History Main / WillingChanneler

* Not everything in the Website/SCPFoundation is deadly. There's an artifact that bears the names of missing people, and if you touch it, you'll be asked to sacrifice yourself so that person can return home. If you agree, and ''only'' if you agree, you'll be transformed both physically and mentally into the missing person, and your own memories will fade over time. There are people who have agreed to it.

* Maya Fey, Pearl Fey, and other practitioners of the Kurain Channeling Technique can do this in the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' games. As spirit mediums, they channel the spirit of a dead person into themselves, effectively becoming that person for a short time. Even their physical bodies change into the form of the deceased, though their clothing and hair remain the same. In ''[[VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice Spirit of Justice]]'', the queen of Khura'in also has this ability, [[spoiler:which represents her claim to the throne. Once Ga'ran is revealed to have [[PhonyPsychic much less spiritual power than she claims]], she is exposed as an illegitimate queen and deposed by her own guards.]]

** [[spoiler:Tobi]] wishes to become one by [[spoiler:re]]creating the Ten-tails, a fusion of the other nine, and binding it to himself.
** Similarly, a ninja from the Cloud Village tried to gain the Eight-tails' power by eating its flesh but died in the process.
** The original Sage of the Six Paths did this to [[spoiler:the Ten-tails when fighting it.]]

** [[spoiler:Tobi]] wishes to become one by creating the Ten Tails (Jyubi), a fusion of the other nine, and binding it to himself.
** Similarly a ninja from the Cloud Village tried to do that with the Eight Tails but died.
** The Original Sage of the Six Paths did this to [[spoiler:the Ten Tails when fighting it.]]

** Assassins from the Order of Taghran also all do this for the same reason as the mountain men.

** The 3.5 edition of the ''Tome of Magic'' introduced the Binder class, which uses this trope as a core mechanic. These characters make pacts with Vestiges, entities outside normal conceptions of life or death, and channel them to gain spell-like abilities, skill bonuses, and other powers based on the Vestige in question. These Vestiges are so eager to vicariously live again that they never turn down a pact - instead whether the Binder succeeds or fails at a pact determines whether the Vestige will have any influence over them. A former paladin-turned-blackguard who gave up the battle between good and evil, for example, will influence a Binder to withdraw from melee combat after ten rounds, while a Vestige who stole a goddess' armor will keep a Binder from removing any such protection. Vestiges also leave a physical mark of their presence on a Binder, from odd scars to faintly-glowing eyes to an extra face like the fellow in the page picture.

* Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold's Literature/{{Chalion}} novels:
** Sorcerers are people who use their DemonicPossession to work magic. Sometimes this possession is involuntary, but some sorcerers deliberately make [[DealWithTheDevil deals with demons]] in order to gain their powers. Almost all sorcerers, except those who have been specifically trained by the clergy of the Bastard (a half-demon DarkIsNotEvil god) eventually lose control of themselves and end up fully under the demon's control.
** In ''Literature/TheHallowedHunt'', the eldest son of Hallow King Horseriver was this to his father's spirit when his father died. [[spoiler:The younger son and the later descendants of Horseriver... not so much.]]

* In the ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Literature/ThousandSons'' novel ''Ahriman: Exile'', the sorcerer Astraeos binds a powerful daemonhost to himself in order to rescue his master Ahriman from Amon. This binding links the daemon to his very soul, letting him draw upon its power and command it in battle. [[spoiler:In the sequel, he allows the daemon to possess him directly, granting him tremendous power at the cost of constant BodyHorror and eventual PossessionBurnout.]]

* ''Manga/ShamanKing'' revolves around this trope. The shamans all have the ability to summon ghosts or other spiritual entities and channel them through themselves or objects for [[PowersViaPossession new abilities]].

