History Main / PossessingADeadBody

* ''Anime/DigimonGhostGame'': The [[spoiler:Moon=Millenniumon]] in Episode 61 kills a young woman, then possesses her corpse to trick her fiance into bringing the seemingly resurrected body home. From that point on all it needs is to drain her first victim's life force, then claiming two more victims before it turns into [[spoiler:the apocalyptic Zeed=Milleniumon.]]

** Ascians can do this, in addition to possessing living people, as shown when [[spoiler: Elidibus possesses Zenos after his death. In ''Shadowbringers'', Elidibus gets forced out of Zenos’s body and moves on to possessing the long-dead body of Ardbert instead]].

* [[spoiler: Yomiel]] of ''VideoGame/GhostTrick'' is a ghost who is able to animate his own corpse. [[spoiler: This is thanks to a [[GreenRocks radioactive meteor]], a fragment of which is lodged in his body and keeps his corpse perpetually on the edge between life and death, making him virtually indestructible (much like Franchise/TheCrow). By the end of the story, the main character is like this.]]

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'': [[spoiler:Saren Arterius]]'s OneWingedAngel form consists of [[spoiler: the Reaper ''Sovereign'']] reanimating his body, already killed by Shepard ([[spoiler: either in battle or by [[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath talking him into suicide in a cutscene]]]]), using [[spoiler:Saren]]'s cybernetics. This evidently involved some form of mind transfer as well, [[spoiler:because destroying the OneWingedAngel causes ''Sovereign'' the starship's DeflectorShield to fail, letting the Alliance Fifth Fleet finish him off]].

* ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'' has Invictus, who [[spoiler: possesses every dead Gary from countless timelines when they end up in [[EldritchLocation Final Space]], as uses them as part of it's army. When one of these Garys is freed from Invictus' control, it's revealed that it revives the corpses and restores their minds and personailties, and ''then'' it possesses them, [[ForTheEvulz just because it can]].]]

* [[spoiler: Belos]] from ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'', who finds himself in a body that's rapidly falling apart after [[spoiler:possessing Hunter]] didn't work out, [[spoiler:enters his Grimwalker laboratory and possesses a dead Grimwalker that was left behind in the ground. However, considering that possessing a ''living'' Grimwalker was already almost too much for that Grimwalker's body to handle, possessing a dead one results in its body ''immediately'' liquefying and falling apart. However, while consuming the Grimwalker didn't give Belos a working body, it did give him enough energy to climb up to the Collector's castle and possess Puppet!Raine's body instead.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'' has the GrandFinale Movie start off with [[GodOfEvil Unicron]] telling a deceased [[BigBad Megatron]]'s [[OurSoulsAreDifferent spark]] that --thanks to doping himself on [[MadeOfEvil his blood]] while he was alive-- he's BarredFromTheAfterlife and will live again... ''to serve him''. He takes control of Megatron's corpse, resurrects it, [[EleventhHourSuperpower upgrades it]], and inhabits it while Megatron's spark is along for the ride as little more than a prisoner, unable to control his body's own actions. [[spoiler: The movie ends with Unicron being extracted from Megatron's body and banished, leaving Megatron alive and in control of in his restored and upgraded body, whereupon he promptly disbands his faction and [[TheExile exiles]] himself, having undergone a HeelRealization while under Unicron's possession. It is unknown if Unicron's banishment has changed his BarredFromTheAfterlife status.]]

* ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'' operates on AllDeathsFinal, so at best, the {{ritual|Magic}} "The Shadow of Life Renewed" makes a corpse "live" again as a SoullessShell. At worst, it lets a demon, faerie, or other supernatural entity take possession of the body.

* ''TabletopGame/GeistTheSinEaters'': [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Ghosts]] of the dead can learn a special ability to inhabit a corpse, effectively creating a temporary zombie with the ghost's intelligence. Unlike with living victims, the ghost automatically takes possession and can stay for as long as it fuels the power with [[{{Mana}} Essence]]. If a dead body is left in TheUnderworld, it's fair game for any ghost, no special ability required.

* ''Film/TheGravedancers'': After [[spoiler:Kira]] is murdered, Emma's ghost possesses her body and uses it to physically attack the survivors [[AnAxeToGrind with an axe]].

* ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'' operates on AllDeathsFinal, so at best, the {{ritual|Magic}} "The Shadow of Life Renewed" makes a corpse "live" again as a soulless EmptyShell. At worst, it lets a demon, faerie, or other supernatural entity take possession of the body.

