History Main / HumanAliens

** In ''ComicBook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}'', most of the alien races are perfectly humanoid in appearance, although they possess various additional abilities. ComicBook/PostCrisis, this was {{handwave}}d by having them be descendants of humans who were given superpowers in alien experiments (this explanation was later {{retconned}} out of existence by the 2010 "New Krypton" storyline, which tells us they were, in fact, alien races to begin with.)

* Inverted in ''Film/{{Avatar}}''. The human scientists and Jake Sully take on Na'vi form in order to better interact with them.

* It's strongly implied in ''Film/{{Outlander}}'' that Kainan's people are related to humans, as his computer describes Earth as an "abandoned seed colony".

[[caption-width-right:350:PopQuiz! Which of these is a human?[[labelnote:Answer]]None of the above, the [[ImageSource trope image]] is supposed to represent well...[[SelfDemonstratingArticle the trope after all]]. Starting from upper left, we have an [[Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick Air Elemental]], a [[Series/DoctorWho Time Lord]], a [[VideoGame/UniverseAtWar Masari]], an [[Franchise/StargateVerse Ancient]], one of [[Literature/TheClanChronicles the Clan]], an [[VideoGame/GalacticCivilizations Altarian]], a [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Kryptonian]], an [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration El-Aurian]], and an [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Echani]].[[/labelnote]]]]

* The alien visitors to Earth in ''What Planet Are You From?'' look completely human. Then again, they can [[RuleOfFunny shoot rays of light out of their nostrils]], so obviously they aren't.

[[caption-width-right:350:PopQuiz! Which of these is a human?[[labelnote:Answer]]None of the above,the [[ImageSource trope image]] is supposed to represent well...[[SelfDemonstratingArticle the trope after all]]. Starting from upper left, we have an [[Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick Air Elemental]], a [[Series/DoctorWho Time Lord]], a [[VideoGame/UniverseAtWar Masari]], an [[Franchise/StargateVerse Ancient]], one of [[Literature/TheClanChronicles the Clan]], an [[VideoGame/GalacticCivilizations Altarian]], a [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Kryptonian]], an [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration El-Aurian]], and an [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Echani]].[[/labelnote]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:PopQuiz! Which of these is a human?[[labelnote:Answer]]None of the above,the trope image is supposed to represent well...[[SelfDemonstratingArticle the trope after all]]. Starting from upper left, we have an [[Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick Air Elemental]], a [[Series/DoctorWho Time Lord]], a [[VideoGame/UniverseAtWar Masari]], an [[Franchise/StargateVerse Ancient]], one of [[Literature/TheClanChronicles the Clan]], an [[VideoGame/GalacticCivilizations Altarian]], a [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Kryptonian]], an [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration El-Aurian]], and an [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Echani]].[[/labelnote]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:PopQuiz! Which of these is a human?[[labelnote:Answer]]None of the above. Starting from upper left, we have an [[Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick Air Elemental]], a [[Series/DoctorWho Time Lord]], a [[VideoGame/UniverseAtWar Masari]], an [[Franchise/StargateVerse Ancient]], one of [[Literature/TheClanChronicles the Clan]], an [[VideoGame/GalacticCivilizations Altarian]], a [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Kryptonian]], an [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration El-Aurian]], and an [[Franchise/StarWarsLegends Echani]].[[/labelnote]]]]

** The resident {{Precursor}}s, the Arnor, are also noted to look similar (though at the same time they are clearly a separate species) to humans. The only known Arnor still around are the [[AbusivePrecursors Dread Lords]], however, so humanity is rather disturbed by this revelation. [[spoiler:It turns out that this is because the Arnor's creator, the Mithrilar Draginol, is himself an ascended time-travelling human. The heavy Arnor presence on early Altaria (as demonstrated in the backstory of the ''Elemental'' fantasy spinoff series) is probably significant to that planet's natives' resemblance to humans as well.]]

* The Takisians of the ''Literature/WildCards'' series. In fact, that's what leads to the entire plot of the series; the Takisians note how biologically similar they are to humans, believe they must be the descendants of a "lost colony," and drop the wild card virus on Earth to test out its purpose as a biological weapon.

In {{Anime}}, on the other hand, the trope is often invoked to show that humans and their alien enemies [[NotSoDifferent aren't all that different]].

In {{Anime}}, on the other hand, the trope is often invoked to show that humans and their alien enemies aren't so different.

* While not referred to as aliens, many of the demons from ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}'' fall under this, since we see that they do inhabitant different planets throughout space. In the second one, it's an even a major plot point that [[spoiler:Axel]] is a demon indistinguishable from humans.

* ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'' has the Homs, inhabitants of Bionis. At first they appear to be HumansByAnyOtherName, being the only 100% human-like species around, but they have some differences, such as being affected by the presence (or lack thereof) of the local "ether" around them.