* ''Manga/{{Inuyasha}}'' has it when Onigumo merges with several demons, and he is reborn as Naraku from this.
* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': The highest level magic that Schierke has performed involved connecting to the area's resident NatureSpirit and temporarily allowing it to possess her to unleash its power. While extraordinarily powerful, such spells also carry high risk, since if Schierke isn't careful, she risks her ego being subsumed by the spirit, or even having her soul absorbed into the astral realm and her body left an empty husk.
* ''Franchise/{{Devilman}}'': Akira initially put himself in a position to willingly get possessed by a demon in order to gain its powers at Ryo's insistence. He becomes a HeroicHost by suppressing Amon, leading to the unusual situation in which a human possessed a demon's body.

* ''Comicbook/{{Shazam}}'' could count, in the continuities where [[KidHero Billy, Mary and Freddy]] have separate personalities from their superhero forms -- by saying a [[ByThePowerOfGreyskull magic phrase]] they essentially let the hero take over, [[OlderAlterEgo turning them older]] (for Billy and ComicBook/{{Mary|Marvel}}) and [[PowersViaPossession giving them superpowers]] in the process.
* ConversationalTroping during ''[[ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman The Reign of the Supermen]]'', when a medium claimed that [[Comicbook/{{Steel}} John Henry Irons]], the only S-shield wearer who made no claim to the name, was a channeler for Superman's spirit. She was wrong, but it raised the possibility to readers that he was as likely to be "the real Superman" as the Cyborg or the Kryptonian.

* In the ''Comicbook/XMen'' fic ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7730502/3/The_Wraith_Saga The Wraith Saga,]]'' Jason Wyngarde allows a [[EldritchAbomination shadowy cosmic entity]] called "the Wraith" to possess him so that he can get revenge on Jean Grey, who drove him insane with the power of the Phoenix Force (the Wraith's mortal enemy) back in ''ComicBook/TheDarkPhoenixSaga''.

* In Chapter 1 of ''Fanfic/GraduateMeetingOfMutualKilling'', Aya Sawashiro, ex-Super High School Level Medium, willingly channels the murder victim to find the culprit. The spirit of the victim takes over her body and starts talking to the surviving graduates. [[spoiler:Subverted, in that all was a farce to get the wrong person convicted, as Sawashiro was the real killer]]
* In ''Fanfic/IAgainstIMeAgainstYou'', [[OriginalCharacter Sunny Side]] allows Tex to possess her in order to fight Project Freelancer.
* From ''Fanfic/EvenTheWizardsMustPayTheirDue'' we have both the canonical Greed/Ling situation and one incident involving Edward and Truth. Edward tries not to think about it, as the memories Truth left behind it are awkward and alien. On the upside, this means that Truth owes him a ''huge'' favor.
* ''Fanfic/DungeonKeeperAmi'': The Avatar is this to [[GodOfGood the Light]]. When they're inhabiting him, the Light makes his eyes glow, changes his voice, and increases his strength and Holy Magic abilities.

* ''Film/{{Venom|2018}}'': After a SymbioticPossession and a ThirdActMisunderstanding, Eddie and the Venom symbiote are separated, which leaves Eddie [[spoiler:vulnerable to a [[ResearchInc Life Foundation]] hit squad]]. When the symbiote returns [[spoiler:in Eddie's ex-fiancé's body to kill the entire squad]], he's happy to take it back, and they form a strong partnership that lasts for the rest of the film.

* ''Literature/MatthewSwift'': The titular Matthew Swift, and the blue electric angels in ''A Madness of Angels''. Their... cohabitation in Matthew's body is [[WhodunnitToMe more]] or [[FirstEpisodeResurrection less]] an accident, but neither party seems to have a problem with it, probably because they're combined so thoroughly that they're pretty much the same entity now anyway.

