History Main / SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism

* '''FunnyAnimal / CivilizedAnimal Animals''': Like the final type, they have a body that is generally shaped like that of their respective species, except that they are [[FourLegsGoodTwoLegsBetter bipedal even if their species is not naturally so]]. They walk on two legs for at least a good part of the time. Naturally quadrupedal animals can walk on two legs just as well as they can on all fours in this form. They can either stand with their legs straight (standard FunnyAnimal / CivilizedAnimal body type pose), sit up on their haunches (depending on the species in question), or stand with their knuckles on the ground (if a monkey or ape). There is a more anthropomophic variant that has this basic body type, but has human proportioned arms and legs to body. They can have [[HumanlikeFootAnatomy either digitigrade or plantigrade feet]]. Birds (almost always) have FeatherFingers, and their wings can look completely like wings or look like arms to varying degrees. They very seldomly have [[NonMammalMammaries human-like breasts]]. {{Funny Animal}}s, {{Civilized Animal}}s, and a few {{Nearly Normal Animal}}s, {{Speech Impaired Animal}}s, {{Talking Animal}}s, and {{Partially Civilized Animal}}s are of this body type.
* '''Animalistic Animals''': Animals that have the general body shape and proportions like their respective species and move around the way their species would move around in RealLife. Naturally four-legged animals stay on all fours for the most part; rarely walking on two legs and (usually) not able to walk that way as well as they can on all fours. They can sit up on their haunches (depending on the species in question), stand with their knuckles on the ground (if a monkey or ape), or stand with a typical four-legged stance. Many of them are capable of performing feats that their RealLife physiology generally wouldn't allow, like grasping objects as if they have opposable thumbs or a prehensile tail and being able to make human-like arm and hand gestures, while others are not. Birds can have FeatherFingers, but their wings have to look completely like wings. The majority of {{Speech Impaired Animal}}s, {{Talking Animal}}s, and {{Partially Civilized Animal}}s, and most {{Nearly Normal Animal}}s are of this body type.

* '''RubberForeheadAliens''': The human-like extraterrestrial equivalent of PettingZooPeople or the far edge of LittleBitBeastly. These guys have only one or two major characteristics that makes them different from humans. They might {{justif|ied trope}}y this by saying that they have a common ancestor with or are somehow descended from humans. This usually comes from [[CoconutSuperpowers budget limitations]], so you are more likely to see this in live action than in animation. Most ''Franchise/StarTrek'' races, such as Klingons, are a good example.

* '''{{Intelligent Gerbil}}s''': and other PettingZooPeople - This is where they would go on the Alien-specific scale, as they are still human-like enough.

* '''PlantPerson''': Instead of just controlling the plants, the person is half-human and half-plant. Think like a PettingZooPerson with leaves and chlorophyll instead of ears and fur. ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' villain Bushroot fits squarely here, as does Franchise/{{Batman}} character Poison Ivy.

** '''IntelligentGerbil''': A science-fiction/fantasy method of [[CharacterizationTropes characterization]] for BeastMan. These are aliens/fantasy races who are, by amazing coincidence, [[InexplicableCulturalTies like earth animals]], which is reflected culturally and behaviorally. This is often explained as the result of HollywoodEvolution (either an alternate timeline with alternate evolutionary paths or the setting is [[AfterTheEnd in the far future after humans are gone), or [[LegoGenetics genetic manipulation]].

[[caption-width-right:134: Top to bottom: [[VisualPun Human]], LittleBitBeastly, PettingZooPeople, FunnyAnimal, SpeechImpairedAnimal, and Dog.[[note]]Pictured: Music/SnoopDogg, [[Manga/MahouSenseiNegima Kotaro Inugami]], [[VideoGame/StarFox Wolf O'Donnell]], ComicBook/BobTheDog, Franchise/ScoobyDoo, and ''[[GratuitousLatin Canis lupus familiaris]]''.[[/note]]]]

Let's start with animals, one of the most common types of anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphic animals cover a vast ground, ranging from animals with a few human-like characteristics, to looking like humans with a few animal-like characteristics.\\

{{Beast Fable}}s feature animals that range somewhere between {{Nearly Normal Animal}}s / {{Speech Impaired Animal}}s / {{Talking Animal}}s and PettingZooPeople. These are OlderThanDirt, which means, in the oldest versions, it's hard to tell if the original teller saw actual animals as equal to people, or saw them as humanoid versions of animals; a character may behave as a human one minute and a TalkingAnimal the next.

* '''LittleBitBeastly''': These are on the lower end, they are practically human in every way, if your eyes never reach the top of their head where their ears are, or if you miss that tail behind them. [[FurriesAreEasierToDraw Artistic laziness issues]] are almost never in the cards for this, unless the animal characteristics are used to distinguish a character in a world of OnlySixFaces; usually this is due to RubberForeheadAlien or PlanetOfHats, because reality is boring. Of course there are other [[AuthorAppeal reasons]] this might show up.
** '''{{Catgirl}}s''' are a sub-trope. The Eastern versions usually just give females the ears and sometimes the tail of whatever animal they supposedly are and males are [[PettingZooPeople anthropomorphic animals]] (though of course there might be exceptions), along with a very few defining characteristics and [[AnimalStereotypes a personality that matches their animal]].
* '''Borderline LittleBitBeastly''': This form is basically a PettingZooPerson, but with a more or mostly (but not completely) human-like head. Or, alternatively, a LittleBitBeastly person with a furry skin and/or an animal nose or muzzle. They are often treated more like PettingZooPeople than like LittleBitBeastly. The cast of ''Webcomic/CucumberQuest'' is a good example.
** '''[[BeastMan Beast Folk]]''': a human (male or female) with animalistic physical and often behavioral traits. Cheetara from ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats'' is a Beast Woman.
* '''PettingZooPeople''': These are human in as many ways as they are inhuman. On the one hand they will act human, and if you look under the fur you'll find a human skeletal system, for the most part, but they have animal heads instead of human heads, and often tails, wings, and the like. FurriesAreEasierToDraw comes into play, as they don't have difficult-to-draw human faces, but the obviously human traits make the characters less alien to the audience, making them easier to take seriously. Also using multiple species makes a cast easier to differentiate, another plus in medias that suffer from OnlySixFaces. Females will of course have [[NonMammalMammaries the obvious sign]] they are female.
** '''HumanoidFemaleAnimal''': What happens when you combine PettingZooPeople, FunnyAnimal, or CivilizedAnimal with BizarreSexualDimorphism. The older females will (almost) always be a step or two closer to human than the males are. At the lower end, they may have long hair or NonMammalMammaries. Where there are bigger differences, they may be a step higher up the scale from males. If a show focuses on {{Funny Animal}}s or {{Civilized Animal}}s, expect the female(s) to be PettingZooPeople. If the main cast are mostly PettingZooPeople then the girl will be only a LittleBitBeastly or a borderline LittleBitBeastly. Cleo the cat from ''WesternAnimation/HeathcliffAndTheCatillacCats'' is a great example.
** '''IntelligentGerbil''': A science-fiction/fantasy method of [[CharacterizationTropes characterization]] for PettingZooPeople, {{Funny Animal}}s, and {{Civilized Animal}}s. These are aliens/fantasy races who are, by amazing coincidence, [[CallARabbitASmeerp like earth animals]], which is reflected culturally and behaviorally. This is often explained as the result of an "[[HollywoodEvolution alternate evolutionary path]]" (with the weirdly UnfortunateImplications that all animals somehow secretly [[PinocchioSyndrome want to be human]]).
* '''FunnyAnimal''': This is where we hit characters who could be human, but FurriesAreEasierToDraw. Generally, the majority or most of their mannerisms are that of a human. In some cases, almost all their mannerisms may be that of a human. Artistically, they are usually bipedal and have hands, but otherwise need not resemble humans at all. MickeyMouse is a terrific example. He is a character who has become humanized to the point that you could replace him with a human and the plot would be nearly identical. He always wears clothes, he goes to work and lives in a house, and... [[FurryConfusion he has a pet dog]]. This term hails from the golden age of comics.

