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{{trope}}
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A specific variety of [[The Reveal]].
A parent-child relationship between two characters who were previously thought unrelated is revealed, usually with generous dollops of
In cases when villain and hero turn out to be parent and child, count on at least one scene where the hero worries that he or she will eventually [[In the Blood|end up like the parent]].
Sometimes it's a bogus revelation, and at the end of the episode or plotline the [[Reset Button]] is pressed to restore the previous
Though the trope itself is too [[Undead Horse Trope|fundamental]] to become [[Discredited Trope|Discredited]], any use of the actual line nowadays will be met with a groan and a "Not again!" from the audience. Also a [[Stock Epileptic Trees|popular insane fan theory]].
Line 22 ⟶ 17:
Compare [[Long-Lost Relative]], [[Luke, You Are My Father]], [[Luke, I Might Be Your Father]], [[Everyone Is Related]]. Contrast with [[I Am Not Your Father]].
{{examples}}
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* In ''[[Aquarion Evol]]'': [[Nice Guy]] and [[The Hero]], Amata Sora, barely even knew his mother, believing her to have abandoned him at a young age due to his levitation powers. Then it turns out that she never abandoned him and is with the [[Alien Invasion|Altairians]], but also that his father is in fact the LEADER OF THE ALTAIRIANS!!! How's ''that'' for [[Beyond the Impossible]]?
* In ''[[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure]]'' Part 2, it is revealed that Ripple master Lisa Lisa is actually Joseph Joestar's mother.
* In ''[[20th Century Boys]]'' Friend tells Kenji that he is Kanna's father. Kanna learns this after the first major timeskip.
* The third episode of ''[[Death Note]]'': Light's father is the one leading the police effort to catch the mysterious murderer -- actually Light.
* In the Mazinger trilogy it was played straight, subverted and inverted:
** ''[[Mazinger Z]]'': "Kouji, Shiro, I am your
** ''[[Great Mazinger]]'':
** ''[[UFO Robo Grendizer]]'': It was inverted and played straight.
* ''[[Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water]]'': Nadia learns that
* A recent chapter of the ''[[One Piece]]'' manga reveals that Luffy's grandfather is
** Chapter 550 [[The Reveal|reveals]] that
* In ''[[
* Misaki's relationship to Shuuko/Shuu/the Champion in ''[[
* A rather unlikely example in ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'', where one of 10-year-old Negi Springfield's 15-year-old students claims
**
* Used in the ''[[Monster Rancher (
* In Chapter 367 of ''[[Naruto]]'',
** Aaaaand another for Naruto: his mother Kushina
* ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' does this three times.
**
** All in all, in Eva, "[[Your Mom]]" jokes are done at your own peril.
** Kaworu pulls this off in ''Rebuild 2.0''
{{quote|
'''Fuyutsuki:''' A human? Impossible...
'''
*** An odd line, considering that Kaworu is likely much older then Gendo Ikari. This version of Kaworu might even be older the actual Universe they're in....
* ''[[Tenchi Muyo!]]!'' is full of these. Piece by piece we learn that Katsuhito is Ayeka's and Sasami's half-brother, which means they're both Tenchi's great aunts; then that Washu is Ryoko's mother; and eventually that the woman we thought was Tenchi's mother is actually his sister and that Washu is also Mihoshi's great great grandmother. Then in the second movie, ''Daughter of Darkness'', Mayuka turns up on the doorstep claiming that Tenchi is her father, which is awkward because they're both in their teens; but Washu does a DNA analysis, and yep, she's right. There's the moment in the first movie when Tenchi tells Achika and Nobuyuki that they're his parents, even though they're all about the same age, but that doesn't really count.
* It's nice to see a good old-fashioned subversion, and ''[[Rave Master]]'' brings us one: there are two characters named Gale, one the antagonist (and head of the evil organization), one a good guy (who we've never seen before). Angst-tastic as it would be, the hero assumes his father is the former. Nope. It's the latter. They also play it straight with the two Musicas.
* A variation exists in the third season of ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]]''. After a successful raid on an illegal research facility, Quint adopts a pair of experimental [[Super Soldier|Combat Cyborgs]] because they looked so much like her and raises them as her own daughters. It's later revealed during a medical examination that the reason why Subaru and Ginga looked like her was because their genetic structures were identical. Somehow, Quint's genetic data had been acquired by the researchers and was used to create the two children.
* In the manga version of ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]'', Enishi, a crazed [[White-Haired Pretty Boy]] who wants revenge on Kenshin is his brother in law (obviously Kenshin knew when he first met him). The old guy who befriends Kenshin is Kenshin's father in law who accepted that Kenshin killed his daughter accidentally. Naturally, Enishi ends up with the old guy and both remark that they remember seeing each other.
* Subverted in ''[[Saint Seiya]]''. Along the series, there had been a lot of hints that Marin was Seiya's long-lost sister Seika. She wasn't, his sister was actually a [[Waif Prophet]], and Marin's brother Touma even appears as an enemy in the Tenkai-hen movie.
** And played quite straight in the manga where, it was revealed that Mitsumasa Kido was actually the birth father of all the orphans he sent around the world to be trained as Saints.
* ''[[Digimon Frontier]]'', with Koji learning he has a twin brother he was [[Separated at Birth]] from: Koichi, the [[Face Heel Turn]]ed [[Sixth Ranger]] with the [[Evil Twin|Spirits of Darkness]]. [[Digimon Savers]] also has Keenan Crier finding out he is one of the "hum'''o'''ns" he despises so much, but it's painfully obvious that he was human from the start.
** Also from ''Savers'': Initially, it looks like Masaru's [[Disappeared Dad]] is Yggdrasil, the "world tree," central computer and god of the Digital World. But [[Mysterious Protector|BanchouLeomon]] reveals that ''he'' is Masaru's father. Yggdrasil was about to kill Suguru, but BanchouLeomon absorbed his soul. Unfortunately, Yggdrasil (being a ''god'' and all...) realized it, and has been using Suguru's body for its own ends.
* Parodied in a later episode of ''[[Pretty Sammy|Magical Project S]]''. Romio claims that she's the older sister of Sasami, citing the fact that they share blue hair and the lack of resemblance between Sasami and her parents as the logical reasoning. Just as Sammy was going to run up for a "family reunion", Misa stops her and makes her realize it was a lie, which Romio confirms.
** Romio's character design is base on Ayeka who actually is Sasami's sister in the Tenchi Continuity.
* '[[Sonic X]]''. It is strongly suggested (said outright in the dub) that Dark Oak is Cosmo's father. However, while the characters ''do'' learn that the two are of the same species, Cosmo never directly learns of her heritage.
* In ''[[Princess Tutu]]'', Rue's father is revealed to be [[Big Bad|the Raven]] in the second season. That's not so surprising considering she's the [[Dark Magical Girl]]... but it's later revealed that he actually kidnapped her as a child, and she's just a normal human girl after all. It's also later revealed that Drosselmeyer is Fakir's great-great-grandfather, and Fakir inherited his [[Reality Warper|powers]].
* The very last volume of the ''[[Chrono Crusade]]'' manga reveals that Chrono and Aion are twins, and their mother was a human woman turned into [[Hive Queen|Pandaemonium]] when she was pregnant with them. Also, Satella discovers that her long-lost sister is Fiore.
* In ''[[Gravion]] Zwei'', it's eventually revealed that Sandman is Leele's father, as well as the brother of the Zeravire's creator/leader, and that Raven is Eiji's missing sister Ayaka.
* In ''[[RahXephon]]''... er, this is going to take a while: Ayato's real mother isn't Maya, but Itsuki's adopted sister Quon. Quon is also Maya's twin sister and Itsuki's ''mother'', making Itsuki Ayato's brother. Shirow Watari is their father. Haruka Shitow's uncle, Shougo Rikudoh, was the adoptive father of Maya and Quon. And Haruka? Before her mother remarried, her family name was '''Mishima''' - making her the same long lost "object of desire"/childhood sweetheart that [[Spell My Name with an "S"|Ixtli/Ishtori]] took her appearance from. Or, for those that don't like to read: [[Everyone Is Related|everyone is related to everyone ever.]]
* [[The Dragon|Altair]] and [[Team Mom|Vega]] in ''[[GEAR Fighter Dendoh]]'' are brother and sister, ''both'' of whom had presumed each other dead for years ([[Mask Power|wearing those damn masks all the time]] probably only added to the confusion). Then there's Vega's true identity as Hokuto's mom.
* ''[[Glass Fleet]]'' had a pair of sibling enemies learn at ''the same time'' that they were related. Vetti and Cleo were none-too-pleased to say the least.
* Silver and Giovanni from ''[[Pokémon Special]]''. It is hinted that Silver's game counterpart is also related to Giovanni.
** Confirmed in a sidequest event, from ''[[Pokémon Gold and Silver|HeartGold and SoulSilver]]''. Silver knows who his dad is though, since he's arguing with him.
