History Main / BetterWithNonHumanCompany

The sci-fi genre in particular has seen the boundaries widened by throwing in robots and aliens as viable alternatives to animals and plants. The one rule for this character is that they have a powerful empathy with some other species than their own, apparently at the expense of basic social skills.

* The crew on ''Whale Wars'' could be seen as heroic or an AnimalWrongsGroup, depending on your stance, but you'd have a hard time denying their captain falls squarely into Not Good With People. He waxes lyrical about the importance of protecting majestic and peaceful whales, but to the members of ''his own crew,'' never mind those on the "opposing ships", he is ruthless and has some serious [[NoSympathy empathy failure]]. He sends them out on dangerous "missions", snarls at them if they point out that it ''is'' a dangerous task, and will exile them from the ship if they dare defy him.

'''Grumpy''': The grumpy type is much more active but far less benign. Unlike the shy type, who seems to symbolize the fluffy, gentle, and "pure" nature of...well, nature, this type abides by the law of the jungle and is much more pragmatic. They're not ''afraid'' of people -- they just don't ''like'' them. The traits that their brethren find "scary," they find "annoying" or "disgusting." Talk to them and they won't run away...but brace yourself for a rant on how all HumansAreBastards and why should they bother helping ''you'' when you're [[MisanthropeSupreme just a member of the scummy species they hate the most?]] Admittedly, often [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold their bark is worse than their bite]]. Those who prove to them that there is something salvageable in human nature (through, say, a PatrickStewartSpeech) might manage to win them over, setting them up for better interpersonal relations...or just prepared to make an exception for one or two humans in particular. Even if they do, their non-human buddies will always be first in their affections. If they don't...well, then they're a nature-loving {{Jerkass}} whose talent with animals or plants supplies their PetTheDog moments. If thet are forced to interact with others, they are often TheSnarkKnight.

'''Grumpy''': The grumpy type is much more active but far less benign. Unlike the shy type, who seems to symbolize the fluffy, gentle, and "pure" nature of...well, nature, this type abides by the law of the jungle and is much more pragmatic. They're not ''afraid'' of people -- they just don't ''like'' them. The traits that their brethren find "scary," they find "annoying" or "disgusting." Talk to them and they won't run away...but brace yourself for a rant on how all HumansAreBastards and why should they bother helping ''you'' when you're [[MisanthropeSupreme just a member of the scummy species they hate the most?]] Admittedly, often [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold their bark is worse than their bite]]. Those who prove to them that there is something salvageable in human nature (through, say, a PatrickStewartSpeech) might manage to win them over, setting them up for better interpersonal relations...or just prepared to make an exception for one or two humans in particular. Even if they do, their non-human buddies will always be first in their affections. If they don't...well, then they're a nature-loving {{Jerkass}} whose talent with animals or plants supplies their PetTheDog moments.

'''Shy''': The shy variation is a sweet-natured little soul who simply doesn't understand humans. They're so noisy, and they fight all the time, and they ask awkward questions and...(here the train of thought breaks down as they start hyperventilating and go fleeing back to their farm/garden/whatever). When it comes to taking care of sick animals or wilting plants, however, they can show remarkable courage and tenacity. If TheHero and his merry band need his/her help, they'll have quite a job on their hands to earn enough trust to win him/her over. Often times depicted as TheHermit and a FriendToAllLivingThings.

'''Grumpy''': The grumpy type is much more active but far less benign. Unlike the shy type, who seems to symbolize the fluffy, gentle, and "pure" nature of...well, nature, this type abides by the law of the jungle and is much more pragmatic. They're not ''afraid'' of people -- they just don't ''like'' them. The traits that their brethren find "scary," they find "annoying" or "disgusting." Talk to them and they won't run away...but brace yourself for a rant on how all HumansAreBastards and why should they bother helping ''you'' when you're [[MisanthropeSupreme just a member of the scummy species they hate the most?]] This approach can extend even to the species that they're "connected" to. Rather than singing to the flowers, they'll probably prune them in a businesslike manner and lecture them on last year's poor growth rate. They will, however, give them a smile and an affectionate pat when they do well, and the plants will love them just the same.

Admittedly, often [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold their bark is worse than their bite]]. Those who prove to them that there is something salvageable in human nature (through, say, a PatrickStewartSpeech) might manage to win them over, setting them up for better interpersonal relations...or just prepared to make an exception for one or two humans in particular. Even if they do, their non-human buddies will always be first in their affections. If they don't...well, then they're a nature-loving {{Jerkass}} whose talent with animals or plants supplies their PetTheDog moments.

-----

* ''Manga/BlackJack '': Dr. Black Jack leans towards this, being a DrJerk with a huge environmentalist streak. He's gone as far as purchasing an ''entire island'' for the sake of making it into a wildlife preserve.

* ''Anime/NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWater'': The titular Nadia spent most of the fourteen years of her life suffering from a combination of ParentalAbandonment issues and [[AbusiveParents a cruel upbringing]] as a circus acrobat. The end result is a Shy {{Tsundere}} who hates adults, humans, and "[[GranolaGirl progress]]" with a vengeance -- and yet is a FriendToAllLivingThings who begins to treat GadgeteerGenius Jean as a friend despite herself. In fact, she finds herself falling in love with him... [[spoiler: and in the end, they get married]].

* ''Manga/PetShopOfHorrors'': Count D plays the part of the reclusive, soft-spoken animal lover, but he's actually very much a type 2; he's just less noisy about it. Like the rest of his family, he has no tolerance for human weakness. Despite the fact that he's the protagonist, and has his fair share of PetTheDog (well, human) moments with Leon and Chris, he's much more dangerous than most type twos. They're only grouchy, Count D is actually dangerous. [[spoiler: Admittedly though, he's not actually human, just masquerading as one]].

[[folder:Film--Animated]]
* ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'': Kristoff. His EstablishingCharacterMoment is singing a song called "Reindeers Are Better Than People" to his reindeer companion, Sven. [[JustifiedTrope The lyrics imply that he's used to being treated poorly by other humans. He's also been raised by trolls.]]

[[folder:Film--Live-Action]]

* ''Literature/CircleOfMagic''
** Briar and Rosethorn. Their names say it all. They're devoted to their adoptive families, and both actually have good social skills simply because they have to deal with people so often...but essentially, they're both tetchy and irritable, and would ideally like to be left alone with their gardens. Briar in particular is prone to pushing people away, even those he loves, when stressed or anxious.

** Far less sympathetic -- and much more sinister -- is Emperor Ozorne from Daine's ''The Immortals'' series. Humans are expendable and exploitable to him, and he doesn't treat the magical Immortals any better... but he's genuinely upset when the birds of his aviary start falling sick and is prepared to offer Daine anything if she'll stay and look after his menagerie to the point he'll give her land and a title if she agrees to do so [[spoiler:...or kidnap her if she doesn't]].

* In ''Literature/MeWhoDoveIntoTheHeartOfTheWorld'', Karen Nieto finds people in general confusing and unpleasant. However, her understanding of the wants and needs of tuna allow her to become [[spoiler:the first person to successfully breed bluefin tuna in captivity]].

* ''Series/AllCreaturesGreatAndSmall2020'' has the notoriously grumpy Siegfried Farnon, who is phenomenal with animals of all kinds and absolutely ''terrible'' with other humans. He's a gruff KnightInSourArmor who shows his soft side only to [[KindlyHousekeeper Audrey Hall]] and, occasionally, to Jim and to his younger brother Tristan.
-->'''Siegfried''': The animals are the easy part. It's the people [who] cause all the bother.

[[folder:Web Original]]

* [[{{Literature/Worm}} Bitch]]'s [[CanineCompanion pow]][[HulkingOut ers]] affect her mind so that she thinks and perceives social interactions like a dog. This also makes her unable to grasp tone, expressions, and several other key aspects of human interaction. As such while she turns out to be quite empathetic and kind, this is expressed almost exclusively toward dogs. Towards humans she is [[JerkAss less]] [[ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption than]] [[TechnicalPacifist friendly]].

--> '''Man''': We need your help to save the Canadian geese.\\
'''Dan''': I don't even like ''American'' geese! One time a goose bit me and stole my sandwich!

* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', Fluttershy's special talent is taking care of animals, but she's scared of everything else, including other ponies and sometimes her own shadow. She's also very, very [[MeaningfulName shy]], although [[BewareTheQuietOnes she can definitely hold her own]] if her friends—-of any species-—are threatened.

