Conveniently an Orphan: Difference between revisions

Often used as character backgrounds in tabletop adventures: Such a character's background often consists of "My parents were killed by (insert [[Always Chaotic Evil]] race here), so he's out for revenge". Aside from conveniently leaving no 'annoying' ties to the past to keep the character away from the [[Call to Adventure]], it can also result in a [[You Killed My Father]] moment should the villain race (or the [[Big Bad]] if he's responsible) appear.

 

 

Oddly enough, family outside of parents is never mentioned. Apparently [[World of No Grandparents|no one ever has grandparents]] or cousins, although having an uncle (and sometimes aunt) as surrogate parents is a common mythological motif. Siblings seem to only show up for plot-based reasons -- and not [[Promotion to Parent]], which would give them responsibilities. One wonders how the world manages to get populated when every couple only has one child. Surrogate parents show up more regularly in the form of [[Raised by Natives]], they [[Death by Origin Story|tend to]] [[Friendly Target|die a lot]] too.

* Simon of ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'' lost his parents in an earthquake before the start of the series, so when his [[Blood Brothers|blood brother]] Kamina decides they're going to the surface, he doesn't have anything holding him back. In a twist, Gimmy and Darry are chosen to go to the surface explicitly because they don't have family who will mourn their departure.

* Nearly all of the members of the ''[[Science Ninja Team Gatchaman|Gatchaman]]'' team are orphans, except for Ryu {{spoiler|and Ken prior to his father's [[Heroic Sacrifice]]}}. This is the main reason Ryu is usually left tending the Phoenix while the others get all of the action; he still has a family that would miss him if anything happened to him.

* At one point in ''[[Hellsing]]'', during the [[Action Film Quiet Drama Scene|Quiet Drama Scene]], while discussing Seras' progress Alucard asks Walter how they covered up her death and how her family is taking it. When Walter replies that she has none and is an orphan, Alucard sardonically replies "Of ''course'' she is". However, since Seras was already an adult by the time she died, the circumstances and consequences of her parents' deaths turns out to be a major part of her character and the series veering into [[Crapsack World]] territory and running on [[Black and Grey Morality]], it's a justified trope.

* Son Goku of ''[[Dragon Ball]]''. Some time before the series began, he accidentally killed his adoptive grandfather after transforming into a giant were-ape. As for blood relatives, ''[[Dragonball Z]]'' reveals {{spoiler|that pretty much his entire ''race'' were wiped out along with their home planet}}.