History Main / OurHumansAreDifferent

* Manga/TokyoGhoul: In the story of Tokyo Ghoul humans have a special cellular structure called "RC Cells" that no other animals have to justify why [[VegetarianVampire the Ghouls can't survive by eating the raw meat of other species]]. Humans have an RC concentration of about 500 compared to a Ghoul's 1000+ and a human can become a Ghoul or something close to it if their RC concentration is (either naturally or artificially) raised too high. RC Cells are what give Ghouls their HealingFactor and it's implied that "normal" humans in the story [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower might still have a much weaker equivalent]] to it thanks to their own RC Cells given that Ghoul Investigators are often shown [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat surviving trauma and attacks that would easily kill "real humans"]]. As a result, even though the "humans" in the story are considered human, [[CallASmeerpARabbit they aren't at all the same species as "real-life" humans.]]

** Eternals and Deviants are born with their powers: Eternals get immortality and the ability to manipulate cosmic energy (at the cost of constantly needing to vent off heat), and the Deviants get {{Lovecraftian Superpower}}s.

** Mutants usually manifest their mutations at puberty, though a rare few manifest their mutations at birth. This is apparently due to an extra gene dubbed the X-gene. Certain outside conditions seem to be able to cause the X-gene to manifest more often in the human population -- the detonation of the atomic bombs during World War II triggered a rise in mutant birthrates. It's also implied that every mutant is actually a RealityWarper who unconsciously alters reality in a different way.

* Fanfiction set in the "Omegaverse" often gives supposedly human characters wolf-like reproductive anatomy and other canine traits such as scent glands and fangs.

* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'': Humans, like the [[AngelicAbomination Angels]] and [[HumongousMecha EVAs]], naturally generate AT Fields. They aren't strong enough to use as physical DeflectorShields, but are important because [[spoiler:they're what keep humans' minds and bodies separate from each other. The [[AssimilationPlot Human Instrumentality Project]] is all about forcibly nullifying them all, causing humanity to merge together.]] In fact, the [=EVAs=]' ability to create AT Fields came from imitating and magnifying that of humans, hence why [[spoiler:[[UnroboticReveal they turn out to be]] giant {{Artificial Human}}s themselves]].

* ''Art/BeastFables'': All humans in Urvara are born with "The Gift", which gives them the power to turn into an anthropomorphic land animal. Because of this, they're also known as werebeasts.

* ''Literature/KingCreatureCome'': The [[VichyEarth ruling aliens]] refer to themselves as "Persons" or "humans" and to the conquered Earth humans as "Creatures". The Creatures also see Persons as a separate race and believe them to be unemotional, though one character describes them as "almost human". The main actual differences are that Persons are taller, less fecund and more technologically advanced than Creatures, and all have blonde Afros. [[spoiler:The two races were eventually proven capable of interbreeding.]]

* In "Literature/MimsyWereTheBorogoves", a scientist from millions of years in the future sends an anatomical doll (among other things) back in time to 20th century Earth. The doll shows that future humans have [[BizarreHumanBiology significant biological differences]] from their 20th century ancestors.

* ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'': Humans and elves were similar races, created by [[{{God}} Illuvatar]] and referred to as his children. At that time, humans were like elves in strength and stature, but this changed later as the world aged. The most crucial difference between elves and men was that men were mortal, and elves were [[TheAgeless immortal]], as well as the destinations of their souls -- elves linger in the physical world as spirits if killed, while human souls depart it entirely for Illuvatar's Halls.

* ''Literature/TheSunEater'': Because of the misguided "Mericanii" A.I., all of Earth's people and most of the colonies have been turned into immortal blobs of cancer that are kept in LotusEaterMachine. The only standard humans left are from the furthest non-American colonies.

* ''VideoGame/ChainedEchoes'': In the world of Eldrea "human" is just a blanket term for all sapient races such as the LizardFolk Lisvan, with what in the real world are consider human known as "hyoms".

* In ''VideoGame/GuildWars'' and ''VideoGame/GuildWars2'', humans are one of the five main races in Tyria, and while typical humans in most respects they play the roles elves usually do in fantasy settings. They were once very powerful and Tyria's dominant race, but have fallen into severe decline as the younger, more energetic races begin to dominate the world. They tend to be highly conservative and shun technology, and consequently are socially stuck in the past, especially the isolated human nations of Elona and Cantha in ''Guild Wars 2''. They also have a special affinity and respect for magic, due to it being granted to them by their gods, who brought them to Tyria. The other races view them as long past their prime and doomed to vanish from the world.