* ''WesternAnimation/WeBareBears'' has Charlie the Sasquatch, an otherwise friendly and amiable guy [[NoSenseOfPersonalSpace who doesn't like how humans are always invading his privacy, trying to take his picture or even capturing him]]. However, [[{{Hypocrite}} he is seemingly unaware that he's always doing the same thing with the bears]], since he considers them to be his closest friends despite their occasional discomfort.

* Creator/DeForestKelley (aka [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Doctor [=McCoy=]]]) was notably shy, appearing only infrequently in public (although when he did, he was universally warm and welcoming to fans), but he adored his dogs and Myrtle the Turtle (yes, that was her real name).

!Examples:

This character has [[AnimalLover a natural empathy for other life forms]]. They talk to animals that don't normally go near humans. Their garden is a work of art and they gossip with the flowers. They predict the weather by listening to the birds and can foresee a drought by examining the plants. Sometimes this is a very general ability encompassing all of nature, sometimes it's exclusive to one particular species. But either way, they have a special relationship with some non-human being on a level other humans can only dream of.

Polar opposite of AnimalsHateHim.

Compare NoSocialSkills, which is simply social cluelessness and doesn't entail any skill with non-human creatures. See also MisanthropeSupreme.

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]

[[folder:Film-Live Action]]

'''Shy''': The shy variation is a sweet-natured little soul who simply doesn't understand humans. They're so noisy, and they fight all the time, and they ask awkward questions and...(here the train of thought breaks down as they start hyperventilating and go fleeing back to their farm/garden/whatever). When it comes to taking care of sick animals or wilting plants, however, they can show remarkable courage and tenacity. If TheHero and his merry band need his/her help, they'll have quite a job on their hands to earn enough trust to win him/her over.

Compare NoSocialSkills, which is simply social cluelessness and doesn't entail any skill with non-human creatures. See also MisanthropeSupremacist.

[[folder: Shy]]
The shy type is a sweet-natured little soul who simply doesn't understand humans. They're so noisy, and they fight all the time, and they ask awkward questions and...(here the train of thought breaks down as they start hyperventilating and go fleeing back to their farm/garden/whatever). When it comes to taking care of sick animals or wilting plants, however, they can show remarkable courage and tenacity. If TheHero and his merry band need his/her help, they'll have quite a job on their hands to earn enough trust to win him/her over. Nearly invariably, they manage it.

If the character who's Not Good With People joins their group and becomes a regular cast member, they suffer some mixed fortunes—TheLancer will probably enjoy teasing them and sending them running for cover, but at least one other member will adopt a shepherd role and stand up for him or her. They can also be surprisingly successful romantically; the animal-plant empathy combined with their inherent sweetness can see them walking off with a pretty guy or girl on their arm while more assertive types snarl in [[GreenEyedMonster envy]] (although much will depend on whether the writer favours [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan good guys]] and [[GirlNextDoor nice girls]], or [[{{Tsundere}} spitfires]] and [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys rebels]]).
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Grumpy]]
The grumpy type is much more active but far less benign. Unlike the shy type, who seems to symbolize the fluffy, gentle, and "pure" nature of...well, nature, this type abides by the law of the jungle and is much more pragmatic. This approach can extend even to the species that they're "connected" to. Rather than singing to the flowers, they'll probably prune them in a businesslike manner and lecture them on last year's poor growth rate. They will, however, give them a smile and an affectionate pat when they do well, and the plants will love them just the same.

Though they're just as talented with animals and/or plants as the first type, they're not ''afraid'' of people -- they just don't ''like'' them. The traits that their brethren find "scary," they find "annoying" or "disgusting." Talk to them and they won't run away...but brace yourself for a rant on how all HumansAreBastards and why should they bother helping ''you'' when you're [[MisanthropeSupreme just a member of the scummy species they hate the most?]]

Sometimes their dislike of humans results from spending so much time with other species, putting their experiences as ''homo sapiens'' in a new and unflattering perspective. Sometimes it's the other way around -- the character's hatred of humans actually drove them into developing a bond with some other living being.

If a grump becomes egotistical enough, to the point that their "gift" is more an intellectual ability than an emotionally-based talent, then they become a variant of the TVGenius.
[[/folder]]

See also NoSocialSkills, which is simply social cluelessness and doesn't entail any skill with non-human creatures.

!!Shy

* Sora from ''Manga/{{Sketchbook}}''.
* Sousuke from ''Literature/FullMetalPanic''. He gets along ''way'' better with animals, and can actually communicate and ''understand them better than humans''. (Especially interesting in the case of Mousuke and Shiro, both of whom he relates to much better than any human in the series.) As for his communication skills with humans... let's just say they're strained at best.
** Unless you're in the military of course. Then Sousuke will either comfortably give you respect and professionalism if you outrank him, or while not terribly chatty be able to hold a friendly conversation about weapons and tactics if you're equal in rank or below him. If you're a civilian, however, he generally doesn't know what to do with you.
* Natsume Takashi the protagonist of ''Manga/NatsumesBookOfFriends'', is kind and understanding of almost all the Youkai he meets -including the ones who try to eat him, but is isolated from humans for most of his childhood due to his ability to see spirits. As a result, he "never knows what to say" to them.
* Mikael from ''Anime/ImGonnaBeAnAngel''. He is too much [[LoveMakesYouCrazy in love]] with angels [[spoiler: cause he was brought up by them in Heaven]] to care about humans. The irony is that [[spoiler: he needs to learn how to help them if he wants to become a full angel and go back to Heaven]].
* In ''Manga/Brave10'', [[TheBeastmaster Sasuke]] was RaisedByWolves and at first seems to be as much of a jerkass as every other ninja character thanks to the Iga-Koga rivalry. It doesn't take long for it to become apparent he is overwhelmingly shy and doesn't know how to take praise or attention and his heart is all gold, even if his interactions can be terse.
* Kaoruko from ''Manga/ComicGirls'' is FriendToAllLivingThings and often attracts different animals to her. On the other hand, she is socially phobic to the point that as a tenth-grader, [[FriendlessBackground she never had any friends at any point]].
* Trowa Barton from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' is able to reduce a lion to a cuddly kitten with simple patience and eye contact, but he tends to be very [[TheStoic quiet and reserved]] when dealing with human beings. His official backstory is that he was separated from his family as a toddler and lived in the wilds for an unspecified amount of time before being adopted by a roving band of mercenaries, so his attitude is more than likely a result of not having a proper upbringing; as shown in the series, he doesn't even seem to have a firm grasp on his own emotions.

* [[{{Webcomic/Homestuck}} Nepeta]] in ''Fanfic/{{Brainbent}}'' isn't particularly shy - she's actually rather friendly, in her eccentric way - but she's high-functioning autistic and has difficulty with social conventions. She's also very fond of cats.
* Naruto in ''Fanfic/EscapeFromTheHokagesHat'' when explaining his vast knowledge of plants and gardening to Hinata as this. Since he is hated by his village, he hasn't exactly had time to practice and he notes plants offer better company and fewer insults than the villagers. He hasn't any problems with opening up to her, however.

[[folder:Film]]
* ''[[Literature/RatmansNotebooks Willard]]'': the title character is a meek social misfit with a strange affinity for rats.
* Abby the veterinarian from ''Film/TheTruthAboutCatsAndDogs'' - though she deals well with people over the radio and by phone, face-to-face isn't so easy, especially with romantic interests. Kind of straddles the two types here in that she doesn't have a hard time speaking up for herself or others (e.g. towards her neighbour's abusive boyfriend), but she struggles with more ordinary interactions.
** Or she is simply insecure about her [[HollywoodHomely looks]], that's why she is only shy with her LoveInterest.

* [[TheHero Newt Scamander]] of ''Film/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem'' is noticeably awkward around other people, but does everything he can to protect the creatures he studies from being destroyed by wizards who fear them. There's a reason why he becomes the most famous magizoologist in the world, with his textbook required reading at Hogwarts.
* Maya of ''Film/ADogsPurpose'' is painfully shy, not having any friends for most of her time at college and being ''extremely'' uncomfortable when trying to socialize. However, she has a deep and loving bond with her dog, Tino, to the point where she can nearly hold a conversation with him. It's implied she might have some form of anxiety, and taking care of Tino is part of what helps her get out of the house.

