Nothlit

In the fictional Animorphs series by K. A. Applegate, a nothlit is a being trapped in a morph. If one stays in a morph for over two Earth hours, that form becomes permanent. They are unable to use the Escafil device to regain their morphing power. The word nothlit is synonymous to disabled or crippled.

There are very rare exceptions to this "permanency" - for example, metamorphosis enables nothlits to regain their original form, resetting the morphing clock. In The Departure, Cassie is trapped in the body of a caterpillar, but is able to morph again when she becomes a butterfly. Conversely, there are exceptions to their 'original forms being lost' as in the series, Tobias was able to acquire his original DNA; and hence was able to change into his original self.

In Andalite society, nothlits are largely shunned (only if they became nothlits on purpose and not by accident). Being a proud race which glorifies the strong, Andalites greatly discriminate against nothlits, who are seen as weak.

Applegate has said that she looked outside a window and saw the hotel name Hilton and rearranged the letters to form nothlit, albeit not totally faithful to the word.

List Of Known Nothlits

• Tobias: red tailed hawk (regained morphing ability from the Ellimist) (became nothlit in Andalite form in alternate timeline)
• Cassie: caterpillar (regained morphing ability after transforming to a butterfly)
• David: white rat
• Elfangor: human (regained morphing ability from the Ellimist)
• Arbron: Taxxon
• Taxxons under Arbron: Anaconda
• Aldrea: Hork-Bajir
• Aftran: humpback whale
• Menderash: human