* '''Borderline LittleBitBeastly''': They have a animal-accented human face and body frame with the animal's ears, nose, tail (where applicable), markings, and sometimes fur, feathers, or scales. They have a nearly human-shaped head and little or no semblance of their species' muzzle. If they are a bird, they have the beak or bill respective to their species that is small regardless of their species on an otherwise human-shaped head. Unlike many PettingZooPeople, their hands and feet look basically like animal-accented human hands and feet respectively. They usually have [[NonMammalMammaries human-like breasts]] and usually have humanlike (often stylable) hair (or feathers if a bird) on their heads, whether male or female. The WolfMan variety of [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Werewolf]] is probably the best example of this type.
* '''PettingZooPeople''': They resemble an animal's head and tail (where applicable) placed on an animal accented human body frame. They have either a completely animal-shaped head, a largely animal-shaped head, or a half human/half animal-shaped head. They have the muzzle, beak, or bill of their respective species. They can have feet that are [[HumanlikeFootAnatomy either plantigrade or digitigrade (or unguligrade if a hoofed animal)]] and usually keep the shape of that of their respective species. They usually possess [[NonMammalMammaries human-like breasts]]. A more anthropomorphic variant can have a mostly or nearly human-shaped head with the animal's ears, and muzzle, beak, or bill, animal-accented human hands, and have human-proportioned, plantigrade feet that are either human-shaped or shaped like that of their species. A [[FurryFemaleMane female will often have humanlike, styleable hair (or feathers if a bird) on her head]], though males with similarly humanlike hair (or feathers if a bird) is also common. Humanlike, styleable head hair (or head feathers if a bird) is not exclusive to this type and can sometimes be found further down the scale.
* '''Borderline PettingZooPeople''': Their bodies look partly humanoid and partly like their species, often they have either humanoid legs and non-humanoid torso, a humanoid torso and non-humanoid legs, or look semi-humanoid all over. Like FunnyAnimal / CivilizedAnimal Body Type Animals, they walk on two legs for at least a good part of the time. Also like that type, naturally quadrupedal animals can walk on two legs and on all fours equally well, especially if they are of the humanoid torso/non-humanoid legs type or the semi-humanoid all over type. They can have [[HumanlikeFootAnatomy either digitigrade or plantigrade feet]], and they sometimes have [[NonMammalMammaries human-like breasts]]. Humanlike, styleable head hair (or head feathers if a bird) is not uncommon to this type.
* '''FunnyAnimal / CivilizedAnimal Body Type Animals''': Like the final type, they have a body that is generally shaped like that of their respective species, except that they are [[FourLegsGoodTwoLegsBetter bipedal even if their species is not naturally so]]. They walk on two legs for at least a good part of the time. Naturally quadrupedal animals can walk on two legs just as well as they can on all fours in this form. They can either stand with their legs straight (standard FunnyAnimal / CivilizedAnimal body type pose), sit up on their haunches (depending on the species in question), or stand with their knuckles on the ground (if a monkey or ape). There is a more anthropomophic variant that has this basic body type, but has human proportioned arms and legs to body. They can have [[HumanlikeFootAnatomy either digitigrade or plantigrade feet]]. Birds (almost always) have FeatherFingers, and their wings can look completely like wings or look like arms to varying degrees. They very seldomly have [[NonMammalMammaries human-like breasts]]. {{Funny Animal}}s, {{Civilized Animal}}s, and a few {{Nearly Normal Animal}}s, {{Speech Impaired Animal}}s, {{Talking Animal}}s, and {{Partially Civilized Animal}}s are of this body type.

* AlienTropes

* PlantTropes

* RobotRollCall

* ThisIndexHasAMindOfItsOwn

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!!A note about arthropod anthropomorphism
In many works, especially older works and even in newer works, insects and arachnids (mostly spiders, not so much other arachnids) are drawn in a fashion that makes them look at least somewhat vertebrate-like, especially of the mammalian persuasion.\\
\\
Anthropomorphism of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and other animals is straightforward; you give them human mannerisms, emotions, [[TalkingAnimal speech capabilities]], and [[PettingZooPeople even body shape]], but usually keep their basic head shape. But with insects and arachnids, you not only give them human mannerisms, emotions, speech capabilities, and body shape, you also give them human-like, mammal-like, and other otherwise vertebrate-like facial and bodily features even when they're supposed to be [[NearlyNormalAnimal completely or mostly normal insects or arachnids]] in their world. When insects and arachnids are anthropomorphized even slightly, they are drawn with more mammalian traits and fewer traits that would show up on a real insect or arachnid.\\
\\
Usually, this is to make insects and arachnids resemble humans to varying degrees to make them easier to sympathize with. The fact that they have other mammalian and other vertebrate-like facial and bodily traits, like vaguely dog-shaped noses, is a side effect of this.\\
\\
Insect and arachnid protagonists are almost always heavily anthropomorphized to make them sympathetic. After all, bugs look bizarre from a human standpoint, so it's [[WhatMeasureIsANonCute more-or-less impossible to like them when they're drawn realistically]]. Sometime they'll be left a few insectoid facial features, usually antennae or a decorative set of MonstrousMandibles, but the majority of their face will look rather human.

Note that the differences are often rather ambiguous. Some characters could actually fit into multiple categories. Can get [[MindScrew even weirder]] when trying to categorize an AnimateInanimateObject on this list.

Also see AnthropomorphicPersonification, for when ''abstract concepts'' (such as [[NationsAsPeople sovereign nation-states]]) are depicted as being human-like characters.

* '''Anthropomorphic:''' This general term refers to anything of ''human'' shape or form.
* '''Zoomorphic:''' This term refers to something of ''animal'' shape or form.
* '''Anthrozoomorphic:''' This is the technical term for animals that act human.

!!Sliding Scales of Anthropomorphism:

!!!'''Sliding Scale of Animal Anthropomorphism:'''
* '''[[MostWritersAreHuman Human]]:''' Just an ordinary, run of the mill human. This is what you need to be to be on this site. [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls Superintelligent chimps]] are NOT supposed to be given internet privileges, so any of those should go back to their cages ''right now''![[note]]Just kidding, y'all welcome here.[[/note]]
* '''LittleBitBeastly:''' These are on the lower end, they are practically human in every way, if your eyes never reach the top of their head where their ears are, or if you miss that tail behind them. [[FurriesAreEasierToDraw Artistic laziness issues]] are almost never in the cards for this, unless the animal characteristics are used to distinguish a character in a world of OnlySixFaces; usually this is due to RubberForeheadAlien or PlanetOfHats, because reality is boring. Of course there are other [[AuthorAppeal reasons]] this might show up.

* '''Borderline LittleBitBeastly:''' This form is basically a PettingZooPerson, but with a more or mostly (but not completely) human-like head. Or, alternatively, a LittleBitBeastly person with a furry skin and/or an animal nose or muzzle. They are often treated more like PettingZooPeople than like LittleBitBeastly. The cast of ''Webcomic/CucumberQuest'' is a good example.
** '''[[BeastMan Beast Folk]]:''' a human (male or female) with animalistic physical and often behavioral traits. Cheetara from ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats'' is a Beast Woman.
* '''PettingZooPeople:''' These are human in as many ways as they are inhuman. On the one hand they will act human, and if you look under the fur you'll find a human skeletal system, for the most part, but they have animal heads instead of human heads, and often tails, wings, and the like. FurriesAreEasierToDraw comes into play, as they don't have difficult-to-draw human faces, but the obviously human traits make the characters less alien to the audience, making them easier to take seriously. Also using multiple species makes a cast easier to differentiate, another plus in medias that suffer from OnlySixFaces. Females will of course have [[NonMammalMammaries the obvious sign]] they are female.
** '''HumanoidFemaleAnimal:''' What happens when you combine PettingZooPeople, FunnyAnimal, or CivilizedAnimal with BizarreSexualDimorphism. The older females will (almost) always be a step or two closer to human than the males are. At the lower end, they may have long hair or NonMammalMammaries. Where there are bigger differences, they may be a step higher up the scale from males. If a show focuses on {{Funny Animal}}s or {{Civilized Animal}}s, expect the female(s) to be PettingZooPeople. If the main cast are mostly PettingZooPeople then the girl will be only a LittleBitBeastly or a borderline LittleBitBeastly. Cleo the cat from ''WesternAnimation/HeathcliffAndTheCatillacCats'' is a great example.
** '''IntelligentGerbil:''' A science-fiction/fantasy method of [[CharacterizationTropes characterization]] for PettingZooPeople, {{Funny Animal}}s, and {{Civilized Animal}}s. These are aliens/fantasy races who are, by amazing coincidence, [[CallARabbitASmeerp like earth animals]], which is reflected culturally and behaviorally. This is often explained as the result of an "[[HollywoodEvolution alternate evolutionary path]]" (with the weirdly UnfortunateImplications that all animals somehow secretly [[PinocchioSyndrome want to be human]]).
* '''FunnyAnimal:''' This is where we hit characters who could be human, but FurriesAreEasierToDraw. Generally, the majority or most of their mannerisms are that of a human. In some cases, almost all their mannerisms may be that of a human. Artistically, they are usually bipedal and have hands, but otherwise need not resemble humans at all. MickeyMouse is a terrific example. He is a character who has become humanized to the point that you could replace him with a human and the plot would be nearly identical. He always wears clothes, he goes to work and lives in a house, and... [[FurryConfusion he has a pet dog]]. This term hails from the golden age of comics.
* '''CivilizedAnimal:''' This is an intermediary stage between animals who talk and animals who might as well be human. They generally have half the mannerisms of a human and half the mannerisms of the animal. WesternAnimation/BugsBunny would be an excellent example: he lives in a hole in the forest and is hunted by Elmer Fudd -- and he stands upright, wears WhiteGloves, and tries to take vacations to Aruba. Brian the dog in ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' is this trope; he drinks martinis, walks on two legs and goes to college but also barks at people, scratches his butt on the carpet and so forth. [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Twilight Sparkle]] and her friends go here too: they live in houses, are the top of civilization with technology and magic ... and walk on all fours and eat hay. Its seminal use in literature is ''Literature/TheWindInTheWillows''... Which is itself [[FurryConfusion rather confusing]] at some points (Toad lives in a splendid old Hall, Mole lives in a hole in the ground).

