History Main / HybridsAreACrapshoot

[[quoteright:350:[[Webcomic/SunnySide https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pigfrogs.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Notice what [[Franchise/TheMuppets Kermit]] is reading.[[note]]If you can't see what it is, the book's title reads ''[[ParodiesForDummies Vasectomies for Dummies]]''.[[/note]]]]

* There exists a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanverse titled "[[https://www.deviantart.com/starryoak/gallery/58828968/miracleverse The Miracleverse]]" with one of the Fan Created Offspring being a child of Spike (Dragon) and Rarity (Pony), named Miracle. Miracle is extremely sickly and weak, and the doctors weren't even sure if she would survive birth. Averted with the other hybrid children, including the centaur/pony offspring of Iron Will and Fluttershy, and the Dragonequus/Alicorn offspring of Celestia and Discord, which are healthy enough (although this may be likely due to other factors).

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''WebComic/ElGoonishShive'': Vlad is a hybrid of several bats, owls, hawks, at least one leopard, a [[TheGreys uryuom]], and a human created via BizarreAlienReproduction. The scientists who created him wanted a subject with a wide range of DNA to draw from for VoluntaryShapeshifting. They thought the uryuom DNA would be enough to stabilize it given that uryuoms are natural shapeshifters. However, Vlad's first attempt at shapeshifting nearly killed him and caused immense pain, so he was effectively {{Shapeshifter Mode Lock}}ed into a monstrous hybrid form unless he wanted to risk death again.

## The hybrid suffers from some kind of health defect as a result of being a hybrid. Hybrids where their two halves' physical attributes clash in such a way that the result is grotesque also fall into this category.

## The hybrid is a danger to themselves or others as a result of being a hybrid.

## Some combination of the above.

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[[caption-width-right:350:Notice what [[Franchise/TheMuppets Kermit]] is reading. Though can you blame him after ''this'' happened?]]

This is TruthInTelevision. Two different species of animals can sometimes produce offspring if they're similar enough (Lions and Tigers being the most famous example). However, their offspring will ''by definition'' by infertile. The traditional definition of "species" is a set of organisms that are similar enough that they can produce offspring which are themselves capable of reproduction.[[note]]This has come into scrutiny in recent years due to an increased understanding of hybridisation's role in evolution, from cervid species to hominids [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturddlefish to fish separated by over 300 million years]]. Still, it's still true that the average hybrid is infertile, just not ''necessarily'' so.[[/note]]

* In ''Series/{{Farscape}}'', major character Scorpius (BigBad in Seasons 2 and 3, ExBigBad TokenEvilTeammate in Season 4) is an experimentally produced hybrid of Sebacean (HumanAliens) and Scarrans (DraconicHumanoid). He is a GeniusBruiser, but suffers from assorted painful health problems from the conflicts between his ancestral species - the worst is that he is unable to control his own body temperature and is in danger of dying from heatstroke whenever he exerts himself. As a result, he has to wear a scary-looking coolant suit, which includes a heat sink that is driven through the side of his skull and into his cranial cavity.

* ''Literature/SoonIWillBeInvincible'': Damsel is the daughter of a superpowered human and a Green Skinned Space Babe. They weren't at all biologically compatible - she was the product of years of lab work and needs medication to stay alive.

* ''WebComic/ElGoonishShive'': Vlad is a hybrid of a bat, owl, falcon, leopard, [[TheGreys uryuom]], and human created via BizarreAlienReproduction. The scientists who created him wanted a subject with a wide range of DNA to see if they could stabilize his VoluntaryShapeshifting by adding uryuom DNA. However, Vlad's first attempt at shapeshifting caused such immense pain that it nearly killed him, so he was effectively {{Shapeshifter Mode Lock}}ed into a monstrous hybrid form unless he wanted to risk death again.

* ''Videogame/TrialsOfMana'': Two of the protagonists, Kevin and Charlotte, are HalfHumanHybrids, with Kevin being part BeastMan and Charlotte being a half-elf. Their genetics give them significant abilities (impressive strength for Kevin, and ChildProdigy magical abilities for Charlotte), but it also seems to have affected both of their mental development, with Kevin talking extremely informally and often lapsing into BeigeProse, and Charlotte talking in ElmuhFuddSyndwome having both the body and mindset of a child despite being chronologically fifteen.

