History Main / SkinWalker

* An ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' fangame on ''Platform/{{Roblox}}'' called ''Undertale: Last Corridor'' (an asymmetrical PVP game) has an event where you can fight against what appears to simply be Sans from a different ''Roblox'' game: ''Undertale 3D Boss Battles''. [[SchmuckBait Just a normal crossover, right?]] ''Wrong.'' The moment you beat "[=3DBB=] Sans", he quickly distorts and transforms into his true form: an elongated and even seemingly somewhat ''melted'' skeletal abomination known as the ''Bone''walker. In order to banish it, you have to effectively play a game of ''VideoGame/SlenderTheEightPages'' against it, before luring him into a magic circle that banishes it back to... '''wherever the hell''' it came from. [[PromotedToPlayable You then get to play as it and horrify your friends after the event's over!]]

Primarily detailed in many Native American tales, these entities are sometimes portrayed as either practicing witches, aspects of the TricksterGod Coyote, or something [[EldritchAbomination worse]], from the shared mythology of many indigenous American peoples. Skinwalkers are considered one of the most fearsome monsters from Myth/NativeAmericanMythology. In those myths, they have a few extra powers, including {{Telepathy}}, VoiceChangeling (mimicking animal and human sounds) and the creation of poisonous/disease ridden "Witch Powder" or the MagicalEye. Some cannot fully shift into their animal forms and have a [[RedRightHand deformity]] (awkward gait, over-sized feet, etc.) [[GlamourFailure revealing their true nature]].

A Skin Walker, also known as a ''yee naaldlooshii'' (Navajo for "by means of it, he/she/it walks around on four legs") is ''usually'' a person with the supernatural ability to [[{{Shapeshifting}} change their form]] into either [[{{Animorphism}} an animal]] or [[{{Doppelganger}} another human being]].

* In ''Fanfic/CodexEquus'', Skin Walkers are noted as distinct from Werwolves and Werebeasts and more accurate to the actual legends. They're ''extremely'' powerful monsters who won the SuperpowerLottery, with shapeshifting being only one of their abilities, and are among the [[TheDreaded most feared supernatural horrors]] known to Equus. They can only be killed by being stabbed through the head or neck by something dipped in white ash. They're most feared, however, for being AlwaysChaoticEvil, as the ritual to become one requires doing such horrific, monstrous things, even many evil aligned beings [[EvenEvilHasStandards are utterly disgusted.]] The first one to be featured, Severed Strings, is so dangerous and powerful he's capable of easily wiping entire towns off the map if he so desires (and does so once every hundred years) and even a powerful Equestrian Vampire [[spoiler:like Vinyl Scratch]] is terrified of him.

* ''Film/Werewolf1996'' (1996) purports to be a skinwalker, instead of "the white man's [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolf]]." No, it's the white man's werewolf, complete with silver bullets. What's weird is that, aside from really badly mispronouncing "yee naaldlooshii", they actually get quite a few things ''right'' about skinwalkers in the {{Infodump}}, only to throw it all away.

* Featured as the main antagonists in Preston and Child's ''Literature/{{Thunderhead}}''. However, [[spoiler: it ends up being a case of DoingInTheWizard as the skinwalkers gain their powers from creative use of poison and [[PsychoSerum drugs]].]]

** ''Literature/TheHobbit'': Beorn is a rare heroic example, drawing on Slavic myth rather than the more recent forms of shape-shifter myth. Beorn's "skin-swapping" ability to changing into bear and back into human is under his conscious control, and he retains at least enough human mentality to rescue Thorin after he falls in battle. The power seems to run in his bloodline, since some of the Beornings after his time share the ability.
** ''Literature/BerenAndLuthien'': Sauron's vampiric courier Thuringwethil can change shapes between humanoid and iron-clawed giant bat. When she dies and her hide is found by the heroes, Lúthien can use it to transform herself into a vampire and sneak into the BigBad's stronghold.

[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
* In a bizarre case of things looping back around, as many pop cultural depictions of skinwalkers rather sloppily make them like the modern Hollywood depiction of werewolves, the most common central and eastern [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent medieval European idea of a werewolf]] vaguely aligns closer to the Navajo skinwalker than it does its typical modern media incarnation. Medieval European tales of werewolves often described vile, evil persons committing horrid taboos to gain dark magical powers; making them effectively one in the same with a witch or warlock. These included using a wolf skin to take on the form of a wolf as they went about their grim deeds of cursing, inflicting plagues, attacking, and cannibalizing people.
[[/folder]]

** A skinwalker appears in the novel ''Literature/TurnCoat''. While it was mentioned that the term can refer to the the classic version, the human witch, the synonymous term "Naagloshii" formally refers to the entities which teach them the trade: quasi-divine beings that effortlessly shapeshift, grow more powerful the more they are feared, and have an innate ability to know how to cause the maximum suffering in their victims. "Shagnasty", the Naagloshii who shows up in that book gets into a ShapeshifterShowdown with [[MagicalNativeAmerican Listens-to-Wind]] at the end of the book.