Compare {{Necromancer}} and AnimateDead, where the corpse is being reanimated by an outside party who doesn't inhabit the body themselves; OurLichesAreDifferent, a necromancer who possesses their ''own'' dead body; DeadGuyPuppet, where a corpse is literally used as a puppet through non-mystical means; and ParasiteZombie, where the corpse is controlled by a PuppeteerParasite. See also KillAndReplace.

* Using the powers of his Devil Fruit, Brook from ''Manga/OnePiece'' possesses his own skeleton. His actual self is merely a spirit that can leave for the purposes of AstralProjection.

* ''Manga/ChainsawMan'':
** "Fiends" are the classification for [[OurDemonsAreDifferent devils]] that possess dead humans, apparently as [[EmergencyTransformation a means to avoid dying]]. This "possession" lasts for the rest of the Devil's life, effectively making them an ArtificialHybrid. In rare cases, they'll retain their hosts memories, which make Violence Fiend [[ReluctantMonster unusually benevolent]]. Visually, they look like humans with some sort of alteration to their face ([[HornedHumanoid horns]], ExtraEyes, a partially NonhumanHead), and are constrained by human biology (e.g. break their neck and they'll be paralyzed), but still have enhanced abilities and [[HealItWithBlood heal by drinking blood]].
** Denji technically becomes "[[PowersViaPossession possessed]]" by Pochita after dying, though this brings ''him'' completely back to life and control while leaving Pochita dormant.

* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'': The Dark Judges, who are really astral entities, use dead bodies to physically manifest. These have to be specially prepared with chemicals that mutate the bodies, not just any corpse will do. Near the end of "Necropolis", one of them repeatedly tried to resurrect a normal corpse in vain after his previous body was destroyed. They ''are'' capable of possessing living humans, but lack most of their powers in that state.

* When ComicBook/SimonDark was created the malevolent entity that entered the world with him took possession of Dall Moss, and eventually kept possessing him after getting fed up with the original occupant of the body and having him shoot himself in the head.
* ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk'': Doc Samson and Sasquatch do this to each other when Green Door shenanigans prevent them from resurrecting in their own bodies.

* The feature-length animation ''WesternAnimation/HeavyMetal'' has the segment "B-17" that has an aerial sortee of B-17's conduct a bombing raid over hostile territory. One plane in particular suffers heavy casualties, leaving only the pilot and co-pilot alive. During the return trip, a green orb called the Loc-Nar smashes its way aboard, where it reanimates the dead crewmen into shambling zombies hellbent on killing the two survivors.

* ''Film/MenInBlack'': Shortly after landing on Earth, the villain--an alien which is essentially an intelligent giant cockroach--kills the farmer Edgar and proceeds to wear Edgar's hollowed-out skin as a disguise. The resulting impression--a sick-looking man who moves clumsily and turns increasingly rotten as the plot advances--very much resembles a walking corpse.
* ''Film/TheGravedancers'': After [[spoiler:Kira]] is murdered, Emma's ghost possesses her body and uses it to physically attack the survivors [[AnAxeToGrind with an axe]].
* In ''Film/{{Husk}}'', Alex turns the bodies of his victims into {{Scary Scarecrow}}s and [[BodySurf shift his spirit between them]]. However, he can only animate one scarecrow at a time.
* ''Film/DarkCity'': The Strangers (really OctopoidAliens with incredibly strong psychic abilities) can only occupy dead human bodies, hence their pale skin tone and sunken eyes. Presumably this is because possessing a living human would cause them to experience human emotions, which are fatal to their species. They're not picky either; one of them has taken the body of a [[UndeadChild dead child]].

* ''Literature/TheCityOfBrass'': When [[spoiler:Dara]] wants to talk with a marid, an ElementalEmbodiment of water, he kills one of the marid's human priests and throws the body in its lake. The marid animates the corpse, encrusted with lake life and detritus, to speak with him. It's unclear what physical bodies the marid actually have.

* ''Literature/TheLicaniusTrilogy'' has Echoes, spirits from the Darklands that possess the bodies of the Blind's victims. They have access to all the dead body's memories and can fake humanity perfectly until you let your guard down, at which point they immediately try to kill you. Notably, Gifted can use Essence freely against them, despite the First Tenet forbidding the use of Essence to harm humans.
* ''Literature/TheLockedTomb'': Revenants can most easily possess their own dead bodies, but can theoretically inhabit anything with enough exposure to their LifeEnergy or thanergy, i.e., the necromantic energy of their death.
** ''Literature/HarrowTheNinth'': [[spoiler:Commander Wake]]'s revenant jumps between a blade as a HauntedFetter and a corpse that was once cut by that blade, after having previously clung to her own corpse for years, a feat of incredible determination.
** ''Literature/NonaTheNinth'': [[spoiler:Ianthe]] is able to use the corpse of [[spoiler:her former cavalier Naberius]], whose [[SoulEating soul she ate]], as a necromantic RemoteBody from across the galaxy. [[spoiler:Palamedes' ghost later invades the body through a stab wound and takes control of it via a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind.]]