* In ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'', humans and {{mons}} are evolutionary cousins (since even [[TopGod God]] [[OlympusMons is a Pokémon]]), to the point that InterspeciesRomance between the two used to be common as they didn't see a difference. As a result of this, humans are able to develop abilities like PsychicPowers and [[ToonPhysics endure trauma that would grievously harm or outright kill an ordinary person]] like the one Team Rocket Grunt who eventually walked off a [[WaveMotionGun Hyper Beam]] from [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Lance's Dragonite]].
* ''VideoGame/RemiLoreLostGirlInTheLandsOfLore'': When Remi asks about Ragnoahian humans, Lore responds that the local humans "do have eyes, a nose and a mouth". But:
--> But there are different lands where some have longer noses, or more hair, or even shiny skin.\\
'''Remi:''' That's... not really similar to me... I can't imagine...

* ''Webcomic/HeroOhHero'': Humans are able to use magic and can also randomly have strange hair colours (the latter typically being from being born in high magic areas regardless of if the person in question has any powers). The setting's [[OurElvesAreDifferent elves]] are a race (in the non-fantasy sense) of humans with [[PeopleofHairColor green hair]], skin and GreenThumb powers who're called "elves" as a slur by TheEmpire.

* The humans of ''WebAnimation/EpithetErased'' are sometimes born with superpowers, but the differences don't end there. They come in six races, one for each in-universe country: Taiga, Deepwoods, Desert, Island, Ocean, and Australian. Additionally, a number of unusual physical traits are seen on human characters: [[WorldOfTechnicolorHair pink, green, or purple hair]]; pointy teeth; [[ExoticEyeDesigns eyes with spotted irises]]; multicolored freckles; star-shaped objects with the texture of cereal marshmallows that naturally grow in one’s hair; and a beard made of powdered sprinkles. Humans also have RPG-esque stats that can be increased over time, allowing even a person without superpowers to perform feats that would be considered superhuman in our world.

---> [[CosmicHorrorStory "I cannot fathom a world of such suffering, where we were conceived in such brutal conditions, made to endure such horrors, and die an eventual, meaningless death. Sex is a joke. And we're the punchline."]]

* ''Manga/DeliciousInDungeon'': In an {{omake}} it's specified that elves, dwarves, gnomes, ogres, and halflings [[HumanSubspecies all fall under the umbrella of "human" in this world]] ([[HumansByAnyOtherName while human humans are called "tallmen"]]). This is determined by the fact they all have the same number of bones, while other races like goblins, kobolds, and orcs do not and this counts them as "demihuman".[[note]]In real life, there are occasional mutations that make some people have a few extra ribs.[[/note]] [[spoiler:It's also implied that the various human species all evolved from a [[{{Precursors}} common ancestor]].]]

* ''Fanfic/{{Daemorphing}}'' is an ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' AU where humans all have daemons like in ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'', manifestations of their souls that take the form of animals, and it's brought up many times that daemons are a fundamental part of being human.

* ''Manga/DeliciousInDungeon'': In an {{omake}} it's specified that elves, dwarves, gnomes, ogres, and halflings [[HumanSubspecies all fall under the umbrella of "human" in this world]] ([[HumansByAnyOtherName while human humans are called "tallmen"]]). This is determined by the fact they all have the same number of bones, while other races like goblins, kobolds, and orcs do not and this counts them as "demihuman".[[note]]In real life, there are occasional mutations that make some people have a few extra ribs.[[/note]]

* ''Manga/DeliciousInDungeon'': In an {{omake}} it's specified that elves, dwarves, gnomes, ogres, and halflings all fall under the umbrella of "human" in this world (while human humans are called "tallmen"). This is determined by the fact they all have the same number of bones, while other races like goblins, kobolds, and orcs do not and this counts them as "demihuman".[[note]]In real life, there are occasional mutations that make some people have a few extra ribs.[[/note]]

* ''Manga/NurseHitomisMonsterInfirmary'': Humans undergo very dramatic, seemingly random changes during puberty; in the title character's case she went from two eyes to a single huge eye, there's also things like sprouting wings on one's back, gaining effective immortality, gradual shrinking, and many others. This makes the North American title something of a misnomer, which the author points out in one of the volume afterwards.

