Ditto from Pokemon
I’ve been preparing my posts in advance and trying to go by themes, but that’s not the point here. Over the weekend, I gathered pictures for all my posts and then got called away before I could write them. I remembered all of them . . . except for today. All I have to go on is the picture above.
Ditto is a Pokemon with the ability to change into any other Pokemon. It’s a shape-shifting blob and kinda cute. Still, I’m not sure what it’s significance is to the original post idea. I think I’m going to go with shape-shifters. It doesn’t feel right, but I can’t think of anything else. Well, one other thing that I’m going to save for next week because it requires thought. This reminds me that I have 2 weeks before the cover reveal and the big week of hype info for Allure of the Gypsies. So aflutter here.
Anyway, changing shape is a popular power that is used from magical creatures to science fiction experiments. You have doppelgangers and lycanthropes in fantasy and body snatchers or Odo (Deep Space Nine!) in science fiction. It’s not as complicated in terms of use. Write that your character changes and have them operate in that new form. The difficulty comes from choosing how to utilize the power without making it too much or childish.
First, try to pick the type of shape shifting for your character:
- One form can be used for spirit channelers and allow a character to master an advanced, powerful form. Beorn of Lord of the Rings took the form of a bear (hope I got that right) and Bruce Banner becomes the Hulk. These are single form transformations that make up for versatility with power. Even a ‘weak’ form such as a bird or a rodent can be useful if they are written in such ways. It isn’t always strength that saves the day.
- A shape shifter can have a school of forms such as Beast Boy from DC Comics who transforms into animals. You have the Wonder Twins too with one as animals (oddly popular) and another as water. This gives you a character with versatility and limitations. You don’t have to panic over having too many choices when there is a focus on here and you can prevent the power from being too much with such restrictions.
- Human transformation only is another route, but I’m having trouble thinking of an example. Basics are that this person transforms into other humanoids and cannot change into another else. I think the Shape Shifters of Supernatural could work here, but that does make it seem like this is a category for monsters and villains.
- Unlimited transformation is the final category and this is a dangerous one to work with. You can easily go too far here because there are no limits. Morph of Marvel Comics and Odo from Deep Space Nine are examples. The only limit to these characters is their own imagination. My recommendation on this one is to use the power sparingly.
Truthfully, you always have to be careful with this power. It can be so horribly abused by an author because it can solve nearly every problem. Turn into a dinosaur for strength, a cheetah for speed, other superheroes, Cthulhu, etc. and you don’t need any other characters. I suggest a downside or something to keep yourself under control. It doesn’t even have to appear in the story. For example, a character could go insane if transforming more than four times a day. You know this, so you’re careful, but you never reach that point in the story. This is certainly a power that requires restraint and thinking.