* In ''Literature/TheHellequinChronicles'', when there's no other option, the main character Nate Garrett occasionally [[spoiler:lets his SuperPoweredEvilSide out to play, his Nightmare, later dubbed Erebus.]] This is a major no-no for a sorcerer, since [[spoiler:Nightmares tend to possess their host permanently, the lure being that they show a sorcerer what their power can ''really'' do, with SuperStrength and a HealingFactor to boot, distinguished by their BlackEyesOfEvil (though Erebus frequently complains that he's not evil). Nate's blood magic curse marks prevent Erebus taking over permanently and Erebus abides by whatever is agreed, something thoroughly unique.]] This makes it an effective tactic when Nate's really stuck in a corner, but one he has to keep quiet because doing so warrants execution by Avalon.
%%* ''Literature/WickedLovely'': The Ink Exchange turns Leslie into this.
* In the Literature/StarTrekNovelVerse, the energy beings known as the Fates can enter into a being's mind and control their body while their own consciousness is inert. The being has to be a) the right sort of person with the correct genes or mental abilities, and b) willing. Astraea, the leader of a Cardassian religion based upon worship of the mysterious "good" Fates led by Oralius, is the best example of the truly Willing Channeler. See: ''Literature/TerokNor'' and ''Literature/StarTrekTheLostEra''. The EvilCounterpart to Oralius, Uramtali (leader of the Night Spirits) shows up in the ''Literature/StarTrekTheLostEra'' novel ''Well of Souls''. She cheats a bit; she ensures her host is "willing" by placing him in a situation where if he refuses his child suffers.
** In ''Literature/StarTrekMillennium'', Weyoun becomes a willing host to a Pah-wraith.
* In ''Literature/{{The Host|2008}}'', Melanie eventually becomes this to PuppeteerParasite Wanderer. Although she initially resists, by the end of the book she actually tries to convince Wanderer to stay in her body.
* Voluntary Controllers in ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'', who make up a minority of the Yeerks' hosts (known as Controllers). When separated so the Yeerk can feed in the Yeerk pool, the willing hosts are rewarded with the privilege of getting to sit in a lounge-type area, watch TV, and generally hang out, instead of being locked in a cage for the duration like the unwilling majority. There is also a a peace movement among the Yeerks, and they and their hosts work together to try and change Yeerk society from the AlienInvasion route to something more like this.
** "The Illusion" features a particularly interesting Willing Channeler: Taylor, an extremely attractive girl in her late teens whose Yeerk is a Sub-Visser. At first, she seems like a psychopathic, sadistic torturer, but she eventually reveals that she was the most popular girl in her high school until she was trapped in a house fire and became covered in burns. After being shunned, she joined the Sharing and accepted her Yeerk in exchange for promises of being restored to her former beauty. That willingness has made the pair so interconnected that they can't distinguish themselves from one another: the Yeerk uses first-person plural pronouns to refer to herself and Taylor as a single entity, as opposed to other Yeerks, who refer to their bodies as "hosts."
** There was also a more literal one with Cassie, who let herself play host to the saved memory/personality of Aldrea, the heroine of a prequel book. Aldrea and her husband, Dak, had stolen a cache of Yeerk weapons and hidden them somewhere; the memory had been stored before this happened, but they needed her to help figure out where so that they could be used to help a Hork-Bajir resistance on their homeworld.
* ''Serroquettes'' from ''Literature/TheFallenKingsCycle'' are prostitutes who allow ghosts to use their body for one last encounter with a loved one.
* From the ''Literature/{{Dexter}}'' book series, ''Dexter in the Dark''. Dexter shows that he's more than willing to be possessed [[spoiler:again, when he temporarily loses his Dark Passenger.]]

