History Main / ThisWasHisTrueForm

** World 2: [[TurtlePower Koopa Troopa]] - fire
** World 3: [[GameplayandStorySegregation Buzzy Beetle]] - fire

** World 7: [[ItMakesSenseinContext Hammer Brother]] - fire and hammers

* ''Treasure in the Heart of the Tanglewood'' outright subverts this trope towards the end. [[VillainsNeverLie The villain initially claims]] that each KnightInShiningArmor was an animal [[HumanityEnsues turned into a human]], making it a simple matter for him to turn them back into animals and kill them. He lied--while each had been a victim of a since-cured case of BalefulPolymorph, reapplied in the moments before their deaths, their initial forms were human. They still stayed animals when dead.

* ''Literature/DragonlanceTheNewAdventures'': When the [[WasOnceAMan Beast]] is killed, it reverts to its [[BalefulPolymorph true form]], that of Senwyr, Davyn's father.

* [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk The Hulk]] rarely (if ever) gets his ass kicked. Or at least takes a hit powerful enough to bring him down in one go. When he does however, occasionally it depicts him transforming back into Bruce Banner.

* Averted in ''Literature/WhoGoesThere?'', the short story that inspired ''Film/TheThing1982'', the alien starts off as a blue humanoid with three [[RedEyesTakeWarning malevolent red eyes]], [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe blue skin]], and [[PrehensileHair tentacles on its scalp]]. Then it eats someone and [[TheyLookLikeUsNow mimics him]]. It's strongly implied that the initial humanoid shape is no more its "true form" than the human and dog shapes it takes later, because Things don't really ''have'' a true form ... they're more like colonies of microorganisms that take on whatever shape seems useful.

* Non-Death example: A few times in ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' Danny returns to his human form after losing consciousness. Averted in at least 1 later episode, suggesting it was a result of being relatively new to his powers.

** ''VideoGame/MegaManXCommandMission'' follows up on this (storyline-wise, while actually this game was released a few months before ''X8'') with the [[BigBad final boss]], [[TreacherousAdvisor Colonel]] [[SdrawkcabAlias Redips]]. It's heavily implied between the lines that Redips was the product of [[ChekhovsBoomerang the same copy chip research that created the New Generation Reploids, illegally resumed, enabling him to infiltrate the command team he sent to Giga City via the identity and form of [[DeathDealer Spider]]]]. By the end of the game, he's grabbed the [[AppliedPhlebotinum Supra-force Metal]], transformed into a giant form called [[OneWingedAngel Great Redips]] (''God'' Redips in UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}), and declared himself [[AGodAmI the ruler of the universe]]. He goes back to his regular [[ColonelBadass Colonel]][=/=][[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Signas]][=/=][[StreetFighter M. Bison]] {{Expy}} form when he is FINALLY killed off in the end.

** Oddly enough, in ''VideoGame/DiabloII'', there's no sign of this when the player removes Mephisto's soulstone from the body that used to be Sankekur. Possibly due to Diablo's "death" in the first game being planned while Mephisto's death wasn't.
** ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'': Averted in Act II. FridgeHorror occurs when you realize that Belial DIDN'T LEAVE BEHIND A BODY. Although his soul was confirmed sealed by the black soulstone [by someone who later betrays your party, so even her confirmation is in question, it's disturbing as to whatever happened to Emperor Hakan II's body, if there ever WAS one. Even more disturbing is how enemy nagas who are still in their guard disguises stay that way after death, implying that almost every one of them just ran and pretended that they died.

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E6TheLazarusExperiment "The Lazarus Experiment"]] does it with a twist: 76 year old Richard Lazarus is restored to the appearance of a 30 year old, by an experimental technique that, due to botched DNA manipulation, causes him to mutate into a hideous walking creature. When the Doctor and Martha initially use the anti-aging machine to defeat Lazarus, Lazarus reverts to his human form, but he's merely unconscious, as he wakes up and kills the paramedics not too long after they cart him off. The Doctor, Martha and Tish track Lazarus down to Southwark Cathedral (where he sheltered during the Blitz), and after a lengthy chase, Lazarus dies for real by falling from the alcoves while mutated. When he hits the ground and dies, he first reverts back to his youthful appearance, then reassumes his original elderly look.

