History Main / SuperiorSpecies

** It helps that the scientist hints the raw materials of the potion being akin to PoweredByAForsakenChild and he ''[[{{CompleteMonster}} delights in thinking how all that suffering will be her legacy.]]'' God forbid if the same thing was created without hurting anyone by an actually noble scientist who only wanted to help people!

See also YouSuck, because you do, and OurElvesAreBetter, for the race most often portrayed as... better. Contrast HumansAreFlawed, where humans not being perfect is a ''good'' thing. Compare BornWinner, where an ''individual'' is innately better than everyone else, and GattacaBabies, a common method of artificially developing one of these.

If HumansAreBastards, then it naturally follows that other races are simply ''better'' than us. Even when humans are more realistically portrayed, there still may be a race that [[PunyEarthlings fights better]], [[SufficientlyAdvancedAliens is smarter than us]], and is purer than us.

They ''never'' engage in something as stupid as warfare unless justifiably provoked, where they will wipe the floor with you without trying, they ''certainly'' never pollute the earth, and they are ''definitely'' just better than you. They are [[TheBeautifulPeople prettier than you]], more {{Badass}} than you, and probably live in the MarySuetopia and [[WeAreAsMayflies longer than you]]. They usually feel the need [[CulturalPosturing rub in their superiority]] though; it seems they're not above arrogance. Of course, you [[CantArgueWithElves can't argue with them]]. Though at least take some solace that some of these arrogant prick species went through some incredibly bloody periods in their history, [[NotSoDifferent showing they were at some point no better]].

A Superior Species doesn't have to follow all of these requirements, however. Simply being portrayed as a species "superior" to humanity is enough. See also YouSuck, and OurElvesAreBetter for the race that most constantly gets portrayed as... better. Contrast HumansAreFlawed, where humans ''not'' being perfect is a good thing.

[[TropesAreTools Though it can be handled well]], this trope is as difficult to use for a writer as might be imagined - UnfortunateImplications and accusations of [[MarySue Mary-Suedom]] are not uncommon results. After all, FantasticRacism starts seeming a whole lot more reasonable when one species is objectively better.

Compare BornWinner, where an ''individual'' is innately better than everyone else, and GattacaBabies, a common method of artificially developing one of these.

** The Tau on the other hand are just [[TedBaxter insufferably arrogant and naive]] due to the fact that they were hunter-gatherers just a couple millennia ago and now have more advanced technology (mostly, as they have no teleporters or real warp drive) than a species that has expanding across the galaxy for at least 30000 years.

** They're superior in everything... except fashion sense!
*** Oh-ho, ''snap!''

* ''StarTrek'' Vulcans, or at least they think they are. Vulcans do have a rather serious drawback in the form of powerful and dangerous emotions they need to suppress in order to remain sane, which is sort a bummer for them.
** Vulcans are the obvious and most frequently appearing example, but in Star Trek, it'd probably be easier to count the number of alien races who ''don't'' consider themselves superior to humans. And the ones that do never let anyone forget it.
** Having races that consider themselves superior to others isn't SuperiorSpecies it is CulturalPosturing, and quite believable in context.

** This all leads back to the asari's true Hat: every organic race thinks they're hot. That's their sole contribution to galactic society: they're [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe an entire race of]] [[DiscountLesbians bisexual]] FanService.
*** At least they use it for the constructive purpose of acting as diplomats and mediators for the rest of the galaxy.

* The [[WorldOfWarcraft draenei]] are [[YourMileageMayVary sometimes accused]] of being a MarySue race, apparently because they are adept at magic and overwhelmingly LawfulGood. (Similar accusations are sometimes leveled at [[ALoadOfBull tauren]], but these are less common.) though at least in this case, it's more or less [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in that the Draenei are a mere fraction of their race (originally called the Eredar, yes THOSE [[TheDragon Eredar]]). The rest went chaotic evil after two of their leaders had a little chat with [[AntiChrist Sangreas]]. Has for the magic, every race is at least proficient with it and Azeroth is full to bursting with the stuff.