* This is how Surgebinders in ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' work. A Surgebinder is created when a spren binds itself to a human companion. The spren gains the ability to think in the Physical Realm while the human gains the power to control two of the ten fundamental Surges of reality.
* In ''Literature/TheKaneChronicles'', the heroes serve as vessels of the Myth/{{Egyptian|Mythology}} gods and can channel those gods' power; apparently, the Pharaohs did this too, hence the Egyptians' belief that they were incarnations of the gods. The villain Set, however, is not particularly concerned with getting his host's consent.
* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': Ectomancy is the magic of spirits: both sensing and seeing them, binding them, repelling them, and, if need be, channeling them. Any mage is probably capable of this art after enough training. One character named Mort is such a mage. He has several elite guardian ghosts who are determinators in their afterlife because their sense of duty has kept them from becoming deranged monsters (such as the ones Mort keeps track of and safeguards from hurting normal people). Mort can allow one of them to possess him and he then gains access to that being's skills, such as a Native American who grants Mort excellent skill to throw an ax. If the ghost of a wizard possesses him, he could even gain access to the magic of the deceased wizard, assuming Mort's magical reserves can handle the drain the more powerful spells have.
* In ''Literature/TheTruth'', one theory accounting for Altogether Andrews' multiple personalities is that he'd started out as an overly-hospitable example of this trope. Eventually he was "[[BodyAndHost colonized]]" by so many wandering souls that there was no room left for Andrews himself. [[note]]Some present-day multiples report that a hosting origin is TruthInTelevision for them although there's plenty of "room" and any original person or persons need not vacate.[[/note]]

* Annala does this in the fourth ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'' book, ''Transcending Limitations'' by [[spoiler: invoking Lady Chaos, the setting's TopGod. She prayed for help in a desperate situation and then allowed the goddess to use her body. This has a side-effect of being TouchedByVorlons and going mad.]]
* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', [[spoiler:Professor Quirrell]] is a villainous example, serving as TheRenfield to the entity he's channelling while working to help that entity create a body of its own.
* In the ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 Literature/ThousandSons'' novel ''Ahriman: Exile'', the sorcerer Astraeos binds a powerful daemonhost to himself in order to rescue his master Ahriman from Amon. This binding links the daemon to his very soul, letting him draw upon its power and command it in battle. [[spoiler:In the sequel, he allows the daemon to possess him directly, granting him tremendous power at the cost of constant BodyHorror and eventual PossessionBurnout.]]
* In ''Literature/TheUnexploredSummonBloodSign'', all vessels carry a "binding item" so that their channelling will remain strictly voluntary. Otherwise, they risk being possessed by wandering spirits.
* ''Literature/GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShi'': Mo Xuanyu performed this as a form of SuicideAttack against the family who cast him out, [[DeaderThanDead sacrificing his own soul]] to call the spirit of Wei Wuxian into his body in hopes that Wei Wuxian would destroy the Mo family.
* ''Literature/WhenTheAngelsLeftTheOldCountry'': Uriel lets the rebbe's spirit cling onto it while they're on the ship until it can reach his family in New York. [[spoiler:To escape from the Sullivans' hideout, Ash offers his own body to the dybbuk so it will leave Isaak's body.]]
* ''Literature/TheCaseOfTheDoubleHusband'': Overlaps with DemonicPossession — George Arnold was dying from a war wound, but his best friend Ted Eliot willingly offered his own body for George's soul to inhabit. George's body died and Ted's soul passed into the afterlife, but George's soul lived on in Ted's body.

* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'': Some [[ReligionOfEvil Chaos cultists]] willingly accept Daemonic possession out of extreme devotion, delusion that [[DemonOfHumanOrigin they're being elevated to daemonhood]], or belief that [[HeroicWillpower they can control the Daemon within them]]. In fact, the Daemon inevitably [[SoulEating eats their soul]] to make itself at home.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'':
** This is one way of flavoring the Oracle CharacterClass, and eventually became the basis of an archetype called the Possessed Oracle, who gets its powers [[PowersViaPossession by allowing spirits to inhabit its body]].
** The Medium CharacterClass' main feature is the ability to invite archetypal spirits into its body for a day, gaining PowersViaPossession that scale with the Medium's CharacterLevel. The process normally requires an hour-long SummoningRitual, but high-level Mediums can briefly call in a ''second'' spirit if they need extra powers -- say, if they're using the Champion's combat prowess, but find themselves in need of an Archmage spirit's spellcasting.
* From ''TabletopGame/HunterTheVigil'', Les Mysteres allow themselves to be possessed by Spirits to further the Spirits' goal, believing that Spirits are inherently good beings that're being tormented by the Uratha. Problem is, anyone who's read ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheForsaken'' will know that this is a [[WrongGenreSavvy stupid]], ''[[TooDumbToLive stupid]]'' idea. Not only are Spirits [[BlueAndOrangeMorality devoid of any human morality]], prolonged possession would eventually reduce the host into a meat puppet for the Spirit to use as it desires.

