History Main / ShapeShifterShowdown

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSwordInTheStone'', as the page quote and image indicate. Madame Mim and Merlin engage in a WizardsDuel that involves this. [[spoiler:Merlin beats Mim's purple dragon form by turning into a germ and infecting her.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSwordInTheStone'', as the page quote and image indicate. Madame Mim and Merlin engage in a wizard's duel that involves this. [[spoiler:Merlin beats Mim's purple dragon form by turning into a germ and infecting her.]]

* Shapeshifting demons are common in ''Literature/TheBartimaeusTrilogy'', being summoned by magicians to do their bidding. While they're rarely set against one another directly (the last time someone tried to order a demon to kill another one, it turned out they were friends, and the demon refused the order... [[StuffBlowingUp destroying himself and quite a bit of his surroundings]] as a side effect), fights are still fairly common as a side effect of whatever they're all trying to do. In these fights, plenty of shapeshifting goes on, of course. Bartimaeus notes that an unintelligent spirit will habitually stick to one particular form (typically one that's centuries out of date) often to their own detriment, and demonstrates this in his final fight with the djinni Jabor - Jabor prefers the form of a [[Myth/EgyptianMythology jackal headed man]], and when [[spoiler:he strays too close to an interdimensional rift and is sucked in he doesn't think to change shape, while Bartimaeus inwardly observes that any spirit with half a brain could have turned into something with less mass like a gnat in order to fight free and save himself]].

* There are 3 of these in ''VideoGame/ProjectAlteredBeast'' for the [=PS2=], first is a flashback sequence showing a fight between [[spoiler:Luke and Brad]] shown upon getting the Minotaur form, the second is an actual playable fight against [[spoiler:Brad]] and the third is against [[spoiler:Anastasia]]

* Shapeshifting demons are common in ''Literature/TheBartimaeusTrilogy'', being summoned by magicians to do their bidding. While they're rarely set against one another directly (the last time someone tried to order a demon to kill another one, it turned out they were friends, and the demon refused the order... [[StuffBlowingUp destroying himself and quite a bit of his surroundings]] as a side effect), fights are still fairly common as a side effect of whatever they're all trying to do. In these fights, plenty of shapeshifting goes on, of course. Bartimaeus notes that an unintelligent spirit will habitually stick to one particular form (typically one that's centuries out of date) often to their own detriment, and demonstrates this in his final fight with the djinni Jabor - Jabor prefers the form of a [[Myth/EgyptianMythology jackal headed man]], and when [[spoiler:he strays too close to an interdimensional rift and is sucked in he doesn't think to change shape, while Bartimaeus inwardly observes that any spirit with half a brain could turn into something with less mass like a gnat in order to fight free and save himself]].

There's nothing quite like the awesome brought to bear when a hero goes into battle with -- or as -- a {{Shapeshift|ing}}er, as they change forms and faces, [[ShapeshifterWeapon grow weapons and limbs]], or use camouflage to hide and strike.

* Shapeshifting demons are common in ''Literature/TheBartimaeusTrilogy'', being summoned by magicians to do their bidding. While they're rarely set against one another directly (the last time someone tried to order a demon to kill another one, it turned out they were friends, and the demon refused the order... [[StuffBlowingUp destroying himself and quite a bit of his surroundings]] as a side effect), fights are still fairly common as a side effect of whatever they're all trying to do. In these fights, plenty of shapeshifting goes on, of course.

* A particularly dark chapter of ''ComicBook/CaptainBritain'' climaxes with a duel between villains Mad Jim Jaspers and the Fury: since Jaspers has the power to [[RealityWarper alter reality at will]] and the Fury is a robot that can [[AdaptiveAbility adapt to virtually any situation]], it's pretty extreme to say the least. In the end [[spoiler: the Fury wins by shifting into a dimension where matter and reality don't exist, leaving Jaspers completely defenseless.]]

* ''WebAnimation/AnimatorVsAnimation'': Animation vs. Minecraft Shorts 21: The Witch comes to a head with a one-on-one battle between Blue and The Witch constantly using potions to shape-shift into various mobs.

* The original pilot for ''WesternAnimation/DextersLaboratory'' (also known as "Changes") had Dexter and Dee Dee zapping each other into various improbable animal forms with a remote Dexter had invented, ending with Dexter and Dee Dee stuck in each other's forms.

* In the short story "Hardshell" by Creator/DeanKoontz (published in ''Predators''), the climax reveals to the reader that the titular detective and the killer that he's tracking down are both alien shapeshifters. [[spoiler:They engage in a shapeshifting duel, and it turns out that the criminal is younger and less experienced. Hardshell simply envelops it in an impervious shell and suffocates it, since they still need oxygen.]]

'''Hobgoblin''': Well, I hope Calvin is ''you'', because his mom's going to have a fit when she sees this.\\

* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', kinda -- in the first test of the [[TransformationRay transmogrifier gun]], Hobbes zaps Calvin into a (scientifically accurate) 2-foot ''Pterodactylus''. Calvin, having thought that ''Pterodactylus'' was one of the larger pterosaur species, is none too pleased with this outcome, so he spitefully zaps Hobbes into a duck. In due course, Hobbes zaps Calvin into a pig, so Calvin zaps Hobbes into a chimpanzee, so Hobbes zaps Calvin into a flower, so Calvin zaps Hobbes into a crocodile, so Hobbes zaps Calvin into an armadillo... cut to "much later", where an owl and a hobgoblin are sulking and wondering who is which. (This is one of the very few {{Sunday Strip}}s to take place in the middle of an ongoing StoryArc.)

* The climax of ''Film/LittleNicky'' sees Nicky and Adrian duel with their reality-warping magic.

* While you aren't ''physically'' transforming, this is actually a major part of the newer ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' games. Each Persona has specific strengths and weaknesses, and the main character can shift through Personae to exploit his enemy's weaknesses while protecting his own. Certain boss fights (most obviously the [[spoiler:Nyx Avatar]] fight from ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'', but also the BonusBoss from each game) involve shifting between Personae (in some cases on a turn by turn basis) to counter your opponent's attacks. Through clever manipulation of Personae strengths and weaknesses, you can take very little damage during a fight. (Except of course, when fighting a BonusBoss, as attempting to use a Persona with a "Null" or "Absorb" effect will result in a OneHitKill).

* Toward the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove'', both [[spoiler:Kuzco and Yzma]] have been unwillingly shape-shifted into animal form, and they fight over [[spoiler: the potion which can turn ''one'' of them back to normal..]]