History Main / SlidingScaleOfAnthropomorphism

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

* 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 are as articulate as the average four-year-old, so including a parrot on the page would be PeopleSitOnChairs, unless the parrot has a completely normal speech style.

* 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 [[Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia Narnia]] and the Literature/LandOfOz. There have been cases of this in RealLife; some real life parrots are as articulate as the average four-year-old, so including a parrot on the page would be PeopleSitOnChairs, unless the parrot has a completely normal speech style.

* 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. There have been cases of this in RealLife; some real life parrots are as articulate as the average four-year-old, so including a parrot on the page would be PeopleSitOnChairs, unless the parrot has a completely normal speech style.

* 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.

* 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. 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).

* 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 ''{{Terminator}}'' series.

* 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 ''StarWars''.

* '''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.

* 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]] is a good example.

[[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/HornDog, Franchise/ScoobyDoo, and ''[[GratuitousLatin Canis lupus familiaris]]''.[[/note]]]]

* [[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''!

* 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. 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).

* {{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 Film/RoboCop2).

Anthropomorphism of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and other animals is staightforward; 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.

->''Here is a thought! Who amongst you have seen the sight of man turned beast? A hapless few, we trust!...And yet...though we are repelled at the sight of man turned beast...we revel to see beast turned man! When you pass along this thought...remember you saw it in '''Mad!'''...And now, our story...''

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

* Android robots - Robots which have humanlike body type, but are obviously mechanical in nature. Examples include all kinds of [[HumongousMecha mechs]], 90% of {{Transformers}} and ASIMO.

* RobotBuddy - Robots with characteristics of humans or animals, usually with animal-like or human-like (but not [[UncannyValley too humanlike]]) body shape. Examples include R2-D2 from ''StarWars''.

* {{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 from anywhere among 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.

* Industrial robots - These robots are usually immobile and mounted to one place and can consists 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.

* RidiculouslyHumanRobots - Robots that are unnecessarily human. They're so human, in fact, that it's hard to distinguish them from real humans. Examples include T-800 from the ''{{Terminator}}'' series.

* RidiculouslyHumanRobots - Robots that are unnecessarily human. They're so human, in fact, that it's hard to distinguish them from real humans. Examples include T-800 from ''{{Terminator}}'' series.

* 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 PoisonIvy.

-->'''Magazine/{{Mad}} #19'''[='=]s introduction to their "Mickey Rodent" story

* 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).

* 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.

* 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. This could also include real-life counting horses and [[ShapeShifting transformed humans]].

* 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]].

* '''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.

* 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.