* Creator/TamoraPierce uses both types.
** Daine of the ''Literature/TheImmortals'' series starts out as shy and insecure around people while being very confident and businesslike in her dealings with animals. Thanks to CharacterDevelopment, she grows in confidence but retains her innocent outlook and some CountryMouse traits. Stefan, the hostler from ''Literature/SongOfTheLioness'' and ''Literature/ProtectorOfTheSmall'' was a type one as well. A valuable ally to both Alanna and Kel, over the years he remained quiet and much preferred his horses to human company.
** Rosethorn from the ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'' universe is a type two. As a green mage, she has a huge garden and all plants love her. She takes care of them including businesslike affection and stern admonitions to calm down and grow properly. At first her only interaction with the students placed in her dormitory is to warn them that if they even breathe on her plants, she'll hang them by their heels in the well. She lightens up slightly when she realizes that Briar has plant magic too, and ropes him into being her apprentice. By the later books, though, she's been outed as a JerkWithAHeartOfGold.
* Gussy Fink-Nottle from Creator/PGWodehouse's Literature/JeevesAndWooster books, as well as their TV adaptation ''Series/JeevesAndWooster'', finds newts easy, people difficult. Especially women.
* Red, the groom from PonyTale series ''Literature/TheSaddleClub'' was fairly shy most of the time. The three heroines felt that this allowed the AlphaBitch Veronica to use him as her personal servant. It turned out that Red had one or two tricks up his sleeve, but for the majority of the series, he kept himself to himself.
* ''Literature/TheLongEarth'':
** Joshua Valiente finds himself rather uncomfortable around people. He doesn't hate them, but he feels more connected to the scarcely populated parallel Earths. This is at least partly due to spending the first minute or so of his life alone on a parallel Earth. He's therefore more sensitive to the sheer psychic presence of billions of humans on Datum Earth (our Earth, that is).
** Backed up with the sequel, where he is happily married and interacts with the people in his settlement without any discomfort or real desire to step away -- on a parallel Earth relatively distant from Datum Earth. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, this doesn't last - he eventually drifts away from his family and resumes a life of long "sabbaticals", occasionally checking in with his friends.]]
* Patricia Westerford from ''Literature/TheOverstory'' is always a bit isolated from other people and prefers working alone with plants, but this is taken Up to Eleven after she is shunned by the scientific community and takes to living completely in the forest, studying and understanding her beloved trees. She's happy with her life but is very reluctant to interact with any people at all, if she can afford to. She later somewhat develops out of it, but always prefers spending time with just [[BirdsOfAFeather Dennis]] and the trees if she can help it.
* Literature/XandriCorelel excels at reading aliens' body language and establishing a connection with previously uncontacted races, but she finds her own species to be by far the most confusing. She's reluctant to work with the [[RubberForeheadAliens Anmerilli]] partly because they look too human for her to be comfortable with them.

* The Ranger from the Nintendo DS version of ''VideoGame/MySims'' is the first type. The animals love him, but he took the job as Forest Ranger on a run down-holiday island specifically so that he could hide away from other people. Help him out and gain his friendship, and he'll help you win over the animals on the island in return.
* Erana from ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory'' is a bit shyer than you'd expect from her legends.
* [[GentleGiant Kevin]] from ''VideoGame/TrialsOfMana'' doesn't speak properly. What's odd about this is that his fellow beastmen have no problem speaking to humans.
* Otacon from ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' and its sequels. He's kind to animals, and a genius with machinery, but he's also a socially awkward ShrinkingViolet with a tendency to trust the wrong people. (Oddly enough - see Nepeta, Temple Grandin, etc. - Otacon being on the autism spectrum is fairly popular {{Fanon}}.)
* In ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'' lore, the first druid was a young hermit who chose to live in the wilderness.

* Kanata of ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'' tries to keep very distant from other people due to what he went through during the War, which made him see himself as a monster that other people will fear. (And his CloudCuckooLander tendencies definitely do ''unsettle'' people rather often.) He finds peace instead among sea creatures and has a particular affinity for especially ugly or weird-looking fish.
* Aoi of ''VideoGame/PrincessConnect'' would regularly hold conversations with a practice doll named "My Little Buddy Mk I". Although she's able to hold conversations with members of her guild and the protagonist, even roleplay practice of her talking to someone new causes her to become a stuttering mess.

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', Fluttershy's special talent is taking care of animals, but she's scared of everything else, including other ponies and sometimes her own shadow. She's also very, very [[MeaningfulName shy]], although [[BewareTheQuietOnes she can definitely hold her own]] if her friends—-of any species-—are threatened.
* ''WesternAnimation/WeBareBears'' has Charlie the Sasquatch, an otherwise friendly and amiable guy [[NoSenseOfPersonalSpace who doesn't like how humans are always invading his privacy, trying to take his picture or even capturing him]]. However, [[{{Hypocrite}} he is seemingly unaware that he's always doing the same thing with the bears]], since he considers them to be his closest friends despite their occasional discomfort.
** Chloe Park also counts, due to spending most of her time researching animals, making her socially inept around other humans. It doesn't help that she's also [[GradeSkipper a child admitted to college early]], and most of her fellow students are much older than her.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Creator/DeForestKelley (aka [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Doctor [=McCoy=]]]) was notably shy, appearing only infrequently in public (although when he did, he was universally warm and welcoming to fans), but he adored his dogs and Myrtle the Turtle (yes, that was her real name).
* Dawn Prince-Hughes (an autistic writer and ethologist) gives the impression of being this kind of person in her memoir. She found gorillas easier to understand than her own species.

!!Grumpy

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* Dr. Manga/BlackJack leans towards this, being a DrJerk with a huge environmentalist streak. He's gone as far as purchasing an ''entire island'' for the sake of making it into a wildlife preserve.
* Fuyuki Shido, the "Beast Master" of ''Manga/GetBackers'' (although blind violinists are his weakness)
* [[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam Domon Kasshu]]. Being [[RaisedByWolves Trained In The Jungle]] and having two huge {{BrokenPedestal}}s don't help.
* Genzou Hayashi from ''Manga/BinbouShimaiMonogatari'' definitely qualifies, although he loosens up somewhat after Kyou and Asu take care of him in the hospital.
* There was a one-shot female villain on ''Manga/{{Dragonball}}'' who coddled and protected any animals in her path, yet did not bat an eye when her teammates were in harm's way.
* Keenan Crier of ''Anime/DigimonDataSquad'', who identifies more as a digimon than a human, and treats other humans as threatening invaders.
* Polyushka (or Porlyusica) from Anime/FairyTail is quite a grumpy loner, being modelled after Literature/BabaYaga and similar reclusive witches. She claims she can't stand people, but is actually one of the most benevolent characters in the series.
* Jotaro Kujo of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' is something of an emotionally stunted sourpuss that doesn't quite understand that [[TheStoic it's just about impossible]] for other people to tell what he's thinking, a demeanor that eventually costs him both his marriage and his daughter's respect. However, he's actually rather patient with and fond of animals, not only pursuing a career as a marine biologist but also managing to tolerate the world's most insufferable and foul-tempered Boston terrier, Iggy.
* Fujimaru from ''Manga/SnowWhiteAndSevenDwarfs'' is respectful towards machinery, being a {{Technopath}}. Around humans? He's moody and anti-social. Exemplified best in a scene where, after an explosion goes off, he asks if any injuries were suffered, and just as his subordinates reply, they realize that he's talking to his ''computer''.
* San from ''Anime/PrincessMononoke'' is about the grumpiest example of this trope that you can find. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that she was literally RaisedByWolves.

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Poison Ivy from the ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' mythos is a very aggressive example of Grumpy.
* ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}
* ''ComicBook/ButtonMan'': Harry takes in a stray dog one night and becomes best buddies with it. Cora remarks that he's better with animals than with people.

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* In ''Fanfic/ADifferentKindOfTruth'', Johnny Joestar is dead center in this trope. He doesn't particularly ''like'' talking to anybody, and when he does he's extremely rude and sarcastic. This is perhaps best shown during Johnny's first extended conversation with Yukiko, where Johnny makes no effort in their small talk, gives short and often rude answers, and even tries to get the hell away from Yukiko to end the conversation.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
* ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'': Kristoff. His EstablishingCharacterMoment is singing a song called "Reindeers Are Better Than People" to his reindeer companion, Sven. [[JustifiedTrope The lyrics imply that he's used to being treated poorly by other humans. He's also been raised by trolls.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
* Prince Nuada in ''Film/HellboyIITheGoldenArmy'' displays this, ever so slightly, as he has no problem with the guard dogs of the BPRD headquarters, but is pursuing humanity's destruction (the two are linked, really, being fae, he's a force of nature himself, and humanity is seen as being harmful to nature).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* As mentioned above, Creator/TamoraPierce is fond of this type of character. The standout examples of type two, however, are Briar and Rosethorn from ''Literature/CircleOfMagic.'' Their names say it all. They're devoted to their adoptive families, and both actually have good social skills simply because they have to deal with people so often...but essentially, they're both tetchy and irritable, and would ideally like to be left alone with their gardens. Briar in particular is prone to pushing people away, even those he loves, when stressed or anxious.
** Far less sympathetic -- and much more sinister -- is Emperor Ozorne from Daine's ''The Immortals'' series. Humans are expendable and exploitable to him, and he doesn't treat the magical Immortals any better... but he's genuinely upset when the birds of his aviary start falling sick and is prepared to offer Daine anything if she'll stay and look after his menagerie to the point he'll give her land and a title if she agrees to do so [[spoiler:...or kidnap her if she doesn't]].
* Granny Weatherwax from the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' series is a rather odd case of this. She's got a rather impressive affinity for cures magical and physical, has an affinity for nature magic few other witches could match, and the best witch at Borrowing in the last hundred years or longer. She's the only witch to ever successfully borrow a hive mind like bees. She also recognizes that being Right doesn't make you nice, and as a result, has developed a reputation that crosses the species lines. The troll name for her translates to "She Who Must Be Avoided," and the dwarves call her "Go Around the Other Side of the Mountain." She ''can'' use people skills if she wants; witness the counter-cardsharping she does in ''Witches Abroad''.
** It's not so much that she doesn't ''understand'' people, or that she ''despises'' people, as that her abilities leave her with very little respect for the pretenses and comforting lies that make human existence endurable. This is true of almost all Discworld witches, but Granny Weatherwax has it even more than most.
** Lord Vetinari is ''very'' good at dealing with people, but he seems to like his dog Wuffles more than any people.
*** Although, knowing him, that could just be another one of his strategies for dealing with, yes, people.
** Similar to Susan Calvin, below, is Adora Belle Dearheart, a crusader for golem rights. She not once, but twice shoots at her future husband with a crossbow, dismisses small talk with "Now we've been appropriately human to one another, what did you want?", and has only ever once been forcibly stopped from smoking (and it took a ''300-pound orangutan'' to do that), but when she talks about golems she gets all soft and caring. And when one of the golems she looks after ''dies'', well, she starts acting as if she actually had...''feelings''.
* Literature/{{Tarzan}} has openly commented that humans are petty, violent, and talk too much, and much prefers the company of apes. In one novel when he is stricken with a temporary case of speech aphasia he laments that he can no longer talk to apes, but doesn't much care that he can't talk to humans.
** People who talk too much seemed to be a pet peeve of Tarzan author Creator/EdgarRiceBurroughs, as several of his other characters occasionally comment that they hate such people.
* Creator/IsaacAsimov's Susan Calvin is a brilliant, acid-tongued robot expert who openly admits that she likes robots better than humans. In one story she comments that the difference between robots and humans is that robots are essentially decent.
* Literature/DoctorDolittle can speak with animals and relates well to them, but aside from a few close friends he doesn't much like humans. In the [[Film/DoctorDolittle 1967 film]], his female companion confesses her affection for him and he nervously admits that while he loves animals, actual people are really hard for him to deal with.
* Elphaba from ''Literature/{{Wicked}}'' is [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]] and distant even toward her friends, and she has a hard time expressing her feelings (mostly because she is UnableToCry). On the other hand, she is an active fighter for Animal rights and, later in the book, seems to gain [[SpeaksFluentAnimal an ability to communicate with various creatures.]] One of the most prominent examples is Elphaba's journey to the Vinkus when she travels in one wagon with a monkey, a dog, bees, and crows, and the other travelers (including her own son) have to share a second wagon between themselves.
* Growing up isolated without other children her age and having [[{{Telepathy}} telepathic abilities]], Jagoda from ''Literature/KronikiDrugiegoKregu'' easily befriended local dragons. Her friends generally communicate through thoughts and [[CannotTellALie don't lie in a human sense]], so she sees nothing wrong in looking into their heads without a warning or always telling what she really thinks. When other humans appear on her island, they consider her behavior to be [[MindOverManners rude and antisocial]]. She, on the other hand, can see all of their [[AMindIsATerribleThingToRead dirty little thoughts]], e.g. that they see her as a white-skinned, red-eyed freak, and reacts aggressively. It takes her some time to learn that all humans have secrets, and that doesn't make them bad people.
* Rafael from ''Literature/GivesLight''. He's the son of a hated serial killer, so it comes with the territory.
* Dusk from "Literature/SixthOfTheDusk". Most of the time he doesn't care, but when it's crucial [[YouHaveToBelieveMe he only barely manages to communicate a critical threat to the others.]]
* Sally Lindsay from ''Literature/TheLongEarth'' series comes from a family of natural "Steppers" who was exploring parallel worlds before Step Day gave everyone the tech to do so. She tends to avoid people due to a mix of seeing them as trespassers on her turf, disdain for their carelessness and lack of survival skills, and the way they treat the Long Earth's indigenous life forms. She can get particularly protective of Trolls, and frequently acts as a roaming vigilante on their behalf.
* Katherine from ''Literature/OnTheEdgeOfEureka'' adores viruses. Yes, the tiny, deadly, barely-alive things that can kill a person horribly in a matter of days. People, on the other hand, are enigmas to her.
* Rory from ''Literature/WickedGood'' is great with machines and cares deeply about animals and plants, but he can't stand most members of his own species.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* The crew on ''Whale Wars'' could be seen as heroic or an AnimalWrongsGroup, depending on your stance, but you'd have a hard time denying their captain falls squarely into Not Good With People. He waxes lyrical about the importance of protecting majestic and peaceful whales, but to the members of ''his own crew,'' never mind those on the "opposing ships", he is ruthless and has some serious [[NoSympathy empathy failure]]. He sends them out on dangerous "missions", snarls at them if they point out that it ''is'' a dangerous task, and will exile them from the ship if they dare defy him.
* Claude Raines in ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' is an invisible man, and claims to know what people are really like when they think they're alone. He's so sickened by and disillusioned with humans he's completely withdrawn from society. He does, however, feed the birds that come to his coop and lets them out again at night.
