Demihumans are the {{Fantasy}} [[FantasyCounterpartCulture counterpart]] to RubberForeheadAliens. Related to {{Half Human Hybrid}}s, HumanAliens, and probably others. Depending on the story, they've been called [[OurElvesAreBetter elves]], [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame dwarves]], [[LordOfTheRings hobbits]], [[OurOrcsAreDifferent orcs]], [[AllTrollsAreDifferent trolls]] and many other names. The FiveRaces is a trope that classifies these creatures and explains how they live together in a setting that contains four or five such races; see that article for details.

Typically, creatures that fit this trope are [[ fantastical]] beings which, despite being fantastical, are identical to humans in every way, except that they have:
* A combination of stature and body shape which is just far enough from human norms that it would be clearly odd or unusual without being obviously nonhuman.
* Some physical feature (or more than one) that is slightly yet obviously outside human norms, such as UnusualEars or CuteLittleFangs, and instantly identifies them as nonhuman to any [[FantasticRacism racist]] or DangerouslyGenreSavvy human character. Often this feature is [[{{Masquerade}} easily hidden]] by [[FlungClothing clothing]] that is [[FinaglesLaw easily]] [[ClothingDamage lost]].
* Some sort of affinity for, or resistance to, FunctionalMagic.
* A [[OlderThanTheyLook nonstandard]] [[LongLived lifespan]].

They may also:
* Have a combination of skin, [[HairColors hair]], and [[TechnicolorEyes eye]] color that is outside the range for humans.
* Some different preffered environment to humans,(Mountain holds).
* Some sort of crafting/building ability. [[OurDwarvesAreDifferent Lots of dwarves have this trait]].
* Be AlwaysChaoticEvil, AlwaysLawfulGood, etc.
* Possess abilities/senses well beyond (and/or skills far superior to) the human norm.


[[folder: Anime ]]

* In ''RecordOfLodossWar'', elves, dark elves, dwarves, and [[{{Hobbits}} grassrunners]]. Goblins, ogres, and kobolds are treated as barely-human monsters.


[[folder: Fan Works ]]

* C'hou in ''Fanfic/WithStringsAttached'' has elves, but WordOfGod states that they're just another race of humans with pointy ears and fine features. However, the Hunter's world has goblins and trolls.


[[folder: Literature ]]

* Creator/JRRTolkien (''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', etc): Elves, Hobbits, and Dwarves, and ''maybe'' orcs/goblins and trolls depending on your interpretation.
** There's some grounds for supposing that Hobbits are a sort of pygmy human. Tolkien went into some details about the origins of the other humanoid species, but never mentioned anything about the Hobbits.
** Adaptations of Tolkien's races and their {{Theme Park Version}}s appear in many, many, fantasy novels since, sometimes filtered through ''DungeonsAndDragons''.
* Literature/{{Discworld}}: dwarves, gnomes, vampires, werewolves. Trolls are about as normal as people; they're just biologically very distinct--demihuman in treatment, but not in biology. Elves are AlwaysChaoticEvil. [[spoiler: Orcs]] appear in ''Discworld/UnseenAcademicals'', .
* The Marat in ''Literature/CodexAlera''. They look human, but they all have [[HairColors white hair]], BondCreatures, and some [[UnfortunateImplications other things]] that set them apart from humans. Justified, as they are implied to be descendants of Neanderthals who were brought to AnotherDimension.


[[folder: Pinball ]]

* ''Pinball/DevilsDare'' has a gaggle of green-skinned demons with large dragon wings, horns, pointy tails, and three-toed talon feet (on the males, anyway).


[[folder: Tabletop RPG ]]

* ''DungeonsAndDragons'': [[ elves]], [[ dwarves]], [[ halflings]], [[ gnomes]] (in 2e), [[ irda]] (in [[ Dragonlance]]) [[ tieflings]] and [[ eladrin]] (in 4e), etc.
** The trope-namer; 1st and second edition D&D used the term "demi-human" to describe the "good" races and "humanoid" to describe the "evil" races of orcs, goblins, bugbears, etc.
*** And Planescape did away with this trope entirely, explaining what the prefix "demi-" actually means. For example, demigod doesn't mean "like a god" it means "half god".
*** Parodied in ''TabletopGame/{{Toon}}'': in the [="ToonQuest"=] setting the equivalent to humans were Dogs, dwarves became Badgers, elves turned into Squirrels, and halflings became Mice. The capitalization is where the 'demi' part comes in -- yes, these races are specifically distinct from regular old Toon dogs, badgers, squirrels, or mice [[AWizardDidIt as dictated by the rules of the mighty wizard]] [[ShoutOut Teeyessarr]].
* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'' has "metahumans", but the concept is pretty much the same. Mainly, there are elves, dwarves, orks, and trolls, but some of the other races show up in ''The Shadowrun Companion'' as subraces of those.
* The ''TabletopGame/MarvelSuperHeroes'' RPG used the term "demihuman", but it referred to PettingZooPeople, despite being made by the same company as D&D, TSR.
* In NewHorizon, not only are there three races of RidiculouslyHumanRobots, but there's also the group of humans who merge with wild animals called Medeans.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' started as a straight analogue of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' [[RecycledINSPACE IN SPAAAAACE]] but evolved over time with some additions and some removals. So far there have been Squats (Dwarfs), Eldar (High Elves), Dark Eldar (Dark Elves), Exodites (Wood Elves), Ratlings (Halflings), Ogryn (Ogres), Orks (Orcs) and Space Undead ([[CaptainObvious Undead]]) (the latter started off literally as skeletons in space but have now become the Necron legions).
* The [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame Mountain Folk]], also known as [[OurElvesAreBetter Jadeborn]] of ''{{Exalted}}'' look almost identical to humans (even if the Worker and Warrior Castes look like fairly short ones), except for the stony appearance lent by the fact that they're "born" by being carved out of magical jade, as well as innately having a variety of magical powers and generally greater lifespan. They're actually supposed to be the race that humanity was based off of, and are even capable of [[HalfHumanHybrid interbreeding with them]] (the only form of sexual reproduction the Jadeborn experience).
** Some groups, like the Lintha, ''think'' of themselves like this, but they're really just another HumanSubspecies.
** There are also some places in the East where local plant life has developed mobility and sapience as well as vaguely human shapes (but still generally having the biological features of plants).


