Robotic Examples
- Played for laughs in the first chapter of Red Jewel Diaries when a shape shifting robot gets loose and starts kissing people after watching romance movies. Hilarity Ensues.
- In the Stargate Universe fanfic Force over Distance
the AI of the ship Destiny plays an integral role in the plot. The chapter 'Infinite Loops' is written from the AI's POV, and in this it discusses human feelings with Dr. Rush, who tries to put the concept of love into a mathematical function. The question of dignity and personal agenda of an artificial intelligence is a recuring theme throughout the story. - This concept features more than once in the Star Trek: The Next Generation fic "Big Doors", looking at a world where Tasha Yar survived her confrontation with Armus and formed a relationship with Data. While Data still lacks any emotional capacity at this point, Tasha observes various moments where Data responds to her in a manner that goes beyond programmed responses and suggests that he feels something for her even if he can't define it. When Doctor Soong and Juliana Tainer each visit the Enterprise, they are both surprised but pleased to see that Data has formed an emotionally fulfilling relationship. Even when Lore tried to manipulate Data by only providing him with negative emotions, when pushed Data stopped himself from raping Tasha despite Lore's provocation and him still only experiencing negative emotions, affirming that he is more than his program.
- In the Pacific Rim story "Designations Congruent with Things", Newton has a heartfelt discussion about romantic relationships with the AI of a self-driving car.
Alien Examples
- Essentially applies in Avengers: Infinite Wars when Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee comes to realise that she has strong feelings for two of her friends, specifically fellow Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano and galactically-displaced Avenger Peter Parker (Spider-Man). Due to her upbringing in the Jedi Order encouraging her to avoid attachment, Barriss doesn't have the emotional background to fully understand what she feels, but when she has a chance to explain the depth of her feelings for Peter and Ahsoka to Ahsoka after Peter is badly beaten by Ultron, Ahsoka tentatively acknowledges that the two are important to her as well. Later in the fic Aayla Secura has a similar uncertainty regarding her own feelings for Steve Rogers, but the advice of her former master Quinlan Vos and his own mentors inspire Aayla to take a chance and tell Steve how she feels. As of Chapter 85, Steve and Aayla are dating and Peter, Ahsoka and Barriss are a throuple.
Alien Examples
- Mr. Evil's Original Character Alex Sovereign is unable to understand love or any other emotion, able to see his body reactions in a more scientific approach than a emotional one. Though this is all due to the fact that his mother had his emotions lobotomized when he was born so emotions would not effect his decisions.
- Averted with his other Original Character Fredi Heat, who is a Anti-Hero Knight in Sour Armor who understands love, he just doesn't see any use to it.
- Child of the Storm has this Played for Drama with Maddie Pryor a.k.a. Rachel Grey, who was raised as a Living Weapon and taught to believe that she was an Artificial Human whose sole reason for being was protecting her creator and following his commands, underlined by psychic programming, intended to effectively dehumanise her. As a result, she comes across as an Emotionless Girl, in direct contrast to her very emotional counterpart and Separated at Birth twin Jean Grey, usually using Spock Speak and focusing on her function above all else. However, there are a few signs of humanity, and it's revealed that she went along with Gambit's plan to seduce her as part of his escape plan, despite knowing full well that his affection was faked (it became real and Gambit's plan shifted to helping her escape after he realised that she was every bit the victim he was), on the grounds that she'd never experienced even faked love before. Indeed, while she's utterly unfazed by heavyweight combat or a World Gone Mad, she's taken aback at open trust and compassion, and when faced with unconditional love and general kindness, she's literally brought to her knees in tears because she can't understand it. Post Heel–Face Turn, surrounded by people who love and care for her, she's slowly getting better.
- Heroes of the New World; Due to her abusive upbringing, Yamato doesn't understand complex emotions like love, so when she starts developing feelings for Izuku she's confused as to what exactly she's feeling, ultimately concluding it's some kind of intense protective instincts towards the young man.
- In the Hunger Games fanfiction Some Semblance of Meaning, Career tribute Amber views love and compassion as foreign concepts. She cannot seem to comprehend why her fellow District One tribute, Obsidian, insists on caring about and protecting Vale, even though she is an "innocent, helpless weakling."