* ''Series/TheSopranos'': Tony Soprano loves animals and he hates animal abusers, but he has absolutely no problem maiming, torturing, or killing someone. [[spoiler:This is part of what makes his therapist realize he's an incurable sociopath and sever ties with him.]]
* ''Series/ParksAndRecreation'': April Ludgate hates people (save for her ditzy husband Andy and the [[BirdsOfAFeather like-minded]] Ron Swanson), but adores animals. This eventually leads to Leslie putting her in charge of the Animal Control department, and she's surprisingly passionate about it after several seasons spent as a ProfessionalSlacker.
* ''Series/AllCreaturesGreatAndSmall2020'' has the notoriously grumpy Siegfried Farnon, who is phenomenal with animals of all kinds and absolutely ''terrible'' with other humans. He's a gruff KnightInSourArmor who shows his soft side only to [[KindlyHousekeeper Audrey Hall]] and, occasionally, to Jim and to his younger brother Tristan.
-->'''Siegfried''': The animals are the easy part. It's the people [who] cause all the bother.
* ''Series/PersonOfInterest'': Sameen Shaw is a self-admitted SociopathicHero who is mostly rude or crude to her human teammates, but gets along surprisingly well with Team Machine's [[TeamPet dog]] Bear. She states several times that she's only there because of the dog; he seems to like her a lot too.
* ''Series/{{Superstore}}'': Dina barks at her coworkers over the slightest mistakes and doesn't care for their safety at all, but she's surprisingly motherly towards animals, especially birds. In one holiday episode, she sees a freezing charity worker and his reindeer out in the freezing cold and brings the reindeer inside to stay warm while yelling at the charity worker for keeping it outside.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* While type ones may exist, the rather combat-oriented nature of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' means that most player characters will find themselves at odds with militant city-hating druids and rangers. The ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' series has a "Shadow Druid" as a recruitable NPC who is just nasty in the first installment, then goes on to sic dangerous animals on a nearby town in the second.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Toys]]
* Surel from ''Toys/{{Bionicle}}'', who lives among wolves. Also, Malum, living among Vorox, although that's more because he was exiled than because he avoids people by choice.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Jin Kisaragi from ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' became a {{Jerkass}} partially because, as he said himself, he's Not Good With People. He comments once that he finds natural environs, away from signs of human life, remarkably relaxing.
* Kouga of ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'' is ill-tempered, rude, and arrogant (if [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold very loyal deep down]]), but he turns into a totally different person around his dog Leon, who he lavishes attention on.
* ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'':
** Xiao talks coldly to humans and adepti alike and seems uncaring, but he's nonetheless devoted to protecting Liyue and will save people from danger, even if he may cause collateral damage unintentionally. His voicelines show that he has trouble comprehending human customs and habits, and he tells you to think of him as a "weapon" and nothing more.
--->'''Ganyu (About Xiao)''': He seems like a bit of an outsider, socially. Probably just his personality... I can understand that, to be honest, but I'm not really about to try and get close to him. I mean... all the people he's ever agreed to team up with are no longer with us...
-->'''Xiao:''' I'm far from human. I can't make much of human emotions.
** Eula acts rather aloof and harsh, and squares off with people instead of engaging in gentle conversations in order to make them respect her the old-fashioned way. It's even stated that new recruits in the Knights of Favonius find it hard to understand her. One recruit stated that, apparently, Eula's idea of a "Tea Break" when marching straight to Jean's office looking like she wanted to kill somebody actually means "Sparring". It doesn't help that she is distrusted by much of Mondstadt's populace due to being a descendant of the reviled Laurence clan as well as lacking Jean's LovedByAll status.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
%%* ''Webcomic/NoRestForTheWicked'': [[http://www.forthewicked.net/archive/02-08.html Red]], living the forest.
* Cadugan from ''WebComic/YetAnotherFantasyGamerComic'' is a half-elf who fits the "in harmony with nature" and "loves all woodland animals" elvish stereotypes to a T, but has a grumpy and sarcastic disposition and hates interacting with cities and people who aren't [[LoveInterest Lucas]].
* Lalli of ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent'' is an excellent scout and very proficient woodsman with connection to nature spirits, but he avoids interacting with people whenever possible and dislikes being paid attention to -- not to mention that he expresses his desire to be left alone by dumping a bowl of soup on the interloper.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* WebVideo/TheNostalgiaChick is a {{Jerkass}} with NoSocialSkills when it comes to humans, but she's a MamaBear when it comes to animals.
* [[{{Literature/Worm}} Bitch]]'s [[CanineCompanion pow]][[HulkingOut ers]] affect her mind so that she thinks and perceives social interactions like a dog. This also makes her unable to grasp tone, expressions, and several other key aspects of human interaction. As such while she turns out to be quite empathetic and kind, this is expressed almost exclusively toward dogs. Towards humans she is [[JerkAss less]] [[ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption than]] [[TechnicalPacifist friendly]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Prowl from ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated''; the irony that he is a robot from a world that doesn't have nature is not lost on his companions.
** It doesn't help that he's TheStoic in general, and most of his non-tree-hugging time is spent in private meditation or training.
** Tigatron in ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' was sick of the war and spent most of his time on long-term scouting detail. He had befriended a (real) tiger and when it was caught in a crossfire and killed he swore off war entirely ([[TenMinuteRetirement until he realized that wouldn't stop the destruction.]])
* Mutt from ''Franchise/GIJoe'' has always been better with animals than people, and shares a deeper connection with his dog Junkyard than he ever has with another person. However, his lack of social graces cause him to come off as, well, wild and temperamental, hence the codename "Mutt". In fact, they even force him to wear a freaking ''muzzle'', Hannibal Lecter-style, because unlike BigFriendlyDog Junkyard, Mutt ''bites''.
* Anakonda from ''WesternAnimation/Xyber9NewDawn'' is an obvious Grumpy and NatureHero.
* The titular Dan from ''WesternAnimation/DanVs'' may be a complete abrasive jerk to each and every person he meets, but with animals, it's a ''far'' different story. All it takes for him to release the animals from the animal shelter [[ItMakesSenseInContext before it explodes]] is to catch a glimpse of the puppy dog eyes, and in a later episode, he can't even bear to see lobsters killed in a restaurant for dinner. He even bonds with [[spoiler:a Tyrannosaurus Rex]] in one episode. He hates geese, though.
--> '''Man''': We need your help to save the Canadian geese.\\
'''Dan''': I don't even like ''American'' geese! One time a goose bit me and stole my sandwich!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Those who worked with him have said that Creator/StanleyKubrick loved animals and hated people.
* Longtime veterinary professionals can develop this kind of attitude, especially if they see a lot of abused or neglected patients. Those that work at emergency clinics tend to be the most affected, as a good deal of "emergencies" are simply issues that could have been treated much more easily if the owner had them attended to earlier. An old joke about the issues of getting these people to work together goes, "The problem with vet clinics is that they're staffed by a bunch of people who hate people."
* In his younger years, [[Music/{{DMX}} Earl Simmons]] found it easier to form bonds with stray dogs he'd befriended while wandering and sleeping on the streets of Yonkers than getting attached to humans.
[[/folder]]

