History Main / Humanshifting

* This is Tessa Gray's unique power in ''The Literature/InfernalDevices''. Her whole schtick is that she can change her appearance into any humanoid, dead or alive, as long as she has touched an object that belonged to them. She's turned into both males and females.

!!Examples

* DependingOnTheWriter, Mystique from the ''ComicBook/XMen'' comics is usually limited to human shapes. Some adaptations have stretched this, though, such as the ''X-Men Evolution'' cartoon that had her turning into animals like wolves (and in one memorable case due to Apocalypse boosting her power, she was able to turn into an entire ''swarm'' of bats).

* Victoria in ''NoOrdinaryFamily'' had the ability to shapeshift into anyone else, even including their personality and superpowers. After she was killed, Stephanie was able to exploit this by temporarily impersonating ''her''.

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' story "The Faceless Ones", the aliens are 'chameleons' - faceless aliens who can transform into duplicates of specific humans through technology.

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* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'', [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-974 SCP-974 ("Treehouse Predator")]]. It can take the form of a any human being that it has killed and eaten.
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** The Changeling race in the TabletopGame/{{Eberron}} setting of has this as its signature power, being able to take on the appearance (and only the appearance, not the other innate powers of) other humanoids. They can also change sex (or mixe sexes, or become asexual) at will.

** Metamorphmagi like Nymphadora Tonks ([[spoiler:or her son Teddy Lupin]]) have the ability to alter her appearance at will, but must presumably retain a human shape. This is in contrast to Animagi, who can perform {{Animorphism}} into one specific animal.

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'', [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-974 SCP-974 ("Treehouse Predator")]]. It can take the form of a limited type of human being: a child of age 6-12 that it has killed and eaten.

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'', [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-974 SCP-974 ("Treehouse Predator")]]. After killing and eating a human child of age 6-12, over a period of 10-12 days it changes form to match that of the child it consumed.

* In ''Literature/Seraphina'' dragons can only transform into their own human form, called a saarantras (saarantrai for plural, saar for short).

* The First Evil in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' can only transform into real, dead (or ex-dead, or undead), people. You do see occasional glimpse of a demonic face that presumably represents its "true form", however.

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{{Shapeshift|ing}}ers are very common in fiction due to their flexibility. They can turn into a [[{{Werewolf}} wolf]], a [[{{Sizeshifter}} giant]], a tree, a whale, or sometimes only transform into another person.

* Liar's Mask, Due's Inherent Skill in ''{{Nanoha StrikerS}}'', allows her to assume the appearance of any humanoid (though apparently only female of approximately the same height and build as herself).

* An assassin in ''Anime/VisionOfEscaflowne'' steals the appearance of several people (as part of the KillAndReplace routine).

* In ''TigerAndBunny'' this seems to have originally been the extent of Ivan/Origami Cyclone's power, though after the TimeSkip he's able to take on a wider variety of forms.

* This is sometimes the Chameleon's power in ''{{Spider-Man}}'', who is a SuperVillain who has impersonated Spider-Man and some of his RoguesGallery many times. (DependingOnTheWriter, this may be a shapeshifting superpower, or he may just be a MasterOfDisguise.)
* DependingOnTheWriter, Mystique from the ''ComicBook/{{X-Men}}'' comics is usually limited to human shapes. Some adaptations have stretched this, though, such as the ''X-Men Evolution'' cartoon that had her turning into animals like wolves (and in one memorable case due to Apocalypse boosting her power, she was able to turn into an entire ''swarm'' of bats).

* This is the power of the villain Everyman in TheDCU.

* In the ''Literature/LoneWolf'' setting, the Helghasts are [[TheUndead Undead]] with the power to change into a human form. This makes them the perfect spies and infiltrators for the [[EvilOverlord Darklords]].

* This is Tessa Gray's unique power in ''The InfernalDevices''. Her whole schtick is that she can change her appearance into any humanoid, dead or alive, as long as she has touched an object that belonged to them. She's turned into both males and females.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons ''
** The Changeling race in the TabletopGame/{{Eberron}} setting of has this as its signature power, being able to take on the appearance (and only the appearance, not the other innate powers of) other humanoids.
** By extension, the {{Doppelganger}} race (which the Changelings are descended from) has this same power too. Of course, by the way D&D defines "humanoid", they could also become creatures such as harpies or centaurs.

* In ''{{Warhammer 40000}}'', both the Inquisition and the Officio Assassinorum sometimes issue the aptly named drug polymorphine to their operatives that allows them to change into different people to disguise themselves, and occasionally to KillAndReplace their targets.

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* Not uncommon among low-level Shifters in the WhateleyUniverse. Bogus, a student at SuperheroSchool Whateley Academy can only turn into other people, and can't change his weight either.

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone'' episode "The Four of Us Are Dying" features a con man with the ability to shapeshift into anyone he chooses.

** The Changeling race in the TabletopGame/{{Eberron}} setting of has this as its signature power, being able to take on the appearance (and only the appearance, not the other innate powers of) other humanoids. By extension, the {{Doppelganger}} race (which the Changelings are descended from) has this same power too. Of course, by the way D&D defines "humanoid", they could also become creatures such as harpies or centaurs.

* In ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'', just about everyone can transform into other people with ease with the Transformation Technique. There are many variations to this technique.

* In ''Manga/DragonBall'', Oolong and Puar can transform into people and objects.

* ''Series/XFiles'':

** The Changeling race in the TabletopGame/{{Eberron}} setting of has this as its signature power, being able to take on the appearance (and only the appearance, not the other innate powers of) other humanoids. By extension, the {{Doppelganger}} race (which the Changelings are descended from) has this same power too.

* Elliot in ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' has this ability, although thanks to a botched magical awakening, most of his available forms are female. (Properly awakened magic in this setting tends towards PersonalityPowers, so it's been theorized that he won't awaken properly until he finds a female form that in some way represents his true self.) He also has access to a cat-person form, but the transformation is [[PainfulTransformation significantly more painful]].

* DependingOnTheWriter, Mystique from the ''ComicBook/{{X-Men}}'' comics is usually limited to human shapes (some adaptations have stretched this, though, such as the ''X-Men Evolution'' cartoon that had her turning into animals like wolves).

* The Spy in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' has the ability to impersonate members of the opposing team in order to infiltrate their base.

* A villain from ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible'' named [[PunnyName Camille Leon]] can shapeshift into people after an experimental cosmetic surgery.

See {{Doppelganger}}. Compare {{Shapeshifter}} and MasterOfDisguise. Contrast WigDressAccent. For nonhumans that become humans, then that's HumanityEnsues.

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