History Main / ShapeShifterShowdown

* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', kinda -- in the first test of the [[TransformationRay transmogrifier gun]], Hobbes zaps Calvin into a (scientifically accurate) 2-foot pterodactyl. So Calvin zaps Hobbes into a duck, so Hobbes zaps Calvin into a pig, so Calvin zaps Hobbes into a monkey, so Hobbes zaps Calvin into a daisy, 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.)

* At least one version of the story, Literature/PussInBoots also features a limited version of this trope. Via a spell, rather than an inborn ability, Puss defeats the ogre and wins his castle in a shapeshifting challenge rather than an outright fight. He does this by reverting to normal as the ogre changes into a mouse.

* Towards the end of the Disney movie ''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..]]

* OlderThanPrint ''The Literature/ArabianNights'' examples:
** This happens in a crazy sequence during the second Tale of the Kalandar Prince.

* In the [[Myth/CelticMythology Welsh myth]] of Taliesin's legendary origin, Ceridwen creates a magical potion to bestow the gift of ''awen'' (poetic inspiration and wisdom) upon her unlucky son, Morfran. However, the mixture spills on the boy-servant Gwion Bach while he is maintaining the cauldron, granting him the gifts instead. He repeatedly shapeshifts into different forms (a hare, fish and wren) to escape Ceridwen's wrath, but she counters each with her own transformations (greyhound, otter, hawk). He eventually becomes a [[NeedleInAStackOfNeedles grain of wheat]], which she eats as a hen. This makes her pregnant, but he is too beautiful at birth to kill, so she instead [[MosesInTheBullrushes abandons him to the sea]] in either a bag or a coracle. He is renamed Taliesin by the man who rescues and raises him, becoming a great bard from the gift he received.

* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', kinda -- in the first test of the [[TransformationRay transmogrifier gun]], Hobbes zaps Calvin into a (scientifically accurate) 2-foot ''Pterodactylus''. So Calvin zaps Hobbes into a duck, so 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.)

* Towards 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..]]

* ''[[Literature/ArabianNights 1,001 Nights]]'': A princess and a ''jinni'' partake in such a duel in "The Story of the Second Dervish."

* The [[Myth/CelticMythology Welsh myth]] of Ceridwen and Taliesin has one that ends in a pretty unusual way. After being repeatedly foiled, Taliesin becomes a grain of wheat to [[NeedleInAStackOfNeedles hide among all the other grain]], but Ceridwen just becomes a hen and eats all of it. Then, because symbolism in mythology is more important than anatomical feasibility, she gives birth to him. Having become his mother, she can't bring herself to kill him and merely [[MosesInTheBulrushes casts him out to sea in a bag to be found and raised]].

* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', kinda -- in the first test of the [[TransformationRay transmogrifier gun]], Hobbes zaps Calvin into a (scientifically accurate) 2-foot pterodactyl. So Calvin zaps Hobbes into a duck, so Hobbes zaps Calvin into a pig, so Calvin zaps Hobbes into a monkey, so Hobbes zaps Calvin into a daisy, 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.)

* Towards the end of the Disney movie ''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..]]

* Happens in ''The Story of the Second Dervish'' in ''Literature/ArabianNights'' where a princess fights a Djinn by the two transforming into different creatures and attacking each other; a lot like the Disney ''WesternAnimation/SwordInTheStone''.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', Beast Boy is pitted against an evil version of himself in the fourth season finale. Granted, a fair bit of it is offscreen, but the bits that they do show are really cool, especially when Evil!Beast Boy turns into an elephant, so Beast Boy turns into a mouse to frighten him. Played with in that neither Beast Boy is able to overcome the other, leaving this Shapeshifter Showdown a draw. However, ''none'' of the Titans are able to beat their own EnemyWithout, so they switch who they're fighting, and it's Cyborg who defeats Evil!Beast Boy via NoSell. [[CallBack Cyborg always knew he could beat Beast Boy]] [[RockPaperScissors (but of course, Starfire can beat Cyborg, and Beastboy can beat Starfire)]].