[[folder: Video Games ]]

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' has elves in pretty much every flavor, as well as orcs and dwarves, which are just different flavors of elves in that continuity.
** There are three "types" of races: human (Breton, Imperial, Nord, Redguard), elf (Altmer, Bosmer, Dunmer, Orc), and beast (Argonian and Khajiit.) The amount of "differentness" seems to have no bearing on racial relations-- particularly among the elf races.
* VideoGame/ChronoCross uses the term for PettingZooPeople. TheFairFolk are considered a subspecies.
* ElementalWarOfMagic - The only "official" one is the Fallen, a bunch of half-dragon, half-human gents.
* Angels and humanoid Demons in ''Franchise/{{Disgaea}}''.
* VideoGame/BlazBlue has these in the form of Beastkin, human-animal hybrids manufactured to fight the Black Beast. These hybrids are considered by almost everybody to be second-class citizens.


[[folder: Webcomics ]]

* ''Webcomic/TwiceBlessed'': elves, dwarves, gnomes, goblins, hobgoblins, orcs, ogres, etc. Like ''[=OotS=]'' below, it's based on ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''.
* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': Again, elves, dwarves, halflings, goblins, hobgoblins, orcs, ogres. Fitting, as it's based on ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''.
* ''{{Drowtales}}'': see [[ here]].
* ''Linburger'' has the [[OurElvesAreBetter Cyll]], the [[OurOrcsAreDifferent Trokks]], Firne, and [[CatGirl Mirrakae]]. All of which suffer FantasticRacism, and most live in poverty in the slums. Though there are a few rich demihumans, such as a pornstar.
* ''Speak With Monsters'' mocks the human-centric nature of this trope with a list of alternate names for humans, ranging from "double halflings" to "I can't believe it's not bugbear."
* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' has elves, who are offspring of Immortals and humans, and Greater Chimera, who are offspring of humans and a species of aliens called Uryuoms through the aliens' BizarreAlienReproduction. Greater Chimera can have animals among their genetic parents but if they don't they are visually identical to humans except for their [[ very unusual eyes and the fact that they have at least a pair of furry antennae on their heads]]. [[note]]though these are similar in appearance to HairAntennae, they are prehensile, and have other functions[[/note]]


[[folder: Web Original ]]

* The art of [[ Fredrik KT Andersson]] (NotSafeForWork!): elves, dwarves, gnomes, orcs (who look like [[UglyCute cavemen]] with [[CuteLittleFangs tusks]]), trolls (who look like a human with a lion's tail). Not to mention tons of HalfHumanHybrids, many of them the result of a certain bard who gives new meaning to AnythingThatMoves:
-->'''King:''' No, no, NO! I said ''slay'' the dragon, [[HalfHumanHybrid not]] ''[[HalfHumanHybrid lay]]'' [[HalfHumanHybrid the dragon]]!


[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' has [[FairyCompanion fairies]], genies, pixies, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin anti-fairies]] and [[OurGnomesAreWeirder lawn gnomes]].
** Fairies are have insect wings and are the [[LittlePeople size of children]]. Interestingly, their [[CurtainsMatchTheWindow eyes match their hair]].
** Genies are about the size of humans, and have tails of smoke. They fly, despite not having wings.
** Pixies are like fairies but [[AlwaysChaoticEvil evil]], and all sound like Ben Stein.


[[folder: Real Life ]]

* Neanderthals, a physically hardier species of hominid (or possibly ''sub''-species - it seems they weren't as different to us as was thought at first and inter-breeding may have been possible)
** Anthropologists have even speculated that many modern people of European ancestry may in fact have Neanderthal ancestors.