* '''PartiallyCivilizedAnimal:''' This is the intermediary stage between the NearlyNormalAnimal / SpeechImpairedAnimal / TalkingAnimal level (animals who are still unarguably animals, and have mostly animal behavior) and the CivilizedAnimal level. Generally, the majority of the mannerisms are that of the animal. Examples include the cats and dogs of, well, ''Film/CatsAndDogs'' and the owls of the ''WesternAnimation/LegendOfTheGuardiansTheOwlsOfGaHoole''.
* '''TalkingAnimal:''' This is an animal who can talk as well as a normal human, and who can communicate with humans. However, they still are unarguably animals, and usually have mostly animal behavior (the humans might not like what such animals have to say about them). They may occasionally act more human-like if the need (and RuleOfFunny / RuleOfCool) calls for it. Examples include ''Series/{{Dinotopia}}'s'' Ambassador Bix the Protoceratops, TV's Series/MisterEd, and the animal denizens of Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia and the Literature/LandOfOz.

* '''SpeechImpairedAnimal:''' An animal who can't quite talk (at least not without heavy quirks), but is definitely of above-animal intelligence and usually capable of relatively efficient communication. There can and often will be misunderstandings. Like {{Talking Animal}}s, they may occasionally act more human-like if the need (and RuleOfFunny / RuleOfCool) calls for it. ScoobyDoo is practically the TropeMaker. Franchise/{{Pokemon}} and other creature that "speak" to humans in nonhuman languages also fit here.
* '''NearlyNormalAnimal:''' An animal that is very much an animal, particularly when it comes to thought processes, personality, instincts, priorities, and motivations.[[/index]]
** '''Largely Normal Animals:''' An animal who clearly has thought processes, but doesn't talk freely with humans. LNA characters may talk to each other, essentially [[AnimalTalk having their own language]], but humans won't understand them. That is, unless they [[SpeaksFluentAnimal Speak Fluent Animal]] or if the language can be learned. Their thought processes and personality are still very much like that of whatever animal they are. Many of them are able to make human-like arm and hand gestures and some can even grasp objects as if they have opposable thumbs. A few examples are bipedal even if their species isn't naturally so. The cast of ''WesternAnimation/WatershipDown'' and the original four legged ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' fit here. So do Mickey Mouse's dog WesternAnimation/{{Pluto| The Pup}}, the original four legged Snoopy from ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}, and ComicBook/KryptoTheSuperdog.
** '''Mostly Normal Animals:''' basically normal animals that have been given clear thought processes as well as a few human or some or several [[AllAnimalsAreDogs doglike]] characteristics (greater frequency of uttering sounds, human-like expressions) that still don't retract from their animal-ness. These animals don't talk. They can talk in AnimalTalk within species, but not between species. These animals don't go beyond being able to make human-like arm or hand gestures sometimes.They stay on all four legs if they are four-legged animals. They are between Largely Normal Animal and Almost Normal Animal.
** '''Almost Normal Animals:''' basically normal animals that have been given very few human or a few [[AllAnimalsAreDogs doglike]] characteristics (greater frequency of uttering sounds, human-like expressions) that don't retract from their animal-ness but allow audience not well versed in the way of animal behaviour to understand what's going on in the animal's mind. Can be merely a result of bad research, or completely intended. Like [=MNAs=], these animals don't talk, not even in AnimalTalk. They don't make human-like arm or hand gestures and they stay on all four legs if they're four-legged animals. Mostly seen in works aimed at children.
* '''Animals:''' They're treated as just that in the work. [[RuleOfFunny As a joke, they will understand everything characters say.]]

!!!'''Sliding Scale of Animal Body Type Anthropomorphism:'''
* '''LittleBitBeastly:''' They are characters who appear virtually human and have completely human skin, but feature the added characteristics of an animal's [[UnusualEars ears]], tail, and sometimes claws, [[HornedHumanoid horns]], CuteLittleFangs. The special abilities or instincts of that animal may also be present. Unlike "Borderline LittleBitBeastly" (below), this type has a completely human nose. There are two types of LittleBitBeastly, [[GratuitousJapanese Kemonomimi and Gijinka]]. Kemonomimi look like (or basically are) humans, but have the added characteristics of an animal's [[UnusualEars ears]] and tail. Gijinka also look like humans that have the added characteristics of an animal's ears and tail, but they are regarded as ''actual'' creatures or animals in-story. {{Cat Girl}}s are a good example of this type.
* '''Borderline LittleBitBeastly:''' They have a animal-accented human face and body frame with the animal's ears, nose, tail (where applicable), markings, and sometimes fur, feathers, or scales. They have a nearly human-shaped head and little or no semblance of their species' muzzle. If they are a bird, they have the beak or bill respective to their species that is small regardless of their species on an otherwise human-shaped head. Unlike many PettingZooPeople, their hands and feet look basically like animal-accented human hands and feet respectively. They usually have [[NonMammalMammaries human-like breasts]] and usually have humanlike (often stylable) hair (or feathers if a bird) on their heads, whether male or female. The WolfMan variety of [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Werewolf]] is probably the best example of this type.
* '''PettingZooPeople:''' They resemble an animal's head and tail (where applicable) placed on an animal accented human body frame. They have either a completely animal-shaped head, a largely animal-shaped head, or a half human/half animal-shaped head. They have the muzzle, beak, or bill of their respective species. They can have feet that are [[HumanlikeFootAnatomy either plantigrade or digitigrade (or unguligrade if a hoofed animal)]] and usually keep the shape of that of their respective species. They usually possess [[NonMammalMammaries human-like breasts]]. A more anthropomorphic variant can have a mostly or nearly human-shaped head with the animal's ears, and muzzle, beak, or bill, animal-accented human hands, and have human-proportioned, plantigrade feet that are either human-shaped or shaped like that of their species. A [[FurryFemaleMane female will often have humanlike, styleable hair (or feathers if a bird) on her head]], though males with similarly humanlike hair (or feathers if a bird) is also common. Humanlike, styleable head hair (or head feathers if a bird) is not exclusive to this type and can sometimes be found further down the scale.
* '''Borderline PettingZooPeople:''' Their bodies look partly humanoid and partly like their species, often they have either humanoid legs and non-humanoid torso, a humanoid torso and non-humanoid legs, or look semi-humanoid all over. Like FunnyAnimal / CivilizedAnimal Body Type Animals, they walk on two legs for at least a good part of the time. Also like that type, naturally quadrupedal animals can walk on two legs and on all fours equally well, especially if they are of the humanoid torso/non-humanoid legs type or the semi-humanoid all over type. They can have [[HumanlikeFootAnatomy either digitigrade or plantigrade feet]], and they sometimes have [[NonMammalMammaries human-like breasts]]. Humanlike, styleable head hair (or head feathers if a bird) is not uncommon to this type.
* '''FunnyAnimal / CivilizedAnimal Body Type Animals:''' Like the final type, they have a body that is generally shaped like that of their respective species, except that they are [[FourLegsGoodTwoLegsBetter bipedal even if their species is not naturally so]]. They walk on two legs for at least a good part of the time. Naturally quadrupedal animals can walk on two legs just as well as they can on all fours in this form. They can either stand with their legs straight (standard FunnyAnimal / CivilizedAnimal body type pose), sit up on their haunches (depending on the species in question), or stand with their knuckles on the ground (if a monkey or ape). There is a more anthropomophic variant that has this basic body type, but has human proportioned arms and legs to body. They can have [[HumanlikeFootAnatomy either digitigrade or plantigrade feet]]. Birds (almost always) have FeatherFingers, and their wings can look completely like wings or look like arms to varying degrees. They very seldomly have [[NonMammalMammaries human-like breasts]]. {{Funny Animal}}s, {{Civilized Animal}}s, and a few {{Nearly Normal Animal}}s, {{Speech Impaired Animal}}s, {{Talking Animal}}s, and {{Partially Civilized Animal}}s are of this body type.
* '''Animalistic Animals:''' Animals that have the general body shape and proportions like their respective species and move around the way their species would move around in RealLife. Naturally four-legged animals stay on all fours for the most part; rarely walking on two legs and (usually) not able to walk that way as well as they can on all fours. They can sit up on their haunches (depending on the species in question), stand with their knuckles on the ground (if a monkey or ape), or stand with a typical four-legged stance. Many of them are capable of performing feats that their RealLife physiology generally wouldn't allow, like grasping objects as if they have opposable thumbs or a prehensile tail and being able to make human-like arm and hand gestures, while others are not. Birds can have FeatherFingers, but their wings have to look completely like wings. The majority of {{Speech Impaired Animal}}s, {{Talking Animal}}s, and {{Partially Civilized Animal}}s, and most {{Nearly Normal Animal}}s are of this body type.

