User blog:Romeyjondorf/Werewolves vs. shape-shifters

Many people think that shape-shifters and werewolves (Children of the Moon) are the same thing and you may be thinking what the differences of the two are. They both resemble wolves, both have a human side, both shift into different bodies. So what is the difference between these two fantasy creatures?

Quileute shape-shifters
Shape-shifters are humans (mostly from the Quileute tribe) who shift into a certain animal, in this case wolves, at will and can remember themselves in both forms. They are generally born into this, although can depend on the story, and so runs in families. Some stories say that these shapeshifters are superior to humans, and if one should have (a) child(ren) with a human, it will always be a shapeshifter. However, some stories say that it is to do with genes, usually recessive in these cases, and the child(ren) can be either human or wolf. In most stories, however, a person cannot shift into a wolf until a certain age, the minimum being 13, so the parents would not know until then whether or not their child(ren) is/are (a) shifter(s). Also, shapeshifters usually have a decreased healing time, meaning they can heal much quicker than a normal human or wolf.

Note: in the books and the films (Probably because Stephenie Meyer had not created Children of the Moon yet) shapeshifters are simply known as werewolves.

Werewolves/Children of the Moon
Werewolves are creatures that change involuntarily by the light of the full moon. These creatures are part wolf, part human, in the way they are covered in fur, have wolf noses, eyes, ears, paws and other features but do share some similarities with humans in the way they stand for example. Many werewolves do not know they are a werewolf, and in their "wolf" form, cannot remember their human self. Werewolves are not born werewolves and have to be bitten or scratched by a werewolf, usually in wolf form, to become one. They are completely unharmed by vampire venom and cannot be turned into a vampire by it.

Note: not much is known about Children of the Moon, this could be to do with their being nearly extinct.

Similarities they share

 * 1) Both Quileute shapeshifters and Children of the Moon turn into a wolf or at least a wolf/human hybrid.
 * 2) Neither of them can be turned into vampires by venom or by any other means.
 * 3) They are both natural enemies of the vampire.