[[folder:Mythology]]
* In a bizarre case of things looping back around, as many pop cultural depictions of skinwalkers rather sloppily make them like the modern Hollywood depiction of werewolves, the most common central and eastern [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent medieval European idea of a werewolf]] vaguely aligns closer to the Navajo skinwalker than it does its typical modern media incarnation. Medieval European tales of werewolves often described vile, evil persons committing horrid taboos to gain dark magical powers; making them effectively one in the same with a witch or warlock. These included using a wolf skin to take on the form of a wolf as they went about their grim deeds of cursing, inflicting plagues, attacking, and cannibalizing people. Sound familiar?

* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles''

* A mutant at SuperheroSchool Whateley Academy in the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'' has this power, only he can move his consciousness into an animal and take it over. He can do the same to any person he sees. He even uses the codename 'Skinwalker'. His dormmates had to devise a protocol to keep him from doing this to any of them.

* An early episode of ''Series/TheXFiles'' called ''Shapes'' features a Native American werewolf which, during its transformation, sheds its skin in a snake-like manner. Had the episode been made today it seems likely that the monster would be called a skinwalker, but the writer instead called the beast a Manitou. This is a case of SadlyMythtaken, as a Manitou is a class of Algonquin nature spirit, while the episode treats the term as referring specifically to a lycanthrope.

It is worth noting that ''actual'' information about these beings from Native Americans is incredibly sparse; they refuse to speak about it to outsiders for various reasons. Discussions about it even among Native Americans exclusively is rare. In some cultures, such as the Navajo, it's outright seen as taboo [[SpeakOfTheDevil to even refer to these monsters by name]]. The information often applied to the entities in popular interpretation is effectively just extrapolation and exaggeration of the few known traits. In short, take what's known here and portrayed in popular culture with a grain of salt in terms of how "true" it is to the as-of-yet unknown parts of the wider mythology. Much as with wendigos for Algonquian nations, skin-walkers' depictions [[https://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/2016/03/jk_rowling_embraces_skinwalker.html are typically not met with much gusto on the part of Navajo audiences]], so creative discretion is advised. Many an author have [[SadlyMythtaken mistakenly]] used the term "Skin Walker" for a very modern, Hollywood inspired werewolf with a dash of First Nation exoticism. Such examples often come off as eyeroll inducingly badly researched, to downright offensive.

* {{Averted}} in ''Literature/HarryPotter'''s [[AllThereInTheManual extra materials]], which specifically state that skinwalkers aren't real; Native American {{Muggle}}s just made them up to defame their magical colleagues, particularly those who were also [[{{Animorphism}} Animagi]]. This led to some backlash, since some felt that writing off a real Native American belief so casually was insulting.

Being very similar to [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolves]] and other paranormal shape changers, most skin walkers' abilities are largely powered by [[BlackMagic dark ritual]], and the breaking of native taboos (such as [[ImAHumanitarian cannibalism]], [[VillainousIncest incest]], and [[PoweredByAForsakenChild murder]], especially [[KinslayingIsASpecialKindOfEvil of family members]]) or are heralded to create them. Each nation's version differs in detail. Most Skinwalkers are differentiated from their brethren by being able to take multiple shapes but are not free-form shapeshifters. The myths usually describe them as humans who wear only an animal skin, or an abomination of human and animal forms.

It is worth noting that ''actual'' information about these beings from Native Americans is incredibly sparse; they refuse to speak about it to outsiders for various reasons. Discussions about it even among Native Americans exclusively is rare. In some cultures, such as the Navajo, it's outright seen as taboo [[SpeakOfTheDevil to even refer to these monsters by name]]. The information often applied to the entities in popular interpretation is effectively just extrapolation and exaggeration of the few known traits. In short, take what's known here and portrayed in popular culture with a grain of salt in terms of how "true" it is to the as-of-yet unknown parts of the wider mythology. Much as with wendigos for Algonquian nations, skin-walkers' depictions [[https://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/2016/03/jk_rowling_embraces_skinwalker.html are typically not met with much gusto on the part of Navajo audiences]], so creative descrition is advised.

* ''Series/{{Haven}}'' has a SerialKiller known as the Bolt Gun Killer, who has the ability to wear other people's skins after killing them and then transform into that person. The main characters suspect that the Native American legends of the Skinwalker may have been based on the Bolt Gun Killer's ancestors, as Trouble abilities are hereditary.

* Several {{Creepy Pasta}}s have accounts of people being stalked by abnormally big coyotes who can keep pace with their cars going 60-100 MPH. Others have encounters with animals with GlowingEyesOfDoom and a single human feature (often the face). These are purported to be encounters with skinwalkers, and usually require a meeting with the local shaman (when they can't shoot them with ash-caked bullets from an ash-caked gun or [[IKnowYourTrueName say their real name out loud]]) in order to counter the whammy the skinwalker's put on them.

* {{Website/SCP|Foundation}}-[[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-2750 2750]] is the collective designation for skinwalkers, who still live a pre-Columbian hunter-gatherer lifestyle and shun modern society. [[spoiler:Thanks to the superstitions of Navajo {{muggle}}s and the [[DeliberateValuesDissonance political motivations]] of a Foundation predecessor group, SCP-2750 was nearly wiped out in the 19th century, and now suffers from inbreeding and loss of hunting grounds.]]
* Mentioned by name in a story in Website/TheWanderersLibrary.

