History Main / ArtificiaLHuman

* As part of the game’s recurring ScienceFantasy themes, ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}''[='=]s core world of Golarion has an artificial race called androids who are created by technological rather than magical means. Their mysterious origins lie in a gigantic spaceship that crashed into the planet about 8000 years ago, carrying with it a number of high-tech forges in which new androids are created (androids, as an artificial race, are not born, but rather built and “activated” as adults). Not much is known of their pre-crash history, save that they had been created as laborers by an advanced race on another world until they won their right to be treated as people by their creators.
** Biologically, they resemble pale humans with a metallic sheen to their eyes, circuitry-tattoos all over their bodies and a pale, almost translucent nanite-infused liquid serving as blood. They have actual organs and tissues rather than being made up of mechanical components, although their “flesh” is technically made up of polymers and oil serving the same purpose as human tissues. They have trouble processing emotions, either others’ or their own, and get a natural penalty to their Charisma together with a resistance to fear and emotion effects; but depending on their stats, they do have the capability to be as empathetic as a normal human. Similarly, their cerebral abilities aren’t set in stone, despite getting a natural bonus to their Intelligence. They possess sex drives, but cannot biologically reproduce. They age mentally and eventually “die”, but their bodies merely look more “timeworn” rather than going all wrinkly. It has been stated that their skeletons “probably look freaky compared to a human’s”.
** Perhaps the most interesting part is that they have as much of a soul as any other mortal in the setting, meaning when they die, their souls are judged the same as any other mortal’s in the afterlife. This ties into their unique form of reincarnation -- when android dies, her soul departs for the afterlife while the nanites in her now-former body go into overdrive and restore it to a pristine, physically young state, at which point a new soul enters it and starts life as a new being. This raises some interesting questions in Golarion’s fantasy setting, where construct creatures normally do not possess either souls or full sentience (or at least don’t gain them without supernatural means).

* The Sexaroids of ''Anime/BubblegumCrisis'' were a rather distinct {{homage}} to the replicants of ''Film/BladeRunner'', complete with a "what is human?" {{Aesop}} for Priss, who notably hated Boomers before meeting Sylvie.

* The misnamed "androids" of Creator/RobertSilverberg's ''Tower of Glass''. They're visually distinguished from "normal humans" (whom they call "womb-born", and themselves "vat-born") by red skin and lack of body hair.

* In ''Film/{{Transformers}}'', Decepticons utilize Facsimiles, cloned from humans kidnapped by the Decepticons. They are used by the Decepticons to infiltrate human society. When they die they disintegrate into green goo.

* Sebastian from ''VideoGame/ChickenFeet'' is a human who was created at GOOBER laboratories and is shown to be a monstrous-looking creature due to its origin.

* Deadman from ''Videogame/DeathStranding'' was grown from genetically modified stem cells. 70% of his organs began to fail over the years and were replaced with transplants from cadavers. This also has the consequence of making him technically TheSoulless -- it doesn't make him evil but it does mean he's lonely and curious about the afterlife.

* ''[[VideoGame/ExtrapowerAttackOfDarkforce EXTRAPOWER Attack of Darkforce]]'': Idea, the homunculus maid created by the Dream Demon King to defend his earthly mansion in his absence.

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]

** ''Film/{{Alien 3}}'': Bishop reappears. [[spoiler:Bishop II]] is a subversion.

* In D''Literature/ChungKuo'', the [=GenSyn=] corporation makes brutish animal-men, as well as attractive female servants.

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' book ''Literature/ThiefOfTime'', the Lady [=LeJean=] is one, created directly from raw atoms by the Auditors. At one point, many many Auditors create and "pilot" one, but at the end when she decides [[spoiler:to kill herself]] she is surprised to find out [[spoiler:she has a soul that survives her death]].

* The Tleilaxu in the [[Franchise/{{Dune}} Dune universe]] have this as their hat, including the gholas and Face Dancers.

