[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/646835_darkchyldewallp9_3.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Our heroine, [[SexyPackaging wearing slightly more clothing than usual.]]]]

''Darkchylde'' is a BadGirlComic book series written and drawn by Randy Queen. First published in 1996 by [[ShapedLikeItself Darkchylde Publishing]], and later published through a wide variety of publishers (including Creator/ImageComics through Wildstorm), the series focuses on the life of Ariel Chylde, who, thanks to a contract with the devil made by her mother, has been cursed with the ability to transform into the creatures of her nightmares.

In 2005, Creator/DarkhorseComics published an OELManga based on the character. Intended as a LighterAndSofter reboot/retelling, the series was CutShort after only its first two issues.

In 2007, Queen announced plans to turn ''Darkchylde'' into a live-action film, with Creator/JohnCarpenter set to direct. Needless to say, it's long been stuck in DevelopmentHell. In 2016, Queen published the first in a series of new [[YoungAdultLiterature YA-Novels]], ''Darkchylde: The Ariel Chylde Saga'', based on the comic. [[IronicEcho These too have fallen into Development Hell.]]

Not to be confused with [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy]], or ComicBook/{{Magik}} and her demon persona, [[{{Expy}} regardless of how much they look alike]].

!!''Darkchylde'' provides examples of:

* AttemptedRape: By Ariel's "father". It triggers her first transformation, and results in his immediate barbequing.
* BeautyToBeast: What happens as a result of the curse.
* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Averted with Ariel's transformations.
* BodyHorror: The reason Ariel's transformations aren't an example of CursedWithAwesome. They aren't pretty, and they hurt immensely.
* BoobsAndButtPose: Used oh-so-much!
** The pose is used to such an extent that the series became something of a meme on ''Escher Girls'', a Tumblr blog dedicated to ''making fun of this trope''.
* CutShort: The OELManga was cancelled after only its second issue.
* HealingFactor: [[spoiler:When a demon rips one of Ariel's arms off, she learns that she can regrow it by shifting into one of her nightmare forms and then reverting to human.]]
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: The demon Piece, who, while acerbic and hot tempered, does genuinely like to see Ariel happy.
* MagicPants: When she reverts from her transformation into Fang, a huge dragon, she's still wearing her jeans, which, though tattered, have still mostly survived the transformation.
* MissingMom: Ariel's mother died when Ariel was 4 years old. [[spoiler:Mother is still around as Sage, though.]]
* PacifiedAdaptation: The OELManga, which reimagines Ariel Chylde as KidHero and strips out most of the blood and sexual undertones.
* PainfulTransformation: Ariel describes her transformations in terms of bones snapping, breaking and re-forming.
-->'''Ariel:''' It isn't like dying and being reborn... it '''IS''' dying and being reborn.
* RainOfBlood: How Ariel discovers the body of poor little Billy.
* ShapeshiftingSound: Ariel's transformations feature the classic crunch, and she herself describes it in terms of bones breaking and reforming, saying that it is literally dying and being reborn.
* TanLines: In issue 2 reveals that Ariel [[https://2.bp.blogspot.com/NX4MIXiisTg234D1nVCWOxu4TdmIf_kkK7bBNbxjZVRd5uO5bOcEyD0jTXxY73aclP9ZkymWetBfTZR5FWYd5W_y01f4FTuRXjIHXDLh_2aokTEt2ojBrXmUXYN4l-U8UYP2bg=s0 has one]] while she is naked.
* XtremeKoolLetterZ: It was the Nineties, what can we say?
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