* Tweaked in ''Series/{{Sliders}}''. A vanquished fire-breathing dragon reverts to its (true) human wizard form as it lays dying... and then becomes an even smaller cockroach when no one is looking, allowing it to scamper away. Only to get stepped on moments later.

From a purely [[FauxlosophicNarration Fauxlosophical]] perspective, this would imply that all werewolves and shapeshifters are one specific human person rather than the sum of their multiple forms... which means that heroes killing either one ''are'' murdering [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman potentially innocent people]]. [[MoralDissonance Youch]].

* ''VideoGame/InFamous2'': Averted with [[spoiler:Bertrand and his "creations", the Corrupted]], who stay in their monstrous forms upon death. This means taking [[Bertrand]]'s body off the street takes a small army of trucks and chainsaws.

* ''Series/{{Angel}}'': werewolves revert back to human form upon death and thus must be eaten alive. A [[FanWank possible explanation]] is that werewolves of the species Lycanthropus Exterus change back to human upon death, whereas the "common" werewolf does not.
* Averted in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', where werewolves remain in werewolf form after dying. A werewolf hunter out for pelts even comments that "it's a little hard to skin them while they're alive."

* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', Envy, [[spoiler:when they lose all of the [[PoweredByAForsakenChild souls that they rebuilt their body with]], reverts to that of a small worm-like creature]].
** It's heavily implied that this is true for all Homunculi, [[spoiler:but the only other one shown is Pride, whose true form is a tiny baby, about the size of a thumb]].
** There's a minor but straight "after death" version with [[spoiler:Wrath]] who, while dying, [[spoiler:suddenly looks like an actual sixty-year-old man, whereas previously, he looked a decade or more younger]]. The same is also done for [[spoiler:Hohenheim]].
** Father [[spoiler:after he is defeated and thrust into the Gate]] reverts to his true form, [[spoiler:the tiny blob of darkness that Hohenheim once kept in a flask]].
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' anime episode 291. When [[spoiler:Kaname Tousen]] is stabbed and mortally wounded while in Hollow form, he returns to his true form just before he dies.

* A variant happened in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEEDDestiny''. Near the end of the series, Meer Campbell (who underwent surgery to become Lacus Clyne's BodyDouble to further Durandal's plans) [[spoiler:was mortally wounded, TakingTheBullet for Lacus herself]]. In [[spoiler: her dying breath]] she gave the real Lacus a picture of her pre-op self, the original Meer Campbell, so she would know her true appearance: that of a black-haired, curvy, freckled young girl.

** Someone the ComicBook/NewAvengers thought was ComicBook/{{Elektra}} is fatally injured...and turns into a Skrull. No-one had any idea she wasn't the real Elektra, including [[SuperSenses Wolverine]] and Comicbook/DoctorStrange, meaning that this faction of Skrulls has considerably improved their shapeshifting powers. Naturally, they start to wonder who else might be an imposter...

* After the werewolf in the fifth issue of ''[[Comicbook/TheFrankensteinMonster The Monster of Frankenstein]]'' is killed, it reverts back to human [[spoiler:to reveal that it was in fact the woman whom the Monster had protected throughout the story]].

* ''Fanfic/TheReapingOfHatsuneMiku'': The last Game Master is a permanent OneWingedAngel known as "Calne Cantus". When she is defeated, she's returned to her human form: [[spoiler:a teenager with a dead eye and three prosthetic limbs.]]

* In one of the endings, Drake in ''Film/BladeTrinity'' actually managed to hold on to the last shape he shifted into for a few hours after death, [[spoiler:having mimicked Blade as a parting gift to fool the authorities into thinking he was dead.]]

