History Main / RecessiveSuperGenes

* ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' hints that Rey's unusually strong connection with the Force is inherited from her [[spoiler:grandfather, Palpatine]]. However, her father, [[spoiler:Palpatine's clone-son]], lacks his predecessor and successor's powers, and was deemed as a "nobody".

In biology some alleles have effects that are suppressed by other alleles of the same gene, these genes are called "recessive" and the suppressing genes are said to be "dominant". Because many organisms have at least two of each gene it is fairly common for a recessive gene to hide within a family for multiple generations before a carrier mates with another carrier and their offspring inherits two copies of the allele.

* In the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, the genes that give mutant super powers appear to be recessive. There are plenty of people with the genes that don't have any mutant abilities at all, but they can have children that do.

* ''{{Literature/Shannara}}: The Wishsong’s presence throughout the history of the Four Lands ebbs and flows throughout the generations of the Ohmsford family. Only one parent and child are ever both shown to be capable (Bek and Penn), and centuries can pass between documented cases. As magic actively resists being fully understood in the Shannara books, exactly why and when the Wishsong turns up when it does is unknown.

* Myth/IrishMythology: Fionn Mac Cumhaill seems to have this from both sides of his bloodline. On his father's Cumhaill's side he's distantly descended from the Fir Bolg, a race of Main/{{Demihumans}} who once inhabited Ireland and fought the gods. On his mother's side he is distantly descended from the god Nuada Silver-Arm. However despite their mighty ancestry neither appear to be especially powerful, Cumhaill Mac Trenmor's battle prowess not withstanding. Fionn by contrast, not only has incredible fighting skill, but the kind of SuperStrength capable of throwing islands and reshaping the landscape, SuperSpeed, and HealingHands, all from his two powerful ancestries.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}'': According to the origin story given in the tie-in comic ''Super Friends'' #7 (October, 1977), the pre-''Crisis'' version of [[Characters/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica the Wonder Twins]] got their powers this way. Originally, the intelligent species that inhabited their home planet Exor consisted of two distinct races: a "normal" race and a race of Shifters, who could take any form they wanted. The Shifter power was controlled by a recessive allele. When the two races began to intermarry, the recessive shifter allele was nearly bred out of the species, but even centuries later it still cropped up on rare occasions. Exorian kids who got two copies of the shifter allele usually developed one specific, limited shifting power.

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'': The ability to use Hamon, a form of biological energy that fuels an anti-vampire martial art, seems to be a recessive gene. Jonathan Joestar had it, but not his son George Joestar. However, George's unrelated wife did, and their child Joseph Joestar had it to such a degree that it manifested even before he had any training.

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'': The ability to use the Ripple, a form of biological energy that fuels an anti-vampire martial art, seems to be a recessive gene. Jonathan Joestar had it, but not his son George Joestar. However, George's unrelated wife did, and their child Joseph Joestar had it to such a degree that it manifested even before he had any training.

* ''Film/{{Carrie|2013}}'' (2013): Carrie discovers that this was the case with her telekinesis. Her grandmother had it, her mother doesn't, and now Carrie does.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'': The ability to use the Ripple, a form of biological energy that fuels an anti-vampire martial art, seems to be a recessive gene. Jonathan Joestar had it, but not his son George Joestar, however George's unrelated wife did, and their child Joseph Joestar had it to such a degree that it manifested even before he had any training.

* In the Franchise/MarvelUniverse the genes that give mutant super powers appear to be recessive. There are plenty of people with the genes that don't have any mutant abilities at all, but they can have children that do.

* ''Film/Carrie2013'': Carrie discovers that this was the case with her telekinesis. Her grandmother had it, her mother doesn't, and now Carrie does.

** According to WordOfGod Muggle-born witches and wizards have magic-using ancestors somewhere. It skips several generations to manifest randomly.
** There's Muggle born characters who have Muggle siblings as well as Muggle born characters with wizard siblings. Harry's mother Lily was a witch but her sister Petunia isn't. One of the Gryffindor boys the year below Harry, Colin Creevey, is a muggle born and his brother, Dennis, comes to Hogwarts in the fourth book. Hermione was supposed to have a muggle sister but she got the ax once Rowling got to the fifth book and hadn't found a way to work her in.