** Also done in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'' between Beast Boy and... well, [[WesternAnimation/TeenTitans Beast Boy]] through the use of the Worlogog. They first start mimicking each other before 2013 Beast Boy changes into a mouse to invoke CutenessOverload on 2003 Beast Boy and then knocks him out of the arena.

* The 1998 TVB live-action adaptation of ''Literature/JourneyOfTheWest'', titled ''Journey to the West 2'', have the battle between Sun Wukong the Monkey King against his direct EvilCounterpart, the Long Armed-Ape Monkey, both of them dueling with a myriad of shapeshifting abilities (thanks to some 90s' CG-effects), firstly turning into animals, and then sentient flying weapons, and culminating with the Long Armed-Ape turning into a '''dragon''' to swallow Wukong, which Wukong retaliates by turning into a fly and buzzing out his opponent's nostrils.

* Depends on the fight in ''Webcomic/ButImACatPerson''. With novice (or nervous) Masters, Beings are more likely to enter battle in a single form and stick with it, sometimes with the Masters [[https://www.bicatperson.com/comic/chapter-four-page-4/ agreeing on that form beforehand]]. With more-experienced or more-daring Masters, or creative Beings whose options haven't been limited, look out for [[http://erinptah.com/catperson/comic/chapter-seventeen-page-7/ fast-paced and dramatic changes.]]

* Depends on the fight in ''Webcomic/ButImACatPerson''. With novice (or nervous) Masters, Beings are more likely to enter battle in a single form and stick with it, sometimes with the Masters [[http://erinptah.com/catperson/comic/chapter-four-page-4/ agreeing on that form beforehand]]. With more-experienced or more-daring Masters, or creative Beings whose options haven't been limited, look out for [[http://erinptah.com/catperson/comic/chapter-seventeen-page-7/ fast-paced and dramatic changes.]]

[[folder:Asian Animation]]
* Season 7 episode 35 of ''Animation/HappyHeroes'' has a battle between Kalo and Bael, the latter of which has taken over the former's spotlight. This is a sort of variant since both characters only morph their arms into other things during the fight.
* ''Animation/{{Lamput}}'': In "Shape Shift", the docs give themselves the ability to shapeshift and do their best to outmatch Lamput in his transformations. A downplayed example as no physical combat is involved.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

* In ''Literature/ArabianNights'', the story of Aladdin involves a battle between the Genie of the Lamp and the Genie of the Ring: It starts with Mouse vs Cat vs Dog and goes from there. [[spoiler: There was a part where the Genie of the Lamp turns into a fire-breathing dragon. To counter, the Genie of the Ring turns into a camel and ''[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome spits in the dragon's mouth]]''. In the end, Aladdin cheats and steals his opponent's lamp, gaining control of the Genie of the Lamp and winning by default.]]

* ''[[Literature/ForgottenRealms Cleric Quintet]]'' has one of these, though it's more a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind. A cursed object used to [[GrandTheftMe possess people]], is fighting Cadderly's efforts to destroy it. Good thing he's strong willed.

* ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest''

* ''Literature/LukeSkywalkerAndTheShadowsOfMindor'' has a MindScrew-y sort of mind battle at the end in which the villain cuts straight to the ultimate form, a supermassive black hole. He swallows Luke without an effort... and Luke [[spoiler:becomes a white fountain]], which frees the Big Bad's minions, which has the side effect of killing the villain.

--> The two Hooles surged toward one another, but they moved so quickly that Tash could hardly follow. Her uncle shifted into the shape of a many-horned lizard, while the other Hoole transformed into some sort of giant snake. But by the time they clashed, each of them had morphed two or three more times, until the two combatants were a quivering mass of shrieking, shape-changing flesh.
--> Tash was awestruck. She had never seen her uncle so enraged, nor had she ever seen two Shi'ido fight. No wonder Hoole [[DissonantSerenity always remains so calm]], she thought.

* Subverted in ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' where Odo and another changeling fight conventionally at first and then basically start merging into each other and trying to take control over the other's body. The fight involves no forms other than the humanoid ones they start as and their natural liquid-states.
** Played straight in Creator/PeterDavid's ExpandedUniverse novel, "The Siege." David even mentions this in the introduction, noting that he wasn't restrained by a live-action TV show's budget.

** The French variant of "The Two Magicians" is the folk song "Chanson Des Métamorphoses", except its not explicitly about "gaining the maidenhead" but rather about "gaining the lady's favor", making the shape-shifting duel a metaphor for courtship. In at least one version the lady eventually tells the suitor [[DefrostingTheIceQueen he's gained her heart]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buB5ja5cs1I]],[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUFG1MxlsAo]]

** Another one is in "A Tale Of Porter And Girls" -- princess duels with Irfrit, resulting in both of them turning into fire and dying.

* A ''Magazine/{{Dragon}}'' article from the days of 1st Edition AD&D described how druids would fight duels for the chance to advance to their class's upper levels. It recommended that attaining the highest level should mean winning a Shapeshifter Showdown against the incumbent Grand Druid.

[[folder:Webcomics]]

!!Examples

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSwordInTheStone'', as the page quote and illustration indicates. 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.]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* [=ASPs=] ''Verwandlungen I -- III'' is about a Shape Shifting Battle between Literature/Krabat and his master. It ends when [[spoiler:the master [[StakingTheLovedOne kills Krabats Loved One]]]].

* ''[[Literaure/ChildBallads Child Ballad]]'' #44 ("The Two Magicians") is all about this, but with "duel" replaced by [[ShapeshiftingSquick "attempted rape"]]. Best performed by British folk-rockers Music/SteeleyeSpan on their ''Now We Are Six'' album. Some interpret the ballad as being about [[DefrostingTheIceQueen persistent courtship]] rather than rape, so it may be a case of BestHerToBedHer. Love and courtship represented as some kind of hunt/ contest/ BattleOfTheSexes is actually not an uncommon motif in old works.

* A Kenyan story found in [[http://store.augusthouse.com/productdetails.cfm?SKU=5194 this book]] involves a boy who uses shapeshifting to con people by turning himself into a bull and letting himself be sold, then running away. Eventually he tries it on someone who turns out to be a more experienced shapeshifter.

* ''Literature/TheMagicians'' climaxes with a magical battle between Alice and the Beast, which eventually diverges into this trope: as the classically-trained WeakButSkilled Brakebills graduate, Alice transforms into a lion, an anaconda, a bear, a giant scorpion and a dragon while fighting him; the Beast, being an UnskilledButStrong PsychopathicManchild, just uses his magic to [[SizeShifter make himself progressively bigger and stronger]] until he's at eye-level with Alice's dragon form. [[spoiler: Alice wins by going full-blown OneWingedAngel and fatally transforming herself into a Niffin.]]

* The Magnetic Field's tribute song to Robert Burns, "Wi Nae Wee Bairn Ye'll Me Beget," features one of these between a woman and her prospective suitor. It ends with him turning into God, and her winning by not believing in him.
* ''Child Ballad'' #44 ("The Two Magicians") is all about this, but with "duel" replaced by [[ShapeshiftingSquick "attempted rape"]]. Best performed by British folk-rockers Music/SteeleyeSpan on their ''Now We Are Six'' album. Some interpret the ballad as being about [[DefrostingTheIceQueen persistent courtship]] rather than rape, so it may be a case of BestHerToBedHer. Love and courtship represented as some kind of hunt/ contest/ BattleOfTheSexes is actually not an uncommon motif in old works.
* The French variant of "The Two Magicians" is the folk song "Chanson Des Métamorphoses", except its not explicitly about "gaining the maidenhead" but rather about "gaining the lady's favor", making the shape-shifting duel a metaphor for courtship. In at least one version the lady eventually tells the suitor [[DefrostingTheIceQueen he's gained her heart]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buB5ja5cs1I]],[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUFG1MxlsAo]]

* Frequently appearing motif in fairy tales, often as either between the magician and his pupil/servant (Aarne-Thompson type 325) or with a young man and woman ([[MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter the magicians daughter]]) trying to hide from an enemy (Aarne-Thompson type 313). "Och" (Ukrainan folk tale) is an example of first type. "Jean the soldier and Eulalie, the Devil's daughter" a.k.a. "Belle Eulalie" (French) are an example of the second.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'': When you play a Lunar and your nemesis of the day is someone from the Wyld, this is bound to happen. And the Lunars do fight TheFairFolk on regular basis.