* Averted to a degree in the Film/HammerHorror ''Film/TheCurseOfTheWerewolf'' (1961): when Leon the werewolf is shot by his father, the father covers his body with a cloak and the audience does not see if it reverts or not.

* In the 1933 film version of the H. G. Wells novel ''[[Film/TheInvisibleMan1933 The Invisible Man]]'', the title character became visible when he died.

* In ''The Happy Ghost 5'', a dog makes a deal with the Happy Ghost to become a human for 44 days because he wants to do more for his owner before dying. At the end, [[spoiler:he takes a bullet for his mistress and is loaded onto an ambulance. Seconds later, the paramedic remarks that he can't do anything for a dog. The woman then sees her dead dog on the gurney.]]
* In ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation'', [[spoiler:when Storm Shadow kills Zartan, his returns to his original appearance.]]

* In the Creator/ShawBrothers fantasy film, ''Film/TheSnakePrince'', the titular prince [[spoiler: finally reveals himself to be a giant, serpentine monster in his OneWingedAngel form after being exposed to sulphur smoke. And when he succumbs to his injuries, he promptly turns back into his human form, which is in the form of its actor Ti Lung]].

* ''Film/FullEclipse'': When a werewolf dies, their body turns human again. Seen happening to [[spoiler:Detective Davies]] after Garou kills him with a SilverBullet.

* In ''Literature/TheLandoCalrissianAdventures'', [[spoiler:the BigBad is basically indestructible throughout the story. Turns out his species is actually quite small and non-humanoid, and is using illusion powers to simulate the form we know him as throughout the stories. When Lando scores a lucky shot at one foot, he strikes the ''real'' Gepta for the first time, and with the illusion gone, he's able to finish him with one squeeze. It's a bit more justified then most, in that Gepta makes it clear his illusion powers are ACTIVE illusion.]]

** As a non-death example, Metamorphmagi (wizards who can change their form at will) apparently lose their power under extreme depression. Happens to Tonks in ''Half-Blood Prince'' while she's [[spoiler:pining over Lupin]].
** Also, the "raw"-looking baby-like form that is Voldemort with only a fraction of his soul left gets transformed back into a [[RedRightHand relatively]] normal-looking adult human by Wormtail's spell in book four, but [[spoiler:it's the baby version Harry sees in his AfterlifeAntechamber, while he and Dumbledore look like their ordinary selves]].

* ''Treasure in the Heart of the Tanglewood'' [[spoiler:outright subverts this trope towards the end. [[VillainsNeverLie The villain initially claims]] that each KnightInShiningArmor was an animal [[HumanityEnsues turned into a human]], making it a simple matter for him to turn them back into animals and kill them. He lied--while each had been a victim of a since-cured case of BalefulPolymorph, reapplied in the moments before their deaths, their initial forms were human. They still stayed animals when dead.]]

* The main character, Horza, in the Ian M. Banks novel "Consider Phlebas" reverts to his true form after his death (but not when unconscious, that would be terrible for a member of a race of shape shifting spies and infiltrators). Considering his borderline [[MindScrew Shape Shifter Identity Crisis]] earlier on, it's not clear if this dead form is actually the face of the real Horza (assuming such a person even existed) or if he had reverted to whoever he was originally underneath all the infiltration training and psychological conditioning. The whole thing is presented as a BitterSweetEnding as the closest thing he has to [[WorthyOpponent a friend]] looks down on his body and wonders who he really was in the end..
* At the end of the ''Literature/{{Mistborn}}'' trilogy, [[BigBad Ruin]], the god of destruction, is killed, and he leaves behind- a human corpse, leaking the black smoke that had been previously identified as Ruin's divine power. [[spoiler:WordOfGod is that Ruin was actually a combination of a human intelligence named Ati and the cosmic force of entropy- his death knocked the two apart, leaving the human body of Ati behind.]] The same had previously happened to his opposite, Preservation, though none of the characters witnessed it.

* ''Literature/DragonlanceTheNewAdventures'': When the [[WasOnceAMan Beast]] is killed, it reverts to its [[BalefulPolymorph true form]], that of [[spoiler:Senwyr, Davyn's father]].