!!!'''A note about arthropod anthropomorphism:'''

* '''[[MostWritersAreHuman Human]]:''' Again, this is what you ''probably'' are.
* '''TransplantedHumans:''' These aliens actually ''are'' humans, and they look like humans, and for the most part they act like humans. It's just that some AncientAstronauts or somesuch whisked them away from Earth a long time ago. They might have a difference or two, but this is usually explained away as being cultural (if it's a body modification or a way of doing things), genetic engineering, or (if they were transplanted long enough ago) just evolution.
** '''TranshumanAliens:''' If these characters look just like normal humans, save for a few noticeable physical differences like [[ArtificialLimbs mechanical]] or [[LegoGenetics biological]] embellishments, it's because they ''are'' normal humans. They're just altered somehow. In older fiction they tend to be involuntarily altered [[WasOnceAMan mooks with sad backstories]], but are becoming increasingly popular as benevolent characters who have [[CyberPunk chosen to be altered]] in hard sci-fi (certainly the [[PostCyberpunk increasing acceptance]] of body art and modification has something to do with this). The fun part is that they may physically resemble any of the other categories on this page...
* '''HumanAliens:''' Aliens that look just like people. They may look a ''little'' different, they might have BizarreAlienBiology, or super advanced technology, or some form of superpowers, but no person would be able to tell the difference. [[Series/DoctorWho The Doctor]] and ComicBook/{{Superman}} are good examples.
* '''RubberForeheadAliens:''' The human-like extraterrestrial equivalent of PettingZooPeople or the far edge of LittleBitBeastly. These guys have only one or two major characteristics that makes them different from humans. They might {{justif|ied trope}}y this by saying that they have a common ancestor with or are somehow descended from humans. This usually comes from [[CoconutSuperpowers budget limitations]], so you are more likely to see this in live action than in animation. Most ''Franchise/StarTrek'' races, such as Klingons, are a good example.
** '''GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe:''' Alien as CuteMonsterGirl. She may be slightly physically different from an Earthling.
* '''{{Intelligent Gerbil}}s:''' and other PettingZooPeople - This is where they would go on the Alien-specific scale, as they are still human-like enough.
* '''TheReptilians:''' They can be anything from RubberForeheadAliens to stranger variations of HumanoidAliens, usually straddling the line right here between humanoid and animalistic. They are obviously based on a group of terrestrial animals, but they tend to follow a set of traits that have no specific parallel among Earth creatures.
* '''LittleGreenMen:''' Not often seen in modern fiction. These guys are usually less humanlike in appearance, but still retain humanlike personality traits. They're even [[UglyCute kind of cute]] sometimes.
* '''TheGreys:''' Essentially the alien version of TheFairFolk. They look mostly human -- but their psychology is [[BlueAndOrangeMorality very, very unlike a human's]]...
* '''HumanoidAliens:''' Essentially anything else that has the same basic body structure as a human (one head, two arms, two legs, upright walking posture).
* '''{{Cephalothorax}} and WaddlingHead Aliens:''' Still has one head, two arms, two legs and an upright walking posture but lacking any distinctive torso so it can't really be called "Humanoid". Belongs either here or before StarfishAliens for the weirder examples.
* '''InsectoidAliens:''' These are pretty much exactly what they sound like, and are especially popular non-humanlike aliens. There's something distinctively alien about an insect from a human point of view, so why not scale them up? They tend to have a [[HiveCasteSystem hive-like social structure]], with a few human-like personality touches, and may even be vaguely humanoid in appearance too.
* '''StarfishAliens:''' ''Really'' Alien Aliens. And given the insane variety of life on our planet, it's not unlikely that these are closest to what's really out there.
** '''OctopoidAliens:''' Tentacled non-skeletal aliens resembling terrestrial cephalopods. Most humans wonder if they're aliens to begin with, so why not include them to add to their non-humanness?
** '''EnergyBeings:''' Aliens that don't even have the decency to take on a physical form for us humans to relate to. Occasionally can be the following category at the same time as well (such as Aphoom Zah, Cthugha and Tru'nembra from the Franchise/CthulhuMythos).
* '''EldritchAbomination:''' These are sort of off the scale altogether: Aliens that are '''so''' alien, they tend to break the brain of a mere human, who was probably expecting something more along the lines of [[Franchise/StarTrek Lt. Worf]].

* '''[[MostWritersAreHuman Human]]:''' Again, this is what you are; all humans are members of the animal kingdom after all.
* '''GreenThumb:''' This is when an organism has plant powers of their own. Usually some sort of DifferentlyPoweredIndividual.
* '''NatureSpirit:''' A totemic spirit, or AnthropomorphicPersonification like Nymphs, Dryads and MotherNature.
* '''PlantPerson:''' Instead of just controlling the plants, the person is half-human and half-plant. Think like a PettingZooPerson with leaves and chlorophyll instead of ears and fur. ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' villain Bushroot fits squarely here, as does Franchise/{{Batman}} character Poison Ivy.
* '''PlantAliens:''' When the plant-creature comes from another world.
* '''{{Planimal}}:''' A plant-''animal'' hybrid.
* '''WiseTree:''' A talking tree.
* '''ManEatingPlant:''' Plants that are vicious and will attack, may overlap with {{Planimal}}.
* '''WhenTreesAttack:''' Like the above, but instead are basically just trees. May include a face and have branches for arms, roots for legs and leaves for hair, but doesn't truly look like anything in the Animal Kingdom.[[/index]]
* '''Inanimate, sentient plants:''' These plants are incapable of movement, but are still aware of their surroundings and can even feel pain. Sometimes it's a particularly horrifying variation of BalefulPolymorph; a person is [[{{Transflormation}} turned into a mere plant]], but [[AndIMustScream still possesses enough consciousness to know what is happening to them, unable to do anything]].
* '''Inanimate Plants:''' The plants are in no way sentient, and are simply treated like that in the work.

* '''[[MostWritersAreHuman Human]]:''' [[OverlyLongGag Yet again]], this is what you are. Of course, some of you may have a pacemaker or a couple of artificial ribs or something, or even an artificial limb, but when it starts encroaching on the below territory, you get a...
* '''{{Cyborg}}:''' Human, but with artificial components - they tend to blend with the Transhumans (see Extraterrestrials folder above). They can range from relatively small replacement parts (Geordi [=LaForge=]'s eyes in the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' movies) to complete body replacement with few biological components left, with varying degrees of human appearance (from [[Franchise/GhostInTheShell major Motoko Kusanagi]] to Film/RoboCop2).
* '''RidiculouslyHumanRobots:''' Robots that look and act pretty human, often unnecessarily so. So human, in fact, that sometimes it's hard to distinguish them from real humans. Examples include T-800 from the ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' series.
** '''ArtificialHuman:''' Mostly biological humans developed by artificial means, but still considered advanced robots. They usually transcend regular humans in terms of strength and sometimes intelligence. Examples include the Replicants from ''Film/BladeRunner''.
** '''{{Robot Kid}}s:''' Robots that are designed to be children. ''Manga/AstroBoy'' is an example.
** '''{{Robot Girl}}s:''' Robots with the appearance of a human female.
* '''UncannyValley Robots:''' Robots which are almost human, but miss the mark in a few key places, causing people to pick up on the "devil in the details" and regard them as just plain ''[[NightmareFuel creepy]]''. It is harder to depict these kinds of characters in animation due to the stylization that comes with it.[[/index]]
* '''Androids:''' Robots which have a human-like body type, but are obviously mechanical in nature. Examples include all kinds of [[HumongousMecha mechs]], 90% of {{Transformers}}, and ASIMO.[[index]]
** '''{{Fembot}}s:''' These are specific android robots that are designed to be female.
** '''HumongousMecha:''' Gigantic robots with a humanoid shape, which may or may not be autonomous/sentient (though they're usually depicted as being manned vehicles).
* '''TinCanRobot:''' Robot with a round or cylindrical body. Usually not painted and with clearly seen bolts.
* '''RobotBuddy:''' Robots with characteristics of humans or animals, usually with animal-like or human-like (but not [[UncannyValley too human-like]]) body shape. Examples include R2-D2 from ''Franchise/StarWars''.
** '''RobotDog:''' Robots with the characteristics of dogs.
* '''StarfishRobots:''' Robots are still sentient, but either have characteristics of invertebrates or ones not based on any terrestrial creature.
* '''{{Sapient Tank}}s and {{Sapient Ship}}s:''' The very edge of what is usually allotted sentience, these are robots and machines that are built very clearly as ''machines'', sometimes being little more than boxes on threads, and oftentimes being vehicles with integrated AIs. Intellect ranges all over the scale, from being smarter than humans to being little more than glorified attack drones, [[XenoFiction but their unique circumstances tend to make them difficult to relate with humanity]], at least from a physical perspective.