* There are 3 of these in ''Project Altered Beast'' 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]]

* [[Franchise/MortalKombat Shang Tsung vs. Shang Tsung]] kombats.

* This can sometimes happen during [[Film/TheThing1982 Changeling mode]] on ''[[VideoGame/SpaceStation13 Space Station 13.]]'' As demonstrated masterfully during [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLyXIg03opA&feature=youtu.be this episode of Razage's LP.]]

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'', "Clayfaces", invokes this trope when the original, reformed [[TragicVillain Clayface]] (Ethan Bennett) tries to help Batman stop the new homicidal [[GoingPostal Clayface]] (Basil Karlo).
* Some of the best fight scenes in the various ''{{Transformers}}'' series are the ones who know when to mix in a bit of this. ''Beast Wars'', for example, tended to use this during close-range combat.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': Cosmo and Wanda have a "magic fight" in one episode which involves turning each other into undesirable forms.
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'' has Ben go up against Albedo, a former apprentice of Azmuth who had made a copy of the Omnitrix. Their fight involved just about all of Ben's forms between them. (Except [[AwesomeButImpractical Alien X]], naturally).
* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', Beast Boy is pitted against an evil version of himself in the fourth season finale. Granted, a fair bit of it is offscreen, but the bits that they do show are really cool, especially when Evil!Beast Boy turns into an elephant, so Beast Boy turns into a mouse to frighten him. Played with in that neither Beast Boy is able to overcome the other, leaving this Shapeshifter Showdown a draw. However, ''none'' of the Titans are able to beat their own EnemyWithout, so they switch who they're fighting, and it's Cyborg who defeats Evil!Beast Boy via NoSell. [[CallBack Cyborg always knew he could beat Beast Boy]] [[RockPaperScissors (but of course, Starfire can beat Cyborg, and Beastboy can beat Starfire)]].
* In ''Walter Melon'', when Melon and Bitterbug are filling in for Lancelot and Arthur respectively, Merlin uses them to do this.
* A variation appears in ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'' where Magica [=DeSpell=] had a bag of powder that turns whatever the powder is sprinkled on to whatever the person (well, FunnyAnimal, but we digress) wants. The climax is Huey and the Beagle Boys fighting over the powder and transforming themselves and each other with it. It was awesome.
* Most fights between {{Transformers}} involve multiple shifts in and out of robot form. Justified, since their robot forms are better for fighting, but their disguise forms are more suited for transportation. Most fights were had while one side was running away from the other, or while they were vying for control of some [=MacGuffin=].
* Similar to the ''Fairly [=OddParents=]'' example above, one episode of ''WesternAnimation/SabrinaTheAnimatedSeries'' had Hilda and Zelda fighting by turning one another into undesirable forms.
* In the "Whimzee Come Home" episode of the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyAndFriends'' side-series "Moondreamers", Whimzee has one similar to the "Sword in the Stone" example against the Queen of Imagination, but with magic amulets.
* In ''WesternAnimation/IlEtaitUneFois l'Espace'' (''Once Upon a Time... Space''), Psi is prisoner of the Humanoids, and they try to interrogate her for information. To this end, they bring a Cassiopeian telepath who tries to read her mind, but Psi's own PsychicPowers proves to be a match. The ensuing BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind takes the form of a Shape-Shifter Showdown, the telepath first taking the shape of a giant rat in her mind, which she counters by turning into a cat. The caught rat then turn into a snake, and Psi counters with a coyote, etc. This quickly escalates to a battle between Kaiju-like monsters and dinosaurs.

* A variation of this trope is played out in the ''Manga/GetterRobo'' series. In the ''Shin Getter'' manga and the ''Armageddon'' OVA, the Getter Team fights enemies with Getter Robo of their own, and win by luring their foes into rapidly switching between the Getter's forms, gaining advantage due to their skill and speed in completing their combinations faster.

