History Main / ThouShaltNotKillMuggles

* According to the [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep bus driver]] in ''Manga/RosarioPlusVampire'', monsters aren't allowed to harm humans for any reason, even to save their own. Fortunately, [[EmpoweredBadassNormal Tsukune]] [[LoopholeAbuse is technically still considered human]]. Yet the [[AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil Student Police]] [[MoralDissonance are convinced it's okay]] to execute any human who [[HeKnowsTooMuch discovers]] [[ExtranormalInstitute Yōkai Academy]]. By the way, the school's supposed to teach coexistence. [[spoiler:When you consider that the leader of the Student Police, Kuyō, is a spy for the FantasticRacism organization Fairy Tale, it makes a bit more sense.]]

* According to the [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep bus driver]] in ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'', monsters aren't allowed to harm humans for any reason, even to save their own. Fortunately, [[EmpoweredBadassNormal Tsukune]] [[LoopholeAbuse is technically still considered human]]. Yet the [[AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil Student Police]] [[MoralDissonance are convinced it's okay]] to execute any human who [[HeKnowsTooMuch discovers]] [[ExtranormalInstitute Yōkai Academy]]. By the way, the school's supposed to teach coexistence. [[spoiler:When you consider that the leader of the Student Police, Kuyō, is a spy for the FantasticRacism organization Fairy Tale, it makes a bit more sense.]]

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novel ''Discworld/{{Sourcery}}'' we're told that wizards don't kill non-magic users because: 1) They seldom notice them 2) It's not sporting, and 3) [[BreadEggsMilkSquick Who'd do the cleaning up and prepare meals and so on]].

* According to the [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep bus driver]] in ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'', monsters aren't allowed to harm humans for any reason, even to save their own. Fortunately, [[EmpoweredBadassNormal Tsukune]] [[LoopholeAbuse is technically still considered human]]. Yet the [[AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil Student Police]] [[MoralDissonance are convinced it's okay]] to execute any human who [[HeKnowsTooMuch discovers]] [[ExtranormalInstitute Youkai Academy]]. By the way, the school's supposed to teach coexistence. [[spoiler:When you consider that the leader of the Student Police, Kuyou, is a spy for the FantasticRacism organization Fairy Tale, it makes a bit more sense.]]

** The concept is explored further when (other vampire slayer) Faith accidentally kills a human while in the middle of a vampire fight. Giles tries to explain that such accidents are, historically, not uncommon for Slayers. In the grand scheme of things, it's seen as a small price to pay for all the vampires, demons, and other nasties that a Slayer kills on a daily basis.

[[folder: Live Action Television ]]

* In ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''
** Buffy sometimes fights against "normal" humans, but usually tries not to kill them. In one instance, accidentally "killing" a [[RoboticReveal human-looking robot]] in self-defense is enough to give her a HeroicBSOD.
** The concept is explored further when (other vampire slayer) Faith accidentally kills a human while in the middle of a vampire fight. Giles tries to explain that such accidents are, historically, not uncommon for Slayers. In the grand scheme of things, it's seen as a small price to pay for all the vampires, demons, and other nasties that a Slayer kills on a daily basis.
* In {{Series/Grimm}}, Grimms (or at least the ones we know like Nick and Trouble) try not to kill normal humans, it even became a plot point after [[spoiler:Nick accidentally kills one during a supernaturally-induced rage]]. Renard even points out the fact that his guilt was a double standard.
* The Unknowns from ''Series/KamenRiderAgito'' are forbidden from killing normal humans (their MO is killing those with special powers). One unlucky MonsterOfTheWeek had this demonstrated on them the hard way.
** ''Series/KamenRiderAmazons'' uses this to demonstrate Jin's morality. At one point, Haruka is about to kick the stuffing out of a thoroughly unrepentant serial killer who had just beaten one of the NPS members half to death, only to be stopped by Jin, who continues to knock Haruka down as he tries to attack the serial killer and explains that, horrible as the man is, he's still human and Jin only kills Amazons.
* Season 4 of ''Series/TrueBlood'' gives a partial example of this trope as the Vampires attempt to recover from Russel Edgington's stunt on live television. All the vampires are strictly forbidden from killing/horribly maiming humans... ''if'' there's a chance they can be caught on camera.
* In the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode "Freaks and Geeks", Dean stops Krissy from killing [[spoiler:Victor, TheManBehindTheMonsters who killed her father]], because he's entirely human and "we don't kill people". Despite the Winchester brothers' own [[ProtagonistCenteredMorality extensive human body count]] and eagerness to kill human victims of DemonicPossession as long as they take the demons with them.

