| Humans | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Humans |
Humans are a race of intelligent, or at the very least, semi-intelligent life forms native to the planet Earth. They are also referred to as Earthlings. However, in ficitional media, particularly in the genres of science fiction and fantasy, a human is often referred to as any being who possesses physical characteristics similar to that of an Earthling regardless of their place of origin.
It is important to distinguish humans from Earthlings as not all people born on the planet Earth are necessarily human. Supernatural creatures such as vampires and werewolves for example were once human, but through various circumstances have been transformed into a predatory creature of the night. Both the UK series Being Human as well as it's North American counterpart portray stories surrounding the premise of the main characters (all of whom are supernatural creatures of different breeds) and their ongoing efforts to maintain their humanity.
Another Earth-based subgroup that are differentiated from humans are the humanoid apes featured in the Planet of the Apes television series and the Return to the Planet of the Apes animated series. Having evolved from regular apes, these futuristic beings are the rulers of the planet Earth in the 31st century. Standard humans still exist, but they are considered second class citizens with limited intellect and usually serve as servants and laborers to the ruling ape society.
The 1990s animated series X-Men also creates a distinction between humans and mutants. Mutants are an offshoot of humanity, but they are born with an extra genetic quality - an "x-factor" that sets them apart from baseline humanity. They are often gifted with fantastic powers and sometimes and otherwordly appearance. Themes of racial responsibility and social acceptance are a prominent plot device used in the series and has also been implemented in similar programs such as Mutant X.
Notes[]
- On the Syfy series Defiance members of the Votanis Collective often referred to humans as "pink skins". It was intended as an insult.