* '''Industrial robots:''' These robots are usually immobile and mounted to one place and can consist of a single robotic arm or even simpler structure, with only a limited set of behaviors or functions. All kinds of {{Sentry Gun}}s commonly found in shoot 'em ups and other video game genres belong here.

* '''TalkingAnimal:''' This is an animal who can talk as well as a normal human, and who can communicate with humans. However, they still are unarguably animals, and usually have mostly animal behavior (the humans might not like what such animals have to say about them). They may occasionally act more human-like if the need (and RuleOfFunny / RuleOfCool) calls for it. Examples include ''Series/{{Dinotopia}}'s'' Ambassador Bix the Protoceratops, TV's Series/MisterEd, and the animal denizens of {{Narnia}} and the Literature/LandOfOz.

Note that the differences are often rather ambiguous. Some characters could actually fit into a few categories. Can get [[MindScrew even weirder]] when trying to categorize an AnimateInanimateObject on this list.

!!!'''A note about insect and arachnid anthropomorphism:'''

{{Anthropomorphic| Personification}} means, loosely translated, Humanlike. Since there are many humanlike characters in fiction (for [[MostWritersAreHuman obvious reasons]]), this page is here to make it clearer what the differences between different levels of anthropomorphism are. Note that the differences are often rather ambiguous. Some characters could actually fit into a few categories. Can get [[MindScrew even weirder]] when trying to categorize an AnimateInanimateObject on this list.

!Animal Anthropomorphism

Let's start with animals, one of the most common types of anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphic Animals cover a vast ground ranging from animals with a few human-like characteristics to looking like humans with a few animal-like characteristics:

[[folder:Sliding Scale Of Animal Anthropomorphism]]
* [[MostWritersAreHuman Human]] - Just an ordinary, run of the mill human. This is what you need to be to be on this site. [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls Superintelligent chimps]] are NOT supposed to be given internet privileges, so any of those should go back to their cages ''right now''![[note]]Just kidding, y'all welcome here.[[/note]]
* LittleBitBeastly - These are on the lower end, they are practically human in every way, if your eyes never reach the top of their head where their ears are, or if you miss that tail behind them. [[FurriesAreEasierToDraw Artistic laziness issues]] are almost never in the cards for this, unless the animal characteristics are used to distinguish a character in a world of OnlySixFaces; usually this is due to RubberForeheadAlien or PlanetOfHats, because reality is boring. Of course there are other [[AuthorAppeal reasons]] this might show up.
** {{Catgirl}}s are a subtrope. The Eastern versions usually just give females the ears and sometimes the tail of whatever animal they supposedly are and males are [[PettingZooPeople anthropomorphic animals]] (though of course there might be exceptions), along with a very few defining characteristics and [[AnimalStereotypes a personality that matches their animal]].
* Borderline LittleBitBeastly - This form is basically a PettingZooPerson, but with a more or mostly (but not completely) human-like head. Or, alternatively, a LittleBitBeastly person with a furry skin and/or an animal nose or muzzle. They are often treated more like PettingZooPeople than like LittleBitBeastly. The cast of ''Webcomic/CucumberQuest'' is a good example.
** [[BeastMan Beast Folk]] - a human (male or female) with animalistic physical and often behavioral traits. Cheetara from ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats'' is a Beast Woman.
* PettingZooPeople - These are human in as many ways as they are inhuman. On the one hand they will act human, and if you look under the fur you'll find a human skeletal system, for the most part, but they have animal heads instead of human heads, and often tails, wings, and the like. FurriesAreEasierToDraw comes into play, as they don't have difficult-to-draw human faces, but the obviously human traits make the characters less alien to the audience, making them easier to take seriously. Also using multiple species makes a cast easier to differentiate, another plus in medias that suffer from OnlySixFaces. Females will of course have [[NonMammalMammaries the obvious sign]] they are female.
** HumanoidFemaleAnimal - What happens when you combine PettingZooPeople, FunnyAnimal, or CivilizedAnimal with BizarreSexualDimorphism. The older females will (almost) always be a step or two closer to human than the males are. At the lower end, they may have long hair or NonMammalMammaries. Where there are bigger differences, they may be a step higher up the scale from males. If a show focuses on {{Funny Animal}}s or {{Civilized Animal}}s, expect the female(s) to be PettingZooPeople. If the main cast are mostly PettingZooPeople then the girl will be only a LittleBitBeastly or a borderline LittleBitBeastly. Cleo the cat from ''WesternAnimation/HeathcliffAndTheCatillacCats'' is a great example.
** IntelligentGerbil - A science-fiction/fantasy method of [[CharacterizationTropes characterization]] for PettingZooPeople, {{Funny Animal}}s, and {{Civilized Animal}}s. These are aliens/fantasy races who are, by amazing coincidence, [[CallARabbitASmeerp like earth animals]], which is reflected culturally and behaviorally. This is often explained as the result of an "[[HollywoodEvolution alternate evolutionary path]]" (with the weirdly UnfortunateImplications that all animals somehow secretly [[PinocchioSyndrome want to be human]]).
* FunnyAnimal - This is where we hit characters who could be human, but FurriesAreEasierToDraw. Generally, the majority or most of their mannerisms are that of a human. In some cases, almost all their mannerisms may be that of a human. Artistically, they are usually bipedal and have hands, but otherwise need not resemble humans at all. MickeyMouse is a terrific example. He is a character who has become humanized to the point that you could replace him with a human and the plot would be nearly identical. He always wears clothes, he goes to work and lives in a house, and... [[FurryConfusion he has a pet dog]]. This term hails from the golden age of comics.
* CivilizedAnimal - This is an intermediary stage between animals who talk and animals who might as well be human. They generally have half the mannerisms of a human and half the mannerisms of the animal. WesternAnimation/BugsBunny would be an excellent example: he lives in a hole in the forest and is hunted by Elmer Fudd -- and he stands upright, wears WhiteGloves, and tries to take vacations to Aruba. Brian the dog in ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' is this trope; he drinks martinis, walks on two legs and goes to college but also barks at people, scratches his butt on the carpet and so forth. [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Twilight Sparkle]] and her friends go here too: they live in houses, are the top of civilization with technology and magic ... and walk on all fours and eat hay. Its seminal use in literature is ''Literature/TheWindInTheWillows''... Which is itself [[FurryConfusion rather confusing]] at some points (Toad lives in a splendid old Hall, Mole lives in a hole in the ground).
** MouseWorld is a subtrope of Civilized Animal in which intelligent, well-dressed animals live on the fringes of humanity. Beatrix Potter's ''[[Literature/TheTaleOfPeterRabbit Peter Rabbit]]'' tales are another example.
** CockroachesWillRuleTheEarth when a new, generally small species takes over after humans are gone.
* PartiallyCivilizedAnimal - This is the intermediary stage between the NearlyNormalAnimal[=/=]SpeechImpairedAnimal[=/=]TalkingAnimal level (animals who are still unarguably animals, and have mostly animal behavior) and the CivilizedAnimal level. Generally, the majority of the mannerisms are that of the animal. Examples include the cats and dogs of, well, ''Film/CatsAndDogs'' and the owls of the ''WesternAnimation/LegendOfTheGuardiansTheOwlsOfGaHoole''.
* TalkingAnimal - This is an animal who can talk as well as a normal human, and who can communicate with humans. However, they still are unarguably animals, and usually have mostly animal behavior (the humans might not like what such animals have to say about them). They may occasionally act more human-like if the need (and RuleOfFunny / RuleOfCool) calls for it. Examples include ''Series/{{Dinotopia}}'s'' Ambassador Bix the Protoceratops, TV's Series/MisterEd, and the animal denizens of {{Narnia}} and the Literature/LandOfOz.
** UpliftedAnimal is usually here - it's an animal that can talk THANKS TO SCIENCE! or sometimes MAGIC.
* SpeechImpairedAnimal - An animal who can't quite talk (at least not without heavy quirks), but is definitely of above-animal intelligence and usually capable of relatively efficient communication. There can and often will be misunderstandings. Like {{Talking Animal}}s, they may occasionally act more human-like if the need (and RuleOfFunny / RuleOfCool) calls for it. ScoobyDoo is practically the TropeMaker. Franchise/{{Pokemon}} and other creature that "speak" to humans in nonhuman languages also fit here.
* NearlyNormalAnimal - An animal that is very much an animal, particularly when it comes to thought processes, personality, instincts, priorities, and motivations.
** Largely Normal Animals - An animal who clearly has thought processes, but doesn't talk freely with humans. LNA characters may talk to each other, essentially [[AnimalTalk having their own language]], but humans won't understand them. That is, unless they [[SpeaksFluentAnimal Speak Fluent Animal]] or if the language can be learned. Their thought processes and personality are still very much like that of whatever animal they are. Many of them are able to make human-like arm and hand gestures and some can even grasp objects as if they have opposable thumbs. A few examples are bipedal even if their species isn't naturally so. The cast of ''WesternAnimation/WatershipDown'' and the original four legged ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' fit here. So do Mickey Mouse's dog WesternAnimation/{{Pluto| The Pup}}, the original four legged Snoopy from ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}, and ComicBook/KryptoTheSuperdog.
** Mostly Normal Animals - basically normal animals that have been given clear thought processes as well as a few human or some or several [[AllAnimalsAreDogs doglike]] characteristics (greater frequency of uttering sounds, human-like expressions) that still don't retract from their animal-ness. These animals don't talk. They can talk in AnimalTalk within species, but not between species. These animals don't go beyond being able to make human-like arm or hand gestures sometimes.They stay on all four legs if they are four-legged animals. They are between Largely Normal Animal and Almost Normal Animal.
** Almost Normal Animals - basically normal animals that have been given very few human or a few [[AllAnimalsAreDogs doglike]] characteristics (greater frequency of uttering sounds, human-like expressions) that don't retract from their animal-ness but allow audience not well versed in the way of animal behaviour to understand what's going on in the animal's mind. Can be merely a result of bad research, or completely intended. Like [=MNAs=], these animals don't talk, not even in AnimalTalk. They don't make human-like arm or hand gestures and they stay on all four legs if they're four-legged animals. Mostly seen in works aimed at children.
* Animals - They're treated as just that in the work. [[RuleOfFunny As a joke, they will understand everything characters say.]]
[[/folder]]
[[/index]]