[[/folder]]

* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'': In one book, it's revealed that the group has never killed a Yeerk-infested human, but has no such restraint against Hork-Bajir or Taxxons. ([[RetCon Yes, you should ignore the many, MANY times they killed human-Controllers before this]].) This backfires, as Visser One takes this as evidence that at least some of the "Andalite bandits" are actually humans.
** In a somewhat related example: in Book #26, [[CosmicHorror Crayak]] wants to genocide the [[ProudMerchantRace Ishkoort]] while [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien the Ellimist]] wants to preserve them. As such, the Animorphs and [[AndroidAmongUs Erek]] are sent to their planet to fight seven [[PersonOfMassDestruction Howlers]] over the species' fate. Eventually they realize that the Howlers can't kill any Ishkoort until the "game" is over, making crowds very convenient.

* According to the [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep bus driver]] in ''Manga/RosarioToVampire'', monsters aren't allowed to harm humans for any reason, even to save their own. Yet the [[AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil Student Police]] [[MoralDissonance are convinced it's okay]] to execute any human who [[HeKnowsTooMuch discovers]] [[ExtranormalInstitute Youkai Academy]]. By the way, the school's supposed to teach coexistence. [[spoiler:When you consider that the leader of the Student Police, Kuyou, is a spy for the FantasticRacism organization Fairy Tale, it makes a bit more sense.]]

* ''Series/Lucifer2016'': Angels, even {{fallen|Angel}} ones like Lucifer, are forbidden from killing humans... ''directly''. LoopholeAbuse like loosing a [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon]] on a human, blackmailing one human to kill another, or (as [[spoiler:the ArchangelUriel]] loves to do) engineering DisasterDominoes that result in human death is fair game.

* The Peripheral Code of ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'''s Order of Hermes swears not to "interfere with the affairs of mundanes and thereby bring ruin on [other mages]." In theory, that enforces this trope on pain of death. In practice, people tend to interpret it as allowing anything that doesn't bring the Order into disrepute. If muggles disappear or meet unfortunate accidents in ways that don't get traced back to the Order, then, well, that's just a pity.

[[folder: Tabletop RPG's ]]
* In ''TabletopGame/MageTheAscension'' this is a big deal for both the Traditions and the [[TheMenInBlack Technocracy]], as both have strict rules about not letting "sleepers" become casualties of The Ascension War. Both factions may treat that rule as. . .flexible. . .at times, but it's still officially a major rule for both sides.
* The Peripheral Code of ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'''s Order of Hermes swears not to "interfere with the affairs of mundanes and thereby bring ruin on [other mages]." In theory, that enforces this trope on pain of death. In practice, people tend to interpret it as allowing anything that doesn't bring the Order into disrepute. If muggles disappear or meet unfortunate accidents in ways that don't get traced back to the Order, then, well, that's just a pity.

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novel ''Discworld/{{Sourcery}}'' we're told that wizards don't kill non-magic users because 1) They seldom notice them 2) It's not sporting, and 3) Who'd do the cleaning up and prepare meals and so on.