* In ''ComicBook/TheSandman'', Morpheus fought the demon Choronzon in a poetry battle of sorts, where each sought to become something capable of defeating the opponent's previous form. Chronozon tried to trump Morpheus by turning into entropy, the end of all things. Morpheus won by turning into hope.
* The ComicBook/NewMutants became helpless bystanders when the Impossible Man dueled their member Warlock. As both characters are largely pacifistic, the bulk of the battle involved a "beefcake contest". [[spoiler:Impy was ultimately undone by his one weakness: he can't change color.]]
* A shapeshifting duel took place between Impy and Mr Mxyztplk in the IntercontinuityCrossover ''Silver Surfer/Superman'', in which they both took on the forms of heroes from their respective universes.
* Another one of these involving Impossible Man takes place in ComicBook/{{Exiles}}, when they visit an AlternateUniverse in which he can not only transform himself but also other things and went AxeCrazy after an attempt of a supervillain to take control over him had GoneHorriblyWrong. It ends with shapeshifter Morph dueling Impy and winning by making him laugh so much the brainwashing breaks.

* An erotic variation occurs in the ''ComicBook/XXXenophile'' story "Things That Go Bump in the Night".

* In ''ComicBook/GreenLantern 80 Page Giant'' #2, Plas and Kyle amuse themselves while on monitor duty by pitting Plas's shapes against ring-conjurations. The winner is [[spoiler: Martian Manhunter, who sneaks onto the Watchtower, and convinces them they're being attacked by two separate alien monsters]].
* 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.]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Fables}}'' has a couple of magical duels involving Frau Totenkinder (the witch from Hansel and Gretel) and other powerful opponents, and shapeshifting is one of the techniques the combatants employ.
* ''ComicBook/{{Silverblade}}'' #5 features an epic shape-shifting duel between Blackfeather and Jonathan Lord. Blackfeather keeps changing animal forms in an effort to kill Lord, and Lord keeps turning into different film characters to counter him.

* [[http://dc-nation.livejournal.com/159575.html Aurora "Fauna" Andersen versus Black Lantern Garfield "Menagerie" Logan]] in Roleplay/DCNation's version of ''ComicBook/BlackestNight''.

* An early version of ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet3DreamWarriors'' featured one of these between Freddy and Will.

* As quoted above, Merlin and Madam Mim in ''The Sword in the Stone'', both [[Literature/TheOnceAndFutureKing the book]] and [[WesternAnimation/TheSwordInTheStone the Disney version]]. In both versions, Merlin wins by becoming an infectious bacterium, though in the Disney version Mim is merely bedridden instead of killed. It's strongly implied that this is the standard format for a "Wizard's Duel".

* In the short story "Hardshell" by Dean Koontz (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.]]
* Mercedes Lackey's Literature/ElementalMasters series:

* In the climax of ''Literature/DoraWilkSeries''' second book, Loki and Badb fight this way, each trying to outwit another. One of them only manages to gain an edge over another only when [[spoiler:Faoilinara, goddess of those who turn into wolves, forces wolf form -- in which Badb is much more proficient than Loki -- on both of them.]]
* In the FairyTale ''[[http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/authors/asbjornsenmoe/farmerweathersky.html Farmer Weathersky,]]'' after the father has reclaimed his son, [[EvilMentor Farmer Weathersky]] tries to reclaim him, but the boy runs off, shifting his shape to avoid being caught. Similarly in ''[[http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/authors/grimms/68thiefmaster.html The Thief and His Master]]'', ''[[http://www.mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/423.htm Master And Pupil]]'', ''[[http://www.mythfolklore.net/andrewlang/121.htm The Magic Book]]'' and ''[[http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/facetiousnights/night8_fable5.html Maestro Lattantio and His Apprentice Dionigi]]''.
** In at least one version of the story, Literature/PussInBoots also features a limited version of this trope. Via a spell, rather than an inborn ability, Puss defeats the ogre and wins his castle in a shapeshifting challenge rather than an outright fight. He does this by reverting to normal as the ogre changes into a mouse.
* In ''The Doomspell'' By Cliff [=McNish=], shifting forms rapidly in an attempt to outwit each other is a part of the epic battle between Rachel and Dragwena.
* Lloyd Alexander's ''The Arkadians'' features one of these in an in-story folktale. It's quite convincing.
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles''. Near the end of ''Literature/TurnCoat'', [[spoiler: Injun Joe]] and the [[EldritchAbomination Skinwalker]] have one of these. And it is ''[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome awesome]]''.