* ''[[Science Ninja Team Gatchaman]]'' has Ken and the leader of Red Impulse. Just seconds before the latter's [[Heroic Sacrifice]], in fact.
* Tragedically done in ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn]]'', Cardeas Vist with his dying breath revealed to protagonist Banagher Links that he was his real father and entrusted him with the Unicorn Gundam.
* ''[[Dai no Daibouken]]'' has the reveal that Baran, one of the six evil generals, is actually Dai's father. And because that's what evil dads do, he wants Dai to help him [[Kill All Humans|rid the world of humanity]].
* ''Legend of Lemnear'' Manga has some examples -- well, two: Buan turns out to be lian's father and near the finale Lord Varol turns out to be the real father of Lemnear, who turns out to have wanted Lemnear to defeat him for the greater good after the evil has corrupted him; also near the finale Ragna turns out to be Varol's twin brother, which makes him Lemnear's uncle.
* Rihoko from the ''Witchblade'' anime, with both parents.
* Halfway throughout ''[[Shaman King]]'', Mikihisa, Yoh's father, reveals to Yoh himself and his friends that Hao, the [[Big Bad]], is actually Yoh's twin brother, much to their [[Oh Crap|huge surprise]].
* Done twice in ''[[Supercar Gattiger]]'': [[Big Bad|Emperor Black Demon]] is the grandfather of [[The Hero|Joe Kabuki]], while [[The Dragon|Queen Demon]] is Joe's mother.
* In ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist (manga)|Fullmetal Alchemist]]'', it is revealed that [[Big Bad|Father]] is a clone of Ed and Al's dad, and the homunculi are Ed And Al's siblings, as they are Father's "children."
** A similar thing happened in the [[Fullmetal Alchemist (anime)|2003 anime version]]. Envy is revealed near the end to be the Elric siblings' half-brother, being that he was the son of their father and [[Big Bad|Dante]].
* ''[[Tiger and Bunny]]'' reveals that Yuri Petrov/Lunatic is Mr. Legend's son. This in of itself isn't too startling a revelation until it's combined with a previous revelation of Yuri's history: Yuri's first kill was his own [[Abusive Parents|abusive father]].
* [[Played With]] in ''[[Princess Principal]]'': The parent and child involved knew that they were related, but nobody else knew until after one was dead at the other's hands.
==
* Eighteen years after their creation, it was revealed that [[The Avengers (Comic Book)|Avengers]] [[Scarlet Witch]] and [[Quicksilver]] were actually the children of their former leader, long-time [[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]] antagonist [[Magneto]]. Their feelings over this revelation were mixed, [[Understatement|to put it mildly]].
** Polaris, of the X-Men, was revealed early on to be
* A ''[[Legion of Super-Heroes (
* Chris, Superman's adopted son,{{context}} was found in a rocket similar to his. It was revealed during an invasion that
* Mr. Sinister pulls a particularly unpleasant
** Gladly, this probably isn't canon, the Summers have a messed up history as it is.
* In ''[[Booster Gold|Booster Gold One Million]]'' it is revealed to the
* The plot of ''[[Grant Morrison's Batman
** There are strong hints in ''Batman R.I.P.'' that Hurt is actually
*** But if you paid enough attention to the first few pages of the chapter ''Midnight in the House of Hurt'', Dr. Hurt made arrangements for a false suicide note, doctored documents and phony witnesses for a recent victim that was killed by one of his associates. Apparently, it's not enough for the doctor to ruin and leave you as a empty, broken shell of a man after one of his twisted games in the Black Glove; when you're killed, he makes damn sure you'll be remembered as a chronic junkie, a horrible pedophile or worse. His claims that he's Batman's father and his family's "dark history" is a last attempt to screw Bats over and coerce him to join the Black Glove as his [[Evil Plan]] was crashing down like a house of cards.
*** Ultimately, it turns out Hurt is
* ''[[Preacher (Comic Book)|Preacher]]'':
* In ''[[The Umbrella Academy|Umbrella Academy: Dallas]]'' #6, it's revealed that
* Rose Walker's grandfather in ''[[Sandman]]'' is Desire, who impregnated the comatose Unity Kinkaid during Dream's imprisonment.
* A pivotal turning point in the original ''[[Marvel 2099|Spider-Man 2099]]'' run featured Miguel O'Hara (Spider-Man) discovering that the main antagonist of the series and head of the megacorp Alchemax, Tyler Stone, was in fact his father. This derailed the current plotline for quite a few issues as Miguel wrestled with his hatred of the man. The trope was lampshaded near the end of the title's run, when Tyler attempted to shock Miguel into following his orders by dropping the bombshell of his parentage, only to have Miguel, who by this point had come to terms with the fact, casually sip his coffee and then smugly and calmly reveal that he knows.
{{quote|
'''Miguel O'Hara:''' ''(sips coffee)'' Yeah, I know.
'''Tyler Stone:''' You... you know?
'''Miguel O'Hara:''' Yeah. Now get out of my office... '''dad.''' }}
* Tossed in a blender with [[Luke, You Are My Father]] (but not really) in ''[[Usagi Yojimbo]]'':
* In ''[[Green Lantern]] Corps #35'', Sinestro tells
** The last page of ''Green Lantern'' #36 makes it pretty clear that he's telling the truth.
* ''[[Watchmen (
* In ''Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood'', Huntress gets an old photo of her deceased mother, Maria Bertinelli, ''in flagrante delicto'' with mob boss (and rival to mob boss Franco Bertinelli, Maria's husband) Santo Cassamento, and demands to know what they were doing in that hotel room together. His answer: "Isn't it obvious? We were conceiving you, Helena Rosa." That doesn't stop Huntress from ultimately killing him.
* The original ''[[Gen 13]]'' had more of a "Luke You Are His Father", with Burnout and team mentor Lynch simultaneously learning that the former is the latter's long lost son.
* [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] in Peter David's ''[[Supergirl]]'' #57:
{{quote|
* In nine issues, ''[[Brightest Day]]'' has already had three separate revelations about familial bonds between heroes and villains.
* Hiro-Kala knew that he was the son of [[The Hulk]]. He didn't know that Bruce Banner was the Hulk. So when they first met, the following exchange happened:
{{quote|
'''Banner:''' Your...your father.
'''Hiro-Kala:''' Hmp. I don't think so.
'''Banner:''' Yeah, [[You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry|I'm not too happy about it either.]] }}
* In the ''[[
** In a dark alternate universe, 30 years in the future, Lara-Su was raised to believe her father Knuckles had been killed by Constable Remington. However, after she goes back in time (and travels to the wrong dimension too), her mother Julie-Su finally tells her that, in fact, Knuckles wasn't killed by Remington, but went insane with Chaos Powers and became the dreaded leader of the Dark Legion and by extension tyrant of the entire planet, Enerjak.
* Pre-''Flashpoint'', [[Wonder Woman]] discovered that one of the [[Eldritch Abomination|Hechatonkaires]] was her "father": the clay that was used to create her came from his imprisoned body.
== [[Fan Works]] ==
* A
* Lampshaded in ''A Rose and a Thorn 3''.
{{quote|
'''Shadow:''' Shut up with the clichés already! You're not actually my biological father, are you? I saw that movie. I'm not going to do that stupid NOOOOOOOOOO thing. }}
** I'm afraid he really is... Well, one of them, anyway.
* In ''[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4489465/1/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_Erazors_Revenge Sonic the Hedgehog: Erazor's Revenge]'', it is reveled (by the author) that the evil Genie of the Lamp, Erazor Djinn is the father of Sharah the Genie of the Ring, the lesser genie.
* In ''[http://percyjacksonfanfiction.wikia.com/wiki/Whispers_in_the_Dark Whispers in the Dark]'', a popular ''[[Percy Jackson
* In the ''[[Coraline (
* In ''[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6167065/4/The_Great_Dog_Detective The Great Dog Detective]'', a crossover
* In ''[[
* ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Abriged Series]]'' plays with this in an interesting way:
{{quote|'''01:''' Shinji, Gendo never told you what happened to your mother.
'''Shinji:''' He told me enough... He told me you killed her.
'''01:''' No Shinji. I AM YOUR MOTHER.
'''Shinji:''' Ehhh saw it coming. }}
==
* [[The Parody|Parodied]] in ''[[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story 2]]'' with a Buzz Lightyear action figure and his archnemesis Evil Emperor Zurg reenacting a [[Beam Me Up, Scotty|slightly modified]] version of the ''[[Star Wars]]'' reveal.
{{quote|
'''Buzz:''' I'll never give in! [[You Killed My Father]]!
'''Zurg:''' No Buzz, I ''am'' your father!
'''Buzz:''' [[Big No|N]][[Shout-Out|O]][[Skyward Scream|OOOOOOOOOOOO!]] }}
::Later on, you see Buzz and Zurg [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|having a father-and-son game of Catch.]]
