Shapeshifters

"Shapeshifter? Something that can make itself look like anyone?"

Shapeshifters, or just called shifters for short, are a race of supernatural creatures who can take the form of any human being.

Characteristics
Shapeshifters have been encountered by hunters and by Sam and Dean Winchester. They are human-like creatures that start out human, but later learn how to change their form to look like anyone they want. When exactly they learn is not consistent, some can learn from infancy, while others do not learn until much later in their lives. Due to starting off as humans, shapeshifters can have human urges and vices, such as greed, lust, etc. They are also arguably the most human monsters there are. When a shapeshifter takes the shape of the person they choose, they shed their skin, teeth and nails. When they change into the person's physical appearance, they access the thoughts of the person they are mimicking. Some shapeshifters are known to change their shape in a matter of seconds while others are known to take up to several hours. They can also take the forms of fictional characters or inhuman characteristics, such as vampire fangs or werewolf claws. They can also alter their eyes so they resemble their retinal flare. Some shapeshifters have displayed the ability to seamlessly shift into whoever they want without shedding their skin, similar to their Alpha. If you see a video of a shifter their eyes will be a glowing silver-gold color.

Powers and Abilities

 * Shapeshifting - Shapeshifters can take on a living or dead person's physical appearance by shedding their skin. When they shift, they literally become the person they're mimicking, gaining everything, including fingerprints and DNA; they can also mimic wounds, even very serious ones. Once a Shapeshifter transforms into that person, they can access the thoughts and memories of the person they are mimicking provided that the person is still alive. At least some Shapeshifters share their Alpha's ability to change shape without shedding as shown in Bloodlines, and Twigs & Twine & Tasha Banes.
 * Regeneration - As they change their form easily, Shapeshifters can heal non-fatal wounds, and even replace body parts such as ears or a big piece of skin.
 * Telepathy - Shapeshifters have a telepathic link with the people they mimic, making them able to "download" the memory and thoughts of this person as long as she/he is alive, which explains why they keep their victims alive.
 * Voice Mimicry - The shapeshifter Buddy was able to mimic Dean Winchester's voice without taking on his form as well. However, this was after Buddy had briefly assumed Dean's form.
 * Superhuman strength - Even though they appear human, shapeshifters do possess amazing physical strength. They can easily overpower human beings. One was able to rip a woman apart with his bare hands.
 * Superhuman speed - Shapeshifters seem to be able to run faster than humans; on several occasions, shapeshifters have managed to easily escape from pursuers. One was able to run faster than a gun could be aimed.
 * Superhuman agility - They possess quicker reflexes than typical humans. One of them was able to dodge a bullet, jump out of a house without hurting itself, and left a bloody footprint on a telephone pole, indicating that Shapeshifters can climb.

Weaknesses

 * Silver - They can be killed by a silver bullet or silver blade to the heart. Injuries caused by silver are incredibly painful to them while contact with a silver object will burn a shapeshifter and can be used as a method of identification of one.
 * Retinal Flare - They are identified by a retinal flare that shows when they are filmed or when light rays cross their eyes.
 * Iridium - It has never been used against an ordinary shapeshifter due to the fact that it's extremely rare and very expensive, but since it's capable of harming the Alpha Shapeshifter, it can be assumed that it can harm ordinary shapeshifters as well.
 * Vamptonite - Edgar states that the Leviathan additive is engineered to kill shapeshifters in addition to Vampires and Ghouls.
 * The Colt - Since this gun can kill next to anything, it can presumably kill Shapeshifters.
 * Dogs - Like certain supernatural phenomena, certain animals such as dogs can sense Shapeshifters regardless of the form they take. The sight of one turned one dog from harmless to vicious, while the Alpha Shapeshifter's presence caused multiple dogs to howl.
 * Decapitation - Since decapitation can kill the Alpha, it is most probable that decapitating a shifter would kill it.

Known Shapeshifters

 * Alpha Shapeshifter (deceased)
 * Bobby John (unknown)
 * Bobby John's Father (deceased)
 * David Lassiter
 * Magnus' Shapeshifter (deceased)
 * Movie-Monsters Shapeshifter (deceased)
 * Margo Lassiter
 * Olivia (deceased)
 * Olivia's Father (deceased)
 * Robbery Shapeshifter (deceased)
 * Sal Lassiter (deceased)
 * Serial Killer Shapeshifter (deceased)
 * Captured Shapeshifter (presumed deceased)
 * Mia Vallens
 * Mia Vallens' mother (unknown)
 * Buddy (deceased)

Appearances

 * Season 1
 * Skin
 * Season 2
 * Nightshifter
 * Season 4
 * Monster Movie
 * Season 6
 * Two And A Half Men
 * Caged Heat
 * Mommy Dearest (mentioned only)
 * Season 8
 * We Need To Talk About Kevin (mentioned only)
 * Season 9
 * Dog Dean Afternoon (mentioned only)
 * Blade Runners
 * Bloodlines
 * Season 10
 * Ask Jeeves
 * Season 11
 * Love Hurts (mentioned only)
 * Season 12
 * Lily Sunder Has Some Regrets (mentioned only)
 * The British Invasion (mentioned only)
 * Twigs & Twine & Tasha Banes
 * Season 13
 * The Big Empty

Trivia

 * Hunters usually shorten shapeshifter names to just "shifters."
 * Shapeshifters sometimes make their lairs in the sewers.
 * It's unknown what shapeshifters really look like, but claimed to be monstrous and deformed. In Supernatural The Animation episode The Alter Ego, the shapeshifter reveals his true form. The creature appear to be Supernatural_shapeshifter_by_dustiniz117-d4fbcwz.jpgoid insect-like form with green skin, thin body and fingers, large mouth with thick purple lips and little green eyes on the coast of their head. They also have sharping vertebrate outgoing from their back. This is anime-only. However, they may have an original human appearance as the Lassiter family and Olivia had a form they preferred to stay in and they were born shapeshifters.
 * Although they have never been seen doing, or implied they intended to, it has been indirectly stated that at least some shapeshifters eat humans, much like several other monsters, as in There Will Be Blood, Edgar said that: "our additive kill werewolf, shifters and this disgusting things that eat corpses. Anything that taste for humans".
 * Shapeshifters, along with Rugarus, are one of the few monsters shown so far that reproduce almost solely by sexual contact with a human. The offspring that results is assured to be a shifter.
 * It's indicated that some shapeshifters may have a preferred form as the shapeshifter in Blade Runners and the Lassiter family in Bloodlines all returned to one particular form after finishing with their shifting activities.
 * One shapeshifter has shown the ability to change only his hair.
 * In the past all shapeshifter transformations (excluding the alpha) involved the shapeshifter's skin getting peeled/ripped off. However in Blade Runners, a shifter is shown to seamlessly transform without shedding its skin. This ability was seen again in Bloodlines. VFX I/O Coordinator Adam Williams revealed he was puzzled at why this was. "No idea.. I kinda wondered the same myself. Originally I assumed there were “skin walkers” and “shape shifters” and the skin walkers shed their skin - then I read the superwiki and realized the Alpha can transform without a skin shed but they are all the same monster. I guess sometimes legacy changes." Later shapeshifters have returned to shedding their skin to transform.
 * It is unknown how shapeshifters acquire the clothing needed to look like a person they're imitating. Some simply kill/knock out an intended target and steal their clothes. Buddy appeared to mimic Dean's clothing as he had on Dean's outfit after taking his form while Dean was still dressed.
 * Dean has been mimicked by both the Serial Killer Shapeshifter and Buddy.