- "Familiars are goblins who have taken on the shape of animals to better serve their witch masters. There's nothing human about them."
- —Zelda Spellman to Sabrina Spellman[src]
Familiars are goblins who take on the shape of animals to better serve their witch masters. Witches often choose their familiars from a registry book before their Dark Baptism. However, they also have the option of summoning a familiar. According to Zelda, witches often name their familiars, but some familiars name themselves. Familiars are highly useful to witches and their witchcraft and offer protection from harm and are often very useful in the casting of spells and rituals. Also according to Zelda, familiars are bound to their witches, so when their master dies, they die with them from the agony of losing their masters. When familiars die, their goblin form becomes visible, as seen with the unnamed deer familiar and Connor's iguana familiar - however some deceased familiars, such as Zelda's Vinegar Tom, retain their animal form for reasons unknown. Familiars can be used to control their witch masters, as seen with Leviathan.
Physiology[]
In their original forms it would appear, as shown with Salem, goblins are long, black, clawed, humanoid entities capable of human speech before shapeshifting into an animal form. Some goblins, such as the unnamed deer, have tan skin. While they are physically constrained by their animal forms, they can instantly shapeshift back to their original black forms which possess immense strength and power. This is often to protect their witch from harm or attack, as shown when Salem attacked and destroyed an enchanted scarecrow in the Greendale orchard hay bale maze, showing them to be powerful magical beings.
Powers and Abilities[]
- Shapeshifting: Since familiars are goblins, they have the ability to shapeshift into a specific animal.
- Super Strength: In their true form, familiars are shown to be strong and can attack and destroy entities who pose a threat to their witch masters.
Known Familiars[]
| Familiar | Owner | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem | Sabrina Spellman | Salem is a small, slim black cat with yellow eyes. | Alive |
| Vinegar Tom | Zelda Spellman | Vinegar Tom was a dog with long ears and a tan and white fur coat. | Deceased |
| Stolas | Lilith | Stolas was a raven with black eyes, feathers and tail. | Deceased |
| Unnamed iguana | Connor Kemper | An iguana with green, scaly skin. | Deceased |
| Unnamed spiders | Hilda Spellman | Numerous tarantula-like, medium-sized, hairy spiders. | Alive |
| Unnamed deer | Unnamed witch | A male deer with brown fur and antlers. | Deceased |
| Leviathan | Ambrose Spellman | Leviathan was a brown mouse with a pointed snout, small rounded ears, and a long tail. | Deceased |
| Amalia | Nicholas Scratch | Amalia was a gray werewolf with yellow eyes that wore a dress. | Deceased |
Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- Stolas, Madame Satan's familiar, is named after one of the demons of the Ars Goetia. He is often depicted as either an owl or raven, and teaches astronomy as well as knowledge on poisonous plants, herbs and precious stones. Also, he is described as a Great Prince of Hell and commands 26 legions of demons.
- Hilda mentions that Vinegar Tom died on a November 9, 1989, the day the Berlin Wall fell.
- Werewolves can also be familiars as shown by Amalia.
Notes[]
- In the Sabrina the Teenage Witch sitcom, familiars are former witches who committed serious crimes.
- In the 2014 Chilling Adventures of Sabrina comics, Ambrose Spellman had two cobras as familiars, Nag and Nagaina. She doesn't have any relation to the Gorgon Nagaina from Part 3.
- In the comics, former humans like Nag and Nagaina and Samuel, aka Salem, can become familiars.