<p>I am not sure that this applies for Pantherlily and Samuel, but in chapter 421, Charle could transform into anthropoid (human-like form) because she learned transformation magic.</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Im3YA.png" alt="chapter 421"></p>

<p>This may be the cause that Pantherlily and Samuel could transform, and Pantherlily saying that he could maintain that form for certain time only when he's worn out in battle because it requires magic to maintain it.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-18T15:31:36.700Z
While I do believe the manga explains it like that, it doesn't make sense to me that Pantherlily has trouble keeping his form on Earth, where there is an infinite amount of magic, yet on Edolas, where magic is supposedly sparse, he can stay transformed forever :/
Peter Raeves
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T05:08:16.460Z
@PeterRaeves Magic is infinite but you can't use it for infinite, body need to recharge magic, Pantherlily had trouble, in Tenrouji arc(chp 231) when most of the member of fairy tail were injured and were attacked at their base he said that will he be able to maintain his combat mode. And why do he need to stay in normal in earth where there is infinite amount of magic but in combat state in Edolas  where is scarcity of magic.
mirroroftruth
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T09:27:41.747Z
Yes, that was indeed my question.
Peter Raeves
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T09:56:58.630Z
i answered your question , you need to recharge it, it takes time to recharge, like dragon slayer they can't eat magic to recharge.
mirroroftruth
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T11:55:53.437Z
But then why didn't he need to recharge in Edolas?
Peter Raeves
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T14:08:31.830Z
In Edolas he never needed to
mirroroftruth
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-26T19:55:50.190Z
Out of universe, isn't Samuel anime-only so can transform as he is a foil for Pantherlily for that Key arc?
kaine
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-18T11:18:41.380Z
2016-12-30T10:15:49.010Z
2016-12-30T10:15:49.010Z
mirroroftruth
<p>The reasons that I think is the most probable would be that:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>They both have combat experience. They learnt how to fight and their body adapted to be that form to allowed them to fight to their fullest.</p></li>
<li><p>They wanted to make Lily special because he was the only exceed that came into the human world and joined Fairy Tail during the Edolas Arc.(Samuel was not canon)</p></li>
<li><p>My last point is that they both have better magic capabilities/power/amount compared to all the other exceed as lily mentioned that it was difficult to maintain the battle form in Earthland compared to Edolas. Since both was brought up like a soldier they would be stronger in physical terms and magical terms.</p></li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-16T15:23:30.067Z
2014-11-17T04:44:45.773Z
2014-11-17T04:44:45.773Z
xwillflame
<p>As of Fairy Tail chapter 420,</p>

<blockquote class="spoiler">
  <p> Carla has taken on a human-esque form, similar to Pantherlily and Samuel. It might be age-related, or age combined with maturity to get to this second form of appearance.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-18T14:19:29.373Z
Carla said that she had to train a lot to achieve it, it's not just about amount of magic but also the training to obtain the ability.
Ikzer
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-16T23:26:51.977Z
This doesn't really explain why there were hardly any exceeds able to transform in Edolas, where there is an infinite amount of magic available to the Exceeds. So there must be more to it, but I guess she will explain in (one of) the next chapter(s).
Peter Raeves
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-16T21:21:42.393Z
2015-02-19T13:31:08.480Z
2015-02-19T13:31:08.480Z
Chelsea
<p>Well, up until the Edolas arc, Carla and Happy were the only Exceeds in Earth Land, and since Exceeds are the only living beings in Edolas with magic power flowing through them, they would have plenty of time to learn, whereas Carla and Happy knew nothing of their heritage until that arc.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-02T09:49:00.557Z
2015-02-19T13:29:30.643Z
2015-02-19T13:29:30.643Z
Prince_V
<p>Well, if you had listened to Samuel, he said that both him and Pantherlily are the older generation of the Exceeds. Maybe that's the reason why.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-16T18:29:10.137Z
2015-01-16T18:32:41.020Z
2015-01-16T18:32:41.020Z
mohamed el hajji
<p>A possible theory is that only certain Exceeds with special conditions can have a battle form. </p>

<p>Samuel was raised by the Legion Corps upon birth, prompting his devotion to them. He has learnt combat from the Legion Corps and has great wisdom. His knowledge is what that enabled him to unlock the key to have a battle form.</p>

<p>Pantherlily is born in Edolas and is an Exceed that used to work for the kingdom of Edolas as the Magic Militia's First Division Commander of the Royal Army. He should be able to do it with talent and stay in his battle form or he wouldn't be the leader in the Royal Army. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-29T03:10:30.017Z
2014-08-29T03:10:30.017Z
Bryan Se To
<p>There are several exceeds known, and as far as I can remember, only Pantherlily and Samuel are shown to turn into human form.</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/VUHABl.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>So, why can't other exceeds like Happy and Carla change into human form as well?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-16T23:23:55.197Z
It seems like it might be revealed in one of the upcoming chapters.
Peter Raeves
<fairy-tail>
Why are not all Exceeds able to transform into an anthropoid (humanlike) form?
# Why are not all Exceeds able to transform into an anthropoid (humanlike) form?
Posted by: username_0 on 2014-08-24
There are several exceeds known, and as far as I can remember, only Pantherlily and Samuel are shown to turn into human form.