* ''Videogame/TrialsOfMana'': Two of the protagonists, Kevin and Charlotte, are HalfHumanHybrids, with Kevin being part BeastMan and Charlotte being a half-elf. Their genetics give them significant abilities (impressive strength for Kevin, and ChildProdigy magical abilities for Charlotte), but both of them seem to have some kind of AmbiguousDisorder caused by their mixed genetics, with Kevin talking extremely informally and often lapsing into BeigeProse, and Charlotte having both the body and mindset of a child despite being chronologically fifteen.

* ''Videogame/HeroesOfMightAndMagicAshan'': The wizards of the Silver Cities have conducted various experiments into artificially creating {{Half Human Hybrid}}s and MixAndMatchCritters, with varying degrees of success. One of the most notable failed experiments are the Lamasu, [[BeastWithAHumanFace sphinx-like hybrids of human and manticore]], who have no immunity to the manticore venom in their own bodies - as a result, their bodies are highly unstable and only a small number are able to survive more than a few hours after being born.

This is TruthInTelevision. Two different species of animals can sometimes produce offspring if they're similar enough (Lions and Tigers being the most famous example). However, their offspring will ''by definition'' by infertile. The traditional definition of "species" is a set of organisms that are similar enough that they can produce offspring which are themselves capable of reproduction.[[note]]This has come into scrutinity in recent years due to an increased understanding of hybridisation's role in evolution, from cervid species to hominids [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturddlefish to fish seperated by over 300 million years]]. Still, its still true that the average hybrid is infertile, just not ''necessarily'' so.[[/note]]

1: The hybrid suffers from some kind of health defect as a result of being a hybrid. Hybrids where their two halves' physical attributes clash in such a way that the result is grotesque also fall into this category.

2: The hybrid is a danger to themselves or others as a result of being a hybrid.

3: Some combination of the above.

Even though this is a commonly observed phenomenon in the real world, all of the versions that actually happen are really quite similar. So, to avoid lots and lots of redundant examples, Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease. Fictional portrayals of a real life example (ie. an infertile mule) are allowed.

* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': In this ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' Franchise/MonsterVerse fanfiction, it turns out that Ghidorah's DNA doesn't mix well with human DNA. Initial experiments which fuse Ghidorah's DNA to humans end up creating a chaotic UndeadAbomination, before the process is refined to create [[spoiler:the Zmeyevich]]. Even Monster X, which is technically created by a Ghidorah head doing the merging himself rather than relying on human experiments, is initially a BodyHorror-crippled monstrosity with the inverted form of PowerIncontinence [[spoiler:(it gets better)]].

* ''Film/{{Splice}}'': The entire premise. Clive and Elsa create Dren from a hybrid of many different DNA strands, making her a humanoid with gills, wings, and a prehensile tail, but her human side makes her emotionally unpredictable. And that's before she undergoes a spontaneous sex change into a male form (foreshadowed by a similiar transformation in an earlier test subject), and rapes Elsa. At the end, having learned apparently nothing from the experience, a visibly pregnant Elsa agrees to be paid by her company to carry her pregnancy to term.

* In ''Series/{{Farscape}}'', major character Scorpius (BigBad in Seasons 2 and 3, ExBigBad TokenEvilTeammate in Season 4) is an experimentally produced hybrid of Sebacean (HumanAliens) and Scarrans (DraconicHumanoid). He is a GeniusBruiser, but suffers from assorted painful health problems from the conflicts between his ancestral species - the worst is that he is unable to control his own body temperature and is in danger of dying from heatstroke whenever he exerts himself. As a result he has to wear a scary-looking coolant suit, which includes a heat sink that is driven through the side of his skull and into his cranial cavity.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Mixels}}'': One possible result of Mixels performing their species' FusionDance are "Murps". They are wonky amalgamations of whatever Mixels happen to be in the combination, have their own personalities instead of a Mixel taking the lead, and have out of control and destructive powers. Most of the time, the powers are a detriment to either the environment or the Murp itself.

* ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'': After conquering the ogres, the Old Horde bred with them to produce a race that were meant to have the strength of the [[DumbMuscle ogres]] but the intelligence of the [[ProudWarriorRace orcs]]. The resulting race, the Mok'Nathal, were tougher than orcs but not as tough as ogres, and proved far too stubborn to control.

This is TruthInTelevision. Two different species of animals can sometimes produce offspring if they're similar enough (Lions and Tigers being the most famous example). However, their offspring will ''by definition'' by infertile. The tradtional definition of "species" is a set of organisms that are similar enough that they can produce offspring which are themselves capable of reproduction.[[note]]This has come into scrutinity in recent years due to an increased understanding of hybridisation's role in evolution, from cervid species to hominids [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturddlefish to fish seperated by over 300 million years]]. Still, its still true that the average hybrid is infertile, just not ''necessarily'' so.[[/note]]

* ''Manga/DeliciousInDungeon'': [[spoiler:Marcille is revealed to be the daughter of an elf mother and a human father. As a result, her physical and mental development as a child didn’t happen steadily or [[AgeDissonantIndex synchronously]], and she’s unlikely to have children of her own, but on the other hand her health is more robust than any human and her lifespan is expected to exceed even the LongLived elves. Laios compares her, [[InnocentlyInsensitive somewhat insensitively]], to a mule: sterile but superior to either parent. However, it’s her lifespan that worries her the most, as it means she’s going to outlive ''all'' her loved ones.]]

This is TruthInTelevision. Two different species of animals can sometimes produce offspring if they're similar enough (Lions and Tigers being the most famous example). However, their offspring will ''by definition'' by infertile. The definition of "species" is a set of organisms that are similar enough that they can produce offspring which are themselves capable of reproduction.

* In ''Series/{{Farscape}}'', major character Scorpius (BigBad in S1-3, ExBigBad TokenEvilTeammate in S4) is an experimentally produced hybrid of Sebacean (HumanAliens) and Scarrans (DraconicHumanoid). He is a Genius Bruiser, but suffers from assorted painful health problems from the conflicts between his ancestral species - the worst is that he is unable to control his own body temperature and is in danger of dying from heatstroke whenever he exerts himself. As a result he has to wear a scary-looking coolant suit, which includes a heat sink that is driven through the side of his skull and into his cranial cavity.
* ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'': Zigzagged in a two-part story arc towards the end of the series. A baby is created from the DNA of Trip (a human) and T'Pol (a type of alien called a Vulcan) such as that she's essentially their daughter even though T'Pol was never pregnant. Throughout the episodes, the baby has a fever and high white blood cell count [[spoiler:which ultimately kills her]], and other characters wonder if it's because humans and Vulcans have incompatible chromosomes. As it turns out, however, the baby was just created imperfectly; humans and Vulcans are indeed capable of safely interbreeding.

[[folder:Literature]]
* ''LightNovel/HorizonInTheMiddleOfNowhere'': Elves can live upwards of a thousand years, [[ProportionalAging so they age and mature slowly]]. Half-elves, elf-human hybrids, age mentally at the same rate as elves but physically at the same rate as humans, so most half-elves never develop beyond the mental capacity of children. The few exceptions are more akin to child geniuses than adults.
* ''Literature/SoonIWillBeInvincible'': Damsel is the daughter of a superpowered human and a Green Skinned Space Babe. They weren't at all biologically compatible - she was the product of years of lab work and needs medication to stay alive.
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* ''LightNovel/HorizonInTheMiddleOfNowhere'': Elves can live upwards of a thousand years, [[ProportionalAging so they age and mature slowly]]. Half-elves, elf-human hybrids, age mentally at the same rate as elves but physically at the same rate as humans, so most half-elves never develop beyond the mental capacity of children. The few exceptions are more akin to child geniuses than adults.

* ''LightNovel/HorizonInTheMiddleOfNowhere'': Elves can live upwards of a thousand years, [[ProportionalAging so they age and mature slowly]]. Half-elves, elf-human hybrids, age mentally at the same rate as elves but physically at the same rate as humans, so most half-elves never develop beyond the mental capacity of children. The few exceptions are more akin to child geniuses than adults.

''Manga/{{Beastars}}'':