- "Seven years… Working with the Slayer. Seeing my friends get more and more powerful… All of them. And I'm the guy who fixes the windows. They'll never know how tough it is, Dawnie. To be the one who isn't chosen, to live so near to the spotlight and never step in it. But I know. I see more than anybody realizes because nobody's watching me."
- ― Xander Harris (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
- "Not every superhero has powers. You can be super without them."
- ― Buddy Pine (The Incredibles)
- "I know what it’s like to be in the orbit of someone who can juggle semi-trucks and you want to help out, save the world, and all you can do is just stand there holding the wrench and I know the fear of being vulnerable and I will teach you the ways to handle that. Right now, I just want you to know that we’re on the same team we are the extraordinary humans in a family of super people, and we have to stick together."
- ― Lois Lane (Superman and Lois)
The archetype of characters who are normal and unpowered within their society/reality. Contrast against Super-Powered Mortal.
Also Called[]
- Mundane
- Non-Meta/Non-Super
- Normal/Normie
- Unpowered Being
Fiction-Specific Terms[]
- Muggle/No-Maj (Harry Potter/Wizarding World franchise)
Properties[]
The character is defined by having a mortal physiology, a roughly human level of sapience, and no superpowers. Even without powers, normies can be a force to reckon with, especially in large groups or when they come together as a unified society to defend their interests. Even without powers, normies can still find ways to match their enemies’ levels, such as being skilled with weapons, being in a peak physical condition, or mastering various skills.
Normies can become superpowered through advanced technology, exotic technology, magical objects, mystic relics, divine blessings, or some sort of power inducing event/incident. Conversely, some superpowered beings may be forced to live-out their lives as normies due to becoming victims of powerlessness inducement, loss of immortality, loss of invulnerability, falling from grace, etc. Within some societies, some number of normies may have recessive genetics that allow their children or descendants to develop powers even if they themselves do not.
The composition of the normie population will vary between worlds and societies. On an iron aged society on a fantasy world, it may be that humans, dwarves, elves, and halflings live side-by side as normies. While that society would see extraterrestrials as exotic "non-normies," a spacefaring society could include aliens amongst its normies.
Associated Powers[]
- Building Mastery
- Disability-Based Immunity; as the user has no powers, they are immune to such things as Power Negation.
- Power Anchoring; cannot be affected by powers that affect powers.
- Weakness Immunity; usually is immune to weakness that affect superpowered beings.
- Enhanced/Supernatural Inventing
- Fate Denial
- Improvisation Mastery
- Indomitable Will/Enhanced Willpower
- Mortality
- Enhanced Weakness in comparison to other beings
- Peak Human Condition; the max level possible for them.
- Real-Life Powers
- Skill Adaptation
- Training Regimen via compensating the absence of powers with common techniques.
- Unpowered
Associated Physiologies[]
Characters may be any non-powered, non-supernatural physiology that is normal within their reality:
- Alien Physiology (Varies)
- Animal-Human Physiology
- Atlantean Physiology
- Dwarf Physiology
- Elf Physiology (Non-supernatural varieties only)
- Halfling Physiology
- Human Physiology
- Humanoid Physiology (Varies)
- Orc Physiology
Relationships/Variations[]
Associations[]
- Indomitable Nature
- Mortality Manipulation
- Mortalization
- Personal Mortality
- Potential Creation
- Power Acquirement
- Superpowered Physiology
Flaws/Weaknesses[]
- Users will inevitably die.
- Users are seen as playthings by non-mortal beings.
- Some users may not be powerless, but other beings can prove to be more powerful.
- Some users would refuse any (desires, chances, or opportunities etc.) in obtaining powers for they may claim to be above them and choose to retain their mortality due to the unbearable toll that comes with superhumanization.
Notes[]
This archetype is often labelled as "mortals" but this is an ill-suited term as even most supernatural beings are mortal.
Example Characters[]
See also: Muggles, Muggle Power, and Muggle Best Friend.
- Momoyo Kawakami (Maji De Watashi Ni Koishinasai!)
- Susan Long (American Dragon: Jake Long)
- Sam Wilson/Falcon/Captain America (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
- Stiles Stilinski (Teen Wolf)
- Non-benders (Avatar: The Last Airbender/The Legend of Korra)
- Sokka
- Asami Sato
- Pema
- Ty Lee
- Mai
- Ben Tennyson (Ben 10); without the Omnitrix
- Adam and Eve (Biblical Mythology)
- Xander Harris (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
- Tomoyo Daidouji (Cardcaptor Sakura)
- Meiling Li (Cardcaptor Sakura)
- Akiho Shinomoto (Cardcaptor Sakura)
- Batman Family (DC Comics)
- Tyrael (Diablo 3)
- Magicless individuals native to Twisted Wonderland (Disney: Twisted-Wonderland)
- Erik Venue
- Gidel
- Luca Jameson (Tomorrow People)
- Mortals (Dragon Ball series)
- Z-Fighters
- Mr. Satan
- Mortals (God of War)
- Muggles (Harry Potter)
- Squibs (Harry Potter)
- Syndrome (The Incredibles)
- Homo sapiens (Marvel Comics)
- Kaz (Mighty Med)
- Oliver (Mighty Med)
- Quirkless (My Hero Academia)
- Mercury Black (RWBY)
- Lilin/18th Angel/Humanity (Neon Genesis Evangelion); before Human Instrumentality
- Entity 1/Humans (The Backrooms)
- Baseline Humans (SCP Foundation)
- SCP-1000 - Bigfoot/Children of the Night (SCP Foundation)
- Ninja Turtles (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
- Zayla (Marvel Rising)
- Mortals (Riordanverse)
- Humans (Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid)
Gallery[]
Mercury Black (RWBY) was robbed of his Semblance by his father, forcing him to cope without it.