!!Both/Borderline

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Manga/PetShopOfHorrors'': Count D plays the part of the reclusive, soft-spoken animal lover, but he's actually very much a type 2; he's just less noisy about it. Like the rest of his family, he has no tolerance for human weakness. Despite the fact that he's the protagonist, and has his fair share of PetTheDog (well, human) moments with Leon and Chris, he's much more dangerous than most type twos. They're only grouchy, Count D is actually dangerous. [[spoiler: Admittedly though, he's not actually human, just masquerading as one]].
* In Ghibli's ''Anime/TalesFromEarthsea'' Tehru switches between painfully shy, when talking to someone named 'Sparrowhawk', but the first thing she says to Arren is "Did you come here to kill this lamb?"
** Although Tehru and Arren's relationship is [[BelligerentSexualTension another trope]] entirely.
* Dr. Jezebel in ''Manga/CountCain'' doesn't give a damn about human life (and when he does it shows itself in odd ways: "I love you so much I want to kill you!" [[spoiler: to Cain, his half brother]]), but he would never, ever harm an animal, not even a wee sparrow. Even his partners notice that his entire being changes around animals, from a near OmnicidalManiac to a nigh-angelic FriendToAllLivingThings. Like everyone else in ''Count Cain'', he has a ''very'' FreudianExcuse [[spoiler: When he was a sickly child, his BigBad biological father "helped" him by giving him multiple organ transplants and delicious food, courtesy of his mother and sisters and beloved pet lamb, respectively. The lamb is but a memory but the family remains, in small jars in Dr. Jezebel's office.]] and otherwise excellent social skills.
* The titular Nadia from the anime ''Anime/NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWater'' spent most of the fourteen years of her life suffering from a combination of ParentalAbandonment issues and [[AbusiveParents a cruel upbringing]] as a circus acrobat. The end result is a Shy {{Tsundere}} who hates adults, humans, and "[[GranolaGirl progress]]" with a vengeance -- and yet is a FriendToAllLivingThings who begins to treat GadgeteerGenius Jean as a friend despite herself. In fact, she finds herself falling in love with him... [[spoiler: and in the end, they get married]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/TotalDramaDoOver'': Randy is a perky wilderness expert who's deeply fascinated with animals and nature, but has no idea how to interact with human beings except by sharing animal facts, even if nobody cares to hear them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]
* [[spoiler:Valka, Hiccup's mother]] in ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon2''. She was already seen as weird when living on Berk as she continually tried to convince the villagers not to fight dragons. It got worse when she lived alone with dragons for twenty years without any human contact. Her first reaction when meeting Hiccup is to challenge him and then crawl up and grab his jaw. Even her early dialogue with Hiccup was quite eccentric.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
* Film/AceVentura is always nice to animals (except [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes bats]]). With humans, however, he's unpredictably insane.
* Gearhead Michael Harlan from ''Film/MyScienceProject'' understands and trusts machines better than humans, and at several points wishes people were as predictable as cars.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* The ''Literature/DragonridersOfPern'' usually start out as type ones. Their bond with their dragon puts humans a poor second in their hearts, and they become so wrapped up in their reptilian buddies that they become awkward and shy with people. As they grow up, however, and become aware of their privileged status on Pern, a superiority complex kicks in, and many become arrogant or condescending type twos.
** Subverted with Kylara, whose [[AnythingThatMoves self-absorbed hedonism]] leads her to ignore her own dragon to the point of neglect (which leads directly to tragedy later)
*** However, the Grumpy riders are usually the more extreme cases (such as Kylara). It would be insane to live with ''hundreds'' of insufferably conceited dragonriders, and many of the Weyrfolk genuinely admire them, so it's safe to assume that the average greenrider just gets a boost in confidence and self-assurance.
* Because of his large stature and rough appearance, Hagrid of ''Literature/HarryPotter'' fame appears to be the second type to those who don't know him but is a GentleGiant who, while not exactly shy, is socially awkward.
* Countess Gertrude of ''Literature/{{Gormenghast}}'' is probably closer to the second type, with her legions of obedient birds and cats and her disdain for humankind.
* In ''Literature/MeWhoDoveIntoTheHeartOfTheWorld'', Karen Nieto finds people in general confusing and unpleasant. However, her understanding of the wants and needs of tuna allow her to become [[spoiler:the first person to successfully breed bluefin tuna in captivity]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/TheXFiles'' episode "[[Recap/TheXFilesS06E16Alpha Alpha]]" had Karin Berquist, a woman who's an expert on canine behaviour; spending years living in the wild with them, but unable to interact socially. When Mulder mentions he met her on the internet, [[ClingyJealousGirl it doesn't take Scully long]] to realise Berquist's agenda in luring out someone as quirky as she is with an unusual case.
* Protagonist Will Graham from ''Series/{{Hannibal}}'' has trouble forming connections with humans because of this [[TheEmpath empathy disorder]], but he genuinely cares for his six dogs and is seen relaxing and smiling around them. He also finds a kindred spirit in season 2 in Peter Bernardone, a mentally disabled man who's a FriendToAllLivingThings.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theatre]]
* Tom, the veterinarian in ''Theatre/TheNormanConquests,'' is neither shy nor grumpy. Instead, he's amazingly awkward around people, takes their words literally, and seems to have no clue what non-verbal cues mean.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Executor from ''VideoGame/{{Arknights}}''. His ByTheBookCop tendencies whenever he has to talk while on the job makes him lean towards Grumpy, though he doesn't hold any innate malice for those not involved with his work. On the other hand, his max trust voice line is him confessing that he doesn't like dealing with people because he cannot understand them, and the Doctor is one of the few people he likes talking to, giving him shades of Shy.
* Satori Komeiji from ''VideoGame/TouhouChireidenSubterraneanAnimism'' could almost pass for Shy... until she starts [[MindOverManners bragging about her mind-reading powers]]. For some reason, other youkai and humans [[ForgotAboutTheMindReader don't like]] having their [[AMindIsATerribleThingToRead innermost thoughts]] made public knowledge. Animals, however, enjoy having their wants and needs understood, and Satori is indicated to have many pets (including the Stage 5 and Stage 6 bosses, animal youkai who lived with her before they could talk).
** Yuuka Kazami, the flower youkai, is also generally portrayed as Not Good With People. Canon indicates to some degree that she might be Shy, but fanon usually portrays her as a more antagonistic, sometimes even sadistic, Grumpy. Considering the fact that she once stated that she ''considers genocide a game'' ([[TheGadfly it was a joke]], probably) and on a different occasion responded to accusations that she was the culprit behind the most recent incident with what amounts to "SureLetsGoWithThat" it seems like she actually encourages being perceived as an antagonist.
* N from ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' fits both categories. While he ''can'' talk to people, he's certainly not very good at it and is noted to be much worse with anyone other than the protagonist and his two mysterious friends, especially due to his belief that HumansAreBastards, making him somewhat hostile. If you look closely, his dialogue even appears [[MotorMouth notably faster]] than anyone else, which may imply any or a number of social issues. Conversely, he can speak to Pokemon very comfortably and even understand them- a trait all but unique in the universe. This turns out to be justified. [[spoiler: In order to create a champion to get rid of trainers, Ghetsis arranged for N to be socially isolated and exposed only to Pokemon who had been abused by humans, rendering N unable to understand or identify with humans and giving him the belief that they all abuse Pokemon.]]
* Jun Kazama in ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' was shown this way in ''Anime/TekkenTheMotionPicture'', more in tune with nature, and the games have solidified her as a type two.
* ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'': While Souma is genuinely a very kind kid who worries a lot about others, his strange behaviour (particularly when it comes to his beloved sword he wields rather recklessly) means that other people are often scared of him and he sometimes finds it hard to make friends among his peers. However, he adores animals - he grew up riding horses and has a beloved pet named Saigoudon, he loves the Marine Bio Club and quickly attached himself to a turtle he named Kamegorou, and when he comes across a stray cat in ''Camellia Train'' he immediately decides to protect it and is delighted when it seems to like him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* Craig from ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark''.
* The Pigeon Man from ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Many autistic people understand and get along with animals almost uncannily well, and can even read their emotions and intentions without looking for emotion in their faces, but have a great deal of difficulty with neurotypical interactions. Temple Grandin has made a career out of this. Hence, fictional Christopher Boone of Mark Haddon's novel ''[[Literature/TheCuriousIncidentOfTheDogInTheNightTime The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time]]''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anime And Manga]]

* Sousuke from ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic''. He gets along ''way'' better with animals, and can actually communicate and ''understand them better than humans''. (Especially interesting in the case of Mousuke and Shiro, both of whom he relates to much better than any human in the series.) As for his communication skills with humans... let's just say they're strained at best.

[[folder: Fan Works]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]

[[folder:Anime And Manga]]

* ComicBook/PoisonIvy from the Franchise/{{Batman}} mythos is a very aggressive example of Grumpy.

[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]

[[folder:Anime And Manga]]
* [[Manga/PetShopOfHorrors Count D]] plays the part of the reclusive, soft-spoken animal lover, but he's actually very much a type 2; he's just less noisy about it. Like the rest of his family, he has no tolerance for human weakness. Despite the fact that he's the protagonist, and has his fair share of PetTheDog (well, human) moments with Leon and Chris, he's much more dangerous than most type twos. They're only grouchy, Count D is actually dangerous. [[spoiler: Admittedly though, he's not actually human, just masquerading as one]].

[[folder:Film -- Live Action]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

** Eula acts rather aloof and harsh, and squares off with people instead of engaging in gentle conversations in order to make them respect her the old-fashioned way. It's even stated that new recruits in the Knights of Favonius find it hard to understand her. One recruit stated that, apparently, Eula's idea of a "Tea Break" when marching straight to Jean's office looking like she wanted to kill somebody actually means "Sparring". It doesn't help that she is distrusted by much of Mondstadt's populace due to being a descendant of the reviled Laurence clan as well as lacking Jean's HundredPercentAdorationRating.

The price for communing with nature is apparently a graceless ineptitude with other humans. You might find them deep in conversation with a lion, unicorn, daffodil, alien, robot or many-tentacled people-eating ''thing,'' but a simple "good morning" on your part is liable to send them [[ShrinkingViolet scurrying for cover]] or [[HairTriggerTemper provoke a tirade.]]

The shy type is a sweet natured little soul who simply doesn't understand humans. They're so noisy, and they fight all the time, and they ask awkward questions and...(here the train of thought breaks down as they start hyperventilating and go fleeing back to their farm/garden/whatever). When it comes to taking care of sick animals or wilting plants, however, they can show remarkable courage and tenacity. If TheHero and his merry band need his/her help, they'll have quite a job on their hands to earn enough trust to win him/her over. Nearly invariably, they manage it.

The grumpy type is much more active, but far less benign. Unlike the shy type, who seems to symbolize the fluffy, gentle and "pure" nature of...well, nature, this type abides by the law of the jungle and is much more pragmatic. This approach can extend even to the species that they're "connected" to. Rather than singing to the flowers, they'll probably prune them in a businesslike manner and lecture them on last year's poor growth rate. They will however, give them a smile and an affectionate pat when they do well, and the plants will love them just the same.

Admittedly, often [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold their bark is worse than their bite]]. Those who prove to them that there is something salvageable in human nature (through, say, a PatrickStewartSpeech) might manage to win them over, setting then up for better interpersonal relations...or just prepared to make an exception for one or two humans in particular. Even if they do, their non-human buddies will always be first in their affections. If they don't...well, then they're a nature-loving {{Jerkass}} whose talent with animals or plants supplies their PetTheDog moments.

** Unless you're in the military of course. Then Sousuke will either confortably give you respect and professionalism if you out rank him, or while not terribly chatty be able to hold a friendly conversation about weapons and tactics if you're equal in rank or below him. If you're a civilian however, he generally doesn't know what to do with you.
* Natsume Takashi the protagonist of ''Manga/NatsumesBookOfFriends'', is kind and understanding of almost all the Youkai he meets -including the ones who try to eat him, but is isolated from humans for most of his childhood due to his ability to see spirits. As a result he "never knows what to say" to them.

* Kaoruko from ''Manga/ComicGirls'' is FriendToAllLivingThings and often attracts different animals to her. On the other hand she is social phobic to the point that as a tenth-grader, [[FriendlessBackground she never had any friends at any point]].
* Trowa Barton from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'' is able to reduce a lion to a cuddly kitten with simple patience and eye-contact, but he tends to be very [[TheStoic quiet and reserved]] when dealing with human beings. His official backstory is that he was separated from his family as a toddler and lived in the wilds for an unspecified amount of time before being adopted by a roving band of mercenaries, so his attitude is more than likely a result of not having a proper upbringing; as shown in the series, he doesn't even seem to have a firm grasp on his own emotions.

* Naruto in ''Fanfic/EscapeFromTheHokagesHat'' when explaining his vast knowledge on plants and gardening to Hinata as this. Since he is hated by his village, he hasn't exactly had time to practice and he notes plants offer better company and less insults than the villagers. He hasn't any problems with opening up to her, however.

* Abby the veterinarian from ''Film/TheTruthAboutCatsAndDogs'' - though she deals well with people over the radio and by phone, face to face isn't so easy, especially with romantic interests. Kind of straddles the two types here in that she doesn't have a hard time speaking up for herself or others (e.g. towards her neighbour's abusive boyfriend), but she struggles with more ordinary interactions.

** Daine of the ''Literature/TheImmortals'' series starts out as shy and insecure around people, while being very confident and businesslike in her dealings with animals. Thanks to CharacterDevelopment, she grows in confidence, but retains her innocent outlook and some CountryMouse traits. Stefan, the hostler from ''Literature/SongOfTheLioness'' and ''Literature/ProtectorOfTheSmall'' was a type one as well. A valuable ally to both Alanna and Kel, over the years he remained quiet and much preferred his horses to human company.

* Red, the groom from PonyTale series ''Literature/TheSaddleClub'' was fairly shy most of the time. The three heroines felt that this allowed the AlphaBitch Veronica to use him as her personal servant. It turned out that Red had one or two tricks up his sleeve, but for the majority of the series he kept himself to himself.

** Joshua Valiente finds himself rather uncomfortable around people. He doesn't hate them, but he feels more connection to the scarcely populated parallel Earths. This is at least partly due to spending the first minute or so of his life alone on a parallel Earth. He's therefore more sensitive to the sheer psychic presence of billions of humans on Datum Earth (our Earth, that is).

* In ''Literature/BlueIguana'', the autistic eight-year-old Joe rarely talks to humans, but talks plenty to his many pet bugs.

* The Ranger from the Nintendo DS version of ''VideoGame/MySims'' is the first type. The animals love him, but he took the job as Forest Ranger in a run down-holiday island specifically so that he could hide away from other people. Help him out and gain his friendship, and he'll help you win over the animals of the island in return.

* Kanata of ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'' tries to keep very distant from other people due to what he went through during the War, which made him see himself as a monster that other people will fear. (And his CloudCuckooLander tendencies definitely do ''unsettle'' people rather often.) He finds peace instead among sea creatures, and has a particular affinity for especially ugly or weird-looking fish.

* ''WesternAnimation/WeBareBears'' has Charlie the Sasquatch, an otherwise friendly and amiable guy [[NoSenseOfPersonalSpace who doesn't like how humans are always invading his privacy, trying to take his picture or even capture him]]. However, [[{{Hypocrite}} he is seemingly unaware that he's always doing the same thing with the bears]], since he considers them to be his closest friends despite their occasional discomfort.
** Chloe Park also counts, due to spending most of her time researching animals, making her socially inept around other humans. It doesn't help that she's also a [[GradeSkipper child admitted in college early]], and most of her fellow students are much older than her.

* Jotaro Kujo of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' is something of an emotionally stunted sourpuss that doesn't quite understand that [[TheStoic it's just about impossible]] for other people to tell what he's thinking, a demeanor that eventually costs him both his marriage and his daughter's respect. However, he's actually rather patient with and fond animals, not only pursuing a career as a marine biologist, but also managing to tolerate the world's most insufferable and foul-tempered Boston terrier, Iggy.

** Far less sympathetic -- and much more sinister -- is Emperor Ozorne from Daine's ''The Immortals'' series. Humans are expendable and exploitable to him, and he doesn't treat the magical Immortals any better... but he's genuinely upset when the birds of his aviary start falling sick, and is prepared to offer Daine anything if she'll stay and look after his menagerie to the point he'll give her land and a title if she agrees to do so [[spoiler:...or kidnap her if she doesn't]].

* Elphaba from ''Literature/{{Wicked}}'' is [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]] and distant even toward her friends, and she has a hard time expressing her feelings (mostly because she is UnableToCry). On the other hand, she is an active fighter for Animal rights and, later in the book, seems to gain [[SpeaksFluentAnimal an ability to communicate with various creatures.]] One of the most prominent examples is Elphaba's journey to the Vinkus, when she travels in one wagon with a monkey, a dog, bees, and crows, and the other travelers (including her own son) have to share a second wagon between themselves.
* Growing up isolated without other children her age and having [[{{Telepathy}} telepathic abilities]], Jagoda from ''Literature/KronikiDrugiegoKregu'' easily befriended local dragons. Her friends generally communicate through thoughts and [[CannotTellALie don't lie in a human sense]], so she sees nothing wrong in looking into their heads without a warning or always telling what she really thinks. When other humans appear on her island, they consider her behavior to be [[MindOverManners rude and antisocial]]. She, on the other hand, can see all of their [[AMindIsATerribleThingToRead dirty little thoughts]], e.g. that they see her as a white-skinned, red-eyed freak, and reacts aggressively. It takes her some time to learn that all humans have their secrets, and that doesn't make them bad people.

* Sally Lindsay from ''Literature/TheLongEarth'' series comes from a family of natural "Steppers" who was exploring parallel worlds before Step Day gave everyone the tech to do so. She tends to avoid people due to a mix of seeing them as trespassers on her turf, disdain for their carelessness and lack of survival skills, and the way they treat the Long Earth's indigenous life-forms. She can get particularly protective of Trolls, and frequently acts as a roaming vigilante on their behalf.

* Claude Raines in ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' is an invisible man, and claims to know what people are really like when they think they're alone. He's so sickened by and disillusioned with humans he's completely withdraw from society. He does however, feed the birds that come to his coop, and lets them out again it night.
* ''Series/TheSopranos'' :Tony Soprano loves animals and he hates animal abusers, but he has absolutely no problem maiming, torturing or killing someone. [[spoiler:This is part of what makes his therapist realize he's an incurable sociopath and sever ties with him.]]

* ''Series/{{Superstore}}'': Dina barks at her coworkers over the slightest mistakes and doesn't care for their safety at all, but she's surprisingly motherly towards animals, especially birds. In one holiday episode, she sees a freezing charity worker and his reindeer out in the freezing cold, and brings the reindeer inside to stay warm while yelling at the charity worker for keeping it outside.

* While type ones may exist, the rather combat-oriented nature of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' mean that most player characters will find themselves at odds with militant city-hating druids and rangers. The ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' series has a "Shadow Druid" as a recruitable NPC who is just nasty in the first installment, then goes on to sic dangerous animals on a nearby town in the second.

* Jin Kisaragi from ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' became a {{Jerkass}} partially because, as he said it himself, he's Not Good With People. He comments once that he finds natural environs, away from signs of human life, remarkably relaxing.

-->'''Ganyu (About Xiao)''': He seems like a bit of an outsider, socially. Probably just his personality... I can understand that, to be honest, but I'm not really about to try and get close to him. I mean... all the people he's ever agreed to team up with are no longer with us...

* [[{{Literature/Worm}} Bitch]]'s [[CanineCompanion pow]][[HulkingOut ers]] affect her mind so that she thinks and perceives social interactions like a dog. This also makes her unable to grasp tone, expressions and several other key aspects of human interaction. As such while she turns out to be quite empathetic and kind, this is expressed almost exclusively towards dogs. Towards humans she is [[JerkAss less]] [[ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption than]] [[TechnicalPacifist friendly]].

** It doesn't help that he's TheStoic in general, and most of his non-treehugging time is spend in private meditation or training.

* The titular Dan from ''WesternAnimation/DanVs'' may be a complete abrasive jerk to each and every person he meets, but with animals it's a ''far'' different story. All it takes for him to release the animals from the animal shelter [[ItMakesSenseInContext before it explodes]] is to catch a glimpse of the puppy dog eyes, and in a later episode he can't even bear to see lobsters killed in a restaurant for dinner. He even bonds with [[spoiler:a Tyrannosaurus Rex]] in one episode. He hates geese, though.

* In his younger years, [[Music/{{DMX}} Earl Simmons]] found it easier to form bonds with stray dogs he'd befriend while wandering and sleeping on the streets of Yonkers than getting attached to humans.