{{Beast Fable}}s feature animals that range somewhere between {{Nearly Normal Animal}}s[=/=]{{Speech Impaired Animal}}s[=/=]{{Talking Animal}}s and PettingZooPeople. These are OlderThanDirt, which means, in the oldest versions, it's hard to tell if the original teller saw actual animals as equal to people, or saw them as humanoid versions of animals; a character may behave as a human one minute and a TalkingAnimal the next.

[[folder:Sliding Scale of Animal Body Type Anthropomorphism]]
* '''LittleBitBeastly:''' They are characters who appear virtually human and have completely human skin, but feature the added characteristics of an animal's [[UnusualEars ears]], tail, and sometimes claws, [[HornedHumanoid horns]], CuteLittleFangs. The special abilities or instincts of that animal may also be present. Unlike "BorderlineLittleBitBeastly" (below), this type has a completely human nose. There are two types of LittleBitBeastly, [[GratuitousJapanese Kemonomimi and Gijinka]]. Kemonomimi look like (or basically are) humans, but have the added characteristics of an animal's [[UnusualEars ears]] and tail. Gijinka also look like humans that have the added characteristics of an animal's ears and tail, but they are regarded as ''actual'' creatures or animals in-story. {{Cat Girl}}s are a good example of this type.

* ''' PettingZooPeople:''' They resemble an animal's head and tail (where applicable) placed on an animal accented human body frame. They have either a completely animal-shaped head, a largely animal-shaped head, or a half human/half animal-shaped head. They have the muzzle, beak, or bill of their respective species. They can have feet that are [[HumanlikeFootAnatomy either plantigrade or digitigrade (or unguligrade if a hoofed animal)]] and usually keep the shape of that of their respective species. They usually possess [[NonMammalMammaries human-like breasts]]. A more anthropomorphic variant can have a mostly or nearly human-shaped head with the animal's ears, and muzzle, beak, or bill, animal-accented human hands, and have human-proportioned, plantigrade feet that are either human-shaped or shaped like that of their species. A [[FurryFemaleMane female will often have humanlike, styleable hair (or feathers if a bird) on her head]], though males with similarly humanlike hair (or feathers if a bird) is also common. Humanlike, styleable head hair (or head feathers if a bird) is not exclusive to this type and can sometimes be found further down the scale.

* '''Borderline PettingZooPeople:''' Their bodies look partly humanoid and partly like their species, often they have either humanoid legs and non-humanoid torso, a humanoid torso and non-humanoid legs, or look semi-humanoid all over. Like FunnyAnimal[=/=]CivilizedAnimal Body Type Animals, they walk on two legs for at least a good part of the time. Also like that type, naturally quadrupedal animals can walk on two legs and on all fours equally well, especially if they are of the humanoid torso/non-humanoid legs type or the semi-humanoid all over type. They can have [[HumanlikeFootAnatomy either digitigrade or plantigrade feet]], and they sometimes have [[NonMammalMammaries human-like breasts]]. Humanlike, styleable head hair (or head feathers if a bird) is not uncommon to this type.

* '''FunnyAnimal[=/=]CivilizedAnimal Body Type Animals:''' Like the final type, they have a body that is generally shaped like that of their respective species, except that they are [[FourLegsGoodTwoLegsBetter bipedal even if their species is not naturally so]]. They walk on two legs for at least a good part of the time. Naturally quadrupedal animals can walk on two legs just as well as they can on all fours in this form. They can either stand with their legs straight (standard FunnyAnimal[=/=]CivilizedAnimal body type pose), sit up on their haunches (depending on the species in question), or stand with their knuckles on the ground (if a monkey or ape). There is a more anthropomophic variant that has this basic body type, but has human proportioned arms and legs to body. They can have [[HumanlikeFootAnatomy either digitigrade or plantigrade feet]]. Birds (almost always) have FeatherFingers, and their wings can look completely like wings or look like arms to varying degrees. They very seldomly have [[NonMammalMammaries human-like breasts]]. {{Funny Animal}}s, {{Civilized Animal}}s, and a few {{Nearly Normal Animal}}s, {{Speech Impaired Animal}}s, {{Talking Animal}}s, and {{Partially Civilized Animal}}s are of this body type.

[[folder:A Note About Insect and Arachnid Anthropomorphism]]
In many works, especially older works and even in newer works, insects and arachnids (mostly spiders, not so much other arachnids) are drawn in a fashion that makes them look at least somewhat vertebrate-like, especially of the mammalian persuasion.

Anthropomorphism of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and other animals is straightforward; you give them human mannerisms, emotions, [[TalkingAnimal speech capabilities]], and [[PettingZooPeople even body shape]], but usually keep their basic head shape. But with insects and arachnids, you not only give them human mannerisms, emotions, speech capabilities, and body shape, you also give them human-like, mammal-like, and other otherwise vertebrate-like facial and bodily features even when they're supposed to be [[NearlyNormalAnimal completely or mostly normal insects or arachnids]] in their world. When insects and arachnids are anthropomorphized even slightly, they are drawn with more mammalian traits and fewer traits that would show up on a real insect or arachnid.

Usually, this is to make insects and arachnids resemble humans to varying degrees to make them easier to sympathize with. The fact that they have other mammalian and other vertebrate-like facial and bodily traits, like vaguely dog-shaped noses, is a side effect of this.