Despite being born into a family of dragons, Susan Long (American Dragon: Jake Long) doesn't possess any natural dragon abilities like her father and children because the magic skipped her generation as sometimes will, and thus she is locked in human form.
Sokka (Avatar: The Last Airbender), the only non-bender of the original Team Avatar.
Adam and Eve (Biblical Mythology) ate from the forbidden fruit, becoming mortals.
Xander Harris (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) is the only one amongst the Scooby Gang with no supernatural powers.
Tyrael (Diablo 3) was once a very powerful angelic being…
… who choose to fall willing turning himself mortal to unbind himself of laws that bound him to inaction to bring justice to the world.
Erik Venue (Disney: Twisted-Wonderland) has no magical powers, whereas his son Vil Schoenheit does.
The Z-Fighters (Dragon Ball series), for all their power, are still mortals lacking a godly status or ki, aside from Goku and Vegeta, who both gained Godly Ki.
Kratos (God of War) was born a mortal demigod before becoming a true god.
Though born to a family of magic users, Meiling Li (Cardcaptor Sakura) has no magical powers herself.
Unlike her cousin Sakura Kinomoto, Tomoyo Daidouji (Cardcaptor Sakura) has no magical abilities.
Despite his mortality, Sam Wilson/Falcon/Captain America's (Marvel Cinematic Universe) mind about the shield changed. So much, that he willingly took it and became the new Captain America to protect his country.
Syndrome (The Incredibles) has no superpowers but compensates with a genius-level intellect and a steady supply of gadgets he invented.
A Quirkless amongst numerous Quirk users, Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia) never manifested a Quirk in his youth, leading to him being horribly bullied.
Despite their mutations, the Ninja Turtles (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) have no real superpowers, being equal to peak human athletes.
Though mere mortals, the Winchester family (Supernatural) have achieved incredible deeds, from defeating angels, demons, monsters and even gods.
Despite everything that he has been through, Stiles Stilinski (Teen Wolf) still shows no obvious signs of wanting to become a Werewolf, preferring to maintain his humanity and use his non-supernatural gifts to help the pack protect their hometown.
Kaz and Oliver (Mighty Med) were originally nomos who were experts in studying all of their favorite superheroes and villains, knowing all of their strength and weaknesses way before they received powers.
Unlike the other Angels Lilin/18th Angel/Humanity (Neon Genesis Evangelion) does not possess an S^2 Engine/Fruit of Life, that the other angels/branches of humanity possessed, thus lacking immortality and other unique powers.
Videos[]
The Blood Test - The Thing (1982)-2
Kyle Reese Arrival - The Terminator -Open Matte, Remastered--2
Future War (Kyle Reese's Dream) - The Terminator -Open Matte, Remastered--2
Kyle Reese vs T-800 (Tech-noir) - The Terminator -Open Matte, Remastered--2
The Terminator is an infiltration unit - The Terminator -Open Matte, Remastered--2
It's just him and me - The Terminator -Open Matte, Remastered--2
Future Remembered - The Terminator -Open Matte, Remastered--2
We did it, Kyle - The Terminator -Open Matte, Remastered--2
Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese vs T-800 Endoskeleton - The Terminator -Open Matte, Remastered--2
Pescadero Hospital Escape - Terminator 2 -Remastered--2
Can we reset the switch? - Terminator 2- Judgment Day -Director's Cut--2
Army of Darkness (10-10) Movie CLIP - Hail to the King, Baby (1992) HD
Supernatural - Dean Kills The Shapeshifter 1x6-2
Supernatural - John Makes A Deal With Yellow Eyed Demon For Dean 2x1-2
Supernatural- Dean and Sam Attempt to Stop an Evil Zombie - Season 2 -CLIP- - TNT-2
Supernatural - Dean Sells His Soul for Sam - S2E22 - Logoless
Supernatural - Dean Kills Azazel - S2E22 - Logoless-2
Gandhi Fight - Supernatural - TNT-2
Paris Hilton Fight - Supernatural - TNT-2
Supernatural- Sam and Dean Discover changelings - Season 3 -CLIP- - TNT-2
Teddy Bear Doctors - Supernatural - TNT-2
Supernatural 4x01 Lazarus Rising 04 Dean Visits Bobby HD
Supernatural - Sam and Dean meet Adam - S4E19 - Logoless
Supernatural Books - Supernatural - TNT-2
Cupid On Supernatural-2
6. Sam and Dean Talk to Mary and John - Supernatural 5.13. The Song Remains the Same-2
10. Sam and John Scene - Supernatural 5.13. The Song Remains the Same-2
Supernatural - Dean gets turned into a vampire - S6E05 - Logoless-2
Dean Winchester - "What Are You?" S6E6
Sam & Dean - "Dragons Like Nice Hotels" S6E12-2
Supernatural - Showdown between Dean and Elias Finch - S6E18 - Logoless
Sam & Dean Walk into a Saloon - Supernatural - TNT-2
Supernatural - Sam & Clowns-2
Supernatural - Dean and Crowley fight demons - S9E11 - Logoless
Supernatural - Dean Kills The Witch To Regain His Memory 12x11
-SUPERNATURAL 13x10- No Sam, it's a LIZARD-2
SCP-5056 The Constant Companions-2
Analysis & Discussions[]
The Houses of the Edain (Men) - Tolkien Explained
The Complete Travels of Beren & Lúthien - Tolkien Explained-2
HURIN THALION! The Most Cursed Man In Middle-earth? - Middle-Earth Lore
The Complete Travels of Túrin Turambar - Tolkien Explained-2
Tuor, the Man who became Immortal - Tolkien Explained-2
Beregond, Guard of the Citadel - Tolkien Explained-2
History Of Commissioner Jim Gordon-2