* [[Manga/PetShopOfHorrors Count D]] plays the part of the reclusive, soft spoken animal lover, but he's actually very much a type 2; he's just less noisy about it. Like the rest of his family, he has no tolerance for human weakness. Despite the fact that he's the protagonist, and has his fair share of PetTheDog (well, human) moments with Leon and Chris, he's much more dangerous than most type twos. They're only grouchy, Count D is actually dangerous. [[spoiler: Admittedly though, he's not actually human, just masquerading as one]].

* The titular Nadia from the anime ''Anime/NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWater'' spent most of the fourteen years of her life suffering from a combination of ParentalAbandonment issues and [[AbusiveParents a cruel upbringing]] as a circus acrobat. The end result is a Shy {{Tsundere}} who hates adults, humans, and "[[GranolaGirl progress]]" with a vengeance -- and yet is a FriendToAllLivingThings who begins to treat GadgeteerGenius Jean as a friend despite herself. In fact she finds herself falling in love with him... [[spoiler: and in the end, they get married]].

* [[spoiler:Valka, Hiccup's mother]] in ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon2''. She was already seen as weird when living on Berk as she continually tried to convince the villagers not to fight dragons. It got worse when she lived alone with dragons with twenty years without any human contact. Her first reaction when meeting Hiccup is to challenge him and then crawl up and grab his jaw. Even her early dialogue with Hiccup was quite eccentric.

* Because of his large stature and rough appearance, Hagrid of ''Literature/HarryPotter'' fame appears to be the second type to those who don't know him, but is a GentleGiant who, while not exactly shy, is socially awkward.

** Yuuka Kazami, the flower youkai, is also generally portrayed as Not Good With People. Canon indicates to some degree that she might be Shy, but fanon usually portrays her as a more antagonistic, sometimes even sadistic, Grumpy. Considering the fact that she once stated that she ''consideres genocide a game'' ([[TheGadfly it was a joke]], probably) and on a different occasion responded to accusations that she was the culprit behind the most recent incident with what amounts to "SureLetsGoWithThat" it seems like she actually encourages being percieved as an antagonist.
* N from ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' fits both categories. While he ''can'' talk to people, he's certainly not very good at it, and noted to be much worse with anyone other than the protagonist and his two mysterious friends, especially due to his belief that HumansAreBastards, making him somewhat hostile. If you look closely, his dialogue even appears [[MotorMouth notably faster]] than anyone else, which may imply any or a number of social issues. Conversely, he can speak to Pokemon very comfortably and even understand them- a trait all but unique in the universe. This turns out to be justified. [[spoiler: In order to create a champion to get rid of trainers, Ghetsis arranged for N to be socially isolated and exposed only to Pokemon who had been abused by humans, rendering N unable to understand or identify with humans and giving him the belief that they all abuse Pokemon.]]

* ''VideoGame/EnsembleStars'': while Souma is genuinely a very kind kid who worries a lot about others, his strange behaviour (particularly when it comes to his beloved sword he wields rather recklessly) mean that other people are often scared of him and he sometimes finds it hard to make friends among his peers. However, he adores animals - he grew up riding horses and has a beloved pet named Saigoudon, he loves the Marine Bio Club and quickly attached himself to a turtle he named Kamegorou, and when he comes across a stray cat in ''Camellia Train'' he immediately decides to protect it and is delighted when it seems to like him.

* ComicBook/PoisonIvy from the Franchise/{{Batman}} mythos is a very aggressive example of Type 2.

* Anakonda from ''WesternAnimation/Xyber9NewDawn'' is an obvious Type 2 and NatureHero.

* The titular Nadia from the anime ''Anime/NadiaTheSecretOfBlueWater'' spent most of the fourteen years of her life suffering from a combination of ParentalAbandonment issues and [[AbusiveParents a cruel upbringing]] as a circus acrobat. The end result is a Type A {{Tsundere}} who hates adults, humans, and "[[GranolaGirl progress]]" with a vengeance -- and yet is a FriendToAllLivingThings who begins to treat GadgeteerGenius Jean as a friend despite herself. In fact she finds herself falling in love with him... [[spoiler: and in the end, they get married]].

*** However, the Type Two riders are usually the more extreme cases (such as Kylara). It would be insane to live with ''hundreds'' of insufferably conceited dragonriders, and many of the Weyrfolk genuinely admire them, so it's safe to assume that the average greenrider just gets a boost in confidence and self-assurance.

* Satori Komeiji from ''VideoGame/TouhouChireidenSubterraneanAnimism'' could almost pass for a Type One... until she starts [[MindOverManners bragging about her mind-reading powers]]. For some reason, other youkai and humans [[ForgotAboutTheMindReader don't like]] having their [[AMindIsATerribleThingToRead innermost thoughts]] made public knowledge. Animals, however, enjoy having their wants and needs understood, and Satori is indicated to have many pets (including the Stage 5 and Stage 6 bosses, animal youkai who lived with her before they could talk).
** Yuuka Kazami, the flower youkai, is also generally portrayed as Not Good With People. Canon indicates to some degree that she might be a Type One, but fanon usually portrays her as a more antagonistic, sometimes even sadistic, Type Two. Considering the fact that she once stated that she ''consideres genocide a game'' ([[TheGadfly it was a joke]], probably) and on a different occasion responded to accusations that she was the culprit behind the most recent incident with what amounts to "SureLetsGoWithThat" it seems like she actually encourages being percieved as an antagonist.

* Sameen Shaw is a self-admitted SociopathicHero who is mostly rude or crude to her human teammates, but gets along surprisingly well with Team Machine's [[TeamPet dog]] Bear. She states several times that she's only on the team because of the dog; he seems to like her a lot too.

* ''Series/TheSopranos'' :Tony Soprano loves animals and animal abusers is a major BerserkButton for him but he has absolutely no problem maiming, torturing or killing someone. [[spoiler:This is part of what makes his therapist realize he's an incurable sociopath and sever ties with him.]]

* In ''Webcomic/NoRestForTheWicked'', [[http://www.forthewicked.net/archive/02-08.html Red]], living TheLostWoods.

* Lalli of ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent'' is an excellent scout and very proficient woodsman with connection to nature spirits, but he avoids interacting with people whenever possible and dislikes being paid attention to - not to mention that he expresses his desire to be left alone by dumping a bowl of soup on the interloper.

* Dawn Prince-Hughes (a writer and ethologist with Asperger's Syndrome) gives the impression of being this kind of person in her memoir. She found gorillas easier to understand than her own species.

* Many autistic people understand and get along with animals almost uncannily well, and can even read their emotions and intentions without looking for emotion in their faces, but have a great deal of difficulty with human interactions. Temple Grandin has made a career out of this. Hence, fictional Christopher Boone of Mark Haddon's novel ''[[Literature/TheCuriousIncidentOfTheDogInTheNightTime The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time]]''.

* Many animal rescue/training shows will have at least one grouchy example. You'll see them soothing and patching up injured animals, then tearing the head off a human bystander. One standout example was an animal rescue show where the main rescuer was asked by a man who'd found an injured fox in his garden if he could touch the animal. The rescuer snapped that of course he couldn't, it was a wild animal. Perfectly sensible statement... except that the rescuer was holding the fox at the time, so unfortunately the message came across as [[BrokenAesop "of course you can't touch wild animals, unless you're special like me."]] Although you may argue that the sentiment was [[DontTryThisAtHome "don't touch wild animals unless you have special training for it, like me"]].
** On a related note, the crew on ''Whale Wars'' could be seen as heroic or an AnimalWrongsGroup, depending on your stance, but you'd have a hard time denying their captain falls squarely into Not Good With People. He waxes lyrical about the importance of protecting majestic and peaceful whales, but to the members of ''his own crew,'' never mind those on the "opposing ships", he is ruthless and has some serious [[NoSympathy empathy failure]]. He sends them out on dangerous "missions", snarls at them if they point out that it ''is'' a dangerous task, and will exile them from the ship if they dare defy him.

* [[Series/TheSopranos Tony Soprano]] loves animals and animal abusers is a major BerserkButton for him but he has absolutely no problem maiming, torturing or killing someone. [[spoiler:This is part of what makes his therapist realize he's an incurable sociopath and sever ties with him.]]
* [[Series/ParksAndRecreation April Ludgate]] hates people (save for her ditzy husband Andy and the [[BirdsOfAFeather like-minded]] Ron Swanson), but adores animals. This eventually leads to Leslie putting her in charge of the Animal Control department, and she's surprisingly passionate about it after several seasons spent as a ProfessionalSlacker.