*** Not more advanced, they just look like it, because the humans have armies 500 times largers than the entire Tau population, the ''only'' reason why the Tau are still around is because the Imperium has other things to do.
**** And, you know, the Tau beat the humans so hard at Dal'yth that the Imperium realized fighting a Hive Fleet was preferable.
**** Only enough to make the rest of the war a bloody stalemate, in which the Tau simply couldn't win, also the Hive Fleet was heading into Tau space, so it was more like "See yah hope you like bugs"
***** While not species as such ''[[SpaceMarines Adeptus]]'' ''[[SuperSoldiers Astartes]]'' are physically, mentally and spiritually superior to everyone else to the point it would over takes a hundred men to match a single marine. They are however ''dicks'' about it.

* [[{{Superman}} Kryptonians]]

* The [[WorldOfWarcraft draenei]] are [[YourMileageMayVary sometimes accused]] of being a MarySue race, apparently because they are adept at magic and overwhelmingly LawfulGood. (Similar accusations are sometimes leveled at [[ALoadOfBull tauren]], but these are less common.)

* John Varley's [[OurCentaursAreDifferent Titanides]] are [[YourMileageMayVary sometimes accused]] of being a MarySue race ([[FetishFuel among]] [[{{Squick}} other things]]). These accusations apparently stem from the fact that they are very strong, very durable, and very open-minded.
** Also from the fact that the third novel in particular casually drops the hammer that they're apparently infallible judges of character, to the point where one secondary Titanide protagonist finds himself idly wondering why the humans don't let ''his'' people take care of their crime problems because they'd ''instinctively'' know who is innocent and who needs killing. (Made extra chilling by the fact that by that time, the humans sharing Gaea with the Titanides are for all story intents and purposes [[spoiler:the last ones left alive]].)

** This all leads back to the asari's true Hat: every organic race thinks they're hot. That's their sole contribution to galactic society: they're [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe an entire race of]] [[DiscountLesbians bisexual]] FanService.

* While not explicitly mentioned in TheLordOfTheRings, Hobbits are just better people than us humans. Sam remained completely uneffected by the Ring and Frodo only had some slips shortly before the end. Bilbo kept the Ring for decades with only becomming a little bit eccentric and even Smeagol managed to retain more of his own self after close to six centuries, while a human would hardly be expected to resist for more than a few years or months. It's not the Ring that makes people evil, but the evil nature of humans that feeds it. Hobbis are just plain better.

** It helps that the scientist hints the raw materials of the potion being akin to PoweredByAForsakenChild and he ''[[{{CompleteMonster}} delights in thinking how all that suffering will be his legacy.]]'' God forbid if the same thing was created without hurting anyone by an actually noble scientist who only wanted to help people!

* Comes close to an aversion in ''StargateSG1''. When first seen, the Ancients seemed to be this trope, being the most advanced race ever, inventors of the stargate and having ascended to a higher plane of existance. Later in the show and in the spinoff StargateAtlantis, they were thoroughly nerfed, having made a lot of silly mistakes and not to mention being gigantic {{jerkass}}es. There are also the Asgard, who later are technologically at least as advanced as the Ancients, are friendly, wise and noble. However, physically they are a dying race with deteriorating bodies. Most other advanced species just think they are superior while actually just being arrogant morons. Humanity itself managed to do amazing feats, however, the SGC isn't all of humanity and most of their feats were only accomplished by scooping up technology from other races.

* ''TheCulture'', while flawed and able to screw up sometimes remain the most advanced and powerful humanoid civilization in the Milky Way: they are potentially immortal (they die of old age [[FridgeLogic because they choose to do so]]), do not pollute other planets (they live in artificial ringworlds and draw their energy from the multiverse), their "empire" is an utopia where boredom is the biggest threat, the less smart citizens of the Culture are as smart as physics Nobel proze laureates, most of the smartest citizens of the culture are [[DeusEstMachina godlike AIs]], and while they do not have any ''real'' army, '''any''' culturnik can be turned into either a OneManArmy or a PersonOfMassDestruction. The few civilizations which could represent any serious threat against them have already left the universe. So make no mistake: they ''are'' better than you, and if you are [[IdiotBall stupid enough]] to [[BewareTheNiceOnes piss them off]] they politely explain why you should not have tested their patience, while blowing up your homeworld's sun.

