History VoluntaryShapeshifting / LiveActionTV

* ''Series/TenMilesOfPeachBlossoms'': Most of the characters have animal forms that they can change into at will. Bai Qian can turn into a nine-tailed fox while Ye Hua can turn into a dragon.
* ''Series/LoveAndDestiny'': Ling Xi can turn into a phoenix and Jiu Chen can turn into a dragon.

* ''Series/IceFantasy'': Ying Kong Shi can turn into anyone he wants to, including Lan Shang and Ka Suo. [[spoiler: That last one causes an awful lot of trouble for the real Ka Suo.]]

* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Faceless Men like Jaqen H'ghar can change their faces at will.
* The main character in ''Series/{{Manimal}}'': any animal, though he seems to fixate on a panther, a hawk, a snake, and other creatures for which the producers had sufficient stock footage. The transformations into a bull or cat were done off-screen, though. Also a dolphin. And when he transformed back into his human form, he was always inexplicably fully clothed.
* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
** The changelings, including main ensemble member Odo, from ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' have a very flexible and almost undetectable transformation power. Their natural state is a viscous fluid with a density comparable to battery acid. Given how those who reside on Odo's planet of birth, though not Odo himself (Odo is noted as inferior at the art compared to those shifters, and unlike them cannot mimic faces just right), manage to actually replace "solids" and impersonate them successfully even in interactions with those who know the real person well (e.g. fooling the [=DS9=] crew when taking Bashir's form, and Gowron when taking Martok's form), they somehow must have the very powerful ability to even access many of the memories of those whose forms they take. Odo himself manages some complex transformations later on, though -- you'd think ''light'' is tougher than a face. Maybe he keeps his default appearance just because it's the one everyone's gotten used to.
** The Q from ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' are [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien powerful, godlike beings]] who can take the form of living and non-living things. The Q played by Creator/JohnDeLancie normally appears as a human male, but he has taken other forms, like an Aldebaran serpent in "Hide and Q" and a Chokuzan in "Q2." Q also tells Picard that he could have appeared as a female in his past appearances in the episode "Qpid."
** Also Allasomorphs, featured in ''Next Generation'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E10TheDauphin The Dauphin]]".
** There are also the Chameloids, only really seen in ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry''.

** It can be argued that the ''Game Face'' presented by vampires is their real appearance (after all, they're demons!) and they "shape-shift" to appear as normal humans as necessary.

