Looking Shapeshifty - 4 Types of Shapeshifter Archetype in Storytelling & How they Make Compelling Protagonists
Many early-career writers thing that character archetypes are prisons to be broken out of. They’re not. Thousands of years of storytelling won’t be undone by one work of genius.
But they can evolve.
Archetypes are what separate narrative craft from amateur anecdotes, and in this interconnected world, evolution is hard to keep up with. Just as the mainstream world of production gets a handle on a change, the sands shift beneath them. Almost like storytelling itself has become a Shapeshifter.
Funny that, because Shapeshifters are exactly what we’ll be discussing today.
What is a Shapeshifter?
Shapeshifters are defined, irritatingly, by their indefinability. So, I will defer to the inspiration for this series, Christopher Vogler, for a definition:
“They may mislead the hero or keep her guessing, and their loyalty or sincerity is often in question.”
“The Shapeshifter serves the dramatic function of bringing doubt and suspense into a story.”
“Heroes frequently encounter figures whose primary characteristic is that they appear to change constantly from the hero’s point of view.”
If you’ve been keeping up with this series of articles, you’d be forgiven for thinking there’s a considerable overlap between the Shapeshifter and Trickster. If you are thinking that, then you’re starting to get the hang of these archetypes. There’s ALWAYS overlap.
In their purest form, however, the Shapeshifter and Trickster are separated by this core difference:
The Trickster creates anarchy to serve their own want above all else
The Shapeshifter pulls the rug from the story to reveal nothing was what it seems.
Essentially, the Shapeshifter character archetype is a plot twist in character form. They’re the love interest that is revealed to be working with the antagonist. They’re the cliché Nazi inquisitor that turns out to be one of the smartest men on the planet.
They’re also, less metaphorically, physical shapeshifters; characters that turn from lover to king of the gods, or from comic relief neighbour to powerful witch.
Not all Shapeshifters are antagonistic in their transformation. Vogler highlights that “sometimes a hero must become a Shapeshifter to escape a trap or get past a Threshold Guardian.”
It isn’t about going from good to bad, or bad to good. Sometimes a character can go from bad to worse (Hugh Grant in Heretic) or good to better. The point is that they “mislead the hero or keep her guessing, and their loyalty or sincerity is often in question.”
Like all archetypes, they come in many shapes and sizes. Unlike all archetypes, they will by definition come in at least two of these shapes and sizes in your source text.
Why Would you Make Such and Elusive Spin-off?
Compared to Shapeshifters, Trickster protagonists probably seem a walk-in-the-park now, don’t they?
Worry not, dear reader, for there is a way to give your shiftiest character their time in the sun. Agatha All Along, the pseudo-sequel to Marvel Studios’ WandaVision, shouldn’t have worked.
The MCU is famed for its weak villains. while Agatha was certainly iconic, she hardly had the depths of Loki. She’d served her purpose as the Shapeshifter villain, and that’s that. How did Jac Schaffer and the team get over this hurdle when turning this evil witch into a sympathetic protagonist?
They did it again.
How did they get away with it?
Misdirection.
And it worked.
If you’re looking at your Shapeshifter, that sneaky character that’s been stringing your Hero along for one scene, or a whole tale, look at how and why they’re doing it, and focus on that.
WandaVision had family at its core, and was something that Agatha resonated with, so Agatha All Along gave her a son. WandaVision took place in a false reality, so Agatha All Along expanded on that concept.
Stepping away from the MCU and into something a little more classical, the Greed god Zeus is one of the most prolific (and horny) shapeshifters in all of storytelling. His reason is often tied to some great prophecy, but his method is frequently debauched.
Looking to more modern classics, the arrival of the Snow Queen in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe befriends Edmund as an opportunity to further her power in Narnia, but her method of tricking with sweets is her own.
The deception of your Shapeshifter is defined by the themes and topics you’re exploring in your source text. To make a compelling protagonist of them, you need only dig deeper into the gold you already have.
Types of Shapeshifter
Femme / Hommes Fatale
Definition
On this, I’ll defer to Vogler: “A common type of Shapeshifter is called the femme fatale, the woman as temptress or destroyer.” That said, “There are as many hommes fatales in myth, literature, and movies as there are femmes.”
Femme or Hommes fatales Shapeshifters are probably one of the most recognisable to most people with hearts to break. Cheaters, liars, pawns of evil masterminds, these are the characters that beguile the hero into opening their hearts and their legs, only to break both at a key moment. If that’s alien to you, I suggest downloading a dating app or watching Promising Young Woman as a matter of urgency.
How to Adapt
These characters very often break the heart of the protagonist. Why? Were they bitten and cursed by the same love bug at another time? They’re also, if not the main antagonist, in the pocket of them. How did they get there?
Maybe you want to explore what happens to them after the text, if they survive that long (I’m looking at you, Casino Royale and Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning). They’re likely hollowed out by the experience of your source text. Drive the knife in deeper or give them some release. The choice is yours.