{{quote|
'''Buzz:''' Oh, you're a great dad! }}
* In the direct-to-video sequel of Disney's ''[[Aladdin (Disney film)|Aladdin]]'', ''Aladdin and the King of Thieves'', Aladdin discovers his father is head of the 40 Thieves.
* In the 2007 adaptation of ''[[Beowulf (
* As mentioned above, [[It Was His Sled|everybody knows]] about [[The Reveal]] from the second part of the original ''[[Star Wars]]'' trilogy. The reason that this reveal worked and a lot of the imitators fell flat was that a big part of Luke's story revolved around his [[Tell Me About My Father|Jedi Knight father]], whom he sought to emulate as a Jedi himself, which was ''why'' Luke let out the [[Big No]] in response to the [[Awful Truth]] about said father being revealed. It also gives new light to Uncle Owen's reasons for refusing to let Luke accept the [[Call to Adventure]], in particular his "That's what I'm afraid of" response to Aunt Beru's assessment that "he's got too much of his father in him."
** The lesser reveal in ''Return of the Jedi'', that Leia is Luke's sister.
*** Parodied in ''Thumbwars'': "Luke... I am your MOTHER!"
*** ''[[Robot Chicken]]'' has Vader reveal that as well... and that the Empire would be defeated by ''Ewoks''! And that as a child, ''he'' built ''C-3PO''!
{{quote|
'''Darth Vader:''' No, Luke...
'''Luke:''' That's not true! That's impossible!
'''Darth Vader:''' And Princess Leia is your sister!
'''Luke:''' That's not true! That's... ''(bewildered)'' improbable!
'''Darth Vader:''' And the Empire will be defeated... by Ewoks!
'''Luke:''' ''(totally lost)'' That's... very unlikely.
'''Darth Vader:''' And as a child, I built C-3PO!
'''Luke:''' ''Huh?''
''(later, with Vader sipping coffee and Luke smoking a cigarette)''
'''Darth Vader:''' ''(matter-of-factly)'' And the Force? Well, that's just microscopic bacteria in your bloodstream called midichlorians!
'''Luke:''' ''(getting up, disgusted)'' Look, if you're not gonna take this seriously, I'm out! ''(exits)'' }}
*** Also parodied in ''[[Darths and Droids]]'', [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0302.html using Anakin's stepfather in the second episode.] Naturally, Anakin says a [[Big No]].
**** ''Darths and Droids'' later did the "I am your mother" bit, [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/1152.html here]
** The line itself, the Trope Namer, is actually a [[Beam Me Up, Scotty]].
** In [http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/09/20/sidebar.hamill/index.html an interview] with CNN, Luke's actor Mark Hamil expressed his disappointment about the role of Boba Fett in this way:
{{quote|
*** Certainly that would cast Fett's "[[The Princess Bride (
* [[The Parody|Parodied]] in the second ''[[Austin Powers]]'' movie with Dr. Evil claiming to be Austin's father (in an exaggerated voice akin to Vader's) and then admitting almost immediately that he was just making it up.
** In a twist, the third movie features the revelation that
* [[The Parody|Parodied]] in ''[[
{{quote|
'''Lone Starr:''' What does that make us?
'''Dark Helmet:''' Absolutely nothing, which is what you are about to become! }}
* In the movie ''[[The Boondock Saints]]'', the hitman known as Il Duce, who previously gave the MacManus brothers the fight of their lives, is revealed to be their long-lost father when he walks in on them delivering the family prayer to their fallen comrade Rocco (whom he had previously been hired to kill) and finishes the prayer himself.
** And then much [[Badass|ass]] was [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|kicked]].
* ''Transamerica'':
* ''[[Scanners]]'':
* In the film ''[[Wanted]]'', this is used as the twist about
* The big reveal in ''[[Angel Heart]]''
* Taken to ridiculous extremes in ''Dirty Work''. Mitch and Sam are talking to Sam's father, Pops, who reveals he's also Mitch's father. They don't believe him; so he pulls out a locket:
{{quote|
'''Sam:''' You were unfaithful to my mom!
'''Pops:''' No I wasn't. Who do you think took the picture?
''(later)''
'''Sam:''' Hey, Mitch, remember when you had sex with my sister? }}
* Subverted masterfully in the movie ''[[The Boat That Rocked
* The 2002 adaptation of ''[[The Count of Monte Cristo (
* ''[[The Man From Earth]]'':
* Before dying at the end of ''[[The Man in the Iron Mask (1998 film)|The Man in the Iron Mask]]'', D'Artagnan barely has the time to reveal to Philippe (and Louis) that he is their father.
* Near the end of ''[[Big Money Rustlas]]'', before dying of a gunshot wound inflicted onto him by Sugar Wolf, the film's villain, Big Baby Chips, reveals to Sugar Wolf that he is actually his father, Grizzly Wolf, prompting Sugar Wolf to rub off his face paint to see if he was telling the truth.
* [[Inverted Trope|Inverted]] in ''[[Tron
{{quote|
* ''[[Candyman Farewell to The Flesh]]'' has the main protagonist Annie discover that
* ''[[The Terminator]]'': Kyle Reese is John's father by [[Time Travel]].
== [[Literature]] ==
* Inverted in the ''[[Prydain Chronicles]]'', where Taran goes on a search for his parents. He encounters a crippled shepherd who reveals that he is Taran's father but after a few months of living with Taran, the guy has a fatal accident and reveals that he was lying, that his son died years ago and that he told Taran this because he was so lonely.
** Inverted again at the end of the series, when it's revealed that the identity of Taran's parents will never be known.
* ''[[Discworld]]'':
** [[Terry Pratchett]] does a great job of [[Lampshade Hanging]] on this one in the
** A more interesting variation happens in ''[[
** Subverted in ''[[
* This happens not once, but ''twice'', and to the ''same character'', in Ann Radcliffe's 1796 Gothic novel, ''[[The Italian]]''. In the first instance, the evil monk Schedoni is about to murder the virginal heroine in her sleep when he happens to glimpse her
** Even though it turns out that Schedoni isn't Elena's father,
* ''[[The Inheritance Cycle]]'':
* In ''[[
* ''[[His Dark Materials]]'':
* In [[Robert A. Heinlein]]'s short story ''[[All You Zombies]]'', the main character is revealed to be
* In [[Terry Goodkind]]'s ''Wizard's First Rule'', the first book of the [[Sword of Truth]] series, it is revealed that Richard is actually the son of Darken Rahl, the antagonist. Yes, his name is ''[[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Darken]]''. And he's the father of the protagonist, who has a magic sword, and is taught by an old man. [[Real Slim Shadowen|This editor]] would have blanked it out with spoiler tags, but frankly it's not that important. And it's not even the father revealing it to his son, but his son's maternal grandfather. So.
** This then happens several more times with different characters.
** The [[Legend of the Seeker|TV series]] loosely based on the books also follows the trope but replaces
** This is actually one of Goodkind's better instances of [[Playing
* [[
** In ''[[Great Expectations]]'',
** In ''[[Bleak House]]'',
** In ''[[Nicholas Nickleby]]'',
** In ''[[Oliver Twist]]'',
** The best Dickensian example of this trope is in ''[[Barnaby Rudge]]'', in which
* Done intelligently in [[Rafael Sabatini]]'s romantic historical adventure ''[[Scaramouche]]'': André-Louis Moreau spends most of the book as the nemesis of the abhorrent Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr, who
** The 1952 movie had
* In Garth Nix's ''[[Old Kingdom|Abhorsen]]'' trilogy, Lirael finds out the identity of her real father at the end of book two:
* [[Neil Gaiman]]'s ''[[
**
* ''[[The Wicked Years|Son Of A Witch]]'': While the title implies it pretty strongly, it's left very much in doubt whether Liir is Elphaba's son until the very last line, when
* In Meredith Ann Pierce's ''[[The Firebringer Trilogy|Firebringer]]'' trilogy, Jan, the lead character and prince of the unicorns (all the main characters in the trilogy are unicorns), discovers in the third book that
** Another Meredith Ann Pierce example: the white witch Oriencor is actually the daughter of
** And another: ''Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood''. Hannah is
* In the ''[[
** To be fair, you also find the same thing out in "The Pretender".
* In ''[[The Night Angel Trilogy]]'', the Godking does this to both the protagonist and someone else. In the protagonist's case, the Godking is just screwing with his mind. In the latter case,
* In ''[[The Last Book in
* In [[Christopher Moore]]'s ''Fool'', titular character and king's fool Pocket learns that his father was
* Done '''twice''' in Karen Miller's ''[[Godspeaker Trilogy]]''. In Dmitak's case it's
* Inverted (and partly subverted) in [[Robin Hobb]]'s ''Tawny Man Trilogy'' where the main character is forced to interact with his children, who doesn't know who their real father is.
