rat morph]] [[spoiler:in order to track down the hidden Escafil device... only to end up caught in a trap by the Animorphs and left there until his two hours are up, leaving him as a rat for the rest of his life. ]] For good measure, [[spoiler:when he finally re-emerges later in the series, the rat morph blends perfectly with his sneaky, vicious nature]].]]
** In ''#48: The Return,'', Rachel is "rescued" by [[EldritchAbomination Crayak]] and gifted with upgrades to her powers that break all the established rules of morphing. As a result, she easily proves herself in a ShapeshifterShowdown against Esplin, outfighting the Visser for the first time in the entire series... only to realize that the new powers are designed to corrupt her into another one of Crayak's pawns, encouraging her BloodKnight tendencies and getting her DrunkOnTheDarkSide.

** All Werlings have the ability to shapeshift, but most tend to use smaller forms like mice and squirrels, the better to avoid predators. As such, [[SadistTeacher Terser Gibble]]'s capacity ''and'' willingness to use the form of a crow to terrorize his students immediately outs him as a horrible person long before he starts threatening to throw Gamiel to his death.

* ''Literature/TheMagicians:'' In the finale, Alice ends up clashing with the Beast in a ShapeshifterShowdown. As the best and brightest of the Physical Kids, Alice has a huge variety of forms to choose from, including a lion, an anaconda, a bear, a giant scorpion, and even a dragon -- befitting her imagination and wisdom. However, the Beast only uses his powers to make himself progressively bigger to the point that he can even coldcock a dragon, a sure sign of his own all-consuming narcissism and his nature as a PsychopathicManchild.
* ''Literature/RedDwarf'': The Polymorph in ''Better Than Life'' is first encountered transforming by [[TransformationHorror splitting open and turning inside out]], accompanied by [[ShapeshiftingSound sickening crunching sounds]], firmly identifying it as a villain long before it attacks. By contrast, Reketrebn the Symbi-morph of ''Last Human'' shapeshifts by simply turning blue and folding in on themself. Plus, despite having a range of forms almost as impressive as the Polymorph's, Reketrebn never uses their powers for offense: even when cornered and directly threatened, they prefer to [[StoneWall hunker down as a sofa until their attackers get bored]] -- indicating that they're more trustworthy than the Symbi-morph mutineers aboard the ''Mayflower.''

* Played with in ''Series/DoomPatrol2019'' with Rita Farr and Laura de Mille, where the mostly-good Rita lacks the self-confidence to control her transformations and thus often turns into a freakish, blob-like form, whereas Laura has nearly-perfect control of her transformations but consistently acts in her own interests, even if it screws everyone else over.

* ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'': Though vampires rarely qualify as clear-cut heroes, two Clans possess shapeshifting powers: the Gangrel have the ability to become animals like wolves and bats, their powers gradually accelerating to becoming mist, soil, or even fire -- their choice of strictly natural forms cementing their nature as anti-heroes. The Tzimisce, on the other hand, have the ability to [[{{Biomanipulation}} warp their flesh by touch]], allowing them to not only disguise themselves as human beings, but also transform into armor-plated killing machines, animate puddles of blood, and giant carnivorous bats -- easily identifying the Tzimisce clan as a villain faction even if you aren't aware of their ''other'' [[ForcedTransformation unpleasant]] [[ColdBloodedTorture habits]].

** As a result of being an evil clone created by Trigon, Beast Boy's doppleganger always takes forms coloured pale white with red eyes. For good measure, all of the forms it takes over the course of their ShapeshifterShowdown are predators.

** As a result of being an evil clone created by Trigon, Beast Boy's doppleganger always takes forms coloured pale white with red eyes. For good measure, most of the forms it takes over the course of their ShapeshifterShowdown are predators.

** BlackAndGreyMorality aside, most of the more "heroic" Garou appear healthy in all their forms, since deformity is considered by some tribes to be a sign of [[EldritchAbomination Wyrm]] corruption. By contrast, the Wyrm-worshipping [[EvilCounterpartRace Black Spiral Dancers]] are frequently disfigured, either due to being metis-born or exposure to the Wyrm's corrupting radiation, and their Crinos forms reflect this: expect to see red or green GlowingEyesOfDoom, grotesque bald patches, and fur colors featuring jet-black, greenish grey, or even [[EvilAlbino stark white]] tones.

* ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'': Though vampires rarely qualify as clear-cut heroes, two Clans possess shapeshifting powers: the Gangrel have the ability to become animals like wolves and bats, their powers gradually accelerating to becoming mist, soil, or even fire -- their choice of strictly natural forms cementing their nature as anti-heroes. The Tzimisce, on the other hand, have the ability to warp their flesh by touch, allowing them to not only disguise themselves as human beings, but also transform into armour-plating killing machines, animate puddles of blood, and giant carnivorous bats -- easily identifying the Tzimisce clan as a villain faction even if you aren't aware of their ''other'' [[ForcedTransformation unpleasant]] [[ColdBloodedTorture habits]].

!!Examples

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', the villain Ganondorf turned into the demon boar Ganon while sealed in the Dark World. Although the hero Link can use the Moon's Pearl to withstand the magic of the Dark World, getting hit by a Rabbit Beam turns him into a fluffy pink bunny.

'''1) GoodColorsEvilColors.''' For reasons unknown, the shapeshifters just can't resist tinting their forms certain colours to distinguish themselves. Though what constitutes a good or bad colour varies from work to work, it's popular for good shapeshifters to use bright or inviting shades, while villains will use darker and more ominous tones - [[RedIsHeroic scarlet for a hero]], [[RedIsViolent crimson for a villain]], for example.

[[folder: Comic Books]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Exiles}}'': Morph, the resident shapeshifter and PluckyComicRelief, usually makes himself seem as cartoonish as possible regardless of what form he takes. Also, while he regularly [[{{Animorphism}} becomes animals]], [[{{Objectshifting}} becomes objects]], distorts his own physique, and even switches his costume on the fly, he rarely ever disguises himself as another sapient being - a sign that he's a fundamentally principled shapeshifter despite his immaturity. When [[ComicBook/XMen Proteus]] takes over Morph's body, he instantly distinguishes himself by his willingness to use the identities of others - even [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveSupernaturalPowers gloating over everything he can get away with thanks to his powers of disguise]] - and often shapeshifts in a showy, vainglorious fashion in conjunction with his own RealityWarper powers, the better to emphasize his god complex.

[[folder: Films - Animated]]

* ''WesternAnimation/Nimona2023'': Nimona's nature as a semi-heroic shapeshifter is emphasized by the fact that almost all her forms are coloured [[RoseHairedSweetie pastel scarlet]], to the point that she can't resist adding pink hair or pink irises while impersonating humans. Plus, most of them tend to look cute and cuddly - even the whale. By contrast, [[spoiler: in the Institute's propaganda of "Gloreth's Monster", Nimona is portrayed as a huge, menacing dragon rendered all in black.]] As such, in the finale, [[spoiler: when Nimona suffers a HeroicBSOD and becomes a pitch-black EldritchAbomination, it's a sure sign that she's all but crossed the DespairEventHorizon.]]
* ''Literature/{{Paprika}}'' (adaptation): In dreams, many characters have the ability to shapeshift in some way. Paprika often transforms into cartoon mascots, toys, fairies, sphinxes, mermaids, and other fantastical things, reflecting her heroism and whimsy; Tokita takes the form of a toy robot, befitting his [[{{Manchild}} innocence]]; Dr Shima, as the friendly MissionControl, becomes faces in the clouds or talking billboards. However, the villain of the story [[spoiler: Chairman Inui]] chooses to manifest himself as [[WhenTreesAttack animated trees]], [[MonsterWhale undersea leviathans]], even a shadowy giant - all reflections of his god complex.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSwordInTheStone'': During their ShapeshifterShowdown, Merlin and Madam Mim's choice of forms highlight their morality. The WickedWitch Mim generally takes large and/or predatory forms: a crocodile, a fox, a chicken, an elephant, a tiger, a rattlesnake, and a rhinoceros - all [[PsychoPink coloured pink]]. By contrast, the benevolent wizard Merlin prefers to take smaller, less threatening forms in [[BlueIsHeroic blue and grey]]: a tortoise, a rabbit, a caterpillar, a walrus, a mouse, a crab, and a goat... and yet, he still manages to use these apparently lesser forms to [[DavidVersusGoliath outwit and overcome her]]. In the finale, Mim loses her temper and becomes a dragon... [[spoiler: only for Merlin to defeat her by becoming an infectious disease.]]

