Skinwalkers

## *Unknown*

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**Skinwalkers** are a species of supernatural shapeshifters who were introduced in *Teen Wolf* in [5|Season 5]. According to Native American folklore, Skinwalkers are people that possess the ability to shapeshift into any animal at will. They are often referred to as medicine men, witches or *yee naaldooshii*, which translates to “with it, he goes on all fours.” In most legends, Skinwalkers are considered evil, but in the series, this doesn't seem to be the case. They typically transform into wolves, coyotes, owls, foxes or crows but they can turn into any animal who is native to their region. They've been known to wear the pelt of the animal they desire to shift into, though this doesn't seem to be a requirement. In most Native American lore, this rare form of shapeshifter also possesses the ability to "to steal the face" or shapeshift into another person. How this ability is acquired is varies between cultures; many believe they can steal your form by looking you in the eyes, while others believe they accessed this ability by killing a relative.

## Appearance

It is believed that Skinwalkers often wear the skin of the animals they transform into. By wearing the pelt of that animal, they can channel its power which allows them to take that shape, in a similar manner to Berserkers, though Skinwalkers appear to be much more controlled than Berserkers are. Skinwalkers are also known to wear tribal face paint, incorporating certain symbols that mean certain things.

## Personality

Most of the lore about Skinwalkers says that they are evil beings, but according to [Yukimura|Noshiko], this is not actually the case, as folklore also claims that [[2]] are evil when many of them are actually good or neutral. Skinwalkers believe in controlling the inner animal and are very knowledgeable about their people.

