Familiar: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

{{quote|'''Ray:''' I think this cat is a familiar!

 

A familiar is a creature that has been magically bound to a person in a master-and-servant type of relationship. The actual type of familiar varies greatly; it is typically a small animal ([[Cats Are Magic|such as a witch's cat]]) but can be anything, including demons or even human beings! Similarly, the type of bond can vary: in some cases it is nothing more than the ability to [[Speaks Fluent Animal|understand]] what the familiar says [[Talking Animal|(if it speaks)]] while in others the familiar ''is'' the source of the character's powers. But there ''must'' be a specific bond; just having a magical creature as a companion doesn't count. The "master" need not be a sorcerer, either—many stories have a normal person gain a familiar by accident, often resulting in trouble.

Not to be confused with the term "familiar" meaning "something known" though sometimes the similarity is used as the source of an [[Incredibly Lame Pun]]. It's even worse in Spanish, where "familiar" can also mean "blood relative" (this is also the case in English, though it's more uncommon).

 

 

** To a lesser extent, Rei Hino's twin crows, Phobos and Deimos. In the manga, they have the ability to transform into Sailor Senshi themselves.

** Also, Zirconia's familiar, Zircon.

* The "Shadow Dragons" in ''[[Narutaru]]''.

* The Servants in ''[[Fate/stay night]]'' and ''[[Fate/hollow ataraxia]]'' were called as such in-universe, but they're way too powerful to be considered as such. Tohsaka can also make familiars in the shape of animals by using crystals. Caster also has a number of dragon tooth bone golems.

* In ''[[Kekkaishi]]'', the eponymous practitioners summon familiars called "landlords" to aid them in perfecting their abilities. These are basically dog spirits that wear collars to limit their powers.

** An actual Landlord formed by a Kekkaishi looks a lot different. Masamori's is a black carp, and {{spoiler|Yoshimori's}} is... something. Possibly a lot of things.

* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' subverts and plays the trope fairly straight with its monsters depending on what part of the series you're looking at. The bare basics of the card game implies the player is the master and any mon they summon act as a temporary familiar, although some players don't add any attachment to any particular monster to such an extent and the ones that do don't necessarily add any benefits to the monster in question. In the Pharoah's Memory arc where the monsters and their summoners originated from to make the modern day card game, however, it is played much more straight where the summoners can summon any ka (monster) they can access in exchange for the monster tapping into their master's ba (life energy), but every person also has a primary ka that serves as the embodiment of their soul and is not only much stronger than other kas the summoner can use, but whose well-being also affects the health of the summoner directly. ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! GX (anime)|Yu-Gi-Oh GX]]'' also references this by having some duelists share such a strong bond with a particular monster that they become their spirit partners and thus can communicate with their partner from time to time. ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's]]'' also shares this with certain duelists, particularly ones with powerful dragons (such as Luna with the Ancient Fairy Dragon or Yusei with the Stardust Dragon).

** Occasionally, some cards are seen making independent choices. In the first series, the very first duel between Yugi and Kaiba, has the later attempt to cheat by putting the Blue Eyes he stole from Yugi's grandpa on the top of his deck, then drawing and summoning it instantly. The dragon immediately self destructs, allowing Yugi to call it back to his own side with Raise Dead (Monster Reborn).

* Tamer-Type Exorcists in [[Blue Exorcist]] are able to summon them, Rin has Blackie (A Giant Black Cat), Izumo has two Byakko (Spirit Foxes), Mephisto has Ukobach (The Torchfire Demon) and his Phoenix/Umbrella hybrid, Igor has many, MANY [[Nausea Fuel]] inducing-ones, and Shiemi has Nii (A Plant Demon).

* While the "mon" or humanoid creatures used for fighting in ''[[Control]]'' are called Assets as part of the series' interest in the financial world, it's pretty easy to see them as Familiars, given that the people using them have made a [[Deal with the Devil]], and some of the Assets even look like demons.

* In ''[[Saint Beast]]'', Pearl is a squirrel/mouse-like creature created out of Pandora's bones who [[The Confidant|keeps him company]] and acts as a guarantor of Pandora's loyalty. If Pandora goes away from the shrine Zeus keeps Pearl and can harm it if Pandora tries defying him, rebounding on Pandora.

 

* The [[Incredibly Lame Pun|minor]] [[DC Comics]] villain Klarion the Witch Boy has a cat familiar called Teekl. He can transform it into a humanoid form to use [[Series Continuity Error|him/her]] as extra muscle.

* In one issue of ''[[Beasts of Burden]]'' a coven of witches each with a cat familiar moved into town. While most of them were killed along with the witches, Dympha survived and sought revenge on the others, then joined them. She retains some magical capabilities without the witch.

