History WhatMeasureIsANonHuman / VideoGames

** [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in TheShatteringPreludeToCataclysm. Thrall becomes concerned that many of the up and coming warriors of the Scourge got their start fighting undead, and became desensitized to fighting so that they don't consider the consequences of fighting living opponents.

** This is one of the main themes of KingdomHeartsCoded. The main character is a virtual Sora, born from the data of Jiminy's chronicle of the real Sora's adventures. However his story quickly diverges from that of the real Sora, and one begins to wonder if is heart is any less real than Sora's. "Can a heart be born in an existence of data?" Also, at the end of coded, and Birth by Sleep shows that Roxas, Namine and Axel, as well as the Replica, Xion, are among characters that the real Sora will be saving from their “hurt” in future games. What this entails is unclear, but there’s hope for them yet, it seems.

** How about fairy-trade? And in corked bottles at that.

** Both Roxas and Namine are stated [[AllThereInTheManual elsewhere]] to be exceptions to the rule, and the one who sacrificed them and justified it as them being Nobodies had a [[UnderStatement bad]] run-in with the Nobodies and carried a possibly justified hatred for them ever after. [[spoiler: After some Karma, he realizes what an ass he's been and is currently atoning for it]].

* The H.A.M. Cult ([[FunWithAcronyms Humans Against Monsters]]) in ''{{Runescape}}'' practically embodies this trope. They believe that all non-humans are savage beasts and must be destroyed, to the point in which they once tried to [[spoiler: [[MoralEventHorizon cause the extinction of a benevolent race of cave goblins by flooding their underground city]]]].[[hottip:Note:The previous example on this page was moved to "WhatMeasureIsAMook"]]

* The H.A.M. Cult ([[FunWithAcronyms Humans Against Monsters]]) in ''{{Runescape}}'' practically embodies this trope. They believe that all non-humans are savage beasts and must be destroyed, to the point in which they once tried to [[spoiler: [[MoralEventHorizon cause the extinction of a benevolent race of cave goblins by flooding their underground city]]]].

* In MMORPG ''{{Runescape}}'', this is parodied when in a quest cutscene an NPC guard openly acknowledges that the guards are killed all the time with no one complaining. Of course his partner is horrified, at least until someone comes and kills both of them

* ''{{Vindictus}}'' takes this to FridgeHorror levels. All of that Gnoll-leather armour you're wearing? It's made from non-human but fully sentient Gnolls, a dog-like humanoid race with their own culture, social structure, gods, etc. And it's quite explicit that you're not merely stealing their leather armour, you're ''killing them and wearing their skins''. Of course, this is set in a CrapsackWorld where the goddess that humans worship has apparently mandated the complete genocide of all non-human races before humans can achieve paradise. Although no one knows for sure if that is truly the will of the goddess, or why; which is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by several [=NPCs=], including Tieve, the Oracle of the Goddess.

*** [[spoiler:Genesis' [[strike:clones]] [[GannonBanned copies]] that we fight do not seem to have any intellect or feelings to speak of, so there is no real difference between them and other monsters. At the same time however, they are also very closely connected to him and he still counts as a human]]. When you think about it, there is simply no clear line dividing monsters and human beings in CrisisCore, which puts the characters' angst into an interesting [[FridgeBrilliance light]].

* This is the central theme of the ''MegaManZero series''. However, even it is guilty of using human aesthetics to garner sympathy for the key players. Like the X series before it, every reploid that isn't a mook looks almost indistinguishable from a human, with animal/more machine-like reploids attaining MuaveShirt status at most.

* This is the central theme of the ''MegaManZero series''.

* ''{{Vindictus}}'' takes this to FridgeHorror levels. All of that Gnoll-leather armour you're wearing? It's made from non-human but fully sentient Gnolls, a dog-like humanoid race with their own culture, social structure, gods, etc. And it's quite explicit that you're not merely stealing their leather armour, you're ''killing them and wearing their skins''. Of course, this is set in a CrapsackWorld where the goddess that humans worship has apparently mandated the complete genocide of all non-human races before humans can achieve paradise. Although no one knows for sure if that is truly the will of the goddess, or why; which is[[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by several [=NPCs=], including Tieve, the Oracle of the Goddess.

** In ''Thief Gold'' wizards appear in ''The Lost City'' and are fair game as per all other opponents in the wilds (anywhere not in the city), driving further home that it is a matter of professional pride that Garret avoids [[DeadlyEuphemism leaving a mess]].

* In ''MegamanBattleNetwork'' the first game says Navis are not really sentient, they just follow their programing (that happens to be the same reason {{Chobits}} gives) [[spoiler:Megaman, being a ReplacementGoldfish made from a human]] is, as is Bass, being [[InstantAIJustAddWater being born of the collective information on the internet]]. But latter games are not entirely consistent in the regard, treating them more and more human each game. In addition mentions of back up copys disappear after the 2nd game, makeing deletion a permanent ordeal, an obvious move to humanizing them.