* In the first book of Richelle Mead's ''[[Dark Swan]]'' series (''Storm Born''), it is revealed, fairly early on, that
* In the third book of the ''[[Maximum Ride]]'' series, Max is horrified to learn that the
* In the [[
** Cadfael himself also turns out to be
* In ''All the King's Men'',
* Near the end of Hannah Tinti's ''The Good Thief,'' Ren discovers that he is the son of
* In ''[[Villains
* Played with in Brandon Sanderson's ''[[Mistborn]]''. Main character [[Action Girl|Vin]] knows from the beginning of the story that her father is an important nobleman (she inherited [[Extraordinarily Empowered Girl|her powers]] from him), but doesn't know his identity. He turns out to be Tevidian, High Prelan (priest) of the [[Corrupt Church]] and right-hand-man to [[Evil Overlord|the Lord Ruler]]. Surely this leads to a dramatic moment where the rebel Vin confronts and defeats her badass [[The Dragon|Dragon]] father? Wrong- when we meet Tevidian, he turns out to be a coward who toadies to the Inquisitors (the ''real'' Dragons) and gets killed offhand for [[You Have Outlived Your Usefulness|essentially annoying them]] without ever getting a chance to ''speak'' with his daughter. But honestly, nobody was really that torn up about it.
* Parodied in the ''[[Night Angel]]'' trilogy, in which the Godking claims to be Kylar's father, then admits he was joking in the very next sentence.
* ''The Lost Symbol'':
* In [[Ben Bova
* Done [[Your Mileage May Vary|once or twice]] in ''Evil Genius'': Cadel knows his adoptive parents aren't his real parents, and he's told by his psychologist, Thaddeus, early in the story that his "real" father is Phineas Darkkon, and his mother is dead. Later in the novel, however,
* In ''[[Shocker]]'', the main villain reveals himself to be the protagonist's father before he is executed in the electric chair and is turned into a [[Psycho Electro]].
* In ''Flora's Dare'', Flora learns that Hotspur
* In ''[[The Warlord Chronicles]]'',
* Used straight in ''[[Memory, Sorrow,
* ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (
* In Alan Garner's ''The Owl Service'', Gwyn has just found proof that Huw, the mad gardener, [[Love Makes You Evil|killed]] his mother's lover Bertram and [[You Killed My Father|accuses Huw of killing his father]]. Huw then reveals that he is Gwyn's father.
* In ''[[Warrior Cats|Warriors]]'', the
** Yellowfang also [[The Reveal|reveals to]] [[Big Bad|Brokentail]] that she is his real mother, after she fed him the deathberries that would '''kill him'''.
* ''[[The Dresden Files]]'': Seriously, don't mess with Harry Dresden. If he doesn't ''fuego'' the crap out of you,
* In L. Jagi Lamplighter's ''[[
* Played with for Mareth, the young Druid-in-training in ''[[Shannara|First King of Shannara]]'', has revealed to her during the course of the journey that the innate, nearly out-of-control magic she possesses was inherited from her father--''[[Squick|a Skull Bearer]]''. [[Kill It
* In ''[[The Mysterious Benedict Society]]'', Kate's [[Disappeared Dad]] is revealed to be
*
* Inverted in ''[[Dune]]'', as it is actually Alia Altreides who reveals her relationship to Harkonnen,
* In [[Stephen Hunt]]'s ''The Rise of the Iron Moon'',
* An example from [[Harald]]: Though the individual characters know the relationship from the beginning, [[Unwitting Pawn|King James]] is lead to believe that [[Badass Grandpa|Harald]] will join him against [[Action Girl|Carala]], and he gets this sort of surprise when Harald reveals that he's her father.
* In ''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (novel)|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]'' , Harry learns that Sirius Black is his Godfather. Predictably, Harry breaks down upon this discovery, not just because one of the most wanted criminals was his godfather, but that he was also his parents' friend and had betrayed them to Lord Voldemort, with Harry deeply considering killing Sirius Black to avenge them.
* In the ''[[
* ''[[Clockwork Century|Boneshaker]]'': Dr. Minnericht is said to be the (supposedly) dead [[Mad Scientist]] father of one of the main characters.
* Mrs Lestrange (no, not [[Harry Potter|that one]]) is
* Pol discovers that
* At the end of ''[[Septimus Heap
* At the end of Fred Saberhagen's ''Empire of the East'' trilogy, the [[Big Bad|demon prince Orcus]] realizes that [[Big Good|Ardneh]] is his father in a sense (not the biological sense, since neither being is biological), ''and'' that, [[Thanatos Gambit|in killing Ardneh, he has also destroyed himself]].
* In [[Michael Flynn]]'s ''[[Spiral Arm
* Subverted in ''[[Low Fantasy|Joris of the Rock]]'' (1928) by Leslie Barringer; the title brigand, murderer, and rapist never manages to get the words out ... because his son, [[And This Is For|who has numerous grievances, is furiously hacking him with a sword]].
== [[Live-Action TV]] ==
* ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'': It was hinted at throughout their character arcs, but nevertheless was a huge surprise when it was revealed that Enabran Tain and Elim Garak were father and son. However, Tain and Garak both knew it all along. The reveal was mainly for the audience who had not known it. The drama of the reveal is based on the fact Tain's on his deathbed wants Garak to avenge his death. Garak wants, for [["Well Done, Son" Guy|once in his life]] and before it's too late, for them to have a moment as father and son instead of a superior and inferior officer or a mentor and his protégé.
* ''[[Carnivale]]'' Where to begin? The mysterious Henry Scudder is Ben's father. Lucius Belyakov (AKA Management) is the father of both Justin and Iris. And, Justin is Sofie's father, having raped her mother.
* ''[[Lost]]'': Claire and Jack are half-siblings. And it seems their father (or his ghost, or [[Mind Screw|''something'' like it]]) is close to the mysterious Jacob.
** In season 5, Pierre Chang, the guy from the orientation tapes, turns out to be Miles's father. "The third day we were here, I was in line at the cafeteria and my mother got in line behind me. That was my first clue."
* [[The Parody|Parodied]] in the ''[[Stargate SG-1]]'' episode "200": the rest of the SG team momentarily trick Mitchell into believing that O'Neill is his father by means of [[Time Travel]].
** Then again, all the numbers work out, those ''are'' some good arguments they give, and they never tell him they were joking. [[Wild Mass Guessing|Who knows?]]
Line 299 ⟶ 281:
*** Most folks have two grandfathers. Unless they're Fry.
*** It's made clear that the aforementioned grandfather is his paternal grandfather, therefore O'Neill can't be his father. Plus, O'Neill knew fully well during his time-travel experience that he shouldn't meddle with the past, so he's not going to do something like ''that''. He knows how much it could [[Incredibly Lame Pun|screw]] up the timeline.
* ''[[Sanctuary]]'': While the audience learns in episode 1 that
* The second-season finale of ''[[The Pretender]]'': Miss Parker learns that she has a twin brother she was never told about because he supposedly died at
* ''[[The X-Files]]'': Hints had been dropped throughout the series that Bill Mulder was not Mulder's father, but that his father was C.G.B. Spender. It was left up in the air until season seven's "The Sixth Extinction: Amor Fati", we find out that he ''is'' Mulder's father, but Mulder does not find out until much later.
* ''[[
* ''[[Power Rangers]]'' has been fond of this one and uses it regularly since it was so successful the first time around:
** In ''Power Rangers In Space'', we are treated to the tasty reveal that [[Big Bad]] Astronema is [[The Captain]] Andros's sister Karone after brainwashing.
** Two years later in ''Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue'', we are treated to the revelation that then-evil [[Sixth Ranger]] Ryan is [[Mission Control]] Captain Mitchell's long-lost son (And, thereby, Pink Ranger Dana's brother).
** In ''Power Rangers Ninja Storm,'' we find out that [[Big Bad]] Lothor is [[Mentors|Sensei Watanabe]]'s twin brother, and [[Sixth Ranger]] Cam's uncle. This was fortunate for Lothor's nieces by marriage, as they would have [[Never Say "Die"|been destroyed]] if Cam hadn't decided to save
** In ''Power Rangers Dino Thunder'', we have the revelation that [[Sixth Ranger]] Trent is the adopted son of [[Big Bad]] Mesogog's human counterpart Anton Mercer.
** But the all-time leader is ''Power Rangers Mystic Force'', where we learn in short succession that the evil Wolf Knight Koragg is the mind-controlled form of Leanbow, husband to [[The Obi-Wan]] Udonna. Udonna then discovers that Red Ranger Nick is actually her long-lost son Bowen. Meanwhile, we discover that comic relief character Leelee is secretly the daughter of Necrolai, queen of the vampires.
*** It would have helped if they hadn't been playing what sounds like a fantasy-sounding version of the theme from the Star Wars prequels throughout the season. Unlike Luke, however,
** Following ''In Space'''s example, ''RPM'' reveals that [[Dark Action Girl|Dark Action]] [[Robot Girl]] Tenaya 7 is actally Dillon's missing sister, which surprises... ''[[The Untwist|absolutely no one]]''.