** Completely averted with [[spoiler:the death of shapeshifter James Martin, who retains the appearance of Sylar, causing everyone except Sylar and Emile Danko to believe that Sylar is dead]].
* ''Series/{{Misfits}}'', when Kelly's new boyfriend is shot, [[spoiler:it's revealed that before the storm, he was a gorilla.]]
* Occasionally inverted with [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent HAPs]] in ''Series/{{Sanctuary}}''. Even if they die in human form, in death their bodies will sometimes show signs of their werewolf nature. For example [[spoiler:Henry]] in "Pavor Nocturnus" or [[spoiler:Joe]] in "Animus". [[spoiler:Alistair]] on the other hand remains completely human after dying.
* Tweaked in ''Series/{{Sliders}}''. A vanquished fire-breathing dragon reverts to its (true) human wizard form as it lays dying...and then becomes an even smaller cockroach when no one is looking, allowing it to scamper away. [[spoiler:Only to get stepped on moments later.]]

* ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': Changelings must revert to their true form, a liquid, every day to rest. [[spoiler:They also revert to this liquid if they are killed.]]
* ''Series/TinMan'': It's not quite clear ''what'' to make of the fact that [[spoiler:Tutor changed back into Toto when he died... aside from the fact that a dead puppy is a somewhat more tearjerking visual than a dead middle-aged heavyset guy]].

* In ''Series/OnceUponATime'', After Rumplestiltskin stabs his father Peter Pan in the back and himself in the chest with the Dark One's Dagger, Pan is reverted back to his adult form by Rumple.

* Plenty of video game bosses are able to change back to their 'regular' selves for a [[FinalSpeech terminal conversation]] (or even mano-e-mano duel) with the heroes after being defeated in their boss-form. This is really jarring if the boss form was a [[OneWingedAngel 300' tall monstrosity with multiple heads, wings, mouths, and tentacles]]. On fire. And it exploded when you defeated it...
** Examples include ''Videogame/FinalFantasyVII'', ''Videogame/FinalFantasyVIII'', ''Videogame/FinalFantasyIX'', ''Videogame/FinalFantasyX'', ''Videogame/FinalFantasyVII: VideoGame/CrisisCore'' (notice a pattern here?), and ''Franchise/KingdomHearts''.

** ''VideoGame/DiabloIII'': Averted in Act II. FridgeHorror occurs when you realize that Belial DIDN'T LEAVE BEHIND A BODY. Although his soul was confirmed sealed by the black soulstone [[spoiler:by someone who later betrays your party, so even her confirmation is in question]], it's disturbing as to whatever happened to Emperor Hakan II's body, if there ever WAS one. Even more disturbing is how enemy nagas who are still in their guard disguises stay that way after death, implying that almost every one of them just ran and pretended that they died.
* {{Roguelike}} Example: In ''VideoGame/NetHack'', the player (and monsters) can polymorph through various means. A polymorphed creature will return to their true form if their HP drops to 0, but strangely, this restores their HP to full. Dying in other ways, like from hunger or [[TakenForGranite petrification]], still kill you without changing your form back.

** Technically, it is possible that that skeleton was the skeleton of the shapeshifter's true form, given that it evidently is not the skeleton of the form that was killed.