* Similar to the ''Doctor Who'' example, in ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'' there were aliens who needed to use the recently deceased as host bodies. Unlike the ''Doctor Who'' example, and unlike [[CruelTwistEnding the norm for]] [[DownerEnding the series itself]], they were quite benevolent. The worst thing to come out of it was a man who'd had a deceased loved one used as a host having to face the reality that the body's new inhabitant was a completely different person; a TearJerker but not evil or dangerous.

* ''Videogame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'': In one quest, cultists of the [[JerkassGods Deadric Prince]] Boethiah will command you to [[IfYoureSoEvilEatThisKitten perform a human sacrifice to their master to show you are worthy of serving them]]. If you do so, the victims' corpse will be possessed by Boethiah, who will comment on how distasteful they find using mortal flesh as a vessel, then order the cultists to murder one another [[SocialDarwinist with the last one standing becoming Boethiah's champion]].
* ''Videogame/FateGrandOrder:'' This is a massive spoiler regarding the true nature of [[spoiler:the BigBad, "Solomon" - who is [[Literature/TheBible King Solomon]]'s dead body, possessed by the ''real'' BigBad, Goetia]]. The possession grants him a good portion of [[spoiler:Solomon]]'s powers, in addition to almost all of his {{Magic Ring}}s. He also takes over his body's identity for a good part of the story, making our protagonist group fear the identity of said body.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'':

* ''Videogame/GrimDawn:'' The lowest tier of Aetherial enemies are dead bodies that got picked up by aetherial spirits. They're not true undead, but they act very much like zombies due to the uneven control the spirit has. Living bodies can be mutated much further, so they tend to be stronger, but they still do have many uses for the dead.
* Kyouji Kuzunoha and... [[FreakyFridayFlip "Kyouji Kuzunoha"]] of ''VideoGame/DevilSummoner'' are heroic examples. The [[HelloInsertNameHere unnamed hero]] and the real Kyouji Kuzunoha are almost killed early on; the hero dies and comes back in Kyouji's body, leaving Kyouji to BodySurf his way back. In the ''VideoGame/Persona2'' duology, Detective Todoroki's sudden surge in competence is implied to be because he's actually Kyouji Kuzunoha.
* In ''VideoGame/MortalShell'', you play as a white, humanoid... thing that climbs inside corpses it finds lying around. There are four to choose from (five with DLC), each with their own stats and skill tree. Outside of a corpse, you're a OneHitPointWonder, but you have a boatload of stamina to compensate. Once per life, running out of health while inside of a corpse causes you to be shot out of it with great force, giving you a LastChanceHitPoint as you scramble to climb back in before getting hit again. A very expensive upgrade in the skill tree lets you regain your last chance by killing enough enemies.

* In ''WebAnimation/{{Glitchtale}}'' [[spoiler:[[GreaterScopeVillain HATE]] pulls this on Bete Noir as a VillainOverride.]]
* In ''Charlie The Unicorn'' The true nature of [[spoiler:Blue and Pink]] are revealed.
-->'''Charlie:''' The Other Unicorns said I needed to stop the Uhh W something.\\
'''[[spoiler:Ghost Nyx]]:''' They aren't unicorns. [[spoiler: They're Corpses puppeted by demons]]

* Derik in ''Webcomic/IngressAdventuringCompany'' harvested multiple villagers to create a whole new body to possess. Who’s soul is possessing the body is yet to be seen.