- Kaworu has this problem in Advice and Trust. He understands the concept and can even hear bonds between people, but actually experiencing it is just outside of his grasp. Though he does eventually fall in love with Rei.
- To Hell and Back (Arrowverse): Downplayed with Oliver Queen. He understands the concept on an intellectual level, and is by no means aromantic or even asexual, but differentiating between familial/platonic love and romantic love is where he struggles. For example, he didn't realize he might have feelings for Laurel until Tommy accused him of "putting the moves" on her, and it was only by comparing how he felt around to Laurel to how he felt around Nyssa that he realized he might have feelings for the latter as well.
- In A New Reality, Detective Zach Nichols is utterly befuddled by his blooming parental feelings for the eight-year-old murder witness Andrea Marquez. He understands the concept of love, of course, but having doubts about his own abilities as a parent, had decided to never have children. His partner, Serena Stevens, has to sit him down and explain that his constant urge to protect, care for, and be around Andrea as much as possible is because he loves her. He winds up adopting her.
- Count Dooku in Sabbatical fails to understand that he is growing attached to Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, and that attachment is slowly pulling him back to the Light-Side.
Demonic Examples
- In the Lucifer (2016) fic "The Devil and His Urchin", Lucifer is Trixie's father after a one-night stand with Chloe. When he, Dan and Chloe first tell Trixie about their real relationship, Trixie explicitly asks Lucifer if he loves her, and Lucifer finds himself reflecting that he barely understands the concept of love, to the extent that he never bothered to try and feel that way about someone before. He settles for saying that he cares about Trixie "very, very much", and Trixie accepts that response for the time.
Villainous Examples
- In A Charmed Life, Light Yagami is very emotionally stunted and hadn't even thought himself capable of falling in love with someone, believing that if someone were to write his name in the Death Note for that purpose, he would just die of a heart attack.
- In Dungeon Keeper Ami it's Dark General Jadeite who doesn't understand the concept of love. Since most of his life has been constant power struggles against subordinate youmas, fellow backstabbing generals and his Bad Boss Queen Beryl, he can't completely understand what it's like to fall in love, romance in general or simply caring for other people and having basic empathy. He does get better, though.
Other Examples
- Alien/Species Crossover: Return to LV-426: Lise is almost instantly attracted to Pike, and Pike pretty quickly grows attracted to her. But as an AW (Artificial Womb soldier), Pike has never been exposed to emotions or drives beyond "be a good soldier," and has no idea how to cope with the feelings Lise is awakening in him. Some professional therapy helps.
- Played with in the The Legend of Zelda fic Blood and Spirit. Fi admits to Sheik at one point that, though she can't feel love herself, she understands the concept perfectly.
- Fantasy of Utter Ridiculousness: Patchouli, having spent almost all of her life in the Scarlet Devil Mansion's library with little social interaction outside of Remilia or Sakuya, is completely clueless to Jamie's attempts to sweet-talk her. As such, she's left confused when Koakuma "protects" her by Dope Slapping him.
- The Night Unfurls: Near the end of Chapter 31 of the original, Kyril comes to the conclusion that love is a frustrating concept to deal with. He truly believes he's better off slaughtering beasts in Yharnam than manoeuvring through the affections others want from him, for hunters like him are not supposed to love — they hunt, fight, and kill. Kyril's internal monologue reveals that he asked himself in private many times on whether he was in love with either Celestine or Olga. He admits that he came to care for the both of themnote , but he considers himself too broken for having the affections of other good people.
- A Peaceful Afterlife: As times goes on, Kira slowly but surely develops attachment to the others in the hotel, eventually becoming outright affection. Fittingly enough for Kira, this newfound regard for the feelings and wellbeing of others is initially met with confusion and annoyance, though he comes to grudgingly accept it as a positive change.
- Downplayed with Alear in Fell Horizon - she knows what love is and had very loving (platonic) relationships with her siblings Rafal, Nel, Nil, and Veyle, as well as her adoptive mother Lunera. But due to being raised in an extremely abusive household, she has trouble wrapping her head around the idea of unconditional love, which Lunera never quite explained to her before she died.