* Sometimes the case in ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar''. Certain mages are able to inspect people and determine that they have "potential" for various Gifts that will be passed to their children but are unlikely to manifest themselves.
** The ''Literature/LastHeraldMageTrilogy'''s Vanyel Ashkevron was one of these but had all his potential powers [[TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening activated at once in a unique and traumatic event]]. Van had four children, one of which straight up inherited his powerset and looked very like him. The other three carried it in potential but only manifested their mothers' Gifts, and passed that potential on. His AdoptedIntoRoyalty daughter marries a prince and some of their descendants, even centuries later, are strongly gifted, though the royal line starting with [[Literature/TheFoundingOfValdemar King Valdemar]] had also carried the Mage-Gift.

* In ''Literature/MissPeregrinesHomeForPeculiarChildren'' Miss Peregrine explains to Jacob that peculiar traits often skip generations.

* ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' establishes that the Ancient Technology Activation (ATA) gene that enables the use of many technologies of the [[NeglectfulPrecursors Ancients]] is recessive, meaning it tends to die out of the smaller captive populations of TransplantedHumans in the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies. Earth is an exception whose population is large enough to maintain it, and Stargate Command eventually develops a therapy to add it to their other personnel.

* ''Series/TheWitcher2019'': Pavetta's grandmother also had her ability, but it skipped her mother.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', being a Navigator (a type of Psyker) is a recessive gene. As psykers are typically avoided by the general population and Navigators are very egotistical, this suits both parties just fine. However it also means that the Navigator Houses are extremely inbred.

* In ''Webcomic/CharbyTheVampirate'' Victor inherited his quick healing, magic resistance and WeirdnessMagnet tendencies from his paternal grandfather, whose own grandfather is also revealed to have had it, but Victor's father was a "dud" without any such aptitude.

* Juniper from ''WesternAnimation/TheLifeAndTimesOfJuniperLee'' is the Te Xuan Ze, the chosen guardian of the border between humans and monsters in Orchid Bay. This title originally belonged to her grandmother; Juniper's father can't see the supernatural and is unaware of his mother and daughter's activities. Interestingly while Juniper's younger brother Ray Ray can see and interact with the supernatural (but lacks any powers), her older brother Dennis has no such gift. Ray Rays' abilities are shown in the OriginsEpisode that after Juniper first manifested her powers, a trio of powerful Monsters attempted to use a ritual to destroy her; only for Ray Ray to leap into the fray; causing a portion of Junes' newfound power to seep into Ray Ray.

* In [[https://www.deviantart.com/slifofinadragon SlifofinaDragon]]'s ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' fanfic ''Finally Home'', Kagehime/Hitomi Kira a witch born to UsefulNotes/ToyotomiHideyoshi and Nene, who are both normal human beings. Yet, the magic is passed down to her from Nene's mother (as explained in [[https://www.deviantart.com/misakiyu/art/Hereditary-902907649 a flashback]] illustrated by [[https://www.deviantart.com/misakiyu misakiyu]]).

* In ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'', Heihachi seems to be the only member of the Mishima clan to not have the Devil Gene, something that his father, son and grandson has -- [[BadassNormal not that he really needs it]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'', Heihachi seems to be the only member of the Mishima clan to not have the Devil Gene, something that his father, son and grandson has. [[BadassNormal Not that he really needs it]].

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* In ''Videogame/{{Tekken}}'', Heihachi seems to be the only member of the Mishima clan to not have the Devil Gene, something that his father, son and grandson has. [[BadassNormal Not that he really needs it]].

* Juniper from ''WesternAnimation/TheLifeAndTimesOfJuniperLee'' is the Te Xuan Ze, the chosen guardian of the border between humans and monsters in Orchid Bay. This title originally belonged to her grandmother; Juniper's father can't see the supernatural and is unaware of his mother and daughter's activities. Interestingly while Juniper's younger brother Ray Ray can see and interact with the supernatural (but lacks any powers), her older brother Dennis has no such gift.

* In [[https://www.deviantart.com/slifofinadragon SilfofinaDragon]]'s ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' fanfic ''Finally Home'', Kagehime/Hitomi Kira a witch born to UsefulNotes/ToyotomiHideyoshi and Nene, who are both normal human beings. Yet, the magic is passed down to her from Nene's mother (as explained in [[https://www.deviantart.com/misakiyu/art/Hereditary-902907649 a flashback]] illustrated by [[https://www.deviantart.com/misakiyu misakiyu]]).