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In ''Webcomic/DaughterOfTheLilies'', [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demonic]] Drath spirits can possess almost any body after being {{summon|ingRitual}}ed, generally causing a grotesque TransformationOfThePossessed. When a dead body is used as a host, the [[http://www.daughterofthelilies.com/dotl/e105 results]] are even grosser.
* Derik in ''Webcomic/IngressAdventuringCompany'' harvested multiple villagers to create a whole new body to possess. Who’s soul is possessing the body is yet to be seen.
* ''Webcomic/ParanormalMysterySquad'': In volume 2, the villain, a evil succubus spirit, possesses the body of a recently deceased woman and takes it a her own. Supplementary material reveal that said body was the servant of a another villain from companion series, ''Webcomic/VampireCheerleaders''. After the villain was killed, the villain's sister killed the servant in response out of anger.
* In ''Webcomic/VillainToKill'', Gangu Gwon was dead when Moros transplanted Cassian's soul into his body. Cassian is horrified to learn that Gangu was supposed to survive but died as a result of Cassian taking over his destiny.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Discussed and parodied in ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'':

* ''Literature/TheLockedTomb'': Revenants can most easily possess their own dead bodies, but can theoretically inhabit anything with enough exposure to their LifeEnergy or thanergy, i.e., the necromantic energy of their death. In ''Literature/HarrowTheNinth'', [[spoiler:Commander Wake]]'s revenant jumps between a blade as a HauntedFetter and a corpse that was once cut by that blade, after having previously clung to her own corpse for years, a feat of incredible determination.

* Hosts in ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheForsaken'' are entities somewhat like animal spirits but with their own flesh in the material world. The weaker versions are capable of hollowing out human bodies and controlling the corpses. Spider hosts enter their victim's skull through the ear or nostrils and eat their brains, for example, while rat hosts burrow into the chest and eat the heart.

** Ascians can do this, in addition to possessing living people, as shown when [[spoiler: Elidibus possesses Zenos after his death. In ''Shadowbringers'', Elidibus gets forced out of Zenos’s body and moves on to possessing the long-dead body of Ardbert instead.]].

* In ''Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon Hunting Soccer Mom'' demons constantly wander Earth in spirit form, and can only take physical form by entering the body of someone who has ''just'' died; the window is pretty short. Ever heard stories about someone who survived a horrible car wreck without a scratch, or had a heart attack and then got right back up? Well, now you know how.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'': Ascians can do this, in addition to possessing living people, as shown when [[spoiler: Elidibus possesses Zenos after his death. In ''Shadowbringers'', Elidibus gets forced out of Zenos’s body and moves on to possessing the long-dead body of Ardbert instead.]].

** Dybbuks are incorporeal demons that can possess and animate intact corpses, which they use to embrace whatever vices or depravities are available with a fiendish glee. A dybbuk-possessed corpse appears to be alive and healthy, but the fiend animating it can horrify onlookers by [[ExorcistHead twisting the head all the way around]], having a biped scuttle about on four limbs (or vice-versa), or vomit blood or maggots. The dybbuk can only be defeated in its natural form, which involves either catching it between bodies or kicking it out of a possessed corpse with sufficient physical damage or a spell like ''dispel evil'', though if said corpse isn't beheaded or otherwise destroyed, the dybbuk can just possess it again.

* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'': The Dark Judges, who are really astral entities, use dead bodies to physically manifest. These have to be specially prepared with chemicals that mutate the bodies, not just any corpse will do. Near the end of "Necropolis", one of them repeatedly tried to resurrect a normal corpse in vain after his previous body was destroyed.

* ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'' has Invictus, who [[spoiler: possesses every dead Gary from countless timelines when they end up in [[EldritchLocation Final Space]], as uses them as part of it's army. When one of these Garys is freed from Invictus' control, it's revealed that it revives the corpses and restores their minds and personailties, and ''then'' it possesses them, [[ForTheEvils just because it can]].]]

* ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'' has Invictus, who [[spoiler: possesses every dead Gary from countless timelines when they end up in [[EldritchLocation Final Space]], as uses them as part of it's army. When one of these Garys is freed from Invictus' control, it's revealed that it revives the corpses and restores their minds and personailties, and [[ForTheEvils ''then'']] it possesses them, just because it can.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'' has Invictus, who [[spoilers: possesses every dead Gary from countless timelines when they end up in [[EldritchLocation Final Space]], as uses them as part of it's army. When one of these Garys is freed from Invictus' control, it's revealed that it revives the corpses and restores their minds and personailties, and [[ForTheEvils ''then'']] it possesses them, just because it can.]]

* An accidental and heroic example shows up in Season 3 of ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice''. [[spoiler:Violet Harper aka Halo is the result of a dismantled Mother Box's spirit merging with the deceased body of Gabrielle Daou. Because she possessed Gabrielle's body after death, the Mother Box's soul is the only one present -- aside from some residual memories there is nothing left of Gabrielle. This is why she vehemently rejects being called Gabrielle Daou by Artemis. Even before she realized the full truth, Violet subconsciously knew she wasn't really Gabrielle.]]