Physical Shapeshifter
Definition
Don’t gloss over this!
Physical Shapeshifters are a two-fold type of Shapeshifter. Yes, there are the Optimus Primes’ and Mistique’s of this type, characters that literally change from one form into another, but there’s another interesting version of this.
The character change. Remember the opening scene of Inglorious Basterds? One of the most iconic openings in cinema history. Why? Because of the moment that Hans Landa reveals he knows about the Jews hiding under the floorboards since the moment he walked in. In that moment, his physical character doesn’t change, but his friendly demeanour and affable character shapeshift into something deeply sinister.
We alluded earlier to characters that shapeshift to get past a Threshold Guardian. More often than not, these are also physical Shapeshifters. Think of Velma in Scooby Doo: Monsters Unleashed (yes I’m referencing it, shut up), when she wears the awkward leather outfit to try and woo Patrick. While it’s only an outward change, the core principle is sound.
Physical shapeshifters can change from one form into another, but their shapeshifting can also be behavioural or in costume.
How to Adapt
Honestly, with this one, Lord knows. Physical Shapeshifters are so specific to your source text that only you can answer this.
If going down the behavioural route, have a look at instances when the character has used that skill previously, or explore what would happen when they attempt this shapeshift and it doesn’t work. What if Bruce from Finding Nemo did eat a fish before the bloodlust resided?
Manipulator
Definition
When Hugh Grant offers to enlighten the protagonists of Heretic, audiences around the globe know that his intentions aren’t strictly honourable (a great Pirates of the Caribbean reference there, and to a shapeshifty scene, no less!). While the depths of his depravity are revealed as the film goes on, he’s initially presented as a sort of ‘Dark Mentor’, manipulating the protagonists with their faith to further his own agenda.
Alternatively, look back to Edmund and his ridiculous decision to betray his whole family for the worst sweet in the world, the Turkish Delight, presented by the definitely-not-evil Snow Queen. By manipulating this boy’s character flaw, she’s able to get Edmund on side.
And one of my favourite films of all time, Game Night, has an excellent Manipulator Shapeshifter in the protagonist’s brother, Brooks. He manipulates Max’s impotence and love of board games, only for that manipulation to be the inciting incident and biggest misdirect of the whole movie.
Manipulative Shapeshifters are at their best when knowingly targeting the deep flaw at the heart of the protagonist. Very often they will indulge the protagonist, presenting themselves in a Mentor-like capacity, only to pull the rug once the hero is utterly reliant on them.
How to Adapt
Manipulators, unsurprisingly, are hard to get a grasp on, but one thing a lot of them have in common is that they were once manipulated themselves. They learned how to manipulate from someone, and it corrupted them. Alternatively, they thought they were manipulated.
Exploring that root cause can be exciting! Or, similar to exploring the Physical Shapeshifter, perhaps it’s worth exploring an instance where their manipulation failed. What if Edmund didn’t like Turkish delight, like a normal person? What lengths would they go to, or changes would they have to make, to achieve their goal?
Reluctant Shapeshifter
Definition
When Daphne convinces Velma to put on that red catsuit (yes, we’re back here), it’s clear she doesn’t want to wear it. Reluctant Shapeshifters represent an unwillingness to change. They do what must be done to get victory, but they betray their core beliefs to get it.
Despite that definition, Reluctant Shapeshifters are often heroic in nature. Showgirl Deloris Van Cartier doesn’t want to go into hiding as a nun, but does it because she must (Sister Act). Superheroes don’t want to go underground and pretend to be normal people, but the law demands it (The Incredibles). Black detective Ron Stallworth can’t go undercover with the KKK, but…
The list goes on.
There are antagonistic versions, “I know what I have to do but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it” is an iconic line from Star Wars: The Force Awakens when Kylo Ren reluctantly kills his father, solidifying his turn to the dark side (right? They wouldn’t undo that powerful, deliberate story choice. Right?!)
How to Adapt
Reluctant Shapeshifters are often the product of two worlds colliding. What other worlds has your Reluctant Shapeshifter been forced into? What do they learn while there?
This archetype also, often, survives their ordeal. Shapeshifting is now a skill they have, and one they may be less reluctant to use in future. If so, why not morph them into one of the above Shapeshifters and explore them that way?
Story Frames
Can I be completely honest with you? I’m not doing this bit anymore. Narrowing you into tight story frames isn’t going to be helpful. If you think it will, let me know and I’ll reinstate them!
LEARN MORE
If you want to learn more about Transmedia storytelling and its applications, click HERE.
If you want to see some suggestions for Transmedia experiences, I make Cinematic New-Niverses which you can see HERE.
If you’re looking for comprehensive, concise, and constructive feedback on your script, check out my Fiverr profile to see how I can help, or contact me! It’s cheap as chips and may just get you that Oscar!