** This is one of the main themes of KingdomHeartsCoded. The main character is a virtual Sora, born from the data of Jiminy's chronicle of the real Sora's adventures. However his story quickly diverges from that of the real Sora, and one begins to wonder if is heart is any less real than Sora's. "Can a heart be born in an existence of data?" Also, at the end of coded, ‘’and’’ Birth by Sleep shows that Roxas, Namine and Axel, as well as the Replica, Xion, are among characters that the real Sora will be saving from their “hurt” in future games. What this entails is unclear, but there’s hope for them yet, it seems.

** [[BetaBaddie Nobodies]] are a particularly controversial example, due to the stark juxtaposition of the sympathetic development focused on [[spoiler: the PlayerCharacter Roxas, as well as Namine and Axel]] throughout the unusually long prologue and Yen Sid's claim that Nobodies feel no emotion and hence aren't really people. The fact that ''[[TheMessiah Sora]]'' believes that claim and acts accordingly practically ensures InternetBackdraft in any discussion involving the morality of Nobodies.
*** For example, Nobodies don't have hearts, so they don't have emotions. However, they pretend to have emotions when they believe they should feel a certain way, because they still retain the memories of their past lives (when they were actually human). So what's the difference between faking an emotion and actually having them? Well, normal people would say "Well, if you were faking an emotion, you probably feel different than the emotion you're faking." But they DON'T feel different, because they can't. So are they really faking?
*** Yes. It's possible to be emotionally neutral while pretending to emote. It's just like acting, akin to telling people what they want to hear, but not necessarily with the greed/dodging often involved. There are ''real people'' who go around like this all day, either due to some defect/disease preventing them from feeling emotions, or being emotionally stunted early in life. The more you do it, the more realistic you get as you gauge the reactions of others and figure out just how to "feel". For the Nobodies, the memories they have aid in that process greatly. Eventually, they likely form a "personality" derived both from the memories and their own experience. However, then we get into some of the dialogue that suggests that Nobodies (or at least not all of them) may have hearts, or are developing them.
*** But in order to pretend emotions, you must have the desire to do so. Such desire is an emotion on its own. If Nobodies can feel that, then they have at least '''one real feeling'', rendering all the ''"they are pretending"'' argument useless.
*** In the end, it's not really a point for discussion in the main storyline, as the methods of Org. 13 leave something to be desired, and they do actively attempt to kill Sora.
**** Except that that we do have characters like Roxas and Namine, who have emotions and get sacrificed because they are still Nobodies and therefore shouldn't exist.
**** Both Roxas and Namine are stated [[AllThereInTheManual elsewhere]] to be exceptions to the rule, and the one who sacrificed them and justified it as them being nobodies had a [[UnderStatement bad]] run-in with the Nobodies and carried a possibly justified hatred for them ever after. [[spoiler: After some Karma, he realizes what an ass he's been and is currently atoning for it]].

** This is one of the main themes of KingdomHeartsCoded. The main character is a virtual Sora, born from the data of Jiminy's chronicle of the real Sora's adventures. However his story quickly diverges from that of the real Sora, and one begins to wonder if is heart is any less real than Sora's. "Can a heart be born in an existence of data?"

* If you play {{Thief}} on the Expert level, you are forbidden to kill humans at all. Everything non-human is still fair game. Admittedly the restriction has nothing to do with Garret's moral grounds for the want of such, but rather with professional pride and reluctance to raise unnecessary ire in the authorities.

* Another ''FireEmblem'' example is the seventh game (first one released in North America.) Your major enemies are [[BetaBaddie BetaBaddies]] who are pretty much human except for their eye & hair color. Your army has no problem destroying them by the hundreds, yet go out of their way to subdue and capture human opponents. The game justifies this, explaining that the non-human enemies are sins against nature. It also helps that most of the party are professional solders and mercenaries, who 'should'' be fine with killing enemy combatants on a battlefield.

* Another ''FireEmblem'' example is the seventh game (first one released in North America.) Your major enemies are [[BetaBaddie BetaBaddies]] who are pretty much human except for their eye & hair color. Your army has no problem destroying them by the hundreds, yet go out of their way to subdue and capture human opponents. The game justifies this, explaining that the non-human enemies are sins against nature.

* In ''NeverwinterNights 2'', during the raid on the Orc base camp near Old Owl Well you encounter a band of professional torturers; your paladin henchman rants about them torturing humans, and one of your options for a response is essentially "Oh, so if they were torturing gnomes or goblins it would be okay, would it?" Casavir gets kind of mad if you say that, though, and it prevents you from getting any influence with him out of the conversation.

** This is one of the main themes of KingdomHeartsCoded

** Racism is actually something Ashnard is not guilty of. He's a true {{Darwinist}} and BloodKnight.

** [[spoiler: Pelleas is not related to Ashnard. It's Soren, the wind mage who [[HoYay may be gay for Ike]], who's actually his son. And judging by the fact that there was someone who was taking care of him, Ashnard might of had some care for him, however little that may be.]]

* In ''VegaStrike'' history [[http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/mediawiki/index.php?title=Faction:Lightbearer Lightbearer faction]] with its HumansAreSpecial idea stumbled on the Klk'k and tried to mess with them. Andolians who thought it's not good to kick around civilized sapients soon discovered this, and so started the first human interstellar war. When in the course of war they discovered Lightbearers has genetically engineered human slave race, it turned into war on extermination and everyone else just left Lightbearers to their fate.