** The witch Amy can turn in the comics at will into a rat or cat.

* ''Series/MetalHeroes''
** Series/SpaceSheriffGavan's partner Mimi had shapeshifting powers through a device around her neck, but she only used it to turn into a bird and occasionally alter her clothing.
** Likewise, Sharivan's partner Lily was able to perfectly impersonate one of the female villains down to voice and face, though that might have been due to makeup.
* Most Time Lords from ''Series/DoctorWho'' appear able to exert some measure of control over regeneration: choosing their next form, forcing a regeneration, or refusing to regenerate (which results in death). The Doctor himself, however, seems unable to control his regenerations. {{Fanon}} has it that traumatic regenerations such as the Doctor's cannot be controlled; because after all, when you've been submitted to radiation poisoning/a fall from a great height or another blunt trauma/cellular degeneration your least worry is whether your next incarnation will have any dress sense.
* Series/{{Raven}} from the kids TV game show of the same name. Guess what he transforms into?
* Meego, from the short-lived TV series of the same name, possesses shape-shifting abilities, although they were only seen in the first episode. To prove to one of the main characters that he was an alien, Meego transformed from his normal, humanoid form into a bug-eyed furry monster, a sumo wrestler, then into an attractive blonde in a bathing suit before changing back to normal.
* In ''Series/{{Fringe}}'', we have the second season's antagonists, [[AGoodNameForARockBand Newton and His Shapeshifters]], {{cyborg}} soldiers from an AlternateUniverse who can mimic the appearance of others (essentially [[BodySnatcher switching bodies]], but only after killing the subject and only with the aid of a special device).
* ''Series/RedDwarf'''s Polymorph is a genetically engineered super-soldier that feeds on negative emotions by transforming into objects or people that trigger them. A tamed version called the Emohawk appears later on.
* In ''Series/{{Lost}}'', [[spoiler:the smoke monster can take the form of several people, but they have to be dead first. He takes the place of John Locke midway through season five.]]
* Primator, a ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' MonsterOfTheWeek. He could become any Ranger in civilian or morphed form.
** Body Switcher from ''Series/PowerRangersInSpace'' could not only alter his own form, but ''others.'' Little do the Rangers know that it's not the Yellow Ranger who returned with them, but the BigBad having been disguised as her.
** Slate from ''Series/PowerRangersSPD'' could take on the form of past monsters whose DNA patterns he'd been given by Broodwing. For the final round with him, Morgana split him into ''all'' the forms he'd taken.
** Many monsters and major villains throughout the franchise have the ability to disguise themselves as humans (or were humans who had been altered and could take on monster forms) even if shapeshifting is not otherwise part of their arsenal. Some random shady dude turning into the MOTW is a common way to introduce it.
* ''Series/TheXFiles'':
** Shapeshifting aliens are a recurring menace, though they don't need to kill someone to take their shape, they often do to avoid complications. The alien bounty hunter is probably the most notable example.
** "[[Recap/TheXFilesS04E20SmallPotatoes Small Potatoes]]" features a man who can shapeshift and uses the ability [[ShapeshiftingSeducer to sleep with women]] [[BedTrick while disguised as their husbands]]. His natural form is ugly and comes complete with tail, and his children retain these traits, much to the horror of the women who have essentially been unknowingly raped. He then locks up Mulder and takes his form to elude capture, and then, understandably, tries to get it on with Scully.
* Maya, the Metamorph in ''Series/Space1999''.
* In Volume Four of ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', [[YouWillBeAssimilated Sylar]] tracks down and kills a man who can change his form to look like any other human being, and thus claims the power for himself.

* Pilgrim Boy from ''Series/TheAquabatsSuperShow''
* A few monsters from ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Shapeshifters]], Leviathan, Jefferson Starships, Eve, Changelings, Sirens, Wraiths.
* A lot of monsters and aliens in the ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' can do this, but some have this as their defining trait. Often overlaps with EvilKnockoff.
** The original ''Series/{{Ultraman}}'' gives us the first and most famous of these in Zarab, an alien invader who delights in sowing discord and break trusts through the impersonation of others. His favourite tactic is to transform himself into a sinister-looking duplicate of Ultraman and then go on a rampage.
** Another famous shapeshifting alien is Babalou from ''Series/UltramanLeo'', who likes to do much of the same thing as Zarab. The difference is that his disguises are 100% perfect in appearance, allowing him to even fool the Ultras.
** One episode of ''Series/UltramanTiga'' featured a race of aliens called the Menjura, who kidnapped various members of GUTS and impersonated them to cause havoc around their base. However, instead of transforming into lookalikes of Tiga to fight him, they perform a FusionDance.
** The alien brawler Gregorl-Man of ''Series/UltramanDyna'' took the form of an evil-looking version of Ultraman Dyna, but rather than using it to make it seem as if the Ultra had turned his back of humanity, it was solely to fight him on an equal footing.
** ''Series/UltramanGaia'' featured [[SiliconBasedLife organisms made of liquid metal]] that took on humanoid forms to battle the Ultra heroes. Apatee was the first of these, taking on the form of a knight-like being to battle Gaia. Its successors Algyuros and Meemos were far more advanced though, impersonating Ultraman Agul and Gaia respectively and only taking on others forms once the disguises stopped working.
** The ''Series/UltramanCosmos'' monster Gelworm is a tiny insect-like creature that can absorb the DNA of any lifeform in order to take their shape and size, meaning that it can turn into a human or even Ultraman Cosmos. The good news is that it's a completely harmless creature, only using its abilities to get around, as well as fight Cosmos when provoked.
** In ''Series/UltramanMebius'', Yapool uses a smoke-like Choju named Gadiba that assimilates other creatures and their DNA in order to take on their forms, as it does to [[Series/{{Ultraman}} Gomora and Red King]] to battle Mebius.
* A VillainOfTheWeek on ''Series/{{Misfits}}'' uses this ability to get revenge on Simon by [[DivideAndConquer turning the Misfits against each other]].
* ''Series/TheMessengers'': This is Kao Lin's ability, and she can apparently acquire knowledge from the people she's impersonated as well (learning martial arts through doubling a man when he he had [[AttemptedRape attempted to rape her]], for instance).
* In ''Series/{{Shadowhunters}}'', demons are capable of changing their appearance at will. The demon Jace, Izzy, and Alec hunt in "The Mortal Cup" changes it's appearance to that of whomever it bumps into. [[spoiler:Later, a demon impersonates a family friend of Clary's, Dot]].
* ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'' has the shapeshifting liquid-metal Terminator (according to AllThereInTheManual, a T-100'''1''') known as [[spoiler:Weaver]], who becomes a major character in the show's second season.