* [[spoiler:Von Zell]], a werewolf, reverts back to human form after being killed in the second ''VideoGame/GabrielKnight'' game.
* In ''VideoGame/MegaManX8'', when you defeat each Maverick in [[BossRush the requisite rematch stage]], you'll find that they are really next-gen Reploids who shifted into the Mavericks' forms, and they revert to their true forms before they blow up. Taken to its logical extreme when [[spoiler:even your first "Sigma battle" [[ActuallyADoomBot turns out to be a shapeshifter]], and every minor enemy in the final stage is a next-gen Reploid imitating Sigma. They all shift back to their true form before they are destroyed.]]
** ''VideoGame/MegaManXCommandMission'' follows up on this (storyline-wise, while actually this game was released a few months before ''X8'') with the [[BigBad final boss]], [[spoiler:[[TreacherousAdvisor Colonel]] [[SdrawkcabAlias Redips]]. It's heavily implied between the lines that Redips was the product of [[ChekhovsBoomerang the same copy chip research that created the New Generation Reploids, illegally resumed]], enabling him to infiltrate the command team he sent to Giga City via the identity and form of [[DeathDealer Spider]]]]. By the end of the game, [[spoiler:he's grabbed the [[AppliedPhlebotinum Supra-force Metal]], transformed into a giant form called [[OneWingedAngel Great Redips]] (''God'' Redips in UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}), and declared himself [[AGodAmI the ruler of the universe]]. He goes back to his regular [[ColonelBadass Colonel]] / [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Signas]] / [[StreetFighter M. Bison]] {{Expy}} form when he is FINALLY killed off in the end]].

** World 1: [[spoiler:[[TheGoomba Goomba]]]] - fire
** World 2: [[spoiler:[[TurtlePower Koopa Troopa]]]] - fire
** World 3: [[spoiler:[[GameplayandStorySegregation Buzzy Beetle]]]] - fire
** World 4: [[spoiler:[[TheSpiny Spiny]]]] - fire
** World 5: [[spoiler:[[MookMaker Lakitu]]]] - fire
** World 6: [[spoiler:[[TentacledTerror Blooper]]]] - fire and hammers
** World 7: [[spoiler:[[ItMakesSenseinContext Hammer Brother]]]] - fire and hammers
** World 8: [[spoiler:[[DeathThrows Bowser]]]] - fire and hammers
*** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrosTheLostLevels'' featured six new Fake Bowsers, two of them being found about halfway through worlds 8-4 and D-4. These Fake Bowsers, however are slightly bluish in appearance (in ''[[CompilationRerelease Super Mario All-Stars]]'', they are colored normally), and are optional. The new Fake Bowsers encountered are:
** World 8: [[spoiler:[[DeathThrows Fake Bowser]]]]- fire and hammers
** World 9: [[spoiler:[[DeathThrows Fake Bowser]]]]- fire in FDS, hammers in SNES
** World A: [[spoiler:Goomba in FDS, [[PaletteSwap Red Koopa Troopa]] in SNES]]- fire in FDS, fire and hammers in SNES
** World B: [[spoiler:Koopa Troopa in FDS, [[FlyingSeafoodSpecial Cheep Cheep]] in SNES]]- fire in FDS, fire and hammers in SNES
** World C: [[spoiler:Buzzy Beetle in FDS, [[AirborneMook Bullet Bill]] in SNES]]- fire in FDS, fire and hammers in SNES
** World D: [[spoiler:Spiny in FDS, [[DeathThrows Fake Bowser/Bowser]] in SNES]]- fire in FDS, fire and hammers in SNES

* In the Chapter 4 bad ending of ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 5}}'', Red Magnus and Seraphina are arguing about the beast that they just took out... [[spoiler:only for it to transform back into a child (Usalia) and drop dead.]] Red Magnus and Killia are horrified at what they see, but for different reasons [[spoiler:(Red Magnus hates fighting kids, Majorita notwithstanding, and he just killed one in cold blood; Killia wanted to keep others from dying at the hands of Void Dark and the Lost, yet that's exactly what happened)]]. The party breaks up, leaving Void Dark to conquer the Netherworlds unopposed.
* The ending cutscene of the Empire campaign in ''Videogame/{{Disciples}}'' ''II'' shows [[spoiler:Uther's demon form melting away. Uther, reverted to his original human self, collapses and dies.]]

