History Main / DehumanizingInsult

* Another ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' fic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/30598253/chapters/75482015 The Harvest]]'' has Overhaul turn his sights on Aizawa as a source of quirk erasing blood. Overhaul keeps calling Aizawa "Blood Bag" because he sees him as just a blood source and occasionally a way to fulfill certain adult urges.

SuperTrope of NicknamingTheEnemy, PitifulWorms and MyFriendsAndZoidberg. SubTrope to {{Dehumanization}}. See CallAHumanAMeatbag for {{robot|RollCall}}s or EnergyBeings insulting organic life forms, SonOfAnApe for nonhumans insulting humans (or humans insulting ''other humans'' who they consider primitive), or FantasticSlurs when [[WhatMeasureIsANonhuman the target of the insult]] is a [[FantasticRacism sentient nonhuman]]. See also ItIsDehumanizing and YouMonster.

** In the [[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone first book]] (in scenes [[AdaptationalNiceGuy omitted]] from [[Film/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone the film]]), Hagrid calls obese Dudley "yeh great lump" and a "great puddin'". When [[RevengeByProxy Vernon insults Dumbledore]], Hagrid grows Dudley a [[AnimalMotifs pig]]'s [[BalefulPolymorph tail]], causing him to "[[WouldHurtAChild howl with pain]]".

* In ''Fanfic/TheGreatRedPandaRescue'', Mei is kidnapped and continually called "freak" by her captors.

SuperTrope of NicknamingTheEnemy and MyFriendsAndZoidberg. SubTrope to {{Dehumanization}}. See CallAHumanAMeatbag for {{robot|RollCall}}s or EnergyBeings insulting organic life forms, SonOfAnApe for nonhumans insulting humans (or humans insulting ''other humans'' who they consider primitive), or FantasticSlur when [[WhatMeasureIsANonhuman the target of the insult]] is a [[FantasticRacism sentient nonhuman]]. See also ItIsDehumanizing and YouMonster.

* In ''Videogame/XenobladeChronicles2'', those who detest flesh-eater blades (blades who have mortal DNA absorbed into their crystal through various means) tend to be called "cannibals". This resentment could stem from the unnatural power a flesh-eating blade might acquire, ''if'' they're lucky.

Supertrope of NicknamingTheEnemy and MyFriendsAndZoidberg. Sub trope to {{Dehumanization}}. See CallAHumanAMeatbag for {{robot|RollCall}}s or EnergyBeings insulting organic life forms, SonOfAnApe for nonhumans insulting humans (or humans insulting ''other humans'' who they consider primitive), or FantasticSlur when [[WhatMeasureIsANonhuman the target of the insult]] is a [[FantasticRacism sentient nonhuman]]. See also ItIsDehumanizing and YouMonster.

* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': Frieza is quite blatantly racist towards the Saiyans, often mockingly call them apes, monkeys, and simians.
* In ''Anime/KillLaKill'', Satsuki repeatedly refers to the common students at her school as "pigs in human clothing". Additionally, Nonon is fond of calling Sanageyama a "wild monkey".
* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', after seeing what Crocodile has done during the "Alabasta" arc, Zoro bluntly says, "The term 'not-human' was created to describe scum such as you."

* In ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', [[spoiler:Eldians]] are frequently [[{{Dehumanization}} dehumanized]] by being called devils, amongst a few other things, although it's not known if this is merely metaphorical or if there are literal implications. Also overlaps with YouMonster.
* Katsuki Bakugou from ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' has an incredible superiority complex. He sees himself as the greatest thing alive and the only one who can or ''should'' succeed in life. In the beginning of the series, he dismisses everyone around himself as "extras" who won't amount to anything. He even calls Izuku, his former friend who was diagnosed as quirkless, "Deku" which translated in kanji means "worthless or useless".

* In ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'', upon meeting Klara Prast for the first time, Xavin refuses to acknowledge her presence and instead chides Karolina for wasting the team's time with a "stray".
* In ''ComicBook/Eternals2006'', Sprite mentions that the Eternals used to call the humans [[WeAreAsMayflies "mayflies" because of their comparatively short lifespans]]. This is born out later when Zuras chides Thena for bringing her human son to Olympia; he says that she will outlive her son, and thus there's no point keeping him around (that the boy is his grandson doesn't seem to interest him in the least). She counters that Zuras brought his dog with him, and the dog will die much sooner than her son.
* In the "Nativity" arc of ''ComicBook/TheAuthority'', France is attacked by expies of the [[ComicBook/SgtFuryAndHisHowlingCommandos Howling Commandos]]. When one of them questions whether it's right to be attacking civilians, the Nick Fury expy remarks that "civilians are civilized. These are ''French''." He goes on to say that he hates the French even more than he hates Mexicans, Asians, and blacks.