* [[The Parody|Parodied]] on ''The Brak Show'' episode "All That I Desire You", itself a [[Whole-Plot Reference|complete send-up of soap operas]]; Dad is revealed to be living a double life as billionaire oil baron Drake Gainway, and is father to Zorak, Clarence, and his secret third wife Cynthia - in addition to Brak and the Gainway children.
** And just for extra craziness, when ''The Brak Show'' was "hosting" [[Adult Swim]]'s New Year's Night, it was revealed that Thunderclese's father was none other than Frylock from ''[[
* In series 7 of ''[[
* Catherine Willows on ''[[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation]]'', when she finds out that Sam Braun is her father.
* In the series ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'', Claire is revealed to be
** The earlier reveal, when HRG/Noah comes home and we find out that he is Claire's father. (He adopted her, but she considers her adopted parents her "real" parents)
*** And in the Season 3 premiere,
**** Not so much...
**** There's also rumours of yet another Petrelli on the way.{{when}} I'd guess Adam, but I don't know.
***** Adam's impossible as he's been around for hundreds of years and looks nothing like the Petrellis. Matt Parkman on the other hand... though his dad, Maury, has already been a character, but we don't know if he's not a
**** On the subject of the "new Petrelli",
***
** Also as of season 3, Claire is revealed to also be related to
*** Seriously, is there anyone on that show who isn't related?
**** I've heard rumors about Ando.
* Strongly hinted in the ''[[Law
**
* In ''[[
* Subverted in an episode of ''[[Las Vegas]]'' where Mike finds evidence that the Montecito's new owner, AJ Cooper, is Piper's father. Piper confronts Cooper and he vehemently denies it. It turns out that
* Also subverted in ''[[Life On Mars]]'', where DCI Morgan takes Sam to a graveyard.
* In US version of "[[Life
* In the series ''[[Night Court]]'' it is revealed after several seasons that Harry's
* Parodied by the Melty Man (an [[Anthropomorphic Personification]] of [[The Loins Sleep Tonight|male impotence]], complete with black glove and [[Star Wars|Darth Vader]] voice) in ''[[Coupling]]''.
{{quote|
'''Melty Man:''' No Patrick, I ''am'' your erection! }}
* Mocked in the third series of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' when dealing with
** Though, it was originally going to be played straight, and
** Played straight in
* Masterfully inverted, gender-swapped, and played without melodrama in ''[[The Tenth Kingdom]]'', when via the magic mirror Virginia and her father learn that
* Parodied on ''[[The Daily Show]]''. [[Stephen Colbert]] is asked to report on the cancellation of daytime drama ''Another World''. He goes off on a wild melodramatic tangent, reveals that Colbert is not his real name and accuses Jon Stewart of abandoning his "bastard elevator baby". Subverted within the parody because when Stephen finally calls him "Daddy", Jon spoils it by pointing out that they're the same age.
* Caleb and Sheriff Buck of ''[[American Gothic]]''. Unique in that it is revealed ''in the pilot of the series'', and that while Caleb reacts in disgust and anger at the notion, he never has a [[Heroic BSOD]] or otherwise freaks out over the revelation. In fact the more time passes, the less issue he seems to take with it, even welcoming and embracing the relationship by the end of the series. This could be due to being orphaned and having no one else to turn to except an increasingly unstable doctor and a <s>[[Cool Big Sis]]</s> cool cousin [[Evil Is Sexy|who is also being drawn into Buck's orbit]], but [[Demonic Possession|all things]] [[In the Blood|considered]], [[Start of Darkness|probably not]].
* Subverted in ''[[Veronica Mars]]''. Paternity tests confirm that Keith Mars is Veronica's father.
** And then played straight with Logan's adopted sister in an interesting way that somehow managed to avoid the usual cliché of the trope.
* Done in very a surprising "How the hell did I not see that coming?" way on ''[[Dexter]]'' when
* This happens on ''[[Green Wing]]'', where Guy discovers that
* In ''[[Sharpe's Justice]]'', the rabble-rouser Matt Truman is Sharpe's half-brother.
* In ''[[
* Averted in ''[[
* Parodied innummerable times on ''[[Whose Line Is It Anyway?]]''.
* ''[[All My Children]]'' loves this trope. Examples: Daisy Cortlandt and Myra Murdock (Nina's "dead" mother and long-lost grandmother), Palmer Cortlandt (Ross Chandler's long-lost father), and Jackson Montgomery (Greenlee Smythe's real father). In the most recent example, the show waved a magic [[Retcon]] to make Erica Kane's aborted child appear as Josh Madden, supposedly the son of evil Dr. Madden.
* Taken to absurdity in ''[[A Bit of Fry and Laurie]]'', when they parody Australian soaps:
{{quote|
'''Laurie:''' He isn't? Then who is?
'''Fry:''' I am.
'''Laurie:''' Then that must mean that you must be--
'''Fry:''' Exactly. Devlin's half-sister's wife's doctor's cousin's niece.
'''Laurie:''' Well then, who the hell am I? }}
* Parodied on ''[[
* Played straight in ''[[Reaper]]'' with
* Parodied in an episode of ''[[The Mighty Boosh]]'', "Journey to the Centre of the Punk": Howlin' Jimmy Jefferson, the Spirit of Jazz, claims to be Howard's father, then uncle, then second cousin twice-removed on his sister's side, in an attempt to keep Howard from killing him. Only the last one works.
* Played straight in ''[[Jekyll]]'',
* On ''[[Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development]]'',
* Played straight in ''[[
* In the ''[[Only Fools and Horses]]'' 1987 Christmas special "The Frog's Legacy", Del and Albert hinted that Freddie the Frog, a gentleman safecracker had an affair with Del and Rodney's mum Joannie before Rodney was born.
**
* In season 3 of ''[[Chuck]]'', where
* The very last words said on ''[[Kyle XY]]'':
* One infamous ''[[Eastenders]]'' moment (2001) is Zoe Slater telling her "sister" Kat: "You can't tell me what to do, [[You're Not My Father|you ain't my mother]]," and getting in response, "YES I AM!"
* In 3x05 of ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]'', it is revealed that
* In a ''[[3rd Rock
* ''[[Kamen Rider W]]'':
** Which leads to a really bizarre scene in a late season episode where
* In [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK4e6HZ215Q
* ''[[
* ''[[Bones]]'' has this in one episode, where
== [[Newspaper Comics]] ==
* Parodied brilliantly in ''[[FoxTrot]]''. [[Geek|Jason]] is wearing his Darth Vader helmet to see [[Star Wars|Episode III]], but gets stuck in his helmet. His father helps him get free, commenting that he had that problem with his Vader helmet when he was Jason's age.
{{quote|'''Jason:''' Wait, you're saying that you were a ''Star Wars'' fan long before I was?
'''Dad:''' Search your feelings, you know this to be true.
'''Jason:''' [[Big No|NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!]] }}
* Parodied in ''[[Mafalda]]''. Remember, the protagonists are all little children.
{{quote|'''Susanita:''' Felipe, did you get me something for Mother's Day?
'''Felipe:''' Why should I get you something for Mother's Day?
'''Susanita:''' Well, I don't know how to say this... You have to get me something for Mother's Day because...
''(cue melodrama)'' I AM YOUR MOTHER!
'''Susanita:''' ''(disheveled and bruised)'' I don't understand, [[TV Never Lies|it works in the soaps]]! }}
== [[Oral Tradition|Oral Tradition, Folklore, Myths and Legends]] ==
* ''The [[Tragedy]] of Sohrab and Rostam'' from Persian myths (based somewhat on real events). Rostam's son is raised without meeting his father for years. The young Sohrab decides to become a hero and gathers up a force. Rostam is the Persian equivalent of [[Classical Mythology/Characters|Hercules]] and is meanwhile ordered to subdue the marauding enemies. In the final battle, the father and son engage each other in battle, as no one else is a match for either of them. Although Rostam notices similarities between himself and his enemy, it is not until it is too late when he discovers that he has killed his own son.
* The Irish mythological hero Cuchulainn accidentally kills his son, thinking he is an intruder, only to find out that his son is the victim when it's too late.
* [[Older Than Feudalism]]: Oedipus, in ''[[
== [[Professional Wrestling]] ==
* The 2005 feud between [[Eddie Guerrero]] and [[Rey Mysterio]] included an angle where Rey's real-life son Dominick was revealed to be the (kayfabe) biological son of Guerrero.
{{quote|
== [[Radio]] ==
* Spoofed in ''Mitch Benn's Crimes Against Music'' when, after a series-long [[Running Gag]] about Mitch's rivalry with fellow musical satirist Richard Stillgoe, the final episode features him as a special guest, and a showdown between the two performers.
{{quote|
'''Benn:''' You're not my father!
'''Stillgoe:''' No, of course I'm not. Whatever gave you that idea? }}
== [[Recorded and Stand
* Comedian Gad Elmaleh parodied this in his stand-up show. His mother, he said, used to tell him that "your father is no Rothschild", i.e. "he's no millionaire, we can't waste money." He then says that he later met Rothschild, only to scream at him: "I know! You're not my father!"
