Token Human trope and discussion

[takadote26]

I remember back in 2008 AD, it was quite common to have at least one ‘human character’ amongst all the aliens and other beings in space operas (Fry from Futurama, for example), but is it still common as a trope nowadays? Discuss and speculate!

Examples from older fiction and media:

1. Fry from Futurama
2. Finn/Fiona from the Adventure Time cartoon
3. So many ‘isekai anime’ characters that I can’t even remember them all!
4. My character, miss Vixen! (only human on a planet of aliens and space monsters)
5. a human in a universe of telepathic aliens, humanoid aliens and ‘space werewolves’
6. Older short films often had “now starring Sarah as The Girl, Mark as The Old Man” in the credits

 

[Naomasa298]

I remember you from the other place. And the answer is the same here. Most tropes haven't changed, or fallen out of usage. Sometimes, they've altered in form, but this hasn't.

Space Dandy.
So many isekai anime characters that I can't even remember them all.
Billy Butcher (he's not "alone", but narratively, he is, the only human among superhumans).
Several authors here have done it.

It's not a "human among aliens" trope. It's a "fish out of water" trope. The outsider, who has to learn to cope.

By the way, Fry isn't alone. Amy, Hermes, Professor Farnsworth are all human.

 

[TWErvin2]

Sometimes having the human in the mix helps the reader (who is human) better comprehend the differences in societal norms, technology, physiology, etc. among aliens.

Just like when a writer mentions a rundown motel, the reader gets a picture in their head. An alien mentioning some particular type of abode, they would not necessarily give a great description to inform the reader (it would be out of character), but the human, having never encountered it, would make observations and ask questions that would inform the reader. It would feel more natural that way for the reader.