* In Creator/JackVance's ''Literature/DyingEarth'', T'Sain and T'Sais are some kind of magically created human being.
* The ''Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse Literature/EighthDoctorAdventures'' novel ''Interference'' introduces a whole society of these, called the Remote. When one of them dies, a new copy is created based on what those who knew them remember about them. (Side-effects include [[CreativeSterility infertility]].) This seems to be a surprisingly accurate process, as when one of the Doctor's companions gets lost and ends up joining them, he's still vaguely recognizable several iterations later, so the Doctor puts him back to the way he was before he got lost. He handles it quite well... for a while. Eventually, LossOfIdentity-based {{angst}}, HeroicBSOD, and referring to himself as "it" ensues. He's also quite [[LivingForeverIsAwesome disappointed to discover he's not even immortal]]. Indeed, he's basically unchanged except for the fact his dreams are excessively normal and he has a new knack for anagrams and crossword puzzles, and is entirely indistinguishable from a normal human.
* In ''Literature/ForgottenRealms'' novel ''Literature/AzureBonds'', [[spoiler:Alias]] is revealed to be a sort of homunculus created through a magical ritual. She spends the rest of the novel doubting she has a soul and feeling guilty that her friends have risked their lives to help a soulless automaton. Her friends, of course, think this is ridiculous, since she obviously has a soul; [[AuraVision one of them can even]] ''[[AuraVision see]]'' [[AuraVision it]]. She feels better at the end.

* The title character of Creator/RobertAHeinlein's novel ''Literature/{{Friday}}'' is treated as such, even though she ''is'' human, just genetically engineered and grown in an artificial womb. [[TheMentor Boss]] even chided her for thinking she was anything other than human in his first appearance.

* Rei Toei from Creator/WilliamGibson's cyberpunk novel ''Literature/{{Idoru}}'' is a sentient artificial intelligence whose "body" is a hologram.

* In ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'' Mr.15 creates clones of lots of people to further his research into BloodMagic. [[spoiler:They include copies of Basilard's first set of novices and a clone of the real Vaya]]. They are used as soldiers and ReplacementGoldfish.

* In ''Literature/ThePrideOfParahumans'' the titular beings are produced by printing transgenic stem cells over a titanium alloy skeleton.

* ''Literature/TheStoneSky'', the final book in the ''Broken Earth Trilogy'', reveals that [[spoiler:the original stone eaters were created by Syl Anagist to help create a new power source.]]

* In a short story about a man who decides to create an artificial human, he brings his creation to the city leader. The leader commends his effort but points out the flaws, such as lack of aging and the skin's inability to tan. He then shows the inventor an old video of a young boy and a group of old scientists. He reveals that they are the last true humans. He is that boy, the first artificial human. Unlike the flawed creation, he can do all the things real humans can. Realizing that everyone he knows, including himself, is an artificial human, the protagonist is shocked. The leader then proceeds to wipe his memory of the meeting, so that he can continue living in blissful ignorance.

* In David Wingrove's Literature/ChungKuo, the [=GenSyn=] corporation makes brutish animal-men, as well as attractive female servants.

* In ''Literature/ForgottenRealms'' novel ''Azure Bonds'', [[spoiler:Alias]] is revealed to be this, and spends the rest of the novel doubting she has a soul and feeling guilty that her friends have risked their lives to help a soulless automaton. Her friends, of course, think this is ridiculous, since she obviously has a soul; [[AuraVision one of them can even ''see'' it]]. She feels better at the end.

** The Replicants from the film ''Film/BladeRunner'', of course, and its novel precursor ''Literature/DoAndroidsDreamOfElectricSheep'' and the novel continuations. However, said artificial humans are never actually referred to as "replicants" in the original novel -- the characters refer to them as "andys" (short for "androids") instead. The filmmakers decided to use an alternate term (replicants), as the term android carries certain assumptions ([[RidiculouslyHumanRobots inorganic robots that look superficially human]]).

** The film ''Film/BladeRunner'', of course, and its novel precursor ''Literature/DoAndroidsDreamOfElectricSheep'' and the novel continuations. The filmmakers decided to use an alternate term (replicants), as the term android carries certain assumptions ([[RidiculouslyHumanRobots inorganic robots that look superficially human]]). However, said artificial humans are never actually referred to as "replicants" in the original novel -- the characters refer to them as "andys" instead.
** ''Film/BladeRunner2049'' brings them back, with different series (one of whom is that of protagonist K) and the reveal that Replicants can't reproduce themselves. [[spoiler:That is, until Rachael's daughter (whose imperfect genetic basis leads to a plethora of diseases).]]

* ''Film/BladeRunner'', of course, and its novel precursor ''Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'' And the novel continuations. The filmmakers decided to use an alternate term (replicants) as the term android carried certain assumptions (inorganic robots that look superficially human).
** Although said artificial humans are never actually referred to as "replicants" in the original novel. Dick's characters refer to them as "andys" instead.