 

== Fan Works ==

* In ''Sauramud Advice Column for Young Wizardlings'', some poor wizard asks for advice about [[Blessed with Suck|the giant slug]] which he got as a familiar. Sauramud decisively states:

{{quote|"In answer to your question, a giant slug is NO GOOD AT ALL as a familiar -- in fact MOST familiars are no good as a familiar."}}

 

== Films -- Animation ==

* Jiji from ''[[Kiki's Delivery Service]]''.

* Merlin in ''[[The Sword in the Stone]]'' has an owl named Archimedes.

 

== Films -- Live-Action ==

* In ''[[The Crow]]'' the titular animal is effectively a familiar for the main character although, unknown to the main character, the crow also {{spoiler|serves as the main character's [[Soul Jar]]}}

* In the ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]''-viewed movie ''[[Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders]]'', the [[Jerkass]] critic tries to turn his cat into a familiar. [[Gone Horribly Wrong|It doesn't]] work.

* ''[[Teen Witch (film)|Teen Witch]]'' subverts this by making Louise's familiar an object: a blue charm which she is told both symbolizes her powers and always find a way back to her from lifetime to lifetime.

* One episode of [[Masters of Horror]] based off of [[H.P. Lovecraft|HP Lovecraft]]'s "Dreams in The Witch House", dealt with the protagonist vainly trying to protect a baby from a witch and her familiar, a giant rat with the face of a man.

 

== Literature ==

* In Mercedes Lackey's ''[[Valdemar]]'' series, [[Heterosexual Life Partners|Tarma and Kethry]] end up with a unique version of this. [[Squishy Wizard|Kethry]] cast a spell to summon a familiar, but when [[Big Badass Wolf|Warrl]] responded to the call, he chose to become [[Lady of War|Tarma's]] familiar instead, much to Kethry's chagrined amusement.

* In ''[[Septimus Heap]]'', dragons are familars to their Imprintors (i.e hatchers), as is the case with Septimus and Spit Fyre.

* In ''[[Enchanted Forest Chronicles]]'' Morwen has a large number of cats, all her familiars. This is frowned upon by more traditional witches because not only is one cat more traditional, but none of her cats are black. The cats can communicate with her and she can channel their energy for spells.

 

* ''[[Charmed]]'', of course. Familiars guide new witches until they can fend for themselves. The sisters had a [[Cats Are Magic|feline familiar]], who was turned human because she guided good witches. Inversely, an evil familiar got turned into a warlock when he killed his witch.

* In the 2000 ''[[Arabian Nights (TV series)|Arabian Nights]]'' mini-series, the sorcerer who recruits Aladdin to retrieve the lamp for him has a raven as a familiar.

* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''. Averted when Tara suggests she and fellow witch Willow get a cat. Willow thinks she means a familiar but no, she just means a pet. And so [[Formally-Named Pet|Miss Kitty Fantastico]] guest-stars [[What Happened to the Mouse?|for a few episodes]] before its [[Bus Crash|unfortunate demise]] in an [[Noodle Incident|off-screen]] [[Shur Fine Guns|accidental crossbow discharge]].

 

* [[Older Than Steam]]: Accounts of witches with familiars go back to the 1500s.

 

* ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' allowed wizards to acquire a familiar by using a spell. Most were animals, but there was a small chance you could get a weak monster.

** Third edition made this a class feature of wizards and sorcerers. Any member of either class with 100 gold and 24 hours could summon a familiar. And added more familiar types, but requires to take a feat for critters more tough or exotic than a housecat.

* ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' has "cyber-familiars", Psychic Familiars and something in between.

** By far the most common ones are Servo Skulls (skulls, usually of particularly loyal servants of the Imperium, fitted with an antigravity generator and a machine spirit so that they can continue to serve even in death) - one of the most functionally limited servitors. They are used for anything up to floating lamps, the most advanced types are medical (which can administer first aid when ordered) and utility (which can perform simple maintenance tasks, but is far more useful as teleoperated tools the Tech-Priests use for repair in dangerous or inaccessible places).

*** As general purpose cyber-constructs, Cherubim have base of their brain taken from common animals, so they are not insect-dumb, but aren't going to be smarter than a monkey. As such, they also work better when controlled via their master's Mind Impulse Unit. Unless they go feral, that is — there's a small chance a Cherub will flip out and start lunging at throats. Most people not in Ecclesiarchy or Mechanicus consider Cherubim somewhat creepy and have superstitions on their account.

*** There also was a [[Fanon|zine article]] ''On Angels' Wings'' elaborating the details.

** Advanced types are heavily augmented cyber-constructs, such as cyber-mastiffs and grapplehawks commonly used by Imperial law enforcement. These also support remotely control by professional handlers with special implants.