* There's an old joke about a boy who figures out that he can get adults to give him stuff simply by saying a sly "I know the truth..." and leaving it at that, allowing their minds to jump to "What could he know?" and pay him off without confirming what it is he "knows". Then he tries this on the milkman, who, rather than paying him off, drops down in tears of joy and exclaims "SON!" as he hugs him.
== [[Theatre]] ==
* ''[[The Marriage of Figaro]]'' has an instance of this that's similar to the one from ''The Italian'' above: Marcellina is about to force Figaro to marry her in lieu of paying off a debt, when a casual comment he drops about a birthmark reveals that she's his mother. They embrace and make up, leading instantly to a classic [[Not What It Looks Like]] scenario...
** Something similar happens in ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'', as the Centurion was intending to marry Hero's love interest. Turns out in the ending that not only was the blind man that Pseudolus attempted to distract by having him run across the hills of Rome seven times was his father, but the Centurion and the love interest were actually siblings (they were kidnapped and separated while they were very young, and it was presumably at a time that they simply had no way of remembering due to not knowing this until after he told them). This was more than enough to allow the Centurion to allow Hero to marry the love interest.
* Happens with the Baker and the Mysterious Man in ''[[Into the Woods]]''.
* ''[[Wicked (theatre)|Wicked]]'' has the Wizard realize that he's Elphaba's father. Elphaba herself never learns the connection—probably all for the better.
* ''[[Urinetown]]'' milks the revelation that Penny Pennywise is [[The Ingenue|Hope Cladwell's]] mother for all that it's worth.
* In Molière's ''[[The Miser|L Avare]]'' (1668) Anselme, the man who Harpagon wants his daughter to marry, ends up being the father of her lover Valère as well as Mariane, the love interest of both Harpagon and his son.
* In the opera ''Lucrezia Borgia'', the title character turns out to be the mother of the protagonist, the young noble Gennaro, by a previous relationship.
== [[Video Games]] ==
* ''[[
* After the first ''[[Art of Fighting]]'', Yuri Sakazaki revealed to her brother Ryo and his friend Robert Garcia that, the game's final boss, Mr. Karate, was Takauma Sakazaki, Ryo and Yuri's father. Good thing too, Ryo was about to kill him for thinking he was the [[Big Bad]]. That honor belonged to Geese Howard who blackmailed Takuma by arranging for Yuri's kidnapping, so he could work for him.
** Used again in ''[[King of Fighters]]'' where K's long lost sister is presumably Whip.
* Throughout the adventure game ''[[Bad Mojo]]'', there are hints that
*
** We find out near the end of ''[[Tales of Symphonia]]'' that Kratos is Lloyd's father. It's hinted at.
*** And in the sequel, Marta is the daughter of Brute, leader of the Vanguard, an organization that's out to ''kill'' her.
** In ''[[Tales of Eternia]]'', it's more of a "Luke, I am your mother": Meredy's mother, Shizel.
*** Does this count? The characters in question both knew. Only the other characters and the audience didn't.
** In ''[[Tales of Destiny]]'', Leon reveals that he's Rutee's brother and that Hugo's both of their father.
* In ''[[Chrono Cross]]'', it's revealed (in [[Info Dump|a huge chunk of exposition]] that arrives immediately before the [[Giant Space Flea From Nowhere|unexpected final boss]]) that Lynx, the cat-man who was the recurring villain for the first part of the game, and who you (kinda, sorta, it's complicated) killed two dungeons ago, was actually Serge's father Wazuki all [[Brainwashed and Crazy|brainwashed]] and [[Baleful Polymorph|polymorphed]]. Also, Kid turns out to be Schala's daughter-clone-time duplicate, which adds an extra layer of weirdness to the final boss since Schala's [[Fusion Dance|one half of it]]. And if his backstory [[What Could Have Been|hadn't been dropped]], masked magician Guile would have been revealed as Magus, Schala's brother and therefore Kid's... something.
* Exaggerated in ''[[Lego Adaptation Game|LEGO Star Wars 2]]'' when Darth Vader, [[Played for Laughs]], pulls out a family photo of Padme and Anakin getting married.
* [[The Parody|Parodied]] twice in ''[[Kingdom of Loathing]]'': the [[Big Bad]] tells the player she is your mother (quoting, almost word for word, the rest of the exchange from ''The Empire Strikes Back'', right to the [[Big No]])... then insults you for believing her. After you beat her, the Council that sent you to defeat her says "Say, did you know she was your mother?... nah, just kidding" as part of their congratulations message.
Line 426 ⟶ 416:
* In the first ''Fantasy Zone'', the commander of the invading forces turns out to be Opa-Opa's father.
* The ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' series uses this often:
** In ''[[
** In ''[[
** In ''[[
** Fairly early in ''[[
** In ''[[
** In ''[[
** Also, in ''[[
* Tragically inverted in ''[[Jak and Daxter|Jak III]]'', where
* ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' did it quite embarrassingly
** Big Boss is Snake's
** Liquid is Snake's
** Solidus is not only Snake's brother, he's also Raiden's "father"
** While not part of the reveal, The Boss is Big Boss's "mother".
** Gene, [[Big Bad]] of Portable Ops, is Big Boss's "Brother", raised as a successor to The Boss
Line 444 ⟶ 434:
** Colonel Campbell is Meryl's father.
** Grey Fox is also the "brother"/father figure of Naomi. He killed her parents and raised her. One could also say he's a further continuation of the twisted familial relationships. He's practically Gene's "Son". And after Gene's death, he becomes Big Boss's protege to boot!
** Major Zero
*** Solidus isn't part of the same batch as Solid and Liquid, so presumably they don't have the same surrogate mother.
*** Wooh, that's a lot to sum up. Hideo Kojima and his crew sure like having everyone related with only a very few characters ''blood'' related.
**** You know things were getting out of control when Kojima confirmed that The End's pet parrot was the grandparent to Emma Emmerich's pet parrot.
* In the infamous [[Gainax Ending|ending]] of ''[[Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge]]'', LeChuck is revealed to be Guybrush's brother. Fans are divided over whether this ending is to be considered canonical, or [[All Just a Dream|a dream sequence]].
* A particularly egregious use of this trope in ''[[Fire Emblem|Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn]]''. We learn that [[Mary Sue|Micaiah]] is
** Given the requirements necessary to unlock the ending that reveals this (an A support with Soren and Ike in Path of Radiance, uploading that info to Radiant Dawn via save files, and getting an A support with Soren ''again'', then beating the game twice to unlock the ending where
*** And Soren's resemblance to Kurthnaga and Rajaion, even in Path of Radiance.
** Furthermore, Micaiah's reveal is addressed as early as
**** Since Micaiah was a [[Mary Sue]], we should have all seen this kind of thing coming.
** Other FE examples: Yuria is Celice's half-sister, Nergal is the father of Ninian and Nils, and Joshua is Ismaire's son.
* In ''[[Super Robot Wars]] Alpha'' and ''Super Robot Wars Original Generation'' Levi Tolah, one of the invading aliens is actually Aya Kobayashi's [[Brainwashed and Crazy]]
** Since that wasn't crazy enough, in ''[[Super Robot Wars]] Original Generation 2'' it's revealed that
* ''[[I Wanna Be the Guy]]'' pulls this out of nowhere with the final boss, "The Guy" that you want to kill for his title being a huge version of the player character. Just to make sure you got it he says, "Yes, I ''did'' have sex with your mother." before the final phase of the battle.
{{quote|
* ''[[No More Heroes]]'' tell the story of Travis Touchdown who became the best assassin in the US by a fictive association and that one of the responsible is in fact
** It's actually much more complicated than that.
* The [[Black Knight|Darkshine Knight]] from ''[[Seiken Densetsu]] 3'' has a backstory that is way too similar to Darth Vader's to be a coincidence.
* ''[[God of War (
* ''[[Viewtiful Joe]]'' does this quite blatantly when
** They did it again in the sequel where the [[Big Bad]] was
* Implied by ''[[
* In ''[[
* There are no coincidences in the ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' games. From the Sealed Sword/Blazing Blade saga, Nino turns out to be Canas's niece, Dart is Rebecca's long-lost brother Dan, Raven is actually Priscilla's brother Raymond. Then, in Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn,
** There is also the [[Fire Emblem Gaiden]] game, in which Alm has to fight this one warlord who refuses to attack him. When you kill the warlord, he says with his dying breath "Alm, I am your father!" Alm is a little upset by this. However, [[The Obi-Wan]] tells him to not bother wasting tears on the guy, because "He was a madman who would have killed you as an infant had you not been taken away fast enough!"
* The ''[[Disgaea]]'' series. Nippon Ichi ''loves'' playing with this, and making them major plot points...
** It happens at least three times in the first game:
***
***
***
** As if they didn't beat this trope into the ground with the first game, they brought it back in the second game to beat it ''under the ground''.