* The Robots in Karel Capek's ''Theatre/{{RUR}}'', despite being the {{trope namer}}s for {{robot}}s, [[UnbuiltTrope were actually]] chemically-created Artificial Humans, [[LostInImitation not mechanical beings]].

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}''

* ''LightNovel/TheIrregularAtMagicHighSchool''

* ''Series/DarkMatter'': [[spoiler:Two]] turns out to be one of these, [[BornAsAnAdult put together as an adult]] from artifically created organic bodyparts as a prototype host for PuppeteerParasite alien invaders from AnotherDimension who cause normal human host bodies to suffer RapidAging.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' has an example of what's technically an artificial [[MageSpecies witch]]. A FreezeFrameBonus from "Eclipse Lake" shows a book containing a recipe for something called a Grimwalker, a humanoid being made of palistrom wood, selkiedomus scales, a Galderstone, and a bone of the person one would want to clone. [[spoiler:"Hollow Mind" reveals that every Golden Guard, including Hunter, had has been a Grimwalker, cloned from the bones of Belos's brother Caleb, in an attempt to make a "[[ReplacementGoldfish better version]]" of him. Hunter doesn't look any different from your average witch, with the exception of his bright pink eyes, and the fact that [[FictionalDisability he can't cast magic by himself]].]]

** In ''City of Shadows'', [[spoiler:Liam, Maddy and Sal later discover that they are more advanced support units, capable of feeling emotions but far less physically strong.]]

* ''Series/StarTrekPicard'': In "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2", [[spoiler:Jean-Luc Picard's]] human body reaches the end of its natural lifespan, but his mind is scanned before his brain functions fully cease, and then it's transferred to an android golem. He lives on as a synth, but without the enhancements of a Soong-type android (so no SuperStrength, SuperReflexes, SuperHearing or the processing power of a computer).

* Ennis from ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'' is a [[OurHomunculiAreDifferent homunculus]] created from the cells of the BigBad Szilard and an unspecified, unwilling female donor. The LightNovels introduce more homunculi, most notably PsychopathicManchild Christopher Shouldered.

* Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}:
** Several characters from the Einzbern family in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' and ''Literature/FateZero'' and amongst the Yggdmillennia servants in ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha'' are homunculi created through magecraft. However, homunculi in this setting have traits in common with DesignerBabies.
** Touko of ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners'' created a number of perfect copies of herself (physically and mentally) using her skill as a ''dollmaker''. She uses them as [[BodyBackupDrive backup copies of herself]], in the sense of "it doesn't matter if I die because my other bodies will live on and do what I would've done." She doesn't seem to care which one is the original or whether its still alive. [[spoiler: As usual -- with Kinoko Nasu, that is -- the 'truth' is more complex. Touko achieved a level of sophistry in "copying" herself, that the copy is no longer distinguishable from the original hence it ceases to be a copy and Touko can no longer tell which self is really "her".]]

** ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha'' reveals that Saber of Red (AKA Mordred) was artificially modified from her mother's egg and her "[[GenderBender father's]]" sperm to create a homunculus clone of Myth/KingArthur. Then there's Berserker of Black aka Frankenstein's Monster, who was created to be the first step to making the perfect human race. Noticeably, she doesn't identify herself as a homunculus (and assuming she technically is one, she's at the very least made ''much'' differently than most homunculi in the franchise, including mechanical parts for one).

** Xiang Yu [[spoiler:is an automaton created by Qin Shi Huang, using the salvaged remains of Nezha. In Proper Human History, he was discovered after Qin Shi Huang's death by Xiang Liang, who passed him off as his nephew and intended to use him to conquer China. As he still possessed a humanoid form, no one suspected otherwise.]] In Proper Human History, [[spoiler:he was discovered after Qin Shi Huang's death by Xiang Liang, who passed him off as his nephew and intended to use him to conquer China. As he still possessed a humanoid form, no one suspected otherwise.]]

** Also, Athena seems perfectly capable of governing Olympus with a very strong fist and by intimidating the human politicians into compliance. [[NobleTopEnforcer Nike]] is really the only bioroid who shows limited emotions, but that makes her appear even much more dangerous and intimidating.

See also CreatingLife, {{Robot}}, and SpaceshipGirl. Compare RidiculouslyHumanRobots or DeceptivelyHumanRobots (which are what modern convention most often classify as androids). Contrast ForgotHeWasARobot.