* ''Series/KingdomAdventure'': Dagger demonstrates the ability to change into the form of a vulture, allowing him to travel distances quickly. [[CaptainCrash He's not mastered landing, though]].

* ''Series/{{Gotham}}'': Jane Doe has this ability as a result of experiments performed on her by Dr. Strange. She's capable of taking any person's form simply by touching them.
* ''Series/TheBoys2019'': Doppleganger has this power, being able to assume other forms and impersonate people perfectly by doing so.

** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS1E13TheFourOfUsAreDying The Four of Us Are Dying]]", the con man Arch Hammer has the ability to alter his face so that he can imitate anyone that he chooses.
** In "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E90TheFugitive The Fugitive]]", Ben can change his shape into anything that he can imagine. Aside from the old man shape that he has been using since he met Jenny, he turns into a [[UsefulNotes/{{Mars}} Martian]], a mouse, a fly and Jenny herself. [[spoiler:His [[ShapeShifterDefaultForm true form]] is that of a handsome young man who looks completely human.]]
* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1985'': In "Stranger in Possum Meadows", Scout belongs to a race of shapeshifters. In his report to his home planet, he says that it was easy for him to assume a human form.
* ''Series/LovecraftCountry'': Ruby's transformations are willing after the first one, as she comes to enjoy having greater privilege in a white form. [[spoiler:Christina has also been turning into William all this time.]]
* ''Series/OddSquad'': The aptly named Shapeshifter is a villainess who can shapeshift into anything she desires, from people to inanimate objects. While it is stated that a downside to the ability is that whatever she turns into will always remain the same weight, it's often not represented continuously, with her shapeshifting into things that are easy for agents to pick up, such as pies. The Form Changer, Shapeshifter's twin sister, also has the same ability.
* ''Series/InFromTheCold'': Jenny has some kind of implants inside her body which let her "morph" into a new body, which is discovered after she's changed into an older man in the prison. However, this is a bit more realistic as it puts an incredible strain on her internal organs, so much that she risks death through even using it and can only "copy" a body whom she's already touched. After using it she craves foods which have a lot of iron too since morphing costs this. She can only control this for so long, and it sometimes reverts on its own after a time.
* ''Series/OctoberFaction'': Alice can take on the form of people she encounters.
* ''Series/{{Creepshow}}'': In "[[Recap/CreepshowS3E6OkayIllBite Okay I'll Bite]]" Elmer uses the ritual detailed on the scroll he receives to transform himself into a giant spider and exact revenge on his primary tormentor.
* Sam Merlotte from ''Series/TrueBlood'' is a shapeshifter and there are others as the series goes on.
* ''Series/MayfairWitches'': Lasher has this ability, demonstrating it to Deirdre by rapidly changing his face in succession, putting on many faces of different ages, sexes and races but also some horrific inhuman ones.

* Sam Merlotte from ''Series/TrueBlood'' is a shapeshifter and there are others as the series goes on.