Insect and arachnid protagonists are almost always heavily anthropomorphized to make them sympathetic. After all, bugs look bizarre from a human standpoint, so it's [[WhatMeasureIsANonCute more-or-less impossible to like them when they're drawn realistically]]. Sometime they'll be left a few insectoid facial features, usually antennae or a decorative set of MonstrousMandibles, but the majority of their face will look rather human.
[[/folder]]

!Aliens

[[folder:Alien Anthropomorphism]]
* [[MostWritersAreHuman Human]] - Again, this is what you ''probably'' are.
* TransplantedHumans - These aliens actually ''are'' humans, and they look like humans, and for the most part they act like humans. It's just that some AncientAstronauts or somesuch whisked them away from Earth a long time ago. They might have a difference or two, but this is usually explained away as being cultural (if it's a body modification or a way of doing things), genetic engineering, or (if they were transplanted long enough ago) just evolution.
* {{Transhuman| Aliens}}s - If these characters look just like normal humans, save for a few noticeable physical differences like [[ArtificialLimbs mechanical]] or [[LegoGenetics biological]] embellishments, it's because they ''are'' normal humans. They're just altered somehow. In older fiction they tend to be involuntarily altered [[WasOnceAMan mooks with sad backstories]], but are becoming increasingly popular as benevolent characters who have [[CyberPunk chosen to be altered]] in hard sci-fi (certainly the [[PostCyberpunk increasing acceptance]] of body art and modification has something to do with this). The fun part is that they may physically resemble any of the other categories on this page...
* HumanAliens - Aliens that look just like people. They may look a ''little'' different, they might have BizarreAlienBiology, or super advanced technology, or some form of superpowers, but no person would be able to tell the difference. [[Series/DoctorWho The Doctor]] and ComicBook/{{Superman}} are good examples.
* RubberForeheadAliens - The human-like extraterrestrial equivalent of PettingZooPeople or the far edge of LittleBitBeastly. These guys have only one or two major characteristics that makes them different from humans. They might {{justif|ied trope}}y this by saying that they have a common ancestor with or are somehow descended from humans. This usually comes from [[CoconutSuperpowers budget limitations]], so you are more likely to see this in live action than in animation. Most ''Franchise/StarTrek'' races, such as Klingons, are a good example.
** GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe - Alien as CuteMonsterGirl. She may be slightly physically different from an Earthling.
** {{Intelligent Gerbil}}s and other PettingZooPeople - This is where they would go on the Alien-specific scale, as they are still human-like enough.
* TheReptilians - They can be anything from RubberForeheadAliens to stranger variations of HumanoidAliens, usually straddling the line right here between humanoid and animalistic. They are obviously based on a group of terrestrial animals, but they tend to follow a set of traits that have no specific parallel among Earth creatures.
* LittleGreenMen - Not often seen in modern fiction. These guys are usually less humanlike in appearance, but still retain humanlike personality traits. They're even [[UglyCute kind of cute]] sometimes.
* TheGreys - Essentially the alien version of TheFairFolk. They look mostly human -- but their psychology is [[BlueAndOrangeMorality very, very unlike a human's]]...
* HumanoidAliens - Essentially anything else that has the same basic body structure as a human (one head, two arms, two legs, upright walking posture).
* {{Cephalothorax}} and WaddlingHead Aliens - Still has one head, two arms, two legs and an upright walking posture but lacking any distinctive torso so it can't really be called "Humanoid". Belongs either here or before StarfishAliens for the weirder examples.
* InsectoidAliens - These are pretty much exactly what they sound like, and are especially popular non-humanlike aliens. There's something distinctively alien about an insect from a human point of view, so why not scale them up? They tend to have a [[HiveCasteSystem hive-like social structure]], with a few human-like personality touches, and may even be vaguely humanoid in appearance too.
* StarfishAliens - ''Really'' Alien Aliens. And given the insane variety of life on our planet, it's not unlikely that these are closest to what's really out there.
** OctopoidAliens: - Tentacled non-skeletal aliens resembling terrestrial cephalopods. Most humans wonder if they're aliens to begin with, so why not include them to add to their non-humanness?
** EnergyBeings - Aliens that don't even have the decency to take on a physical form for us humans to relate to. Occasionally can be the following category at the same time as well (such as Aphoom Zah, Cthugha and Tru'nembra from the Franchise/CthulhuMythos).
* EldritchAbomination - These are sort of off the scale altogether: Aliens that are '''so''' alien, they tend to break the brain of a mere human, who was probably expecting something more along the lines of [[Franchise/StarTrek Lt. Worf]].
[[/folder]]

!Mechanical anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism can even be applied to machinery, robots in particular:

[[folder:Mechanical]]
* Human - What you probably are. Of course, some of you may have a pacemaker or a couple of artificial ribs or something, or even an artificial limb, but when it starts encroaching on the below territory, you get a...
* {{Cyborg}} - Human, but with artificial components - they tend to blend with transhumans above. They can range from relatively small replacement parts (Geordi [=LaForge=]'s eyes in the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' movies) to complete body replacement with few biological components left, with varying degrees of human appearance (from [[Franchise/GhostInTheShell major Motoko Kusanagi]] to Film/RoboCop2).
* RidiculouslyHumanRobots - Robots that look and act pretty human, often unnecessarily so. So human, in fact, that sometimes it's hard to distinguish them from real humans. Examples include T-800 from the ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' series.
** ArtificialHuman - Mostly biological humans developed by artificial means, but still considered advanced robots. They usually transcend regular humans in terms of strength and sometimes intelligence. Examples include the Replicants from ''Film/BladeRunner''.
** {{Robot Kid}}s - Robots that are designed to be children. ''Manga/AstroBoy'' is an example.
** {{Robot Girl}}s - Robots with the appearance of a human female.
* UncannyValley Robots - Robots which are almost human, but miss the mark in a few key places, causing people to pick up on the "devil in the details" and regard them as just plain ''[[NightmareFuel creepy]]''. It is harder to depict these kinds of characters in animation due to the stylization that comes with it.
* Android robots - Robots which have a human-like body type, but are obviously mechanical in nature. Examples include all kinds of [[HumongousMecha mechs]], 90% of {{Transformers}}, and ASIMO.
** {{Fembot}}s - These are specific android robots that are designed to be female.
* TinCanRobot - Robot with a round or cylindrical body. Usually not painted and with clearly seen bolts.
* RobotBuddy - Robots with characteristics of humans or animals, usually with animal-like or human-like (but not [[UncannyValley too human-like]]) body shape. Examples include R2-D2 from ''Franchise/StarWars''.
** RobotDog: Robots with the characteristics of dogs.
* StarfishRobots - Robots are still sentient, but either have characteristics of invertebrates or ones not based on any terrestrial creature.
* {{Sapient Tank}}s and {{Sapient Ship}}s - The very edge of what is usually allotted sentience, these are robots and machines that are built very clearly as ''machines'', sometimes being little more than boxes on threads, and oftentimes being vehicles with integrated AIs. Intellect ranges all over the scale, from being smarter than humans to being little more than glorified attack drones, [[XenoFiction but their unique circumstances tend to make them difficult to relate with humanity]], at least from a physical perspective.
* {{Spider Tank}}s and other mechanoid creatures - This is where robots cease to be individually self-conscious. Examples include all kinds of robotic spiders and insects who are still mobile. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-bDmMCwsig This]] is one of the examples.
* Industrial robots - These robots are usually immobile and mounted to one place and can consist of a single robotic arm or even simpler structure, with only a limited set of behaviors or functions. All kinds of {{Sentry Gun}}s commonly found in shoot 'em ups and other video game genres belong here.
* GreyGoo and other amorphous mechanical stuff - At this point robots become so non-humanlike that it CrossesTheLineTwice and becomes [[MechanicalAbomination creepy again]]. They start having some extremely weird characteristics.

[[/index]]

All kinds of intelligent computers have something in common with both ends of the scale.

!Plant anthropomorphism

[[folder:Plants]]
* Human: [[OverlyLongGag Yet again]], what you probably are.
* GreenThumb: This is when an organism has plant powers of their own. Usually some sort of DifferentlyPoweredIndividual.
* NatureSpirit: A totemic spirit, or AnthropomorphicPersonification like Nymphs, Dryads and MotherNature.
* PlantPerson: Instead of just controlling the plants, the person is half-human and half-plant. Think like a PettingZooPerson with leaves and chlorophyll instead of ears and fur. ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' villain Bushroot fits squarely here, as does Franchise/{{Batman}} character Poison Ivy.
* PlantAliens: When the plant-creature comes from another world.
* {{Planimal}}: A plant-''animal'' hybrid.
* WiseTree: A talking tree.
* ManEatingPlant: Plants that are vicious and will attack, may overlap with {{Planimal}}.
* WhenTreesAttack: Like the above, but instead are basically just trees. May include a face and have branches for arms, roots for legs and leaves for hair, but doesn't truly look like anything in the Animal Kingdom.
* Inanimate, sentient plants: These plants are incapable of movement, but are still aware of their surroundings and can even feel pain. Sometimes it's a particularly horrifying variation of BalefulPolymorph: A person is turned into a mere plant, but [[AndIMustScream still possesses enough consciousness to know what is happening to them, unable to do anything]].
* Inanimate Plants: The plants are in no way sentient, and are simply treated like that in the work.