For this trope to truly be in play, the rule against killing humans must be absolute and inflexible, and it is almost always one-sided, so more often than not, it gets {{deconstructed}}, i.e. looking at this rule from the other (non-muggle) side of things or abuse of the rules, etc RealLife racism stuff. Sometimes, it can even extend to inflicting any sort of bodily harm on muggles at all, even if it's self-defense. This can really suck if HumansAreBastards. On the other hand, provisions for such circumstances are vulnerable to LoopholeAbuse. [[GrayAndGrayMorality Gray And Gray]]/BlackAndGrayMorality are often present in such cases.

* One plot point from the 4th War Arc of ''{{Naruto}}'' is guarding the daimyo, the Muggle leaders, because since they are the ones ninja answer to, capturing them will let Tobi put pressure on the Allied forces to hand over the 8 Tails and 9 Tails.

* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'': In one book, it's revealed that the group has never killed a Yeerk-infested human, but has no such restraint against Hork-Bajir or Taxxons. ([[InSeriesContinuityError Yes, you should ignore the many, MANY times they killed human-Controllers before this]].) This backfires, as Visser One takes this as evidence that at least some of the "Andalite bandits" are actually humans.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', there are a lot of laws in place to protect the {{muggle}} population from physical harm (though mindwiping them to uphold the {{Masquerade}} is government policy), which are frequently alluded to. The punishment for killing a Muggle is the same as that for killing a wizard. The [[FantasticRacism Death Eaters]] throw them out the window the first chance they get.

* In the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode "Freaks and Geeks", Dean stops Krissy from killing [[spoiler:Victor, TheManBehindTheMonsters who killed her father]], because he's entirely human and "we don't kill people". [[MoralDissonance Despite Dean himself having killed or tried to kill evil humans in a number of other episodes.]]

* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'': In one book, it's revealed that the group has never killed a Yeerk-infested human, but has no such restraint against Hork-Bajir or Taxxons. ([[InSeriesContinuityError Yes, you should ignore the many, MANY times they killed human-Controllers before this]].) This backfires, as [[DangerouslyGenreSavvy Visser One]] takes this as evidence that at least some of the "Andalite bandits" are actually humans.

* ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'': the group never kills Yeerk-infested humans, but has no such restraint against Hork-Bajir or Taxxons. This later backfires on them when Visser One realizes only humans wouldn't kill humans, as Andalites would have had no issue killing them.

* The [[AmazonBrigade eponymous characters]] of ''{{Claymore}}'' aren't allowed to kill humans, even if it's to protect other humans. Any Claymore who does so is sentenced to death. And yet [[ImAHumanitarian Awakened Beings]] are allowed to do as they please. Then again Awakened Beings aren't really part of the organization anyway.

* According to the [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep bus driver]] in ''RosarioToVampire'', monsters aren't allowed to harm humans for any reason, even to save their own. Yet the [[AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil Student Police]] [[MoralDissonance are convinced it's okay]] to execute any human who [[HeKnowsTooMuch discovers]] [[ExtranormalInstitute Youkai Academy]]. By the way, the school's supposed to teach coexistence. [[spoiler:When you consider that the leader of the Student Police, Kuyou, is a spy for the FantasticRacism organization Fairy Tale, it makes a bit more sense.]]

* In ''MageTheAscension'' this is a big deal for both the Traditions and the [[TheMenInBlack Technocracy]], as both have strict rules about not letting "sleepers" become casualties of The Ascension War. Both factions may treat that rule as. . .flexible. . .at times, but it's still officially a major rule for both sides.

* Season 4 of ''TrueBlood'' gives a partial example of this trope as the Vampires attempt to recover from Russel Edgington's stunt on live television. All the vampires are strictly forbidden from killing/horribly maiming humans... ''if'' there's a chance they can be caught on camera.

Note that for this trope to be in play, ThouShaltNotKill must be averted. In other words, fantastic beings are allowed to kill other fantastic beings, just as long as they don't hurt the muggles. This can carry UnfortunateImplications. Compare WhatMeasureIsANonHuman.