* In Creator/JoeHaldeman's novel ''Camouflage'', the showdown between the only two aliens on earth comes into fruition when Jack a.k.a. the chameleon decides to follow his natural killing impulse and faces [[ShapeshifterDefaultForm Rae]]/ Sharon / Jimmy a.k.a. the changeling. Rae's ruses include transforming her severed arm in a monster with metal nails, knuckles as eyes, and centipede-like legs; while Jack transformed in a more brute figure: a [[OneWingedAngel neanderthal]]. Since both of them are pretty much immortal the confrontation gets unabashedly gory, it finishes rather unexpectedly though when [[spoiler: the artifact (Rae's partner in action a.k.a her flying sauce) lunges over the chameleon, jailing and freezing him for further examination in their home planet]].

* Piers Anthony used a variant in his Adept series, in which two shapeshifters compete in a race rather than a head-on battle. The participants have a limited number of specified forms they can change into; it's how cleverly they can use these forms to circumvent obstacles along the course that determines which one wins.
* ''Literature/JaneYellowrock'' fights an evil SkinWalker who devoured the liver of its prey and was capable of taking on a vampire form along with the form of anything else it ate.
* Used at one point in the [[Literature/ForgottenRealms Cleric Quintet]]
* A Polish national epic ''Sir Thaddeus'' says common folk attributes this kind of powers to UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte and Aleksandr Suvorov, who were supposed to fight in a duel like that in the middle of a battle.
* A duel between the heads of the FeudingFamilies in ''TheMagiciansOfCaprona'' takes this form.
* The Ursula K. Leguin short story ''The Rule of Names'' climaxes in a shape-shifting duel between two wizards, [[spoiler:one of which turns out to be a dragon in disguise]].
* In ''Literature/{{Krabat}}'', in a dream. Krabat as a bird is hunted by the evil master (also polymorphed). Krabat sees a well, turns into a fish -- but now he's caught in the well. Fortunately, [[LoveInterest the Kantorka]] is there to take him out. He shapechanges into a golden ring on her finger. Then suddenly a one-eyed nobleman appears. Krabat turns into one grain, which Kantorka throws on the ground. The master turns into a rooster -- but Krabat is faster, turns into a fox and bites him dead. The dream sequence is a reference to the original tale Preussler's novel is based on; the shapeshifter duel there is how [[spoiler: Krabat kills the Master off for real]]
* ''Literature/LukeSkywalkerAndTheShadowsOfMindor'' has a MindScrew-y sort of mind battle at the end in which the villain cuts straight to the ultimate form, a supermassive black hole. He swallows Luke without an effort... and Luke [[spoiler:becomes a white fountain]], which frees the Big Bad's minions, which has the side effect of killing the villain.
** During ''Literature/GalaxyOfFear'', the BigBad of the first six books and Hoole, the protagonists' uncle, are both shapeshifting Shi'ido. Regrettably, they never actually fight; Hoole takes on different forms for combat, but [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Gog]] is more inclined to infiltration. But in ''Clones'', well, there is an evil Hoole clone.
--> The two Hooles surged toward one another, but they moved so quickly that Tash could hardly follow. Her uncle shifted into the shape of a many-horned lizard, while the other Hoole transformed into some sort of giant snake. But by the time they clashed, each of them had morphed two or three more times, until the two combatants were a quivering mass of shrieking, shape-changing flesh.
--> Tash was awestruck. She had never seen her uncle so enraged, nor had she ever seen two Shi'ido fight. No wonder Hoole [[DissonantSerenity always remains so calm]], she thought.
* 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.
* Howl and the Witch of the Waste have one in ''Literature/HowlsMovingCastle''.
* ''Literature/CreaturesOfLightAndDarkness'' by Creator/RogerZelazny has a duel between shapechanging gods Horus and Thoth. Instead of [[InformedAttribute expected shapeshifting]] Thoth keeps teleporting them, effectively changing the environment to keep Horus neutralized but mostly unharmed. Horus tries to grow extra arms faster than they [[ItMakesSenseInContext get disabled/get burned/eat themselves]].
** The climactic battle between Set [[spoiler:(better known as Wakim)]] and [[EldritchAbomination The Thing That Cries In The Night]] is essentially a superwarrior with a MorphWeapon against a planet-sized shapeshifter. No matter what The Thing becomes, Set finds the form that can wound it some more.
* Happens in ''The Story of the Second Dervish'' in ''Literature/ArabianNights'' where a princess fights a Djinn by the two transforming into different creatures and attacking each other; a lot like the Disney ''WesternAnimation/SwordInTheStone''.
* A downplayed example appears near the end of ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'', when [[spoiler:Remus involuntarily [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent turns into a bloodthirsty wolf]] and his friend Sirius has to [[{{Animorphism}} transform into a]] {{hellhound}} to restrain him]].
* A "friendly" version of this crops up early in the ''Literature/{{Hagwood}}'' series, when [[SadistTeacher Terser Gibble]] and [[TheAce Finnen Lufkin]] agree to a demonstration of their wergling powers just to prove which of them is better, the first contestant to falter being the loser. However, as Finnen starts winning, Gibble becomes increasingly less friendly - to the point that he actually transforms into a snake and almost appears ready to kill his opponent. In the end, though, Finnen wins.