## Powers and Abilities

### Powers

* **Super Strength:** Skinwalkers possess superhuman levels of strength. One Skinwalker alone was able to cause a large crack in the earth beneath her feet by simply pounding it with her staff. Another one of the Skinwalkers was able to throw a spear with such force that it knocked Kira backward and pinned her to a wall as it impaled her shoulder.
* **Heightened Senses:** The skinwalkers appear to have superhuman senses, as they were able to tell that [Yukimura|Noshiko] and [Yukimura|Kira Yukimura] had arrived at their home despite being underground, and were able to sense that Kira was afraid of her out-of-control abilities, likely due to listening to her heartbeat or interpreting the chemosignals in her scent. Since they are animal shapeshifters like [[3]], [[4]], and [[5]], it is possible that they possess the same heightened eyesight, sense of smell, and sense of hearing that the animals they transform into have as well.
* **Shapeshifting:** Skinwalkers are presumably able to shapeshift into the form of whatever animal they desire, though this has yet to be shown in the series.Like Werewolves, Skinwalkers possess the ability to transform into canines. Unlike werewolves, however, skinwalkers transform completely into a pet dog rather than a wolf creature. Skinwalkers can change from their human to animal forms anytime without a full moon.Like the werewolf, the skin-walker is a shape-shifter, human at times, and at other times taking on the aspect of an animal, usually at night. In its animal form, a skin-walker may be anything, including a wolf, coyote, fox, bear, owl, or crow. Although skin-walkers may have a favorite form that they customarily use, they have the power to become anything they wish. In animal form, a skin-walker is very fast and impossible to ca
* **Super stamina**: Skin-walker's possess unlimited endurance in all physical activities due to receiving better nourishment from the solar energy their cells process. In addition, a skin-walker's body stores enough solar energy to negate eat, drink, breathe and even sleep for as long as they want. This is evident as skin-walker's survive in the vacuum of space, as they do not require air. That said, skin-walker's can take part in battle sequences for as long as they want, without difficulty or fatigue.
* **Super-Memory**: skin-walker's possess an eidetic memory; under a yellow sun, this ability is amplified hundreds of times beyond those humans beings. They can receive or process large amounts of information and data at once, reading words and pictures at a fast pace. They do have a photographic memory with total recall, possess the ability to super-read in seconds and can retain large amounts of information flawlessly.
* **Multilingualism**: skin-walker's gain the ability to learn, speak and understand any language they come in contact with.
* **Electromagnetic Spectrum Perception**: skin-walker's can see all of the EM spectrum. They can see and identify radio and television, as well as all other transmissions or transmitted frequencies. With this ability, they can avoid detection by radar or satellite monitoring methods. This also allows him to see the auras generated by living beings.
* **Telescopic vision**: skin-walker's have the ability to see people or objects meters away (this power does not break the laws of physics; that is, they can see something that happens far away as it happens). This ability operates independently of normal vision and can be activated or deactivated by an act of will.
* **Super vision**: skin-walker's have the ability to see extremely small residues, stains or streaks or other objects that humans cannot see with their own eyes. This ability can go so far as to see very small objects and images down to the atomic level.
* **Superhuman Agility:** Skinwalkers possess superhuman agility. They can move, jump, climb, and run incredibly fast without difficulty or exhaustion.
* **Superhuman Durability:** Skinwalker's bodily tissues are much harder and more resistant to physical injury than those of an ordinary human. Their bodies are able to withstand great impact forces and blunt trauma that would severely injure or kill a normal human.
* **Accelerated Healing Factor:** Skinwalkers appear to be able to and can heal and regenerate themselves very completely from any wound or injury much faster than humans. A skinwalker was hit by a minivan, but when he returned back to his human form he appeared to have no physical harm. The same skinwalker was shot with a bullet later, but the wound healed extremely quickly. While immortal, these capabilities allow the wolves to continue battling even after serious injury. In some cases, however, this accelerated healing can be detrimental.Skinwalkers can heal and regenerate instantly from any wound.
* **Invulnerability:**  They can, however, be injured.A Skinwalkers cells emit an aura of unbreakable solar energy that results in them being invulnerable to bodily injuries. Because of this, Skinwalkers are resistant to all forms of physical damage. They can withstand the highest and lowest temperatures without sustaining any damage. As such, not even the strongest of humans can hurt them; bullets bounce off them, rockets, bombs and lasers don't even leave a mark on them, and high-voltage energy emissions (beams) cannot penetrate through them. Skinwalkers are immune to all earthly diseases and viruses. They can however be damaged by other Skinwalkers or foreigners who can match their strength.
* **Enhanced Sense of Smell:** They can smell far better than humans, in either form, as their sense of smell is so adjusted to help them identify their enemies. Using this ability, they can tell if they are being followed or if someone is in the vicinity, within an approximate range of 100 yards or more. They possess this ability even in the human form.
* **Longevity**: Because the Skinwalkers told Kira that she would walk with them as Skinwalkers forever, it is suggested that they are extremely long-lived, like [[6]], or are immortal.
* **Super Speed:** Skinwalkers, in their animal form, can run and move faster than humans, reaching great speed, up to a hundred miles per hour, which often allows them to outrun motor vehicles and have greater endurance than all normal humans.Skinwalkers have the potential to travel at the speed of light, but more commonly just above the sound barrier. That said, a Skinwalkers can run faster than a human or machine, and also move so fast that he seems to appear and disappear at will. When a Skinwalkers super-speeds, they perceive the world in slow motion. This also gives them very fast reflexes.
* **Enhanced Sense of Smell:** They can smell far better than humans, in either form, as their sense of smell is so adjusted to help them identify their enemies. Using this ability, they can tell if they are being followed or if someone is in the vicinity, within an approximate range of 100 yards or more. They possess this ability even in the human form.
* **Heightened Sense of Sight:** Skinwalkers' eyes are extremely sharp and can see very far. Jared is known to have the best sight in the pack.
* **Super Sense of Hearing:** They all have excellent hearing even in their human forms. A skin-walker's hearing is better than a humans, like a dog's. skin-walker's can eavesdrop on important conversations and cries for help from miles away, and possess enough control to exclude ambient sounds in order to focus on a specific source or frequency. They also possess a mental telepathy associated with the sound, as they can hear the screams from space (where there is no air for sound waves to travel through).
* **Solar battery**: When a skinwalker is exposed to the rays of a yellow sun, the cells of his body store solar energy as a battery, enabling him to develop skills beyond description. Without the sun, skinwalker's would not have superhuman abilities. A depowered skinwalker's can regenerate his/her abilities if he/she get close to the Sun. These abilities seem to be relatively easy to master, or at least most of them, as some do take time and great effort (such as heat vision or arctic breath). Most skinwalker's that have made it to Earth were aware of these powers and even for those who were not aware, such as Jor-El, who quickly adapted to his powers when he was forced to use them to save Louise McCallum fromLachlan Luthor, and Dax-Ur, who later learned of his abilities, saying: "It is Sunshine State had that effect on me." The more solar energy a skin-walker's absorbs, the more powerful he becomes.
* **Telepathy:** Skinwalkers are also telepathically linked with each other, enhancing their coordination during hunts and fights but allowing little or no privacy at any time. Skinwalkers can read other humans minds and control them. The Alphas of two different packs may communicate telepathically, and are able to choose what thoughts they share.
* **Mind Possession:** If any human looks into a skinwalkers eyes, the skinwalker can control their mind and absorb their body and can magically steal their skin for their own.
* **X-ray vision**: Skinwalkers can mentally break down the polymers in objects and organisms, allowing them to see through the object or a person; as such, Skinwalkers can see through anything .
* **Super dexterity**: Skinwalkers are extremely agile and precise in all forms of strenuous movement.