** ''Any'' beast of smaller-than-human size can be converted into a custom cyber-familiar. And then any implants that can be installed in a human can be added, except more expensive (due to the host's size). Of course, if they freak out or get bonked on the head too hard, they go berserk.

** Gyrinx, catlike creature sensitive to psychic energy. One of these can tag along and establish empathic link with any sentient who won't scare it away first, and then start to imitate the master down to physiological changes. Eldar discovered them, so the Eldar psykers are more often than others are accompanied by Gyrinxes, though it's not quite clear whether they're Familiars or just pets. Given that the Eldar Farseers are in many ways likened to witches (In fact, that's what the Imperium calls them) the "witches cat" ought to be a familiar. Some humans (psykers and not) obtain one too.

** Chaos gets daemonic Familiars, mutated creatures and the likes.

* ''[[Mage: The Awakening]]'' features Familiars for the title mages, creatures that are actually manifested spirits capable of using Numina (spirit powers) at will. Those with a good knowledge of the Spirit Arcanum even have the ability to summon temporary familiars at will.

** ''[[Changeling: The Lost]]'' likewise has Hedge Beasts, animals touched by the strange magic of [[The Lost Woods|the Hedge]]. They're capable of human speech, smarter than the average animal and have the ability to use [[Functional Magic|Contracts]].

* In ''[[Rifts]]'', when a magician tries to summon a demon, they fail to maintain control over it, and control actually ''reverses'' the relationship, making the summoner the familiar of the demon.

 

* The "Manas" in the [[Atelier (franchise)|Atelier]] and ''[[Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis]]'', where {{spoiler|the ''main character'' is one}}.

* Erasmus, the [[Eccentric Mentor]] of the ''[[Quest for Glory]]'' series of games, has a talking rat as his familiar.

* Familiars are the back-bone of the ''[[Shin Megami Tensei]]'' series, being a [[Mon]] series. Generally Demons are obtained by contracting and negotiating with the demon itself instead of being summoned (thought this does tends to happen often enough in the games), and one can [[Fusion Dance|combine]] 2 or more demons with each other to produce a third one. Another difference with the more traditional familiars is that they tend to be stored on computers, and what binds demons to the summoner will is not a spell, but rather a computer program.

 

* [[Yamara]]'s friend Fea has <s>"Poopsie"</s> [[Frogs and Toads|Ralph the toad]]. "Poopsie" has [http://yamara.com/yamaraclassic/index.php?date=2005-06-16 stuck in a nightmare].

* ''[[Errant Story]]'': Meji has Ellis, a winged talking cat. While he's referred to as a familiar, he was apparently bought from a pet store and has little to no magical significance - "familiar" here means a magical construct that can talk. He's also [[Snarky Non-Human Sidekick|sarcastic and abrasive]] to everybody and especially Meji. He can survive things that should have been overkill for anything alive its size - which is a necessary trait for the creature who persistently annoys Meji to last more than a few pages.

** Isabel used to have [http://paranatural.net/index.php?id=195 Eightfold] - "Objectively the cutest character in Paranatural" according to the cast page.

** Some of the spirits are [http://www.paranatural.net/comic/chapter-2-page-16 ranting mad] about the practice, others are [http://www.paranatural.net/comic/chapter-5-page-171 actively trying to] be "domesticated" at the first opportunity and on any conditions. The latter is not going to be the toughest stuff around, obviously.

 

* In ''[[The Gamers Alliance]]'', many but not all mages have familiars. [[The Chessmaster|Antigonus]] has Bifrons the rat, [[Manipulative Bastard|Belial]] has Valefor the raven, and [[Cool Old Guy|Josiah]] has Artagel the cat.

 

* An episode of ''[[The Real Ghostbusters]]'' had the team finding a witch's cat and making the pun mentioned above.

* Napoleon, Lilian's cat familiar in ''[[WITCH (animation)|WITCH]]''.

Dr.Fate: You and I both knows that creature is not a cat. }}

* Appa in ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'' would appear just to be a [[Loyal Animal Companion]] to Aang, although that it has been hinted that he's more than this, and that all Avatars have an 'animal spirit guide' to help them in their life. Roku, Aang's predecessor had Fang the dragon, and his successor [[The Legend of Korra|Korra]] has Naga the [[Mix-and-Match Critters|Polar-Bear-Dog]]. They have the ability for their spirits to communicate with the next Avatar after death, and they appear to be able to share dreams.

* The villain, Mozenrath, from ''[[Aladdin (Disney film)|Aladdin]] [[The Animated Series]]'' is almost always accompanied by his loyal (if constantly bullied) flying eel familar, Xerxes, who happens to speak in a faint Peter Lorre impression.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Servant Tropes]]

[[Category:Speculative Fiction Tropes]]

[[Category:Wizards and Witches]]