* All of the ruling [[TheBeautifulElite Elites]] of ''Literature/AiNoKusabi'' are [[LEGOGenetics artificially created]] and their [[BioAugmentation hyper-evolved]] brains are the only organic human components they have left of their constructed bodies. They look and sound human, exhibit very little human emotion and look down on humans.

* Ennis from ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'' is a [[OurHomunculiAreDifferent homunculus]] created from the cells of the BigBad Szilard and an unspecified, unwilling female donor. The LightNovels introduce more homunculi, most notably PsychopathicManchild Christopher Shouldered.

* ''Literature/HaruhiSuzumiya'': Yuki Nagato is one, called a "Humanoid Interface", though the precise details are somewhat obscured by copious amounts of {{Technobabble}}. The series itself references the ''Literature/HyperionCantos'' in relation to Yuki, suggesting that she is something like a cybrid (human body, alien intelligence). It seems that the non-corporeal alien Data Overmind (and later, the Canopy Dominion) created fully biological human bodies to house data-entities in order to interact with humans. Whether the data-entities that control these bodies are minds created by the Overmind or are extensions of its own intellect is rather unclear, as the series goes back and forth on exactly how much autonomy the Interfaces have.

* In ''LightNovel/TheIrregularAtMagicHighSchool'', there are so-called "improved magikan", DesignerBabies that have phenomenal magical powers, health and appearance thanks to SuperpowerfulGenetics combined with a lack of personal freedom and a limited lifespan due to imperfections in their genes. In subsequent volumes, clones of especially prominent mages also appear, which are nonetheless disabled in the literal sense because of even more unstable genes. Reflections on the nature of the family ties of such people and the fact that even an artificially created person does not deserve to be the weak-willed slave of his creators are an important part of the series.
** This is also used by the author for TakeThatAudience in one of the arcs, when it is revealed that [[spoiler:Mamoru Kudo has such poor physical health because his parents were brother and sister, which makes him a victim of his parents' technical BrotherSisterIncest. This does not work well for his relatives, when they learn about the nuances of his birth and illness]].
** One of the main intrigues of the series is that [[spoiler: the biological sister of the protagonist, Miyuki Shiba, was created as a perfect improved magikan. Although she is his real sibling, their genes are different enough (how much is never said, but it is implied that they are technically only half-siblings) that [[RoyalInbreeding their]] [[BrotherSisterIncest mating]] will not be dangerous to their offspring, and the head of the clan announces the engagement of Miyuki with her brother. After it becomes known, the whole second half of the series is devoted to how Miyuki and her brother Tatsuya will try to understand their feelings for each other and the apparent immorality of their new status of "lovers".]]

* ''Literature/SundayWithoutGod'' has [[spoiler:Kiriko Zubreska]], who was created from the body parts of five different people who had asked a witch to grant them a child.

* All of the ruling [[TheBeautifulElite Elites]] of ''LightNovel/AiNoKusabi'' are [[LEGOGenetics artificially created]] and their [[BioAugmentation hyper-evolved]] brains are the only organic human components they have left of their constructed bodies. They look and sound human, exhibit very little human emotion and look down on humans.

* ''LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya'': Yuki Nagato is one, called a "Humanoid Interface", though the precise details are somewhat obscured by copious amounts of {{Technobabble}}. The series itself references the ''Literature/HyperionCantos'' in relation to Yuki, suggesting that she is something like a cybrid (human body, alien intelligence). It seems that the non-corporeal alien Data Overmind (and later, the Canopy Dominion) created fully biological human bodies to house data-entities in order to interact with humans. Whether the data-entities that control these bodies are minds created by the Overmind or are extensions of its own intellect is rather unclear, as the series goes back and forth on exactly how much autonomy the Interfaces have.

* ''LightNovel/SundayWithoutGod'' has [[spoiler:Kiriko Zubreska]], who was created from the body parts of five different people who had asked a witch to grant them a child.

* [[LightNovel/SwordArtOnline Yui]] gets an artificial body created by RECT in ''[[FanFic/IWillNotBow Blazing Generations]], allowing her to have a normal life in the real world. [[spoiler:Luna later gains a new body through that same process]].

* ''Fanfic/PokemonMysteryDungeonHandsOfCreation has synthetic Pokémon, including [[spoiler: the main character, Owen, and the rest of Team Alloy.]]