***
***
** With the third game, they don't bother even trying to take it seriously anymore...
*** In one scene,
*** And in Rasbperyl mode, [[Bishounen|Master Big Star]] and [[Those Wacky Nazis|Salvatore]] claim to be the [[Goldfish Poop Gang|Vato Brothers]]' parents, while two [[Butt Monkey|Prinnies]] claim to be the parents of [[The Big Guy|Gold Knuckle]]. All of this, needless to say, is both impossible and absolutely ridiculous.
* ''[[Wild
* The ending of ''[[Stubbs the Zombie]]'' reveals that Stubbs and [[Big Bad]] Andrew Monday are
* At the end of ''[[
** More literal example is the fact that the voice in your head belongs to
** For one more example,
* In ''[[Jays Journey|Jay's Journey]]'', Jay's father is
* In ''[[
** In the same game, one could also say that
** And in ''[[Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
* Parodied in ''[[
* Near the end of ''[[Infinite Undiscovery]]'' Iskan Du Bal reveals to Capell that
* Semi spoofed in ''[[Legend of Dragoon]]''. Two of the characters are related (it's not hard to guess which two by Disc 2. It's even lampshaded by the older party "There may be a secret connection between us!". Apparently seems to be a spoof in honor of the [[
** Then it goes on to have an actual example.
* In ''[[First Encounter Assault Recon|F.E.A.R.]]'', the
* ''[[
* Parodied in ''[[
* Borderline example in ''[[Shadow the Hedgehog]]'':
* In ''[[Overlord]] II'', the mysterious woman who foresees your inevitable downfall and secretly observes your progress is later revealed to be
{{quote|
'''
'''Gnarl:''' What! How did you know-- hang on, I recognize that voice now!
* ''Apollo Justice: [[Ace Attorney]]'' takes this trope [[Up to Eleven]] when it's revealed to the audience (but not to the protagonist) that
** Oh, the third game was pretty good at this too:
** The madness that occurred in the 4th game [[Ship Sinking|sunk ship over ship over GODDAMN ship]], and it is unlikely they will ever be salvaged.
*** You [[Brother-Sister Incest|underestimate the fandom.]]
* ''Indestructo2Tank'''s Adventure Mode. After Dirk Danger defeats General Betton, Betton tells Dirk that he's Dirk's father.
* In the Troperiffic fantasy game parody ''[[Darkened Skye]]'', when Skye finally meets her long-lost mother, she finds her to be extremely bitter towards Skye's father and distrustful of men in general. The reason for this attitude is revealed in the game's penultimate battle, where Skye's father is revealed to be
* In ''[[Baten Kaitos]]'', you find out at one point that
* A popular ''[[
** Another popular idea is assuming the Pyro is female and the Scout's mother, explaining why the Pyro and Spy are archenemies (she hates him for whatever reason) and is in the thick of battle to watch over her son. A related theory is that the unseen Announcer is the Scout's mother, or that the Pyro and Announcer are somehow the same person.
*** We contacted the Pyro about this, and we recieved this response: "[[The Unintelligible|Mwafah hah har rarara.]]"
*** This gets even more confusing given that the BLU Scout depicted in "Meet the Spy" ''is'' the RED Spy in disguise!
* In ''[[Luminous Arc 2]]'',
* In ''[[
** Party character and android, Emeralda was created by
** Even better; Fei's mother turns out to be
* Parodied in ''[[Ratchet and Clank]] Future: A Crack in Time''. After you beat the game, [[The Dragon|Lord Vorselon]] will show up and claim "Rachet, ''I'' was... your father's accountant!"
* ''[[
** ''[[
* In ''[[Castlevania: Chronicles of Sorrow|Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow]]'' we find out
* ''[[
* In ''[[Bayonetta]]'',
* In ''[[Secret of Mana]]'', the hero character's mother is
* Inverted in the main campaign of ''[[
== [[Web Animation]] ==
* In the third ''[[The Lazer Collection|Lazer Collection]]'' video, we find out that the detective hero is the son of Doctor Octagonapus.
* In Proxicide's ''MK vs. SF 3'', it is revealed at the very end that Akuma and Ryu are father and son.
** This deviates from ''[[Street Fighter]]'' canon a bit—in canon, Gouki is Gouken's younger brother and Ryu's adoptive uncle.
* The Most In The Graveyard toon on ''[[Homestar Runner]]'' reveals that Coach Z's aunt is Bubs's uncle, which makes them sixth fourth second fifth cousins thrice removed, according to Bubs.
* ''[[Broken Saints]]'': More like I Am ''Her'' Father''. [[Big Bad]] Lear Dunham tells the other heroes that he is Shandala's biological father in his [[Just Between You and Me]].
== [[Web
* Parodied in [http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/1/21/ this] ''[[Penny Arcade (Webcomic)|Penny Arcade]]'' strip.
* ''[[Girl Genius]]''
** At the end of the first major arc, Agatha escapes from Baron Wulfenbach with the newfound knowledge that she is the daughter of famous adventurer Bill Heterodyne.
** In the next arc, she finds out that her mother Lucrezia was almost certainly the infamous menace known as the Other... shortly before getting a copy of said progenitor's persona [[Enemy Within|uploaded into her mind]].
** Gilgamesh Wulfenbach, the Baron's son, may also be the son of a woman from the lost city of Skifander.
** It was hinted that Zeetha, princess of Skifander may be a daughter of Klaus Wulfenbach (and thus sister, or at least half-sister, of Gil). When they meet, he figures out who and what she is, while she is surprised he can speak Skiff. Later the Baron warns Gil she may be sent to kill him. She doesn't, but [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date{{=}}20080409 being told about this] allows her to put two and two together and figure out [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date{{=}}20090318 what's going on]. [[Word of God|Confirmed out of continuity]] via a picture of Zeetha's father.
* ''[[Earthsong]] '': Willow learns that Earthsong is her eve.
* ''[[Ozy and Millie]]'': Millie eventually learns that the dread pirate Locke is her father, even though [[Merlin Sickness]] makes him look like he's about her age.
* A variation in ''[[The Inexplicable Adventures of Bob]]'', when Bob [http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20061007.html first tells Molly] that he ''considers'' her to be his daughter, even though they are not related.
** Still later, Jean [http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20080503.html reveals that]
* Revolver Ocelot tells this to Psycho Mantis at one point in ''[[The Last Days of Foxhound]]''. Mantis, [[Self-Made Orphan|having killed his father at the age of eight]], states that he isn't. Ocelot concedes the point since the only reason he said it was to rip up in Mantis' old wounds.
* In ''[[
* ''[[Questionable Content]]'' references it in [http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=436 this strip].
* In ''[[Looking for Group]]'', when Richard is in the demonic court on the Plane of Suck, he is asked why he travels with Cale. He responds with a mumbled "He's my mother." This gets a "What?" reaction from everyone in the room, including Richard. Probably just a joke, though. But they said that about the rabbit, too, so...
* Subverted in the ''[[Dan and
* ''[[Darths and Droids]]'': Twice, and neither time is the one you'd expect (yet). [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0302.html "Anakin, I am your stepfather."] And later: [http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0455.html "No! Wait! Anakin, Ah am your f--]. In the latter case, however, he may have been about to say "friend."
* ''[[
** Well, he did show up in one Flashback over 600 episodes before that, [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0050.html here], although he wasn't named then and
* The ''[[
* A variation in ''[[
* In ''[[
* In ''[[Scandinavia and The World]]'', colonies and independent micro-nations are portrayed as the children of the countries that "own" them.
* ''[[Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]]'' has it [http://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/2009-04-02 used] as a stereotypical [[Soap Opera]] plot element.
== [[Web Original]] ==
* In "[[The Angry Video Game Nerd
{{quote|
'''AVGN:''' Brother? You're my brother?
'''NC:''' Uh, yes! I am your brother!
'''AVGN:''' Well then, surely you know the name of our mother.
'''NC:''' Well of course I know the name of our mother! Eliza... be... ''(Nerd points Super Scope at Critic)'' Oh, blame a guy for trying! }}
* In the [[Legion of Net
* Parodied, once again, in ''[[College Saga]]''. The [[Final Boss]] Diculous (wearing a Darth Vader helmet with voice-changing filter) tries to pull this on the hero, only to have two of the party members inform him that
* Seen in the [[Whateley Universe]] with Carmilla (Sara Waite). Not only does her father turn out to be
* Inverted in ''Battle for Milkquarious''. Near the end, it is revealed that the villain is White Gold's son.
* ''[[Sockbaby|Sockb4by]]'' - Doug Jones, to Ronnie Cordova.
* In ''[[Red vs. Blue]]'' Season 6, Washington's line that
* [[Rules of the Internet|Rule 72
* ''[[The Gungan Council]]'' has Darth Apparatus doing this to both Ryori Holloway and Delilah Nepenthe.
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* ''[[Codename: Kids Next Door]]'': Number 1 learns in [[The Movie]] that the [[Big Bad]] Father is his uncle. [[Inverted Trope|Inverted]] in the same movie with the Delightful Children, who it's revealed aren't actually Father's children but former KND operatives whom he kidnapped and [[Brainwashed]].
