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How can a nephilim surpass both angels and demons?

Erebus

Troubadour
Angels and demons possess a number of abilities, such as super strength, speed endurance and other enhanced physical abilities. Where they differ is that one serves God in heaven while the other serves the interests of hell. Therefore, angels and demons have developed opposing energies, preventing them from procreation with or among each other. To get around this, an equilibrium is needed to create a state in which opposing forces are balanced.

Humans are a tabula rasa, a basic genetic template that the angels and demons are built off of. This explains the compatibility between the three species. A human vessel would serve as this balancing force, keeping both angelic and demonic from overwhelming and destroying each other. Pieces of an angel's soul were placed inside this human vessel, countered with parts from a demon soul. These opposing forces were successfully contained by this vessel, changing it into what is called a nephilim. This new creature is something of a Frankenstein, containing the parts of all three progenies, but becoming a new species altogether.

As this creature is only part angel and demon and contained in a human vessel, it should be weaker than full angels or demons. However, this being has the potential to be stronger than both divine species in terms of power. How can combining these opposing elements make the resulting creature stronger?
 

Yora

Maester
It's actually pretty common in genetics that hybrids are advantaged over purebred specimens. All species have their strengths and weaknesses that develop as the species adapts to specialize to its environment. Within that specific niche they are at an advantage over other species, but they are at a disadvantage outside of environments and situations that they are specialized for. Hybrids have more genetic diversity than either of their parents. This reduces the chances that they develop advantaged specialized traits as strongly as their parents do, but it also gives them much better chances to not develop the disadvantaged traits of their parents.
The genetic mechanisms get a lot more complicated than that, which in some cases lead to a trait not being halfway between both parents, but actually being stronger expressed than in either parents. Tigers are considerably larger than lions, but a hybrid of tiger and lion will grow even bigger than a tiger. There also seems to be something going on with fixing a flaw being overall more beneficial than loosing an advantage.
But even if you have a hybrid that has all its traits developed halfway between those of both parents, you still end up with an individual that is better adapted to a wider range of environments than the parents. Specialization has great benefits, but only for as long as the species has to deal with exactly the circumstances it is specialized for. When circumstances are not ideal, a more adaptable all-rounder is at a significant advantage.
 
If there are things only angels can do and things that only demons can do then perhaps the nephilim can do both, which gives it more abilities then either side. Same with weaknesses. If angels and demons have specific, unique weaknesses (like kryptonite for superman) then you can have the nephilim be immune to those weaknesses.
 
Well, as there are stories of demons being no more than fallen angels themselves, what if the Nephilim is the "key". . . a way back for those fallen demons? What if "falling" is really a term for a portal and the Nephilim is the first creature in eons to have the power to re-open or permanently seal that portal because it has both "keys", the knowledge of both angels and demons implanted in it through those pieces you mentioned, while still being frailer due to its physical, human nature? What if the Nephilim, because it's part human, is constantly drained of life force, or driven closer to madness, the nearer it comes to opening the portal or being close to either of the other two entities for too long?

What I'm suggesting is looking at the Nephilim's "power" being knowledge and a single ability, that neither angels nor demons possess alone, and not physical or magical power. Sort of how some teachings believe that our minds could not handle pure enlightenment without it driving any of us somewhat mad.
 

Gurkhal

Auror
The story needs it to be so.

But anyway as mentioned by Yora there mare many good reasons for why a hybrid can be an even stronger creature than a pure breed.
 

WooHooMan

Auror
I'm thinking that the key to a nephilim's power would also be the key to a human's "power": free will. A nephilim does not need to serve the good and righteous purpose of heaven but also does not need to be subject to hell's evil and probably chaotic purpose. They can instead use their divine power to serve their own ends.

So, I would imagine a nephilim is as physical powerful as an angel or demon but in total control of their destiny. Which is a pretty fantastic advantage in a world dictated power the higher powers of good and evil. They would basically be some kind of ubermensch. Maybe you can model them off of Superman or similar characters with all kind of crazy powers like flight or heat vision or super strength but may otherwise appear human.

In short:
For physical/magic power: nephilim = angel/demon > human
For personal (will)power: nephilim = human > angel/demon

I'd be curious for what kind of afterlife awaits a nephilim, assuming they don't inherent an angel/demon's immortality.
 

Alex Reiden

Minstrel
Emotion and humanity. It's a pretty effective trope for a human hybrid of some magical being to surpass its parent by leveraging human emotion to evoke greater or hidden power. The key to writing this effectively is to compel the reader to feel for the character, and when the power manifests through emotive reaction, it feels visceral and real.
 

ShadeZ

Maester
1. Hybrid Vigor- Heterosis, hybrid vigor, or outbreeding enhancement is the improved or increased function of any biological quality in a hybrid offspring. An offspring is heterotic if its traits are enhanced as a result of mixing the genetic contributions of its parents. In other words a hybrid has the capacity to possibly have the traits of both parents and beyond.

2. Regarding fragments of an angel and demon in a human body you might enjoy reading up on sigmund freud's Id, ego, superego theory.
 

R.H. Smith

Minstrel
I like the premise. I'm actually writing a MS using angels and demons, god and the devil, etc. Anyways, something i notice alot with these types of works is that power is dependent on the god...so angels depend on god for their power and demons depend on the devil. There is an inherent flaw with this in that it's widely know God is more powerful than the devil, making Angels ultimately more powerful than demons. How to get over that trope and put everyone on equal ground? The Nephilim. They have piece of angel soul and demon soul, but do not need each gods power. Each soul piece grants the Nephilim the ability of free will as WooHooMan mentioned, allowing differing Nephilim to choose for themselves if they will champion God or Devil. Hope this helps!
 
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