Born as the daughter of Drupada, the King of Panchala, Shikhandi becomes male after agreeing to a sex exchange with a yaksha.

[2] Shikhandi, whose natal female identity is sometimes rendered Shikhandini,[3] is the reincarnation of Amba, a princess who was abducted by Bhishma at a svayamvara and later spurned by him.

The prince fights in the Kurukshetra War on the side of his brothers-in-law, the Pandavas, and is instrumental in causing the death of Bhishma.

[7] Before her wedding ceremony could commence, Amba told Bhishma that she had fallen in love with the King of Salva, and was not ready to marry anyone else.

One of the sages happened to be maternal grandfather, Hotravahana, who sympathised with her state of mind, and told her that Parashurama, Bhishma's martial guru, would come to her aid.

Furious, Parashurama engaged in a terrible duel against Bhishma on the field of Kurukshetra for twenty-three days, employing astras, but was unable to best him.

Shiva told Amba that she would be born as a girl who would later become a man in her next life, and become a maharathi who would slay Bhishma in battle.

When Shikhandi reached the traditional age of maturity, Drupada decided to offer her hand in marriage to the daughter of Hiranyavarman, the King of Dasharna.

Feeling compassionate, the yaksha offered to exchange his sex with her for a certain period of time, to which Shikhandi agreed.

When the yaksha begged Kubera to lift the curse, the latter told her that she would regain her birth sex after the death of Shikhandi.

[11] Before the Kurukshetra War, Bhima opts for Shikhandi to be the commander-in-chief of the Pandava army, as he was born to kill Bhishma, but Arjuna and Krishna prefer Dhrishtadyumna instead.

On the first day of the war, Shikhandi confronts Ashwatthama, and both warriors wound each other several times, before withdrawing from the battle.

On the night of the ninth day of battle, after a decisive defeat, the Pandavas and Krishna visit Bhishma.

After the death of Shalya, Shikhandi greatly destroys the retreating Kaurava army on the seventeenth day of the war.