* In an earlier movie that includes Aladdin, ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfPrinceAchmed'', a witch and wizard have one of these for about a minute before resorting to fireballs.

* In ''VideoGame/K ingsQuestV'', King Graham and Mordack have a shapeshifting duel. Eventually Mordack turns into a {{ring of fire}}, and Graham summons a raincloud, extinguishing him. Not that Graham is a shapeshifter, mind you. He just conveniently learns the four required spells (and only those four) just before [[GuideDangIt recharging his wand with a slice of rotten cheese]].

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* A variation of this trope is played out in the Manga/GetterRobo series. In the ''Shin Getter'' manga and the ''Armageddon'' OVA, the Getter Team fights enemies with Getter Robo of their own, and win by luring their foes into rapidly switching between the Getter's forms, gaining advantage due to their skill and speed in completing their combinations faster.

[[folder:Comicbooks]]

* ''{{ComicBook/Fables}}'' has a couple of magical duels involving Frau Totenkinder (the witch from Hansel and Gretel) and other powerful opponents, and shapeshifting is one of the techniques the combatants employ.

[[folder:Fan Fiction]]
* [[http://dc-nation.livejournal.com/159575.html Aurora "Fauna" Andersen versus Black Lantern Garfield "Menagerie" Logan]] in Roleplay/DCNation's version of ComicBook/BlackestNight.
* The ''FanFic/PonyPOVSeries'' has an example during the FinalBattle of the Wedding Arc in the duel between [[spoiler: Cadence and Queen Cadenza ([[AGodAmI Alicorn!Chrysalis]])]], with both constantly shifting species to try and gain an advantage over the other.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

* ''Child Ballad'' #44 ("The Two Magicians") is all about this, but with "duel" replaced by [[ShapeshiftingSquick "attempted rape"]]. Best performed by British folk-rockers Music/SteeleyeSpan on their ''Now We Are Six'' album.
** Some interpret the ballad as being about [[DefrostingTheIceQueen persistent courtship]] rather than rape, so it may be a case of BestHerToBedHer. Love and courtship represented as some kind of hunt/ contest/ BattleOfTheSexes is actually not an uncommon motif in old works.
* The French variant of "The Two Magicians" is the folk song "Chanson Des Métamorphoses",except its not explicitly about "gaining the maidenhead" but rather about "gaining the lady's favor", making the shape shifting duel a metaphor for courtship.In at least one version the lady eventually tells the suitor [[DefrostingTheIceQueen he's gained her heart]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buB5ja5cs1I]],[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUFG1MxlsAo]]

--> '''Anabelle''': Use your head or you'll be dead.