* In ''Babylon5'' you have the Vorlons (Yes, ''those'' Vorlons). A prime example: an early episode in season 1 [[spoiler: the crew of the TitleDrop space station come across a MadScientist guilty of genocidal war-crimes who has invented an immortality potion. What ensues is a conglomeration of all the major species as they fight and nearly go to war over who gets the potion (and the MadScientist) (all except the Vorlon ambassador who is busy playing mindgames with the resident telepath). Eventually the terrans win out and it's decided the potion will be researched on earth. All the ambassadors of all these very powerful competing races gather in the observation room to watch as the potion and its creator depart on a heavily armed ship on their way to earth. Cue the Vorlon ship jumping out of hyperspace, and destroying the ship with one blast. Then it leaves. The ambassador walks in, says, "you are not ready for immortality", then goes back to whatever the hell he was doing before. There is a ''very'' good reason why every single one of these proud and warring species immediately shuts up.]]

[[AC: Real Life]]
* Any non-human species.

* ''TheCulture'', while flawed and able to screw up sometimes remain the most advanced and powerful humanoid civilization in the Milky Way: they are potentially immortal (they die of old age [[FridgeLogic because they choose to do so]]), do not pollute other planets (they live in artificial ringworlds and draw their energy from the multiverse), their "empire" is an utopia where boredom is the biggest threat, the less smart citizens of the Culture are as smart as physics Nobel proze laureates, most of the smartest citizens of the culture are [[DeusEstMachina godlike AIs]], and while they do not have any ''real'' army, '''any''' culturnik can be turned into either a OneManArmy or a PersonOfMassDestruction. The few civilization which could represent any serious threat against them have already left the universe. So make no mistake: they ''are'' better than you, and if you are [[IdiotBall stupid enough]] to [[BewareTheNiceOnes piss them of]] they politely explain why you should not have tested their patience, while blowing up your homeworlds sun.
** Culture citizens are not perfect, in [[TheCulture/ConsiderPhlebas Consider Phlebas]] an unnamed (and armed) citizen end up being overpowered by a stone age tribe [[spoiler:and gets killed and partially eaten by its leader.]] Some time afterwards the AntiHero protagonist manages to [[spoiler:kill a drone using a BatmanGambit and a projectile firearm.]]
*** Yeah, so a few citizens are killable. The rest of the Culture... er, not so much.
** Don't fuck with the Culture. You will die, and you will die ''painfully!'' (Any doubt? Just see what the [[DeusEstMachina GCU]] ''[[HeroicSociopath Grey Area]]'' ([[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast a.k.a Meatfucker) [[TortureTechnician likes to do]] to alien cultures [[CompleteMonster who commit genocide]].)

* Humans are, arguably, this in the real world. We can, at least as a species, outfight, outthink, outhunt and outbuild anything that might pose a threat to us. In no small part ''because'' [[HumansAreBastards we are bastards]]. Though it's important to remember, [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming not all the time]].
** Thing is, we started out adapted for a very small part of the planet. We are pretty much the only species that ''willingly'' traveled into portions of the world we were not genetically suited for... and ''made'' ourselves fit them.

** Also from the fact that the third novel in particular casually drops the hammer that they're apparently infallible judges of character, to the point where one secondary Titanide protagonist finds himself idly wondering why the humans don't let ''his'' people take care of their crime problems because they'd know much better who is innocent and who needs killing. (Made extra chilling by the fact that by that time, the humans actually living in Gaea [[spoiler:are basically the last survivors of the entire species]].)