* Ryuusei Cartwright in ''VideoGame/AdventureQuest'' freely allows the Devourer The'Galin to manifest in his body. Curiously, he retains the ability to shift into this form after The'Galin had left.
* Meibisi tries this at the end of ''VideoGame/RiseOfTheKasai'' with his GodOfEvil, Kri. Doesn't work out very well.
* If you spared the Rachni Queen in ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'', you'll meet her channeler in ''Mass Effect 2'' on Illium. While Shepard is skeptical, the channeler insists that she volunteered. Given that the last person the Queen used as a host was dead at the time, it's possible this is the case here.
* Creator/BioWare also used this in ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'' with Wild Flower and her "guardian" Chang Ka. Wild Flower is a sweet-natured small child no more than ten years old, and Chang Ka is a ''massive,'' shaggy demon. [[spoiler:Of course, he's not the only one that's possessing Wild Flower]]. It ends up being justified in that the Guardian needs a host to tie him to this plane of existence and help the [[PlayerCharacter Spirit Monk]], and Wild Flower's happy because [[spoiler:she should be ''dead'' and Chang Ka's possession gives her a second chance.]]
* [[RuleOfThree A third Bioware example]]: in the ''Franchise/DragonAge:'' series the '[[WhiteMage Spirit Healer]]' Mage [[PrestigeClass Specialisation]] is described as getting their exceptional healing powers by channelling benevolent Fade spirits. The two recruitable Spirit Healers expand on this:
** Wynne, TheMedic in ''Origins'', describes how a particular spirit has seemed to be [[GuardianAngel watching over her]] her whole life and helps her out with the healing. [[spoiler:She's also [[DeadManWalking technically dead]], having pulled a HeroicSacrifice before you recruit her, and her spirit friend is keeping her alive through possession. This can be seen as foreshadowing...]]
** Anders, a healing-focused mage and all-around snarker, who is the resident Spirit Healer in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening''. Another character in the same game is Justice, a spirit of the Fade possessing the dead body of a Grey Warden. After the end of the game, Justice gives up the Warden's body, but Anders allows himself to be possessed so that Justice can remain in the physical world. This unfortunately backfires by the time of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', when Anders' hatred of Templars has twisted the spirit of Justice into a demon of Vengeance.
** Avvar mages and Rivaini seers are generally friendlier towards spirits than the Chantry, and allow benevolent spirits to briefly possess them. For Avvar mages, this is a central part of their training - a benevolent spirit keeps them safe from malicious ones until they're strong enough, and other spirits ensure that neither party is corrupted.
** All magic in the Dragon Age franchise is an example of this. Mages perform magic by channelling the spirits of the Fade, something only they can do because mages are essentially living Fade portals. Even elemental magic is performed this way: conjuring a fireball requires that a mage commune with fire elemental wisps in the Fade.

* In the [[WebGames flash RPG]] ''VideoGame/{{MARDEK}}'', [[IdiotHero Mardek]] shares a consciousness with an extraterrestrial being named Rohoph.
* Mages in the universe of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemPathOfRadiance'' and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'' can greatly enhance their powers by becoming a Spirit Charmer, someone who lets spirits into his body in exchange for their power. The side-effect of this is receiving a mark that often makes them the victim of FantasticRacism (though due to a misunderstanding) and the fact that it slowly erodes their very being, though that doesn't seem to be such a big deal, given what we saw from the only playable Spirit Charmer.

* ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'': Grom reveals that the demon-aligned (and green-skinned) Horde of the previous two games had not been corrupted as Thrall believed, but most of the chieftains ''willingly'' drank the demon's blood (and by doing so again, Grom's troops became the red-skinned Fel Orcs). Thrall is not happy to find this out. [[spoiler:Once purged of the demon's blood, a repentant Grom joins Thrall to kill the demon responsible, and strikes the deathblow at the expense of his own life.]]
* Near the end of ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'', Colette Brunel allows the spirit of Martel to speak through her, which is a direct contrast to the fact that Colette has not only been [[SuperBreedingProgram specifically bred]] but also mentally conditioned for her entire life to be an ''un''willing host for Martel by the church of Cruxis and by extension Martel's brother [[BigBad Mithos]], who did all this to [[{{Necromantic}} bring his beloved sister back to life]]. Martel proceeds to [[WhatTheHellHero rip her brother a new one]] for all the pain and suffering he's caused in his quest to resurrect her, which just drives him [[VillainousBreakdown even further over the edge]].
* The Revenant class in ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'' is built around this, channeling the spirits of various historical figures and the raw power of the afterlife to grant them buffs and powers.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Housepets}}'' the spirit entities have "avatars" who wield immense power in exchange for acting as instruments of their will in the mortal realm. Often compared to D&D player characters. [[spoiler:Of course, Pete uses rather underhanded means of coercing his potential avatars.]]

* In ''Webcomic/GhostTheater'', the main character has a FrozenFace due to emotional trauma. She takes a job in the supernatural theater of the title, allowing the spirits of the dead to posses her and act out parts in the plays, because her face is able to express emotion while she's inhabited by a ghost.

* [[OneLetterName A]], main character of ''WebVideo/TwitchPlaysPokemonEmerald'', is commonly believed to summon the mind-controlling voices (a.k.a. the players) by herself - as opposed to previous characters, who didn't have a choice.
* Not everything in the Website/SCPFoundation is deadly. There's an artifact that bears the names of missing people, and if you touch it, you'll be asked to sacrifice yourself so that person can return home. If you agree, and ''only'' if you agree, you'll be transformed both physically and mentally into the missing person, and your own memories will fade over time. There are people who have agreed to it.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': This is apparently a power Quack Quack has. He uses it to channel Olga, a sentient block of ice, into his body so she can directly communicate her needs by talking through his mouth.

* Mages in the universe of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius'' can greatly enhance their powers by becoming a Spirit Charmer, someone who lets spirits into his body in exchange for their power. The side-effect of this is receiving a mark that often makes them the victim of FantasticRacism (though due to a misunderstanding) and the fact that it slowly erodes their very being, though that doesn't seem to be such a big deal, given what we saw from the only playable Spirit Charmer.

* ''Literature/WickedLovely'': The Ink Exchange turns Leslie into this.

* Maya Fey, Pearl Fey, and other practitioners of the Kurain Channeling Technique can do this in the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' games. As spirit mediums, they channel the spirit of a dead person into themselves, effectively becoming that person for a short time. Even their physical bodies change into the form of the deceased, though their clothing and hair remain the same.

* ''Blog/BetterBonesAU'': Harry is happy to become the vessel of the god Sol due to the power it gives him.

* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'': [[PlayerCharacter V]] slots a chip with the personality of [[{{Deuteragonist}} Johnny Silverhand]], a [[BombThrowingAnarchist terrorist]] [[TheRockstar rockerboy]] on it. Johnny can speak to them and show up in the world as a VirtualGhost only V can see. V can supress Johnny overtaking their body by taking one type of pills, or speed it up or another to fasten up the process. To solve some of their problems and untangle themselves, V and Johnny need to talk to people only Johnny can get through. To do that, V can temporarily give the control of their body to Johnny by taking the pills that hasten the process of Johnny overtaking their mind.

* In ''LightNovel/TheUnexploredSummonBloodSign'', all vessels carry a "binding item" so that their channelling will remain strictly voluntary. Otherwise, they risk being possessed by wandering spirits.