** ''ComicBook/WonderWoman2011'': Wondy's fellow Amazons call her "clay" behind her back, referencing the fact that she was made of clay. These Amazons are revealed to be fakes created as part of a cover up by the Olympians at the close of the New 52.

* ''“Dog (of the World Government)”/"Government Pet"'' are the two worst things anyone can call a Marine in Fanfic/RerumDanarae, far more than in original Manga/OnePiece.
** Which one is actually the worse of both is not clear, as the latter is also a designator for a Marine that rose through the ranks through Government Backing, usually doing the World Government's dirty work (and thus being Absolute Justice followers) while escaping legal consequences.
* ''FanFic/IWillNotBow'' series:
** On multiple occasions in ''Blazing Revolution'' and ''Blazing Generations'', whenever Sugou and/or Yamato are mentioned, Kirito's crew tends to describe them as "parasites."
** In ''Blazing Generations'' chapter 54, with Yui and Luna outed as [=AIs=], Madoka demeans them by calling them "robots" and "freaks."

* In the ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'' fanfic ''Fanfic/TheGreatRedPandaRescue'', Mei is kidnapped and continually called "freak" by her captors.

-->'''Batman''': You're not brave. ''Men'' are brave.\\
'''Batman''': You were never a god. You were never even a man!
* ''Film/{{Ghostbusters 1984}}''. When Dana Barrett is possessed by Zuul and wants to have sex, she tells Peter Venkman, "Take me now, subcreature."
* ''Film/{{Juncture}}'': After Anna delivers her rant at the dinner party about rapists and molestors and mothers who kill their children:

* ''Literature/{{Hurog}}'': In ''Dragon Bones'', a woman accuses Ward of being inappropriately interested in "Haverness' cow" -- she's talking about Haverness' ''daughter''. (Ward himself has been compared to an ox, but more because of his strength than as insult, making this hilarious in context.)
* In ''Literature/JohnCarterOfMars'', "calot" (a Barsoomian creature that resembles a mix between a frog and dog) and "ulsio" (a Barsoomian rodent) are sometimes used as insults against people.
* In the ''Chronicles of Literature/{{Gor}}'', a common epithet is to call someone a "tarsk" or a "sleen", both of which are animals on that world.
* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', Sandor Clegane's nickname "the Hound" is only partially affectionate. Mostly, it's meant to reflect that the Lannisters only consider him valuable so long as he protects Joffrey. Meanwhile, Samwell Tarly's nickname "Ser Piggy" is definitely meant to dehumanize him, as is Tyrion's nickname "the Imp".
* In ''Series/StarTrekVoyager: The Black Shore'', the crew of the ''Voyager'' travel to a seemingly friendly planet where the apparent natives have enslaved a race of primates that they call the "neffler". The crew starts to realize that something's wrong when the natives start referring to ''them'' as neffler. [[spoiler:It turns out "natives" came from somewhere else, and that the "neffler" are some long-extinct species that they previously exploited. They now use the word to describe all those they subjugate.]]
* In ''Literature/HonorHarrington'', Mesan [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil slaves and ex-slaves]] refer to Mesa's ruling class and especially Manpower Ultd. as "the scorpions".
* In ''Literature/{{Unique}}'', [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampires]] refer to humans as 'kine'. Of note, at one point Ophelia uses the term when talking to [[spoiler:Lana]] and she reflexively snaps back "Don't call them that," because unlike Ophelia who had never moved beyond smugly glorying in her power, she had gone out and made human friends and trained herself to think of them as real people.
* ''Literature/{{Victoria}}'' has the heroes refer to ethnic gangs, and people who disrespect American history or culture, as 'orcs.'

** As the quote on top of this page shows, mudblood is a dehumanizing insult uttered in the ''Harry Potter'' universe. In this universe, there are elitist wizards who believe one's worth can be measured by the amount of wizards in one's family tree. These wizards see {{Muggles}} as subhuman and dirty beings. Mudblood is a term they use for wizards with two muggle parents, as they consider these wizards to have impure dirty blood.

** In the [[Literature/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone first book]] - in scenes [[AdaptationalNiceGuy omitted]] from the [[Film/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone film]] - Hagrid calls obese Dudley "yeh great lump," and a "great puddin'". When [[RevengeByProxy Vernon insults Dumbledore]], Hagrid grows Dudley a [[AnimalMotifs pig]]'s [[BalefulPolymorph tail]], causing him to "[[WouldHurtAChild howl with pain]]".
* In ''Literature/WarriorCats'', solitary feral cats are commonly referred to as 'rogues'. Clan cats think of them as untrustworthy, dishonorable, dirty, and cowardly, and they have lumped all those traits into that single catchall term. When Hollyleaf learns she might have been born a rogue, she is filled with horror at what it implies, namely, that she is really one of those horrible uncivilized creatures her 'mother' told her about.