[[folder:Mythology And Folklore]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]

-->'''Dee Dee:''' (''in Dexter's body'') Last one downstairs is an ugly, stinky, slimy spider!\\
'''Dexter:''' (''in Dee Dee's body'') Why not? I've been everything ''else'' today...

* In the "Whimzee Come Home" episode of the ''{{WesternAnimation/My Little Pony And Friends}}'' side-series "Moondreamers", Whimzee has one similar to the "Sword in the Stone" example against the Queen of Imagination, but with magic amulets.

* While you aren't ''physically'' transforming, this is actually a major part of the newer ''VideoGame/{{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).

** {{YMMV}}: Some interpret the ballad as being about [[DefrostingTheIceQueen persistent courtship]] rather than rape, so it may be a case of BestHerToBedHer. Love and courtship represented as some kind of hunt/ contest/ BattleOfTheSexes is actually not an uncommon motif in old works.

[[folder:MythologyAndFolklore]]

* Frequently appearing motif in fairy tales, often as either between the magician and his pupil/servant (Aarne-Thompson type 325) or with a young man and woman ([[MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter the magicians daughter]]) trying to hide from an enemy (Aarne-Thompson type 313)."Och" (Ukrainan folk tale) is an example of first type."Jean,the soldier,and Eulalie, the Devil's daughter" a.k.a. "Belle Eulalie"(French) is an example of the second.

* In ''VideoGame/KingsQuestV'', King Graham and Mordack have a shapeshifting duel. Eventually Mordack turns into a {{ring of fire}}, and Graham summons a raincloud, extinguishing him. Not that Graham is a shapeshifter, mind you. He just conveniently learns the four required spells (and only those four) just before [[GuideDangIt recharging his wand with a slice of rotten cheese]].

* Frequently appearing motif in fairy tales, often as either between the magician and his pupil/servant (Aarne-Thompson type 325) or with a young man and woman ([[MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter the magicians daughter]]) trying to hide from an enemy (Aarne-Thompson type 313)."Och" (Ukrainan folk tale) is an example of first type.Jean,the soldier,and Eulalie, the Devil's daughter(French) is an example of the second.

** YMMV: Some interpret the ballad as being about [[DefrostingTheIceQueen persistent courtship]] rather than rape, so it may be a case of BestHerToBedHer. Love and courtship represented as some kind of hunt/ contest/ BattleOfTheSexes is actually not an uncommon motif in old works.

* Frequently appearing motif in fairy tales, often as either between the magician and his pupil/servant (Aarne-Thompson type 325) or with a young man and woman ([[MadScientistsBeautefulDaughter the magicians daughter ]]trying to
hide from an enemy (Aarne-Thompson type 313)."Och" (Ukrainan folk tale) is an example of first type.Jean,the soldier,and Eulalie, the Devil's daughter(French) is an example of the second.

*AlternateInterprentaion: Some interpret the ballad as being about [[DefrostingTheIceQueen persistent courtship]] rather than rape, so it may be a case of BestHerToBedHer. Love and courtship represented as some kind of hunt/ contest/ BattleOfTheSexes is actually not an uncommon motif in old works.
* The French variant of "The Two Magicians" is the folk song "Chanson Des Métamorphoses",except its not explicitly about "gaining the maidenhead" but rather about "gaining the lady's favor", making the shape shifting duel a metaphor for courtship.In at least one version the lady eventually tells the suitor[[DefrostingTheIceQueen he's gained her heart]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buB5ja5cs1I]],[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUFG1MxlsAo]]

[[folder:Mythology]]

*YMMVAlternateInterprentaion: Some interpret the ballad as being about [[DefrostingTheIceQueen persistent courtship]] rather than rape, so it may be a case of BestHerToBedHer.