History Main / StagesOfMonsterGrief

* Many ''JakAndDaxter'' fanfics tend to focus on this, due to Jak's SuperPoweredEvilSide.

The usual first stage is '''[[ZombieInfectee Denial]]''', the character pretends nothing is different, often harming himself and/or others when their HorrorHunger goes uncontrolled, they ignore their new WeaksauceWeakness, or their human mask slips. If they aren't '''DrivenToSuicide''' by taking a [[SuicideBySunlight sunlit stroll]], they reach '''[[VampireRefugee Defiance]]''', where they take out their anger at no longer being human out on the "[[HunterOfHisOwnKind things that made me this way!]]" This can get ethically messy if [[DarkIsNotEvil not all non-humans are evil]], leading to VanHelsingHateCrimes.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''Literature/{{Worm}}'' has [[spoiler:Noelle, a.k.a., Echidna]] go through this, though for her the Denial was short-lived and Anger came in bouts. The Betrayal resulted in a massive battle which, despite claiming fewer lives, was more damaging to the Protectorate than many Endbringer battles.
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Compare [[SheepInWolfsClothing Sheep In Wolf's Clothing]], when a human who's been infected uses their "new allegiance" to [[ProHumanTranshuman betray the monsters in favor of their human friends.]]

* The Forsaken and the Blood Elves in ''WorldOfWarcraft'' cover the entire spectrum. Playable characters generally vary between Defiance and Acceptance with notable villains veering into Betrayal. The creation of the Blight and the general attitude of the Forsaken also carries undertones of Betrayal.

* ''{{Buffyverse}}'':

* Invoked on ''Crimson''. [[FullyEmbracedFiend Joe]] tells Alex that "smart vampires have something called "the five phases of the undead", and that he is on the third, Denial. Later, Alex finds the vampiress that infected him and discovers that she killed his girlfriend to provoke him, making him go into Defiance, so he pursues and kills her. After that, he finally admits that he is a vampire and starts his Acceptance. Joe even lampshades it saying that he is "not anymore in Denial".

* Ophelia of ''{{Claymore}}'' when she becomes an [[BodyHorror "Awakened Being"]], which she had previously had a fetish for hunting. At first, she's in such denial that she hasn't noticed any changes, even her new HorrorHunger for guts doesn't tip her off when she attacks Clare. However, when confronted with her visage reflected in the water, she become immediately distraught and self-pitying. She then blames the heroine she was fighting for all that's happened to her [[spoiler: (Accusations that are surprisingly accurate, but whether or not Ophelia knew they were true or was just lashing out from grief is a matter of speculation)]]. She then attacks the heroine, but soon realizes her situation, as having lost control and turned into a monster, she cannot complete her quest for revenge. Accepting this, she then allows Clare to kill her, as they had the same target for revenge and Clare would continue on.

* All over the place in ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'' and ''TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem''. Notably, the Tzimisce in Masquerade take Embracing The Dark Side to its extreme in the form of BodyHorror flesh crafting. In Requiem, the Ordo Dracul go the other way, seeking to transcend vampiric weaknesses (though not necessarily become human).

* In the vampire light novel {{Shiki}}, every one of the stages can be observed in the various undead characters.

* ''Series/BeingHuman'' has the title characters transition through these stages as they attempt to stabilize in the Acceptance stage. No easy task for a setting on the mid to low levels of SlidingScaleOfVampireFriendliness. Horrifyingly, [[spoiler:Mitchell]] actually goes to the Betrayal stage in the season 2 finale.

* In ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies 4'' [[ComicBook/WerewolfByNight Jack Russell]] claims he has gone through all five stages of grief and has finally accepted [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent his werewolf curse]] after years of struggle. Teammate and best friend ComicBook/{{Morbius}} just thinks he no longer cares whether he lives or dies.

Characters who have been transformed from human into something else tend to get quite a shock, and change as much in morality and mind as they do in body. Much like the FiveStagesOfGrief in real life, these formerly human characters may transition from stage to stage, though not necessarily in any order.

* In ''MarvelZombies 4'' [[ComicBook/WerewolfByNight Jack Russell]] claims he has gone through all five stages of grief and has finally accepted [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent his werewolf curse]] after years of struggle. Teammate and best friend ComicBook/{{Morbius}} just thinks he no longer cares whether he lives or dies.

