What are Otherpaw, Otherkin, Otherhearted, and Otherlink to Therians?

Knowing you like to run around on all fours in the woods and feel a deep connection with your previous life as a wolf may seem strange at first. Knowing what is a therian is only the first step in understanding more about who you are and what makes you tick.

Just like any other part of life, there are all kinds of different shades of colors. Being a therian, furry, or something else comes in degrees. For example, plenty of people identify with otherpaw, otherkin, otherhearted, and otherlink.

While there are many definitions, I’m going to try to give some simplified explanations of each non-human affiliation and how they relate to therianthropy.

What is an Otherpaw?

You may have never heard of otherpaw before, but probably know one or two people in the therian world that better identify in this category. To be clear, you don’t have to be in any one category. Your identity is yours and yours alone.

What is an otherpaw refers to people who enjoy taking part in playing animals or mythical creatures. They roleplay their identities for fun or recreation. You may see them practicing quadrobics or creating therian masks, but not necessarily because they have a past life as animals.

The enjoyment of being part of the therian world, but not actually being therian is why a lot of otherpaws get wrapped in the furry fandom. Either way, they often find many cool things to do that therians would enjoy and are welcomed with open arms.

What is the Difference Between Otherkin and Therian?

Otherkin are a little different than therians. A therian feels a deep connection with animals and has a personal identity intertwined with the non-human world (usually known as different theriotypes like a wolf, eagle, otter, cat, etc.).

Otherkin identifies with the mystical or fantasy world more than the natural world. They may feel a deep connection with beings like dragons, elves, chimera, or sphinxs. For example, a therian may feel a therian shift as a calico cat climbing a tree whereas otherkin would picture soaring through the air breathing fire as a dragon.

As therians can trace their roots to things like lycanthropy (werewolves) and other ancient stories, there is a little overlap between what are otherkin and therians.

What is an Otherhearted?

An otherhearted is very different from therians. To be therian, you need to feel a deep connection with an animal identity. Otherhearted people don’t have that connection for a personal identity. Instead, they feel a profound closeness with animals, but not as one of them.

Think of otherhearted as someone who would want to run with a pack of wolves, not because they are one, but because they love and appreciate wolves for being so strong and instinctive. It is more about emotional and spiritual affinity than an actual shift.

Otherhearted are often where religions like Christianity or cultural stories from Asia and Indigenous peoples tend to get a little blurry.

What About an Otherlink?

Otherlinks are unique. They seek out a connection with alterhumans or fictional beings. The key difference between an otherlink and a therian is otherlinks make it a choice. They voluntarily embrace a persona by crafting narratives or aspirations around an identity.

Therians don’t really have a choice. It is more coming to terms with their non-human theriotypes. Otherlinks make things a choice and maintain control over how far they go into the alterhuman life.

How Do Any of These Relate to Therianthropy?

Therianthropy is all about feeling that deep connection with animals. You may act out behaviors and develop a personal ethos around your theriotypes. That is much different than otherhearted and otherlinks. They may explore some of the same ideas, like having a therian journal or researching a therian symbol, but more in a curiosity study than anything else.

Otherkin and otherpaws are more closely associated with therians. An otherkin is basically the same thing, but for mythical or fantasy creatures and otherpaws enjoy many of the same activities, but without the animalistic connection.

You can also find people who blend into any of these categories. The best practice is to accept people for who and what they are so everyone feels welcome to be a part of the community.

Final Thoughts

Learning more about your personal identity is always a challenging journey. Whether you’re a therian, furry, otherpaw, otherkin, otherlink, or otherhearted is something only you can discover.

Take your time to explore who you are and what you believe. Don’t let anyone else (like your parents) dictate your journey. Most importantly, be gentle with yourself. This is an often emotional journey, and you should always feel supported and at ease as you take another step forward.

If you would like to learn more about the Therian Guide, feel free to leave a comment below, share this article, or drop us a line on our contact page. Thank you for reading!

FAQs

How can I tell if I’m otherhearted?

Any time you feel yourself deeply resonating with a particular animal or character, so much so that you change your worldview or draw inspiration from them, you may be otherhearted.

What is otherkith?

Otherkith is like otherkin. It describes anyone who feels a deep connection with mythical or fantasy creatures, but not fully identifying with them. It’s kind of a middle ground or gray area in therianthropy.

Are otherhearted alterhumans?

You can wrap otherhearted into the alterhuman umbrella. They feel connections as part of their identity, but not mandatory, as they have a choice. That is different from otherpaws, otherkin, otherlink, and full therians.