* In ''VisualNovel/MarcoAndTheGalaxyDragon'', the Love revert to their true forms as worm-like creatures upon being killed. [[spoiler:When Marco defeats Astaroth at the end of the game, his hulking body crumbles away to reveal a tiny snake.]]
* PlayedWith in ''VideoGame/{{Splatterhouse}}''; the Stage 5 boss is [[spoiler: a monster that initially appears as Jennifer, transforms into a more grotesque form for the fight, then dies resembling Jennifer. In the Japanese version, [[TragicMonster it's Jennifer herself]], so the trope is played straight. In the English version however, [[ShapeshifterGuiltTrip it's an imposter]], so the trope is inverted]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'', [[spoiler: Ninetails]] is revealed to be a weak, old, one-eyed [[spoiler: fox without their tails]].

* Played for laughs in ''Webcomic/{{Oglaf}}'' when shapeshifters manage to horribly botch [[http://www.oglaf.com/kingshaped/ an assassination attempt,]] as their target's death reveal [[FlockOfWolves he was also a shapeshifter]]. (Link is safe, but most other strips are ''very'' NSFW)
* After Luther the Instruman is cut in half by Posey in ''Webcomic/TheSanityCircus'', he returns in a ball of light to his original form - a cello. [[spoiler:However, this damage is revealed to not be fatal.]]

* The Were-Rabbit in the ''WesternAnimation/WallaceAndGromit'' [[WesternAnimation/TheCurseOfTheWereRabbit movie]]. To some extent, this is a ShoutOut to the classic turning-back scene in Universal Studios' ''Film/TheWolfMan1941'' (and a similar scene in its predecessor, 1935's ''Film/WerewolfOfLondon'').

* In ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'', as [[spoiler:Savage Opress]] is dying, he reverts back to his original appearance, looking as he did before [[spoiler:the Nightsisters transformed him]].

--->'''Officer:''' Mother o' mercy! He looks just like Bruce Wayne!

[[folder: Music Videos]]
* Music/BestFriend: After The Supermodel [[spoiler: barfs up and chokes to death on her last victim's dress and dies]] she reverts from her spindly, BodyHorror form and back to her original appearance.

[[folder:Myths & Religion]]

* Established as a shapeshifter in VideoGame/BountyHunter, this happens to Zam, the bounty hunter who is chased by Anakin and Obi-Wan in the beginning of StarWars: Attack Of The Clones, after she is poisoned by Jango Fett.

** Module X2 ''Castle Amber''. If the {{PC}}s kill the Beast of Averoigne it will turn back into its original form: Theophile, the Abbot of Perigon. While the people of Perigon will secretly believe that Theophile was the Beast, they will publicly deny it and ask the {{PC}} party to leave town.

* [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in ''[[Franchise/FireEmblem Fire Emblem 9 (Path of Radiance) and 10 (Radiant Dawn)]]''-- if a Laguz is killed while transformed, they don't revert to human-form.

* Inverted in VideoGame/HollowKnight, where [[ChestMonster grub mimics]] revert to their disguised form upon death.

* Inverted in VideoGame/HollowKnight, where [[spoiler:grub mimics]] revert to their disguised form upon death.

** On the other hand, this doesn't happen if someone takes Polyjuice Potion to {{humanshift|ing}} and dies before the potion wears off. One villain fakes his death when he and his ailing mother use the potion to disguise themselves as each other. His mother takes his place in prison and drinks the potion regularly until death, and her still-transformed body is buried while the real prisoner goes free (though his father still keeps him captive for years).

** On the other hand, this doesn't happen if someone takes Polyjuice Potion to {{humanshift|ing}} and dies before the potion wears off. [[spoiler:Barty Crouch Junior]] fakes his death when he and his ailing mother use the potion to disguise themselves as each other. His mother takes his place in prison and drinks the potion regularly until death, and her still-transformed body is buried while the real prisoner goes free (though his father still keeps him captive for years).

** On the other hand, this doesn't happen if someone takes Polyjuice Potion to {{humanshift|ing}} and dies before the potion wears off. [[spoiler:Barty Crouch Junior]] fakes his death when he and his ailing mother use the potion to disguise themselves as each other. His mother takes his place in prison and dies before she can revert to her true appearance, and her still-transformed body is buried while the real prisoner goes free (though his father still keeps him captive for years).