[[folder: Films - Live-Action]]
* ''Film/{{Society}}'': The elite of Society use their shapeshifting powers in the most repulsively visible fashion possible, twisting their flesh like plasticine and merging their bodies with each other as they feed upon the poor. They're also [[NakedNutter extremely casual about stripping down]] while transforming. By contrast, the [[TokenHeroicOrc two heroic members of Society]] are much more discreet; in particular, [[spoiler: Clarissa]] prefers to use her powers while at least wearing a ModestyBedsheet, and generally comes across as sexy and playful rather than inhumanly disturbing.

* ''Film/TheWitches1990'': ForcedTransformation variant. When they're transformed into mice by Formula 86, Luke and Bruno look like relatively ordinary mice, as brought to life by Jim Henson. By contrast, [[spoiler: when the Grand High Witch is dosed with the Formula, her intermediary form looks like a monstrous cross between a rat and a lizard, presumably the result of her own rotten appearance affecting the change. Even once she's fully transformed, she's immediately distinguished from all the other transformed witches by the fact that she's completely bald.]]
* ''Film/TheWitches2020'': Luke, Bruno, and Mary all appear distinctly cute as mice. By contrast, witches who are given the Grand High Witch's formula become ferocious ''rats'' instead. In the finale, [[spoiler: the Grand High Witch gets her own dose of the formula catapulted into her mouth: not only does she become a rat instead of a mouse, she's also bald-headed, covered in patchy black fur, and looks nothing short of monstrous.]]
* ''Film/TheWolfman2010'': In a departure from the original film, Lawrence Talbot's tragic werewolf hero is contrasted by a werewolf BigBad, [[spoiler: namely his father Sir John Talbot]]. When the two clash in the finale, the moral differences between the two are made abundantly clear in their transformation: Lawrence's transition is slow, awkward, and painful, while [[spoiler: Sir John]]'s is smooth, elegant and complete in a matter of seconds; Lawrence keeps his clothes on while transformed, while his opponent [[NakedNutter eagerly tears his shirt off]]; finally, [[spoiler: Sir John]] is much stronger and even more brutal in combat than Lawrence - all reflections of the BigBad's nature as a FullyEmbracedFiend.

[[folder: Literature]]

*** When the group decide to allow David into the group, he opts to acquire a Golden Eagle as his first morph [[BiggerIsBetter for its sheer size]], ignoring the group's recommendation to try something smaller and more manageable. None of the Animorphs entirely comfortable with the outcome of the ensuing argument, especially Tobias, who notes that Golden Eagles are in the habit of attacking other raptors. [[spoiler: This is actually an early hint that David is going to turn traitor.]]
*** Generally, the Animorphs try to avoid using human morphs unless they have the consent of the donor, as it's essentially an act of theft, and any situation in which they break the rule is considered desperately serious. As such, it's another red flag when David gets casual about morphing Controllers and even fellow Animorphs with zero consent. Later, David takes this further when [[spoiler: he replaces Jake's cousin Saddler while he's in hospital, and though it's never specified if he went so far as to enact a SickbedSlaying [[note]]K.A. Applegate has since stated that David didn't kill Saddler[[/note]] or just stole his identity after he flatlined, the fact that he was willing to exploit the grief of Saddler's parents to essentially get himself adopted is a sign that David is now beyond redemption.]]
*** In the finale of this particular trilogy, David makes use of [[YouDirtyRat a rat morph]] [[spoiler: in order to track down the hidden Escafil device... only to end up caught in a trap by the Animorphs and left there until his two hours are up, leaving him as a rat for the rest of his life. ]] For good measure, [[spoiler: when he finally re-emerges later in the series, the rat morph blends perfectly with his sneaky, vicious nature]].]]

** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban:'' It's eventually revealed that the Marauders were a StudentsSecretSociety consisting of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs - a werewolf and three unlicensed animagi. Prongs took the form of a stag, Padfoot a dog, and Wormtail a rat; not so surprisingly, [[YouDirtyRat Wormtail]] turns out to be a coward and traitor to the three heroic shapeshifters. [[spoiler: His real name is Peter Pettigrew, the man who sold out Harry's parents to Voldemort and left Sirius Black AKA Padfoot as the fall guy.]]
** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'': [[spoiler: Rita Skeeter is a sneaky, underhanded tabloid journalist who just happens to be another unlicensed animagus, this one with the form of a beetle - allowing her a gift for spying on people... up until Hermione figures out the truth and traps her in a jar.]]
* ''Literature/TheMagicians:'' In the finale, Alice ends up clashing with the Beast in a ShapeshifterShowdown. As the best and brightest of the Physical Kids, Alice has a huge variety of forms to choose from, including a lion, an anaconda, a bear, a giant scorpion, and even a dragon - befitting her imagination and wisdom. However, the Beast only uses his powers to make himself progressively bigger to the point that he can even coldcock a dragon, a sure sign of his own all-consuming narcissism and his nature as a PsychopathicManchild.
* ''Literature/RedDwarf'': The Polymorph in ''Better Than Life'' is first encountered transforming by [[TransformationHorror splitting open and turning inside out]], accompanied by [[ShapeshiftingSound sickening crunching sounds]], firmly identifying it as a villain long before it attacks. By contrast, Reketrebn the Symbi-morph of ''Last Human'' shapeshifts by simply turning blue and folding in on themself. Plus, despite having a range of forms almost as impressive as the Polymorph's, Reketrebn never uses their powers for offense: even when cornered and directly threatened, they prefer to [[StoneWall hunker down as a sofa until their attackers get bored]] - indicating that they're more trustworthy than the Symbi-morph mutineers aboard the ''Mayflower.''

[[folder: Live Action TV]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'': Though vampires rarely qualify as clear-cut heroes, two Clans possess shapeshifting powers: the Gangrel have the ability to become animals like wolves and bats, their powers gradually accelerating to becoming mist, soil, or even fire - their choice of strictly natural forms cementing their nature as anti-heroes. The Tzimisce, on the other hand, have the ability to warp their flesh by touch, allowing them to not only disguise themselves as human beings, but also transform into armour-plating killing machines, animate puddles of blood, and giant carnivorous bats - easily identifying the Tzimisce clan as a villain faction even if you aren't aware of their ''other'' [[ForcedTransformation unpleasant]] [[ColdBloodedTorture habits]].

[[folder: Toys]]

[[folder: Video Games]]

** In the Mage Origin, it's revealed that demons and dreamers have the ability to shapeshift in [[SpiritWorld the Fade]], with [[SelfPerceptionShapeshifting self-image often determining a default form]] - hence why the lost mage known only as "Mouse" commonly manifests as a mouse. If you manage to persuade the Sloth Demon to teach Mouse how to become a bear, your companion will successfully gain a combat shape... but it's an ordinary grizzly bear, in contrast to the Sloth Demon's spikey, disfigured Bereskarn form, indicating that he's still a fundamentally decent person despite his bitterness. [[spoiler: And then the whole thing is subverted when it turns out that Mouse is actually the Pride Demon you've been pitted against.]]
** The nominally heroic Morrigan and any Mage characters that accept her tutelage have the power to become giant spiders, bears, swarms of insects, and more hideous variants of the three. Her more openly villainous mother Flemeth has even more impressive powers, which you discover if you decide to kill her before her plans for Morrigan come to fruition: [[spoiler: Flemeth can become ''a dragon.'']]

[[folder: Western Animation]]

** [[spoiler: Also implied with Adonis, who became a werebeast in a similar way in the same episode and actually was evil, attacking Raven.]]

* ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'': Though vampires rarely qualify as clear-cut heroes, two Clans possess shapeshifting powers: the Gangrel have the ability to become animals like wolves and bats, their powers gradually accelerating to becoming mist, soil, or even fire - their choice of strictly natural forms cementing their nature as anti-heroes. The Tzimisce, on the other hand, have the ability to warp their flesh by touch, allowing them to not only disguise themselves as human beings, but also transform into armour-plating killing machines, animate puddles of of blood, and giant carnivorous bats - easily identifying the Tzimisce clan as a villain faction even if you aren't aware of their ''other'' [[ForcedTransformation unpleasant]] [[ColdBloodedTorture habits]].

* ''Literature/RedDwarf'': The Polymorph in ''Better Than Life'' is first encountered transforming by [[TransformationHorror splitting open and turning inside out]], accompanied by [[ShapeshiftingSound sickening crunching sounds]], firmly identifying it as a villain long before it attacks. By contrast, Reketrebn the Symbi-morph of ''Last Human'' shapeshifts by simply turning blue and folding in on themself. Plus, despite having a range of forms almost as impressive as the Polymorph's, Reketrebn never uses their powers for offense: even when cornered and directly threatened, they prefer to [[StoneWall hunker down as a sofa until her attackers get bored]] - indicating that they're more trustworthy than the Symbi-morph mutineers aboard the ''Mayflower.''