* Inverted in ''Series/{{Community}}''. Dean Pelton reasons that the players on the Greendale Community College football team have been called animals their whole lives, so he renames the team the Human Beings.
* In the ''Series/MadMen'' episode "Six Month Leave", Roger Sterling remarks that before Freddy Rumsen was in the Army Signal Corps, he was "in charge of killing people. And by 'people', I mean [[ThoseWackyNazis Germans]]."

* In ''Series/TheGifted2017'', mutants are often called "muties" by anti-mutant bigots.
* In ''Series/DareMe'', Beth's pet name for her half-sister Tacy is "Fetus".
* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', [[FetishizedAbuser Buffy]] and [[FantasticRacism Xander]] call [[HeelFaceTurn Spike]] a "thing" at varying points in season 6. The former is particularly notable, as she'd never spoken to him that dehumanizingly even when he was her direct antagonist and BigBad -- it isn't until she finds herself [[InconvenientAttraction attracted]] to him that she starts trying to emphasize his monstrous nature.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'', the people of [[TheEmpire Solaris]] use the term "lamb" or "land-dweller" to speak about everyone else in the world. [[spoiler:Land-dweller is kinda justified, seeing that Solaris is a floating sky city]].
* In ''VideoGame/BioShock'', Rapture's citizens refer to those who preach non-objectivist viewpoints and/or smuggle in surface world contraband as "parasites". ''BioshockInfinite/BurialAtSea'' even reveals that Rapture's schools teach children about a RightWayWrongWayPair named Ryan the Lion and Peter the Parasite.
* The Desians in ''Videogame/TalesOfSymphonia'', who are all half-elves (though not all half-elves are Desians), incessantly refer to their enemies as "inferior beings".
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', the Garlean Empire refers to anyone not of the empire, regardless of their race or sapience of it, as a "savage". There's also the beastmen, who are otherwise intelligent but mostly lacking in humanoid attributes so much that FantasticRacism is very much in effect, even on people not using it to dehumanize them, it's just their overall moniker.

* In ''Videogame/XenobladeChronicles2'' those who detest flesh-eater blades (blades who have mortal DNA absorbed into their crystal through various means) tend to be called "cannibals". This resentment could stem from the unnatural power a flesh-eating blade might acquire, ''if'' they're lucky.

[[folder:Web Video]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', an insult used among Gems is "clod" - a chunk of dirt which, by implication, has no mind or form. It's practically become Peridot's CatchphraseInsult at this point.
** Similarly, "pebble" also seems to be used as an insult, although we only hear it once.
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'' featured this trope heavily in the episode "Troq" In it, the Titans meet a muscular metallic alien named Val-Yor and happily introduce themselves. It's only when Starfire steps onto the scene that he says, "I see you have a Tamaranian." Val-Yor goes on to ask the Titans for help with a mission of his and soon every one of the Titans is given an AffectionateNickname by their new companion except for Starfire, whom he begrudgingly refers to as [[FantasticSlurs "Troq"]] or "Troqie". Cyborg asks what the word "Troq" means just as Starfire leaves to complete her part of the mission. She replies, "It means nothing." Having watched her successfully complete her task, Cyborg exclaims [[InnocentBigot "Way to go Troqie!"]], only for Starfire to become angry. Puzzled, Cyborg reminds her that she said it didn't mean anything. She promptly corrects him and [[PoorCommunicationKills explains that the word "Troq" literally means "nothing"]] and that when Val-Yor calls her that, he's saying she's worthless. Obviously, that doesn't sit well with the rest of the team and in the end all Val-Yor has decided is that [[YouAreACreditToYourRace Starfire must be one of the good Tamaranians]]. That still doesn't sit well with the team.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* ''Untermensch'' (German for under man, sub-man, sub-human; plural: ''Untermenschen'') is a term that became infamous when the Nazis used it to describe "inferior people", often referred to as "the masses from the East" - that is, Jews, Romani, and Slavs (including Poles, Serbs, Belarusians, Russians, and Rusyns). Many members of these groups (particularly the Jewish people) would be systematically murdered during what the Nazis called the FinalSolution.
* During the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand_Creek_massacre Sand Creek massacre]], the notoriously racist Col. John Chivington called for his men to kill Cheyenne and Arapahoe women and children, telling them that it wasn't enough to just kill all the men because "nits make lice".
* When columnist Leonard Pitts, Jr. [[http://www.denverpost.com/2010/07/10/mel-gibson-and-the-banality-of-hatred/ wrote his reaction]] to Creator/MelGibson's infamous phone call to his wife where he called her a variety of slurs and said she would deserve it if she got "raped by a pack of niggers," Pitts made the following observation that the N-word was actually not the worst thing Gibson said. "Actually, it's just before that. After all, only animals hunt in packs."
* During the 2022 Ukrano-Russian War, Ukrainians started referring to Russians as [[Literature/LordOfTheRings Orcs]].
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* In the 2006 revival of ''ComicBook/TheEternals'', Sprite mentions that the Eternals used to call the humans "mayflies" because of their comparatively short lifespans. This is born out later when Zuras chides Thena for bringing her human son to Olympia; he says that she will outlive her son, and thus there's no point keeping him around (that the boy is his grandson doesn't seem to interest him in the least.) She counters that Zuras brought his dog with him, and the dog will die much sooner than her son.