* All over the place in ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'' and ''VampireTheRequiem''. Notably, the Tzimisce in Masquerade take Embracing The Dark Side to its extreme in the form of BodyHorror flesh crafting. In Requiem, the Ordo Dracul go the other way, seeking to transcend vampiric weaknesses (though not necessarily become human).

* ''PrometheanTheCreated'' exhibits this trope with Refinements. Aurum is Denial - the Promethean pretends to be human in a (usually futile) attempt to pass among them. Stannum is Defiance - the Promethean turns his anger on those around him and seeks fulfillment in such. Mercurius, Ferrum and Cuprum are Acceptance - admitting his inhumanity, the Promethean pushes the limit of his "soul" (Mercurius) or body (Ferrum), or simply retreats from the world for a time (Cuprum). Centimanus, Refinement of Flux, is Betrayal - the Promethean utterly abandons the quest for Humanity, choosing to sink fully into his monstrous nature. (Ironically, if ''Promethean'' were a game about creatures that were once human, Centimanus would be Acceptance. But because it's about monsters trying to ''become'' humans, it's precisely the opposite of what you're trying to do.)

* ''{{The Kingfisher}}:'' The young vampires in this comic are shown adjusting to their new unlife. Only one doesn't have moral issues, having been a killer in breathing days, but Nick the Cutter has other problems.
* ''ZebraGirl'' is a whole comic about this (the protagonist is turned into a zebra-striped demon). [[spoiler:When Sandra snaps and enters the Betrayal phase, things get very dark]].

* ''ZebraGirl'' has a whole comic about this (the protagonist is turned into a zebra-striped demon).

!Examples:

* Because Seth Brundle's painful and humiliating metamorphosis into the titular creature of ''Film/TheFly'' was a ''slow'' one, he transists from horror, denial, fascination with his newfound abilities and finally acceptance in its one month period. Somewhat subverted, however, in that he ''still'' wants to be human again.

* The Forsaken and the Blood Elves in ''WorldOfWarcraft'' cover the entire spectrum. Playable characters generally vary between Defiance and Acceptance, although the Apothecary quests, pre-Wrath Gate quests and many of the new quests in the Cataclysm expansion veer heavily towards Betrayal.

* ''{{Buffyverse}}'': ''Buffy'' previously flashed back to Angelus getting re-ensouled; ''Angel'' covers everything that happened before and after. It should be noted that this is an inversion of the trope as well, since Angel identifies more with Angelus than with with his original self, Liam - who, by the end of the show, he barely remembers being. It could be said that his grief was more over losing his freedom as a vampire by regaining his humanity than having been a human who was turned into a vampire. With his stages being:
** Denial: His attempts to continue his life as a vampire despite his re-ensoulment.
** Defiance: Angel never got to properly experience this stage, since Darla killed all the gypsies who re-ensouled him. He instead took it out on himself during his self-imposed 100 year exile from humanity and vampirekind. Angelus, however, did get to kill Jenny Calendar and an older male relative, both descendants of the gypsies who re-ensouled him.
** Acceptance: After he met Whistler and Buffy.
** Betrayal: Either after making love to Buffy and losing his soul, or....well, stay tuned...

* This is a big part of ''Series/InTheFlesh'' as zombies have to reintegrate into normal society; not just for the zombies themselves but the families and those affected and the community at large. Kieren and his family are deep, deep into denial however that's nothing when compared to Rick.

* In 1990 Marvel Comics presented an ongoing story of Lifeform, a hideously mutated young man, through annual issues of ''ComicBook/ThePunisher,'' ''{{Daredevil}},'' ''Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk,'' and ''ComicBook/SilverSurfer.'' George Prufrock was exposed to an artificial virus which quickly mutated him into a man-eating monster. After several battles, Prufrock learns of a scientist named Lamar Kwiat also suffering from the virus and tells Kwiat what is in store for him if he lives. In a combination of acceptance and driven to suicide, Kwiat agrees it would be for the best if Prufrock ate him. Prufrock does so. . . along with everyone else in the hospital.

* In ''MarvelZombies 4'' [[ComicBook/WerewolfByNight Jack Russell]] claims he has gone through all five stages of grief and has finally accepted [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent his werewolf curse]] after years of struggle. Teammate and best friend {{Morbius}} just thinks he no longer cares whether he lives or dies.