** Also, kind of inverted in that Numbuh Zero, who we haven't seen before, is Nigel's dad, who we have.
* ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'': In "The Avatar and the Firelord", it is revealed that Avatar Roku, Aang's spiritual predecessor, was the great-grandfather of Prince Zuko on his mother's side, making Aang Zuko's great-grandfather in spirit, if not in body. Did we mention that Mark Hamill voices ''Zuko's'' father? Cue runs-in-the-family memes.
* Such a moment happens in ''[[WITCH (animation)|WITCH]]'' when Caleb finds out that [[Wicked Witch|Nerissa]] is his mother.
*
* ''[[He-Man and the Masters of the Universe]]'': in the original series episode "Teela's Quest", the titular [[Hot Amazon]] finds out that she's the daughter of the Sorceress. Her mommy gave her [[Easy Amnesia]], though, since Teela was NOT supposed to find out. This would've been true in the 2002 remake, but without the amnesia, had the show continued. Oh, we would've also learned that Fisto was Teela's biological father. For some reason, a couple of episodes seemed to hint that it was Duncan a.k.a. Man-At-Arms (who happens to be Fisto's brother and Teela's adoptive father) instead.
** Some time after the end of the original animated series, the minicomic ''The Search for Keldor'' dropped hints that Skeletor is really King Randor's long-lost brother Keldor, making him Adam/He-Man's uncle. In the 2002 remake, Skeletor was originally named Keldor, but there is no indication that he is related to Randor.
*** While never stated in the show, the writers have since revealed that Keldor was intended to be Randor's half-brother. Same father, different mothers.
* ''[[Justice League
** Hades also tries to do this with Wonder Woman, with a twist that he had to resort to a technicality when WW pointed out her origin story doesn't ''allow'' her to have a father (she was sculpted of clay and made flesh by the breath of her mother, Hippolyte, instead of born; Hades claimed he was there during the sculpting, but not the life-granting).
* ''[[Code Lyoko]]'': It is revealed just before the Season 2 finale that Franz Hopper, creator of Lyoko, is actually [[The Chick|Aelita]]'s father. This also reveals that she is human, and not an A.I. as everyone originally thought.
* Parodied in ''[[Teen Titans (
** Also played with when Starfire and Killer Moth each try to convince Silkie/Larva M319 to choose between them. Killer Moth's attempt: "Larva M319, I am your father. Join me and we can... go on a picnic or something." Silkie already knew this.
* Parodied in ''[[
{{quote|
'''Dexter:''' Oh, and what would that be?
'''Dad:''' ''(coming out of the shadows)'' Dexter, I am your father!
'''Dexter:''' NOOOOO! That Cannot Be True!... Oh, No wait, that's right.
::And Also:
'''Dad:''' Join me, Dexter. Join the muffin side!
::[[Serious Business|Dexter's dad was making a big deal over not being allowed to get Mom's]] [[Double Entendre|muffins.]] }}
* Parodied in ''[[The Venture Brothers]]'', quoted above.
* Evil Emperor Zurg pulled this during a climactic fight scene with the title character in an episode of ''[[Buzz Lightyear of Star Command]]''. Quite possibly to give a [[Shout-Out]] to the ''[[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story 2]]'' movie (''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command'' is a [[Show Within a Show]] that got [[Defictionalized|turned into a show]]. It gets a little headscratch-ey, but the above mention is canon because of this show, which is the derivative work and... yeah, just yeah.) On the other hand, Zurg was implied to have been fooling around, as he then strikes a stunned Buzz and states "made ya look!".
* In ''[[X-Men: Evolution]]'' (and also in the comics) Nightcrawler is lured out to a construction site with a mysterious note that promises that "everything will be explained". A hooded figure comes out of the shadows (actually, since it is early evening, there aren't many shadows to speak of, so they obviously added this in for dramatic effect) and, after making Nightcrawler squirm in confusion and anticipation for about thirty seconds, throws her hood off to reveal Mystique, [[Big Bad|Magneto's]] [[Evil Chancellor]] of sorts and says, "Kurt, I'm your mother." For bonus points, she does it a second time with Rogue (who was adopted, but still), though since it was in the middle of Rogue having a mental breakdown from all her absorbed personalities fighting in her head, it wasn't nearly as dramatic.
** The original 90s cartoon also did this with Nightcrawler and Mystique, but with the added twist that [[Big Bad]] leader of the [[Path of Inspiration|Friends of Humanity]] Grayden Creed, Jr. (who was already exposed in an earlier episode as being Sabertooth's son) was Mystique's son and Nightcrawler's half-brother(Just like in the comics).
*** X-Men scribe [[Chris Claremont]] originally intended Mystique to be Nightcrawler's ''father''
*** Thank ''God''.
* Parodied in ''[[The Fairly
{{quote|
'''Darth Vader-like:''' Don't worry, you get a new one. A really cool robot one!
'''Timmy:''' How do you know all this?
'''Darth Vader-like:''' Because, Timmy, I am your father. ''(removes mask to reveal himself as Cosmo)''
'''Cosmo:''' Your godfather! }}
** Later lampshaded in that 3-part movie whose name I can't remember, but it was the one with the Terminator parody and such.
{{quote|
'''Timmy''': Whoa whoa wait, you're not going to say you're my father and then cut off my hand, are you?
'''TT''': No, I'm going to train you.
...Well, it was said something to that effect, that's all I remember. }}
*** A brilliant continutynod to the quote starting the Fairy Odd Parents section here.
* Parodied in ''[[Freakazoid!]]'', in the episode "The Wrath of Guitierrez". During the climax of the episode, Guitierrez is knocked off a platform and hangs dangling over an abyss, and cries for Freakazoid to pull him up.
{{quote|
'''Freakazoid:''' My father? You're my father?!
'''Guitierrez:''' ''(glances confused at camera)'' O-oh yes. I am your father!
'''Freakazoid:''' ''(goes to help him, stops)'' W-who was my mother?
'''Guitierrez:''' Uhh... Faye Dunaway?
'''Freakazoid:''' ''(crosses arms)'' No she's not...
'''Guitierrez:''' Kaye Ballard?
'''Freakazoid:''' Kaye--nooo.
'''Guitierrez:''' [[Get Smart
* ''[[Moral Orel]]'': The episode "Dumb" shows that
* Happens in the ''[[Futurama]]'' DVD movie ''Bender's Game'', the parties being
** And an...odd version later:
** This
{{quote|
'''Fry:''' Close (pulls down the hoods)
'''Leela:''' They...are my parents }}
* Parodied in ''[[Teamo Supremo]]'' when Skate Lad corners the CheapSkate.
{{quote|
'''Skate Lad:''' Give me one good reason.
'''CheapSkate:''' Well, um, because, uh... Skate Lad, I am your father.
'''Skate Lad:''' Huh?! No you're not; my dad works down at the sporting goods store. I look just like him, loser! }}
* The final episode of ''[[The Replacements]]'' reveals that Conrad Fleem is Todd and Riley's uncle.
* Parodied in ''[[Phineas and Ferb]]'', in the episode "The Chronicles of Meap". The pair mistake an alien villain (named Mitch) is the eponymous Meap's father, due to miscommunication. Later, after having discovered this, Mitch quite explicitly tells Meap "Just so we're clear on this, I am '''not''' your father!"
* In ''[[Chaotic]]'', the card game revealed something more of a "I am ''also'' your founder" with Kiru, the greatest Overworld hero (even got a beautiful city named after him)
* From ''[[South Park]]'' episode 201: Eric Cartman,
* Played with in ''[[Adventures of the
* Parodied in ''[[Johnny Bravo]]''.
{{quote|
'''Johnny''': Nooooooooooooooo!!! }}
* A variation was used in the "Pale Kids" episode of ''[[Recess]]''. Lawson hated the Pale Kids because of something that happened to Tiny Sedwick, a kid who had to go to the Pale Kids because he broke his foot while playing Pickle. When telling the leader upfront, the Pale Kids laughed, with Lawson reacting with confusion as to what they think is so funny about his reason, before the leader tells Lawson that he ''is'' Tiny Sedwick (or at least was).
== [[Real Life]] ==
* Recent{{when}} evidence has backed claims that a Frenchman, Jean-Marie Loret, was the product of an affair between [[Adolf Hitler]], who was a German soldier in World War I, and his mother when she was 16 in 1917.
* The great Hawaiian king Kamehameha's biological father may well have been his rival, Kahekili.
* [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]'s son with the cleaning lady. He didn't know Schwarzenegger was his dad until the press got hold of the story.
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:Spoilered Rotten]]
[[Category:Stock Parodies]]
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[[Category:Parental Issues]]
[[Category:The Parent Trope]]
[[Category:Trope Names From Memes]]
[[Category:Luke, I Am Your
[[Category:Shout-Outs Index]]
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