* In the second volume of ''ComicBook/LeagueOfExtraordinaryGentlemen'', as the Martian invasion of London continues, Nemo contemplates blowing up the bridges to turn the Thames river into London's moat and stymie the invaders. He considers that the resulting civilian casualties would not be worth worrying about, because they're only ''English''.
* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'':

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]
* In ''Literature/DragonBones'', a woman accuses Ward of being inappropriately interested in "Haverness' cow" - she's talking about Haverness' ''daughter''. (Ward himself has been compared to an ox, but more because of his strength than as insult, making this hilarious in context.)

* ''Series/TwentyFour: Redemption''. The ChildSoldiers being trained by the season's BigBad are taught to think of the enemies they're going to kill as "cockroaches".
* Inverted on ''Series/{{Community}}''. Dean Pelton reasons that the players on the Greendale Community College football team have been called animals their whole lives, so he renames the team the Human Beings.

* ''Series/FamilyTies'': "The Harder They Fall," where a SadistTeacher refers to Steven and Elyse as Amazonian savages ... this after both had punched him in the jaw for insulting them and others in the classroom. During a private meeting with Steven, the teacher also calls Elyse a crude name, although he whispers this in Steven's ear. Beforehand, the teacher was called out by several parents for calling his students cruel names and nicknames.
* In ''Series/{{Supergirl 2015}}'', after aliens start becoming more public, bigoted humans start referring to them as "roaches".
* In ''Series/TheGifted'', mutants are often called "muties" by anti-mutant bigots.

* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', [[FetishizedAbuser Buffy]] and [[FantasticRacism Xander]] called [[HeelFaceTurn Spike]] a "thing" at varying points in season 6. The former is particularly notable, as she'd never spoken to him that dehumanizingly even when he was her direct antagonist and BigBad--it wasn't until she found herself [[InconvenientAttraction attracted]] to him that she started trying to emphasize his monstrous nature.

* In ''Videogame/BioShock'', Rapture's citizens refer to those who preach non-objectivist viewpoints and/or smuggle in surface world contraband as "parasites". ''BioshockInfinite/BurialAtSea'' even reveals that Rapture's schools teach children about a RightWayWrongWayPair named Ryan the Lion and Peter the Parasite.

* In ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', [[spoiler:Eldians]] are frequently [[{{Dehumanization}} dehumanized]] by being called [[spoiler:devils]], amongst a few other things, although it's not known if this is merely metaphorical or if there are literal implications. Also overlaps with YouMonster.
* Katsuki Bakugou from ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia'' has an incredible superiority complex. He sees himself as the greatest thing alive and the only one who can or ''should'' succeed in life. In the beginning of the series, he dismisses everyone around himself as "extras" who don't amount to anything. He even calls Izuku, his former friend who was diagnosed as quirkelss, "Deku" which translated in kanji means "worthless or useless".

* In the "Nativity" arc of ''ComicBook/TheAuthority'', France is attacked by expies of the ComicBook/HowlingCommandos. When one of them questions whether it's right to be attacking civilians, the Nick Fury expy remarks that "civilians are civilized. These are ''French''." He goes on to say that he hates the French even more than he hates Mexicans, Asians, and blacks.

* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'', [[BastardGirlfriend Buffy]] and [[FantasticRacism Xander]] called [[HeelFaceTurn Spike]] a "thing" at varying points in season 6. The former is particularly notable, as she'd never spoken to him that dehumanizingly even when he was her direct antagonist and BigBad--it wasn't until she found herself [[InconvenientAttraction attracted]] to him that she started trying to emphasize his monstrous nature.