Cain and Abel and Seth: Difference between revisions

In this trope, a third person is introduced specifically in a way to complicate the relationship between established siblings, or between the established siblings and the new sibling. If the characters aren't related by blood, but through the same [[Meta Origin]] consider themselves [[Blood Brothers]] or [[Bash Brothers]] ''literally'', then another character with the same [[Meta Origin]] and honorary sibling status may suffice.

 

 

Considering these characters can be introduced quite some time after the original set, spoilers may be ahead.

 

Compare [[Long Lost Sibling]], which can possibly be a supertrope to this, [[Cousin Oliver]], [[Remember the New Guy?]] and [[Tangled Family Tree]].

 

* The late introduction of Shizuku in ''[[Candy Boy]]'', with her [[Big Sister Worship]] of Yukino and slight [[Sibling Rivalry]] with Kanade, really shakes up the twins' dynamic.

* In ''[[One Piece]]'', Luffy and Ace are revealed to {{spoiler|not be related, and have a third [[Blood Brothers]] named Sabo. In their youth, he was the physical midpoint of the three, and was [[The Spock]] in their three man band. The story is told entirely through flashback, as Sabo is assumed dead and thus a [[Posthumous Character]]. His death, and Ace's subsequent death}}, To the viewers, this complicates every ''previous'' interaction between Luffy and Ace, their current situation, and [[Gallows Humor|all those that would follow]]. Additionally, Ace's tattoo and Luffy and Ace's relationships with their [[True Companions]] take new significance. In a cover, it is shown that {{spoiler|had Sabo lived, the three would be together, and to cement this "Good Future", Ace's tattoo loses its meaningful misspelling}}.

 

* In ''[[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]]'', a slip up by Mr. Sinister introduced an example. As explained on the [[Tangled Family Tree]] page, Scott Summers was introduced as an orphan, then met and established a relationship with his brother Alex. This lasted for quite some time, before Sinister hinted that there was at least one more brother out there. After a lot of plot changes and [[Word of God]] statements, the brother was set as Vulcan, a supervillain emperor.

 

* In ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'', Sam and Dean have spent most of their twenty-some years with only each other as dependable family. Eventually, in the episode entitled ''"[[Jumping the Shark]]"'' including references to [[The Brady Bunch|Cousin Oliver]], they find out that their father had a child several years after their mother died, whom he kept from the hunter's life to protect him. The brothers immediately argue about whether to train him or to spare him from their life. It turns out {{spoiler|he's already been killed in revenge against their father, and they've been dealing with a ghoul}}.

** When Adam eventually makes another appearance in season five {{spoiler|as himself, after he's been [[Back From the Dead|brought]] back [[Back for the Dead|from the dead]] as bait or a [[Take a Third Option|possible alternative]] for Michael,}} he doesn't get along with either of the brothers that never knew about him. In Season six, when Dean's given the option to either {{spoiler|save Sam's soul from eternal torment in Lucifer's cage or rescue Adam's from the same place, Dean [[Big Brother Instinct|unsurprisingly]] doesn't even hesitate in choosing [[Protectorate|Sam]]}}.

* ''[[Gossip Girl]]'', where Chuck becomes Serena and Eric's adoptive brother when their parents are married. The siblings already knew Chuck, and because of his earlier attempt to rape Serena, neither of them trust him. While Eric is the first to come closer to Chuck, Serena still distrusts him and blames him for sending her porn magazines. {{spoiler|Though, as it turns out, they were sent by someone else. Their relationship gets even worse when Chuck's father dies}}.

 

* In ''[[Mortal Kombat Armageddon]]'' Rain's Ending {{spoiler|it is revealed he is the third son of Argus - the other two being rivals Dagon and Taven}}