What is otherkin?
Although the specifics of the definition of "otherkin" can vary depending on the individual, it's generally regarded to mean when one identifies as being partially or entirely nonhuman. Also under the otherkin umbrella is "fictionkin," in which someone identifies as something that is fictional, most commonly a fictional character or species. Some people opt to go the route of calling fictionkins that they have a very strong connection with an "ID", although many people who do this reject the otherkin label, at least on these specific identities.
Somewhat similar to the otherkin phenomenom, "therian" describes those who identify with a nonhuman animal- often attributed to spiritual, psychological or emotional reasons, but the reasoning behind their identity is not the focal point.
An umbrella term that can encompass all of these ideas into one is alterhuman, which describe a set of individuals who have experiences or an identity that they perceive as being other than, alternative to, or differently human. This not only includes otherkin and therians, but also sympathetic identities like otherhearted people and souldbonders, differently human identities like transhumanists and rewilders, and even system-exclusive experiences like nonhuman and/or introject alters.
While some classify their identity as being spiritual, symbolic or metaphorical, others will attribute it to neurodivergence or general psychology.
My history with Otherkin
I discovered the otherkin community sometime around 2014 through- you guess it, Tumblr- and I haven't been able to let go of it ever since. I don't remember exactly how I came across otherkin back then, but I imagine it was fairly easy for me to do so because it was the new hot trend to jump on back then, so naturally I also had to get in on it. Little did I know that, almost an entire decade later, it would still be having such a big impact on my life.
Even as social media begins to view it as something "immature" and "childish," or something that only terminally online teenagers do. Even as I age, I still find myself identifying heavily as certain things that are beyond the human experience, and I think that this will remain an important part of me as a person for a long time coming.
A lot of my reasons for kinning are for psychological and emotional reasons, especially when it comes to my identity problems as a result of my mental illnesses, but I'm not opposed to exploring the spiritual side of my kins one day either.
Doubles with any of the identities under any of the above tabs are welcome and I'd like to kiss if you don't mind.
ID
Characters I identify with heavily; kins higher than kin, so to speak...
Walter "Radar" O'Reilly - M*A*S*H
It's kinda crazy how much I identify with him, and there's many similarities between us that it's pretty uncanny! We both have practically the same personality type of being resourceful and rather naïve, we look very similar in appearance, we're both stuffed animal lovers, and we're both surrounded in medical settings in one way or another. My friends can vouch that I'm just like Radar in countless ways.
Tobias Jedidiah "TJ" Hess - Echo
This one was just recently awakened in me, but even before I got into Echo, I knew there was a connection between TJ and I- I just didn't realize how significant of a connection that would end up being! We're very similar in personality and upbringing, with both of us being charitable and sensitive in a way that gets us taken advantage of often, and both of us having been brought up from a religious background while also dealing with childhood anxiety.
Norman Bates - Psycho (1960)
Easily my biggest red flag of a kin, I consider Norman to be who I'd be if I were a much worse person. Still, a lot of my identity in him stems from trauma, and this is a kintype you can absolutely psychoanalyze me for. The curse of being dutiful and obedient to authority figures who end up being all you have or know is real...
Cyril Figgis - Archer
Also a red flag- probably not as much as Norman, but still a red flag nonetheless. He's still not a morally good person in the source material, but he at least shows improvement as the show progresses, which I feel signifies my own growth as a human being. Still, he remains as being the meek, cowardly butt-monkey of the spy agency ISIS (yes, that is actually what it's called.)
Fictionkin
Other characters I identify with.
Pokemon
Pokemon that I kin!
Skitty
Espurr
Blitzle
Meowscarada
Swoobat
Espeon
Togekiss
Shaymin
Digimon
Digimon that I kin!
Ganvivormon
Tailmon
Marineangemon
Cutemon
Comfort
These are less "kins" and more just comfort characters that I see myself in!
Therian
If the image is a piece of art, please click to see the source!
Animals I identify with on a high level, often with the experience of having meta-limbs.
Rale elusive male calico Scottish fold cat
I've known for all my life that I've always been a cat, but the type of cat has always changed. Right now it's this. Who knows what kind it'll be in the future!
Grevy's plains zebra of the Serengeti
This identity I was awakened in me through my EDS diagnosis- seeing as the awareness symbol is the zebra, I began to realize just how much kinship I share with zebras.
Common vampire bat, loves feeding on cattle
Vampire bats especially captivated my mind and soul because of how they need to feed off of others in order to survive. I feel we're highly connected in that way.
Alterhuman
My alterhuman identity is that of a faerie-vampire hybrid, more in-line with how Irish folklore sees faeries as being fallen angels cast out of heaven by God. I'm still unsure of what my true history was, but I know that I was able to shapeshift from a human form, to my true form that is very much reminiscent of artist Void Bugs's moth faeries. I also sustained my energy by feeding off of the blood of humans.
Otherkin
Other non-human identities I see myself as being
Honduran White bat
Pygmy hedgehog
Scottish terrier
Lovebird
Mallard duck
Unicorns
Plush
Furby
TJ Hess - Echo