[[/index]]

* '''Borderline LittleBitBeastly:''' They have a animal-accented human face and body frame with the animal's ears, nose, tail (where applicable), markings, and sometimes fur, feathers, or scales. They have a nearly human-shaped head and little or no semblance of their species' muzzle. If they are a bird, they have the beak or bill respective to their species that is small regardless of their species on an otherwise human-shaped head. Unlike many PettingZooPeople, their hands and feet look basically like animal-accented human hands and feet respectively. They usually have [[NonMammalMammaries human-like breasts]] and usually have humanlike (often stylable) hair (or feathers if a bird) on their heads, whether male or female. The WolfMan variety of {{Werewolf}} is probably the best example of this type.

Insect and arachnid protagonists are almost always heavily anthropomorphized to make them sympathetic. After all, bugs look bizarre from a human standpoint, so it's [[WhatMeasureIsANonCute more-or-less impossible to like them when they're drawn realistically]].

* AlternativeTuringTest - Occasionally, in order to determine how anthropomorphic a mechanical being is, they must be subjected to some sort of complex psychological test.

* GreyGoo and other amorphous mechanical stuff - At this point robots become so non-humanlike that it CrossesTheLineTwice and becomes [[EldritchAbomination creepy again]]. They start having some extremely weird characteristics.

* TalkingAnimal - This is an animal who can talk as well as a normal human, and who can communicate with humans. However, they still are unarguably animals, and usually have mostly animal behavior (the humans might not like what such animals have to say about them). They may occasionally act more human-like if the need (and RuleOfFunny / RuleOfCool) calls for it. Examples include ''{{Dinotopia}}'s'' Ambassador Bix the Protoceratops, TV's Series/MisterEd, and the animal denizens of {{Narnia}} and the Literature/LandOfOz.

* LittleBitBeastly - These are on the lower end, they are practically human in every way, if your eyes never reach the top of their head where their ears are, or if you miss that tail behind them. [[FurriesAreEasierToDraw Artistic laziness issues]] are almost never in the cards for this, unless the animal characteristics are used to distinguish a character in a world of OnlySixFaces; usually this is due to RubberForeheadAlien or PlanetOfHats, because reality is boring. Of course there are [[FetishFuel other]] [[AuthorAppeal reasons]] this might show up.

** Largely Normal Animals - An animal who clearly has thought processes, but doesn't talk freely with humans. LNA characters may talk to each other, essentially [[AnimalTalk having their own language]], but humans won't understand them. That is, unless they [[SpeaksFluentAnimal Speak Fluent Animal]] or if the language can be learned. Their thought processes and personality are still very much like that of whatever animal they are. Many of them are able to make human-like arm and hand gestures and some can even grasp objects as if they have opposable thumbs. A few examples are bipedal even if their species isn't naturally so. The cast of ''WesternAnimation/WatershipDown'' and the original four legged ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'' fit here. So do Mickey Mouse's dog WesternAnimation/{{Pluto| The Pup}}, the original four legged Snoopy from {{Peanuts}}, and KryptoTheSuperdog.

** Largely Normal Animals - An animal who clearly has thought processes, but doesn't talk freely with humans. LNA characters may talk to each other, essentially [[AnimalTalk having their own language]], but humans won't understand them. That is, unless they [[SpeaksFluentAnimal Speak Fluent Animal]] or if the language can be learned. Their thought processes and personality are still very much like that of whatever animal they are. Many of them are able to make human-like arm and hand gestures and some can even grasp objects as if they have opposable thumbs. A few examples are bipedal even if their species isn't naturally so. The cast of ''WesternAnimation/WatershipDown'' and the original four legged ''{{Garfield}}'' fit here. So do Mickey Mouse's dog WesternAnimation/{{Pluto| The Pup}}, the original four legged Snoopy from {{Peanuts}}, and KryptoTheSuperdog.

** Largely Normal Animals - An animal who clearly has thought processes, but doesn't talk freely with humans. LNA characters may talk to each other, essentially [[AnimalTalk having their own language]], but humans won't understand them. That is, unless they [[SpeaksFluentAnimal Speak Fluent Animal]] or if the language can be learned. Their thought processes and personality are still very much like that of whatever animal they are. Many of them are able to make human-like arm and hand gestures and some can even grasp objects as if they have opposable thumbs. A few examples are bipedal even if their species isn't naturally so. The cast of ''WatershipDown'' and the original four legged ''{{Garfield}}'' fit here. So do Mickey Mouse's dog WesternAnimation/{{Pluto| The Pup}}, the original four legged Snoopy from {{Peanuts}}, and KryptoTheSuperdog.

* {{Sapient Tank}}s and {{Sapient Ship}}s - The very edge of what is usually allotted sentience, these are robots and machines that are built very clearly as ''machines'', sometimes being little more then boxes on threads, and oftentimes being vehicles with integrated AIs. Intellect ranges all over the scale, from being smarter than humans to being little more then glorified attack drones, [[XenoFiction but their unique circumstances tend to make them difficult to relate with humanity]], at least from a physical perspective.

* [[MostWritersAreHuman Human]] - Just an ordinary, run of the mill human. This is what you need to be to be on this site. [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls Superintelligent chimps]] are NOT supposed to be given internet privileges, so any of those should go back to their cages ''right now''![note]Just kidding, y'all welcome here.[/note]

* [[MostWritersAreHuman Human]] - Just an ordinary, run of the mill human. This is what you need to be to be on this site. [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls Superintelligent chimps]] are NOT supposed to be given internet privileges, so any of those should go back to their cages ''right now''!

* NearlyNormalAnimal - An animal that is very much an animal, particularly when it comes to though processes, personality, instincts, priorities, and motivations.

* SpeechImpairedAnimal - An animal who can't quite talk (at least not without heavy quirks), but is definitely of above-animal intelligence and usually capable of relatively efficient communication. There can and often will be misunderstandings. Like {{Talking Animal}}s, they may occasionally act more human-like if the need (and RuleOfFunny / RuleOfCool) calls for it. ScoobyDoo is practically the TropeMaker. {{Pokemon}} and other creature that "speak" to humans in nonhuman languages also fit here.

** Largely Normal Animals - An animal who clearly has thought processes, but doesn't talk freely with humans. LNA characters may talk to each other, essentially [[AnimalTalk having their own language]], but humans won't understand them. That is, unless they [[SpeaksFluentAnimal Speak Fluent Animal]] or if the language can be learned. Their thought processes and personality are still very much like that of whatever animal they are. Many of them are able to make human-like arm and hand gestures and some can even grasp objects as if they have opposable thumbs. A few examples are bipedal even if their species isn't naturally so. The cast of ''WatershipDown'' and the original four legged ''{{Garfield}}'' fit here. So do Mickey Mouse's dog {{Pluto| The Pup}}, the original four legged Snoopy from {{Peanuts}}, and KryptoTheSuperdog.

* TalkingAnimal - This is an animal who can talk as well as a normal human, and who can communicate with humans. However, they still are unarguably animals, and usually have mostly animal behavior (the humans might not like what such animals have to say about them). They may occasionally act more human-like if the need (and RuleOfFunny / RuleOfCool) calls for it. Examples include ''Literature/{{Dinotopia}}'s'' Ambassador Bix the Protoceratops, TV's Series/MisterEd, and the animal denizens of [[Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia Narnia]] and the Literature/LandOfOz. There have been cases of this in RealLife; some real life parrots speak in complete sentences, so you should only include a parrot on this page if it is fluent.

* CivilizedAnimal - This is an intermediary stage between animals who talk and animals who might as well be human. They generally have half the mannerisms of a human and half the mannerisms of the animal. WesternAnimation/BugsBunny would be an excellent example: he lives in a hole in the forest and is hunted by Elmer Fudd -- and he stands upright, wears WhiteGloves, and tries to take vacations to Aruba. Brian the dog in ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' is this trope; he drinks martinis, walks on two legs and goes to college but also barks at people, scratches his butt on the carpet and so forth. [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Twilight Sparkle]] and her friends go here too: they live in houses, are the top of civilization with technology and magic ... and walk on all fours and eat hay. Its seminal use in literature is ''TheWindInTheWillows''... Which is itself [[FurryConfusion rather confusing]] at some points (Toad lives in a splendid old Hall, Mole lives in a hole in the ground).

** EnergyBeings - Aliens that don't even have the decency to take on a physical form for us humans to relate to. Occasionally can be the following category at the same time as well (such as Aphoom Zah, Cthugha and Tru'nembra from the CthulhuMythos).