** Besides their capability for CharlesAtlasSuperpower, willpower and just general power can seemingly affect biology in strange ways: Ace's mom held her pregnancy in for ''[[LongestPregnancyEver years]]'' through sheer willpower to protect him from people seeking to end his bloodline. One of the post-timeskip Admirals states he hasn't eaten in ''three years'' because it's too big a hassle, but he's apparently no worse for the wear.[[spoiler:Said Admiral actually ate a devil fruit that gave him plant powers, and he 'eats' by photosynthesis or absorbing things with his roots.]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** Humans, as well as all other living species in TheVerse, possess "midi-chlorians", mysterious organelles which have some intricate connection to the Force. [[ContinuitySnarl Or something like that]] -- the [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends old expanded universe]] has gone back and forth over what the role of midi-chlorians actually are, though [[Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse the new Expanded Universe]]'s current stance is that midi-chlorians act as a go-between for the [[LifeEnergy Living Force]] and the [[SentientCosmicForce Cosmic Force]].
** The [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Legends continuity]] includes further details about humanity's nature and evolutionary history, which differs quite a bit from real life's, as would be expected for a setting that takes place in another galaxy and in the distant distant distant distant past:
*** According to some material, humans evolved from a species known as the Kumungah that was native to Tatooine when it was still a lush and fertile world. Most of the Kumungah were killed off when [[AbusivePrecursors the Rakata]] devastated Tatooine with an orbital bombardment as punishment for the Kumungah rebelling against their rule, but those who were off-planet at the time -- mostly as Rakata slaves -- survived and eventually evolved into the human species. Other Kumungah survived on Tatooine by hiding underground and eventually evolved into the Tusken Raiders and the Jawas, making the two species very close evolutionary cousins of humanity.
*** Much later on, humans were among the first wave of sapient species to colonize the Galaxy after the old {{precursor|s}} empires collapsed. As such, due to the time it took for faster-than-light travel to be reinvented and for the disparate colony worlds to contact one another again, a truly impressive number of HumanSubspecies of varying levels of divergence sprang up (other species had similar radiations, but the humans easily had the most). ''Star Wars'' aliens who look [[HumanAliens more than passingly humanoid]] are almost certainly TranshumanAliens.
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* ''Literature/{{Berserker}}'': In this series, due to the terrible conflicts against the A.I. Berserkers, "human" is a blanket term for sentient life. In one book, a station full of Earth-descended Homo Sapiens celebrate because they encounter new "humans" -- a species of giant energy clouds flying around space.

[[caption-width-right:350:Humans are...Sergals?]]

* ''Fanfic/DiaryOfAStoreClerk'': Humans are, in almost all regards, exactly the same as in real life, with one caveat -- for somewhat unclear reasons, living in Equestria causes them to hibernate through the winter and gives them an instinctive urge to hide food around the house in preparation for this.

** ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'' muddies things even further: due to the complicated circumstances of the world of Aionios, "humans" are now based on every single humanoid race of ''1'' and ''2''. Including all of the above, but also some that weren't considered humans back then, like the High Entia, the Machina, and even the Blades. To make things even weirder, their non-human traits seem to be mostly vestigial. All of the High Entia have hair colors other than silver (it was their ''only'' hair color in ''1'') and all of them have small [[MercurysWings headwings]] (a trait that was indicative of being [[HalfHumanHybrid part Homs]], whereas pure-blood High Entia had large wings). Lanz merely has metal-colored skin instead of being a MechanicalLifeform, and Sena's Blade traits (like her [[TronLines ether veins]] and [[HeartCore Core Crystal]]) are treated like physical quirks rather than unique vital organs. (In fact, the people of Aionios seem to not know what a Core Crystal is at all, [[spoiler:which later helps the sole real Blade left survive an assassination attempt]].)

** ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'' muddies things even further: due to the complicated circumstances of the world of Aionios, "humans" are now based on every single humanoid race of ''1'' and ''2''. Including all of the above, but also some that weren't considered humans back then, like the High Entia, the Machina, and even the Blades. To make things even weirder, their non-human traits seem to be mostly vestigial. All of the High Entia have hair colors other than silver (it was their ''only'' hair color in ''1'') and all of them have small [[MercurysWings headwings]] (a trait that was indicative of being [[HalfHumanHybrid part Homs]], whereas pure-blood High Entia had large wings). Lanz merely has metal-colored skin instead of being a MechanicalLifeform, and Sena's Blade traits (like her [[TronLines ether veins]] and [[PowerCrystal Core Crystal]]) are treated like physical quirks rather than unique vital organs. (In fact, the people of Aionios seem to not know what a Core Crystal is at all, [[spoiler:which later helps the sole real Blade left survive an assassination attempt]].)

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/Babylon5'': Human history is relatively the same in this series as it is in real life, except one crucial difference: [[spoiler:human history was actually tampered with by aliens (the [[EnergyBeings Vorlons]] and the Shadows, to be precise). The Shadows were to blame for much of humanity's warlike nature, because they taught them to fight and kill in the name of progress as a species. Meanwhile, the Vorlons tampered with human genetics, trying to create human telepaths to fight the Shadows with]]. Sadly, [[spoiler:humans became little more to either side than weapons to be used against each other]].
* ''Series/StargateSG1'': After humanity discovers the Stargate, they learn that [[spoiler:Earth was originally colonized by the [[AdvancedAncientHumans Ancients]], who later left the cosmos when they [[AscendtoaHigherPlaneofExistence ascended]]. "Humans" as we know them are descended from the remnants of those who did not ascend]]. After a timeskip, it is discovered that [[spoiler:humans eventually regain the [[LostTechnology old technology]] that the Ancients used, and end up with a similar [[PerfectPacifistPeople society]], although it is not clear whether they choose to ascend this time]].
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