History Main / SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism

* 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 ''LegendOfTheGuardiansTheOwlsOfGaHoole''.

** [[BeastMan Beast Folk]] - a human (male or female) with animalistic physical and often behavioral traits. Cheetara from ''WesternAnimation/{{Thundercats}}'' is a Beast Woman.

[[caption-width-right:134: From top to bottom: [[VisualPun A human]], LittleBitBeastly, PettingZooPeople, FunnyAnimal, SpeechImpairedAnimal, and ''[[AltumVidetur Canis lupus familiaris]]''.[[note]]Pictured: Music/SnoopDogg, [[Manga/MahouSenseiNegima Kotaro Inugami]], [[VideoGame/StarFox Wolf O'Donnell]], ComicBook/HornDog, Franchise/ScoobyDoo, and a dachshund.[[/note]]]]

* {{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 [[GhostInTheShell major Motoko Kusanagi]] to ''{{Robocop}} 2'').

* 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 hive-like social structure, with a few human-like personality touches, and may even be vaguely humanoid in appearance too.

* 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 is a good example.

* 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 {{Batman}} character PoisonIvy.

* 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 an animal nose or muzzle. They are often treated more like PettingZooPeople than like LittleBitBeastly. The cast of ''Webcomic/CucumberQuest'' is a good example.

[[caption-width-right:134: From top to bottom: [[VisualPun A human]], LittleBitBeastly, PettingZooPeople, FunnyAnimal, SpeechImpairedAnimal, and a dog.[[note]]Pictured: Music/SnoopDogg, [[Manga/MahouSenseiNegima Kotaro Inugami]], [[VideoGame/StarFox Wolf O'Donnell]], ComicBook/HornDog, Franchise/ScoobyDoo, and a dachshund.[[/note]]]]

* Borderline LittleBitBeastly - This form is basically a PettingZooPerson, but with a more or mostly (but not completely) human-like head. This is what you get when you combine PettingZooPeople traits with LittleBitBeastly traits. They are often treated more like PettingZooPeople than like LittleBitBeastly.
** [[BeastMan Beast Folk]] - a human (male or female) with animalistic physical and often behavioral traits. Cheetara from ''WesternAnimation/{{Thundercats}}'' is technically a Beast Woman, even though she's an evolved cheetah.

* 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 particularely horrifying variation of BalefulPolymorph: A person is turned into a mere plant, but [[AndIMustScream still possesses enough consciousnous to know what is happening to them, unable to do anything]].

* Inanimate Plants: The plants are in no way sentient, and simply treated like that in the work.

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

[[caption-width-right:134:Music/{{Snoop| Dogg}} [[VisualPun Dogg]], [[Manga/MahouSenseiNegima Kotaro]] [[LittleBitBeastly Inugami]], [[VideoGame/StarFox Wolf]] [[PettingZooPeople O'Donnell]], ComicBook/{{Horn|dog}}[[FunnyAnimal dog]], [[ScoobyDoo Scooby-]][[SpeechImpairedAnimal Doo]], and a dachshund.]]

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* 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 MisterEd, and the animal denizens of {{Narnia}} and the Literature/LandOfOz.

* '''Borderline PettingZooPeople''' - This is what you get when you combine PettingZooPeople traits with FunnyAnimal traits. Sometimes they will be treated more like {{Funny Animal}}s, other times, they will be treated more like PettingZooPeople. Male animals of this type are often {{Top Heavy Guy}}s.

* '''[[MostWritersAreHuman Human]]''' - Just an ordinary, run of the mill human. This is what you need to be to be on this site. [[PowerpuffGirls Superintelligent chimps]] are NOT supposed to be given internet privileges, so any of those should go back to their cages ''right now''!
* '''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 never in the cards for this; usually this is due to RubberForeheadAlien, PlanetOfHats, or OnlySixFaces, because reality is boring. Of course there are [[FetishFuel 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. This is what you get when you combine PettingZooPeople traits with LittleBitBeastly traits. They are often treated more like PettingZooPeople than like LittleBitBeastly.

* '''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.

* '''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 of a human and half the mannerisms of the animal. Characters/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. 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).

* '''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 ''LegendOfTheGuardiansTheOwlsOfGaHoole''.

* '''SpeechImpairedAnimal''' - A animal who can't quite talk. They can usually be understood, but 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. This could also include counting horses and [[ShapeShifting transformed humans]].
* '''NearlyNormalAnimal''' - An animal that is very much an animal, particularly when it comes to though processes, personality, instincts, priorities, and motivations.

* '''Animals''' - They're treated as just that in the work.

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

* [[MostWritersAreHuman Human]] - Just an ordinary, run of the mill human. This is what you need to be to be on this site. [[PowerpuffGirls Superintelligent chimps]] are NOT supposed to be given internet privileges, so any of those should go back to their cages ''right now''!
* 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 never in the cards for this; usually this is due to RubberForeheadAlien, PlanetOfHats, or OnlySixFaces, because reality is boring. Of course there are [[FetishFuel 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. This is what you get when you combine PettingZooPeople traits with LittleBitBeastly traits. They are often treated more like PettingZooPeople than like LittleBitBeastly.

* 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.

* Borderline PettingZooPeople - This is what you get when you combine PettingZooPeople traits with FunnyAnimal traits. Sometimes they will be treated more like {{Funny Animal}}s, other times, they will be treated more like PettingZooPeople. Male animals of this type are often {{Top Heavy Guy}}s.

* 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 of a human and half the mannerisms of the animal. Characters/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. 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).

* 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 ''LegendOfTheGuardiansTheOwlsOfGaHoole''.

* SpeechImpairedAnimal - A animal who can't quite talk. They can usually be understood, but 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. This could also include counting horses and [[ShapeShifting transformed humans]].
* NearlyNormalAnimal - An animal that is very much an animal, particularly when it comes to though processes, personality, instincts, priorities, and motivations.

* Animals - They're treated as just that in the work.

* ''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-humaniod 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.

* '''Body Type 1: 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 Type 2, 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.

* '''Body Type 2: 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 (Type 3), 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.

* '''Body Type 3: 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 on Types 4, 5, and even 6.

* '''Body Type 4: 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-humaniod legs, or look semi-humanoid all over. Like Type 5, they walk on two legs for at least a good part of the time. Also like Type 5, naturally quadrupedal animals can walk on two legs and on all fours equally well, especially if they are of the humanoid torso/non-humaniod 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.

* '''Body Type 5: FunnyAnimal[=/=]CivilizedAnimal Body Type Animals:''' Like Type 6, 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.

* '''Body Type 6: 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.

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 humans with a few animal-like characteristics: