History Main / PossessionBurnout

!!Examples:

* Occurs in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': Satan has to go through a few different host bodies, since they degenerate from his sheer power. [[spoiler: He believes Sam's body has enough power on its own to stand the possession.]]
** Angels are so powerful that they will do this to any host that isn't specifically suited to them. [[spoiler:Sam and Dean]] are the result of generations of breeding to produce viable hosts for [[spoiler:Lucifer and Michael]].

* In ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' Voldemort goes through several host bodies before he can perform a resurrection ritual that gives him a stable new form. He has to resort to things like drinking unicorn blood to keep his hosts alive.

* In an episode of ''Series/LoisAndClark'', a man switches bodies with Clark. Soon after, the Krypronian's body starts becoming vulnerable.

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* Sir Creator/TerryPratchett's {{Discworld}} novel ''A Hat Full of Sky'' introduces an entity called the Hiver, which is so alike in description, purpose and occupation to Garner's Brollochan that you might assume Pratchett had read Garner's book in his youth and "borrowed" the idea. (Although Garner says his conception is not original - he has updated it from Celtic mythology. Pratchett may have read the same root sources.)

* ''MassEffect2''; while there's no gameplay consequences, the fact that [[VillainOverride Harbinger-possessed]] Collectors crumble into ash on their defeat while regular ones leave corpses suggests that there's something like this going on.

* Occurs in ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': Satan has to go through a few different host bodies, since they degenerate from his sheer power. [[spoiler: He believes Sam's body has enough power on its own to stand the possession.]]

* The alien leader Mabus from ''FirstWave'' was pretty much identical to [[spoiler: Anubis]] from ''Stargate SG-1''.

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* In AlanGarner's ''The Moon of Gomrath'', an ancient Celtic demonic entity, the Brollochan, is released form its prison cell by human interference. The Brollochan is an entity that lives vicariously through the senses of people and animals it serially possesses - but no host can contain it for long without burning from the inside and crumbling to death.

* Sir Creator/TerryPratchett's Discworld novel ''A Hat Full of Sky'' introduces an entity called the Hiver, which is so alike in description, purpose and occupation to Garner's Brollochan that you might assume Pratchett had read Garner's book in his youth and "borrowed" the idea. (Although Garner says his conception is not original - he has updated it from Celtic mythology. Pratchett may have read the same root sources.)

* In ''[[VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga Jedi Academy]]'', the Light Side ending has an ancient spirit possessing the villain with the help of an ancient artifact. Once the artifact is destroyed and the spirit leaves... there is nothing left.

* [[spoiler: Dante]] from the 2003 anime of ''Franchise/FullmetalAlchemist'', that's the main reason she needs [[spoiler: the philosopher's stone]] since she needs it everytime she [[BodySurf transfers to a new body]], also it's stated that each body last less than the previous one, also since [[spoiler:[[DisappearedDad Hohenheim]]]] also has swaped bodies at least once, it also happens to him, this is the main reason of why [[spoiler: he abbandoned his family]].

* In ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', this is why Matou Zouken wants the Holy Grail. His method of prolonging life is by possessing and molding other bodies by filling them with worms, but each body lasts less than the previous one, and by the time the game starts, he can only remain in a body for a few months at most.

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* In ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' Voldermort goes through several host bodies before he can performa ressurection ritual that gives him a stable new form. He has to resort to things like drinking unicorn blood to keep his hosts alive.

** It was later revealed that [[spoiler: this was not the case, and that someone had tampered with the genetic sample for Palpatine, which is what actually caused the clone bodies to degrade so quickly. The fresh bodies start to degrade before they are even ready for possession, can Palpatine can't fix it because even the original genetic material used as the template is damaged.]]

* This happens to everyone who's possessed by the ancient evil Tak in the Creator/StephenKing novel ''Literature/{{Desperation}}''.

* ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' has deities very strongly involved in the world's affairs. They are known to possess people sometimes, but can't keep the body in a good shape for long even in the perfect circumstances - it's simply TooMuchForManToHandle.
** Elue Silverhand voluntarily got possessed by Mystra in order to give birth to the innately {{semi divine}} Seven Sisters. Her husband noticed that something very unhealthy goes on, and with an expert's help managed to determine that a very powerful entity rides her, but not who - because, naturally, if the goddess of magic tries to keep a little secret, everyone else is down to guess-work. Since nothing else helped, Dornal decapitated his wife to "free" from the possession. From this point it all got ''really awkward'' for everyone involved, of course.

* In ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'', Whitelegs possession of [[spoiler:Jack Hyland]] was very taxing, though he gradually recovered.

* Sir Creator/TerryPratchett's Discworld novel ''A Hat Full of Sky'' introduces an entity called the Hiver, which is so alike in description, purpose and occupation to Garner's Brollochan that you might assume Pratchett had read Garner's book in his youth and "borrowed" the idea. (Although Garner says his conception is not originsl - he has updated it from Celtic mythology. Pratchett may have read the same root sources.)

* The Bug Alien From the first ''Film/MenInBlack'' movie. By the end of the movie he had grey skin, could barely talk or walk. In this case, it had more to do with the bug wearing an "Edgar Suit" made of flayed skin, so it was natural decomposition.

When a [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon]], [[OurGhostsAreDifferent ghost]], or other [[GrandTheftMe body stealing]] / [[DemonicPossession possessing force]] takes control of a body, it causes the body to rapidly decay and get the wear and tear of a lifetime over a few days or months. Removing the being isn't a guarantee of [[NoOntologicalInertia undoing the damage]], and staying for too long in the same body will likely kill it before long.