### Abilities

* **Natural Medicine**: The Skinwalkers were very knowledgeable about holistic medicine, as they used a special wrap to help Kira's stab wound to heal faster. Since Skinwalkers are known as medicine men and women in folklore, it is likely that they are very skilled at other forms of healing as well.
* **Skilled in Combat and Weaponry**: The Skinwalkers are very impressive warriors who were able to best Kira in a battle, though Kira admitted that she was holding back out of fear of losing control. They are especially skilled with melee weapons such as bowstaffs, swords, and spears.

## Weaknesses

* **Mountain Ash:** Being a supernatural creature, it can be assumed that Skinwalkers are unable to pass through barriers created by mountain ash.
* **Kryptonite** - exposure to this radioactive xenomineral from Krypton is the greatest weakness of all skinwalker,since the mineral's radiation is extremely toxic to them, with it causing them severe pain and completely breaking down their invulnerability, allowing outside forces to damage their body. This weakens a skinwalker to the point that even a regular human like Lex Luthor will be able to overpower him/her. Prolonged exposure will ultimately lead to an excruciating death for the skinwalker. However, the mineral's harmful effects can be instantly neutralized by even a very thin coating of lead.
* **Human Form:** While it is impossible to kill a skin-walker in human form, there are magical ways to protect oneself and even to kill a skin-walker.
* **Bullet Dipped in White Ash:** In traditional Native American lore, the only way to kill a skinwalker in it's animal form is to shot it in the next with a bullet, dipped in white ash.

## Trivia

* Just like Kitsune, Skinwalkers are depicted as evil creatures by myth, though this is not necessarily true in reality.
* Because Skinwalkers wear the pelts of the animals they transform into to adopt their properties, they bear some resemblance to Berserkers, which are humans who have become supernatural through a ritual using bear pelts, bones, and skulls to channel their ferocity and gain superhuman abilities. However, unlike Berserkers, who are mindlessly violent and often under the control of a Werejaguar, Skinwalkers seem to be fully in control over themselves.

## **Facts**

* Usually described as naked, except for a coyote skin or wolf skin.
* Described as being fast, impossible to catch and agile.
* Sometimes transform into an animal to travel large distances or just to wreck havoc.
* Wild animal hides are taboo, and rarely seen in Navajo culture, because of thier assosiation with Skin-walkers.
* they have the power to read human minds. Also have th ability to make any human or animal noise they want.
* Cannot completely transform into the animal, usually has a slight flaw in its gait or movements that lets humans tell that it is not a true animal.
* Gain power by killing a close relative, usually a sibling.
* According to legend the only way to shoot one is to dip bullets into white ash.

## Gallery

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