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/VUHABl.png)

So, why can't other exceeds like Happy and Carla change into human form as well?
**Tags:** fairy-tail
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: It seems like it might be revealed in one of the upcoming chapters.  
---
## 6 answers
### Answer by username_2 on 2015-03-18. Score: 3
I am not sure that this applies for Pantherlily and Samuel, but in chapter 421, Charle could transform into anthropoid (human-like form) because she learned transformation magic.

![chapter 421](https://i.sstatic.net/Im3YA.png)

This may be the cause that Pantherlily and Samuel could transform, and Pantherlily saying that he could maintain that form for certain time only when he's worn out in battle because it requires magic to maintain it.
> **Comments:**
> **username_1** (2015-03-18): While I do believe the manga explains it like that, it doesn't make sense to me that Pantherlily has trouble keeping his form on Earth, where there is an infinite amount of magic, yet on Edolas, where magic is supposedly sparse, he can stay transformed forever :/  
> **username_2** (2015-03-19): @PeterRaeves Magic is infinite but you can't use it for infinite, body need to recharge magic, Pantherlily had trouble, in Tenrouji arc(chp 231) when most of the member of fairy tail were injured and were attacked at their base he said that will he be able to maintain his combat mode. And why do he need to stay in normal in earth where there is infinite amount of magic but in combat state in Edolas  where is scarcity of magic.  
> **username_1** (2015-03-19): Yes, that was indeed my question.  
> **username_2** (2015-03-19): i answered your question , you need to recharge it, it takes time to recharge, like dragon slayer they can't eat magic to recharge.  
> **username_1** (2015-03-19): But then why didn't he need to recharge in Edolas?  
> **username_2** (2015-03-19): In Edolas he never needed to  
> **username_3** (2015-10-26): Out of universe, isn't Samuel anime-only so can transform as he is a foil for Pantherlily for that Key arc?  
---
### Answer by username_4 on 2014-09-16. Score: 1
The reasons that I think is the most probable would be that:

1. They both have combat experience. They learnt how to fight and their body adapted to be that form to allowed them to fight to their fullest.
2. They wanted to make Lily special because he was the only exceed that came into the human world and joined Fairy Tail during the Edolas Arc.(Samuel was not canon)
3. My last point is that they both have better magic capabilities/power/amount compared to all the other exceed as lily mentioned that it was difficult to maintain the battle form in Earthland compared to Edolas. Since both was brought up like a soldier they would be stronger in physical terms and magical terms.
---
### Answer by username_5 on 2015-02-16. Score: 0
As of Fairy Tail chapter 420,

> Carla has taken on a human-esque form, similar to Pantherlily and Samuel. It might be age-related, or age combined with maturity to get to this second form of appearance.
> **Comments:**
> **username_1** (2015-02-16): This doesn't really explain why there were hardly any exceeds able to transform in Edolas, where there is an infinite amount of magic available to the Exceeds. So there must be more to it, but I guess she will explain in (one of) the next chapter(s).  
> **username_6** (2015-03-18): Carla said that she had to train a lot to achieve it, it's not just about amount of magic but also the training to obtain the ability.  
---
### Answer by username_7 on 2014-12-02. Score: 0
Well, up until the Edolas arc, Carla and Happy were the only Exceeds in Earth Land, and since Exceeds are the only living beings in Edolas with magic power flowing through them, they would have plenty of time to learn, whereas Carla and Happy knew nothing of their heritage until that arc.
---
### Answer by username_8 on 2015-01-16. Score: 0
Well, if you had listened to Samuel, he said that both him and Pantherlily are the older generation of the Exceeds. Maybe that's the reason why.
---
### Answer by username_9 on 2014-08-29. Score: 0
A possible theory is that only certain Exceeds with special conditions can have a battle form.

Samuel was raised by the Legion Corps upon birth, prompting his devotion to them. He has learnt combat from the Legion Corps and has great wisdom. His knowledge is what that enabled him to unlock the key to have a battle form.

Pantherlily is born in Edolas and is an Exceed that used to work for the kingdom of Edolas as the Magic Militia's First Division Commander of the Royal Army. He should be able to do it with talent and stay in his battle form or he wouldn't be the leader in the Royal Army.
---