* When a werewolf-like alien appears on a reservation in ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'', the "Yenaldooshi" is mentioned repeatedly.

Being very similar to [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Werewolves]] and other paranormal shape changers, most skin walkers' abilities are largely powered by [[BlackMagic dark ritual]], and the breaking of native taboos (such as cannibalism, incest, and [[PoweredByAForsakenChild murder]], especially [[KinslayingIsASpecialKindOfEvil of family members]]) or are heralded to create them. Each nation's version differs in details. Most Skinwalkers are differentiated from their brethren by being able to take multiple shapes, but are not free-form shapeshifters. The myths usually describe them as humans who wear only an animal skin, or an abomination of human and animal forms.

Primarily detailed in many Native American tales, these entities are sometimes portrayed as either practicing witches, or aspects of the trickster deity (Coyote) or something [[EldritchAbomination worse]], from the shared mythology of many indigenous American peoples. Skinwalkers are considered one of the most fearsome monsters from Myth/NativeAmericanMythology. In those myths, they have a few extra powers, including {{Telepathy}}, VoiceChangeling (mimicking animal and human sounds) and the creation of poisonous/disease ridden "Witch Powder" or the MagicalEye. Some cannot fully shift into their animal forms and have a [[RedRightHand deformity]] (awkward gait, over-sized feet, etc.) [[GlamourFailure revealing their true nature]].

Related to VoluntaryShapeshifting, MagicalNativeAmerican. Compare {{Wendigo}}, another monster produced by breaking an extreme taboo from further north. See also OurWerebeastsAreDifferent. Of late, it's been connected to Berserkers and more often than not, used as a shorthand by writers for "American Werewolf."

It is worth noting that ''actual'' information about these beings from Native Americans is incredibly sparse; they refuse to speak about it to outsiders for various reasons. Discussions about it even among Native Americans exclusively is rare. In some cultures, such as the Navajo, it's outright seen as taboo to even refer to these monsters by name. The information often applied to the entities in popular interpretation is effectively just extrapolation and exaggeration of the few known traits. In short, take what's known here and portrayed in popular culture with a grain of salt in terms of how "true" it is to the as-of-yet unknown parts of the wider mythology. Much as with wendigos for Algonquian nations, skin-walkers depictions [[https://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/2016/03/jk_rowling_embraces_skinwalker.html are typically not met with much gusto on the part of Navajo audiences]], so creative descrition is advised.

* {{Wiki/SCP|Foundation}}-[[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-2750 2750]] is the collective designation for skinwalkers, who still live a pre-Columbian hunter-gatherer lifestyle and shun modern society. [[spoiler:Thanks to the superstitions of Navajo {{muggle}}s and the [[DeliberateValuesDissonance political motivations]] of a Foundation predecessor group, SCP-2750 was nearly wiped out in the 19th century, and now suffers from inbreeding and loss of hunting grounds.]]
* Mentioned by name in a story in Wiki/TheWanderersLibrary.

* ''Film/{{Werewolf}}'' (1996) purports to be a skinwalker, instead of "the white man's [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolf]]." No, it's the white man's werewolf, complete with silver bullets. What's weird is that, aside from really badly mispronouncing "yee naaldlooshii", they actually get quite a few things ''right'' about skinwalkers in the {{Infodump}}, only to throw it all away.

It is worth noting that ''actual'' information about these beings from Native Americans is incredibly sparse; they refuse to speak about it to outsiders for various reasons. Discussions about it even among Native Americans exclusively is rare. In some cultures, such as the Navajo, it's outright seen as taboo to even refer to these monsters by name. The information often applied to the entities in popular interpretation is effectively just extrapolation and exaggeration of the few known traits. In short, take what's known here and portrayed in popular culture with a grain of salt in terms of how "true" it is to the as-of-yet unknown parts of the wider mythology.

It is worth noting that *actual* information about these beings from Native Americans is incredibly sparse; they refuse to speak about it to outsiders for various reasons. Discussions about it even among Native Americans exclusively is rare. In some cultures, such as the Navajo, it's outright seen as taboo to even refer to these monsters by name. The information often applied to the entities in popular interpretation is effectively just extrapolation and exaggeration of the few known traits. In short, take what's known here and portrayed in popular culture with a grain of salt in terms of how "true" it is to the as-of-yet unknown parts of the wider mythology.

Being very similar to [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Werewolves]] and other paranormal shape changers, most skin walkers' abilities are largely powered by [[BlackMagic dark ritual]], and the breaking of native taboos (such as cannibalism, incest, and [[PoweredByAForsakenChild murder]], especially [[KinslayingIsASpecialKindOfEvil of family members]]) or are heralded to create them. Each tribe's version differs in details. Most Skinwalkers are differentiated from their brethren by being able to take multiple shapes, but are not free-form shapeshifters. The myths usually describe them as humans who wear only an animal skin, or an abomination of human and animal forms.

* When a werewolf-like alien appears on a reservation in ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}}'', the "Yendaloshi" is mentioned repeatedly.