History Main / Familiar

* In ''Film/TheCrow'', the titular animal is effectively a familiar for the main character although, unknown to the main character, the crow also [[spoiler:serves as the main character's SoulJar -- wounding it will remove his HealingFactor, and killing it will make him mortal again]].

[-[[caption-width-right:350:The laws of sorcery absolutely require that you don't have allergies.]]-]

->''"Well, there isn't really ONE big reason, but a lot of good reasons. First, your familiar isn't just a pet; she's your ally. She's the best friend that I've ever had, and that I'm ever likely TO have. She listens to me, and tells me when my head is up my-- er-- when I'm playing silly head games with myself. She can see invisible beings and forces, even when I'm not looking for them, so she watches my back. And heterodyning your magical power with an ally never hurts. And Boots gets... Hey, what DO you get out of it, Boots?" Boots answered by sprawling on her back to allow her tummy to get rubbed. "Oh. Right. That."''
-->-- '''Foxfire''', explaining why wizards have familiars, in the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'', [[https://whateley.academy/index.php/story/bostonbrawl-ii-this-time-it-s-personal 'Boston Brawl II']]

A familiar is a creature that has been magically bound to a person in a master-and-servant type of relationship. The actual type of familiar varies greatly; it is typically a small animal ([[AllWitchesHaveCats such as a witch's cat]]), but can be anything, including demons or even human beings. Similarly, the type of bond can vary: in some cases, it is nothing more than the ability to [[SpeaksFluentAnimal understand]] what the familiar says ([[TalkingAnimal if it speaks]]) while in others the familiar ''is'' the source of the character's powers. But there ''must'' be a specific bond; just having a magical creature as a companion doesn't count. The "master" need not be a sorcerer, either -- many stories have a normal person gain a familiar by accident, often resulting in trouble.

This is based on the medieval belief that {{Satan}} granted demon servants (in animal form) to witches [[DealWithTheDevil as part of their pacts]] and that "cunning folk" (white witches, herbalists, folk healers) were assisted by good spirits. The idea has since evolved greatly in Fantasy fiction, and even some Science Fiction settings have similar concepts ({{telepath|y}}ic pets, for example, or even a RobotBuddy, especially if [[RobotDog animal-like]]). Compare BondCreatures, EmpathyPet, {{Mons}}, and RightHandCat. The familiar usually acts as an AnimalEyeSpy to their master.

Because AllWitchesHaveCats, cats, and especially black ones, are the most common variant for female magic users. Frogs and toads, bats, owls, small [[OurImpsAreDifferent imps]], and sometimes snakes are also very common. In theory, however, a familiar can be just about anything.

Today, most witches draw a distinction between a "familiar spirit", which is more like your "personal demon/daimon", and an animal "familiar" which is an animal you bond with. Sometimes the term refers to your own alter ego behaving independently; your ShadowArchetype self. In any case, the "familiar" is so called because it stands in a close personal connection to you.

** 5[[superscript:th]] edition makes summoning a familiar a first-level wizard spell, potentially usable by wizards or anyone with the Ritual Caster or Magic Initiate feat. There is also an unspecified ritual to make an already existing animal (such as a Pseudodragon) into your familiar. Both the spell and ritual has upsides and downsides, with the spell giving a mystical spirit that's closely tied to your character, while the ritual gives a more independent familiar that can act on its own without receiving orders, but lacks many of the spell's mystical properties.

* In ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'' the PlayerCharacter has one in the form of a ServileSnarker [[LosingYourHead talking skull]] named Morte.

* in "Literature/NoNeedForACore", one of the MCs temporarily has a magical construct as a familiar, and another one can use his own shadow as a familiar. There is also a [[ChildProdigy precocious]] young [[BlackMagicGirl witch]] with a slime familiar, and a character may be gaining a familiar in the future.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12748824/1/ Never Tear Us Apart]]'', Franchise/HarryPotter becomes bonded to [[VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}} Lilith Aensland]]. As it turns out, the part of Morrigan's power that would gain sentience and become Lilith was accidentally released and fused with Lily Evans' unborn child. From then on, she was present as Harry's NotSoImaginaryFriend, until the events of [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire the Tri-Wizard Tournament]] caused Lilith to finally break out and gain a physical body. Their bond also has some shades of MagicContractRomance, as growing up together has made them feel love towards each other.

** Played with, in that ''Harry'' is ''Mouse's'' [[ThisIsMyHuman human Familiar]].[[note]]It should be noted that Mouse is less a regular dog, and more a Fu Dog or Chinese Guardian Lion. An ''angel'' later refers to him as "little brother."[[/note]]

** The animated series confirms this, aside from the fact that it shows that birds and other normal animals do not normally talk in the Aladdin universe and thus Iago was magically enhanced by Jafar.

** Good mages also often have them.

* ''Daemon Bride: Additional Gain'' is a FightingGame that's a cross between Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and the VideoGame/GuiltyGear series. Each character is bonded with either an angel, demon or some other supernatural being. An example is Eve having the demon Beezlebub as her partner.

* In Creator/VernorVinge's proto-{{cyberpunk}} novella, ''Literature/TrueNames'', the "wizards" (hackers) of [[{{Cyberspace}} The Other Plane]] often have small, specialized programs appear as animals that they call their familiars. When Virginia, the federal officer in charge of Mr. Slippery's case, comes online, she takes a frog form and pretends to be Slip's familiar.
* In Mercedes Lackey's ''Literature/{{Valdemar}}'' series, [[HeterosexualLifePartners Tarma and Kethry]] end up with a unique version of this. [[SquishyWizard Kethry]] cast a spell to summon a familiar, but when Warrl responded to the call, he chose to become [[LadyOfWar Tarma's]] familiar instead, much to Kethry's chagrined amusement.

[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/TheSwordInTheStone https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rsz_merlin_and_archimedes.jpg]]]]

* The spell Familial Bond in ''VisualNovel/TyrionCuthbertAttorneyOfTheArcane'' allows the caster to form an unbreakable bond with a creature. Normally this is an animal [[spoiler:but can also be a demon, like in Beatrice's case]]. The mage can communicate telepathically with the familiar over any distance, [[AnimalEyeSpy see through its eyes]], and cast spells from its location.

* In ''Fanfic/TheresMoreMagicOutThere'', Alix Kubdel's attempt to subdue [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent full-moon werewolf]] Chloe Bourgeois ends up turning the latter into her familiar after she uses the wrong spell. The familiar bond allows them [[{{Synchronization}} to feel each other's pain and emotions]], enough that Alix [[spoiler:could siphon the transformation pains when Chloe is under a fullmoon]]. The pain was so intense that [[spoiler:Chloe broke the bond to protect Alix]].

** Familiars do not have to be non-human. In fact, it's apparently possible to have a non-human mage bond a human familiar.

* The "Manas" in the ''VideoGame/{{Atelier}}'' series and especially in ''VideoGame/ManaKhemiaAlchemistsOfAlRevis'', where [[spoiler:the ''main character'' is one]].

* The [[JustForPun minor]] Creator/DCComics villain ComicBook/KlarionTheWitchBoy has a cat familiar called Teekl. He can transform it into a humanoid form to use [[SeriesContinuityError him/her]] as extra muscle.