** Film/{{Thor}}'s people, the Asgardians, are physically indistinguishable from humans, but you can usually tell when you're [[LargeHam talking to one]]. Their main difference is that Asgardians are ''far more'' durable than humans, even when Thor was de-powered he took more damage than a regular man and was able to easily knock out several elite SHIELD agents. The ''other'' races in the ''Thor'' films like the Jotuns, Dark Elves, and [[AllThereInTheManual Light Elves]] are mostly RubberForeheadAliens.
** ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' introduces the Xandarians, who are visually identical to humans (but apparently have differing DNA because they are able to identify Peter Quill as half-Terran by scanning him). The Collector and [[AllThereInTheManual his brother]], [[Film/ThorRagnarok the Grandmaster]], are also very human-looking, though they have rather bizarre fashion sense. Other HumanAliens of indeterminate species are mixed with RubberForeheadAliens in various background shots, such as in Knowhere or on Yondu's ship. Although given Rocket calls Peter "humie", it would seem that "human" in the MCU is not limited to "Terran".
** [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-Zagged]] by the Kree in ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' and ''Film/{{Captain Marvel|2019}}'': Some of them have [[RubberForeheadAliens blue skin, purple eyes, and occasionally]] PointyEars, while others are indistinguishable from humans, to the point where [[spoiler: the human [[AmnesiacHero amnesiac heroine]] believes she is Kree]]. Notably, unlike in the comics, where the human-looking Kree are officially classified as "Pink" and can only pass for Caucasian humans, we see at least one human-looking Kree who resembles a man of Sub-Saharan African descent.

In {{Anime}}, on the other hand, the trope is often invoked to show that humans and their alien enemies are NotSoDifferent.

* [[Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow Dr. Frank N Furter, Riff Raff, Magenta, and the other Transylvanians]] look like normal (well, normal except for their sexual practices) human beings. Considering that the film is an AffectionateParody of old B-Movie science fiction films, it's no surprise.

** The final episodes of the original series revealed that Fang was a Human Alien all along when his older brother paid a visit to Earth. Their only distinctions from humans are their red irises and raven-colored spiky hair.
** ''[=BoBoiBoy=] Galaxy'' introduces more Human aliens as the main gang take the fight to space. The first season alone introduces Sai, Shielda and Ramenman, who all appear just as human as Fang and work alongside the heroes.

* Franchise/{{Superman}}, Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}, and all other Kryptonians are outwardly indistinguishable from humans, despite obvious biological differences. Exactly ''how'' close or distant humans and Kryptonians are can vary [[DependingOnTheWriter depending on the work]]:
** According to some [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] stories, Kryptonians were descendants of humans plucked from Earth by a more technologically advanced race. Some ComicBook/PostCrisis stories imply this as well.

** It is mentioned that Jor-El chooses Earth ''because'' humans looks exactly like Kryptonians, so Kal-El could live among them without detection.

** Krypton dodges the White Trap via "Vathlo Island", home to "a highly developed black race" of Kryptonians, first mentioned in 1971. Later depictions of Kryptonians such as the one in ''Comicbook/NewKrypton'' depicts the species as being much more diverse than their Pre-[[ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths Crisis]] counterparts.

** ''ComicBook/SupermanRedSon'', taking place in an alternate universe, provides a distinctly non-canon explanation: [[spoiler:Kal-El didn't come from a distant planet, he time-traveled back from Earth's very distant future following Luthor's victory. In fact, the House of El is a bastardization of "L", from Luthor, [[LukeIAmYourFather making him a direct ancestor of Kal-El]].]]

** ''[=BoBoiBoy=] Galaxy'' introduces more Human aliens as the main gang take the fight to space. Sai, Shielda and Ramenman appear just as human as Fang and work alongside the heroes.

* [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in Creator/SergeyLukyanenko's ''Literature/ALordFromPlanetEarth'' trilogy, where all races in the Milky Way (except [[spoiler:humans]]) have been [[{{Panspermia}} seeded]] by a mysterious [[{{Precursors}} precursor]] race. Played straight with Human Aliens from a faraway galaxy.

* Eldar from ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' look like humans with pointed ears and angular features in art. However, it's made clear in descriptions that no-one would ever make that mistake in-universe due to the weird boneless way they move, their fingers being compared to writhing worms.

* In ''VideoGame/EarthDefenseForce5'', the Colonist alien enemies are described as looking "almost exactly like humans", even though they clearly don't: they are [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever building-sized]] FrogPeople.

* In a similar manner to Superman, the Viltrumites of ''ComicBook/{{Invincible}}'', of whom main character Mark is a [[HalfHumanHybrid human hybrid]], are basically humans with superpowers, and, if they're male, mustaches. All of them. And that's it. It's later revealed that Viltrumites are almost 100% biologically identical to humans. [[spoiler:Facing extinction, the surviving Viltrumites relocate to Earth to breed.]]

*** Then again, John Carter arrived on Mars via AstralProjection rather than by traveling there physically, so its possible that he's in the body of a Martian.