History Main / ASharedSuffering

* Manga/{{Naruto}} and Gaara are ([[spoiler:or in Gaara's case was]]) Jinchuuriki, living containers of [[SealedEvilInACan powerful demons]]. They grew up [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer isolated and lonely because most people were afraid of them]].

[[folder:Fanfiction]]

* In ''Discworld/ThiefOfTime'', Susan Sto Heilt (Death's granddaughter) is indirectly goaded into action when Death tells her there is another like her (half-human and half-not).

* The Golden Marvel and Ultra-Man from the ''Roleplay/GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'' are close friends who often dine together to remember life during the Great Depression, the Spanish Influenza epidemic, World War II, and other events of the first four decades of the 20th Century.
** Most of the true immortals in the Global Guardians Universe, like Abyss, Master Mist, Black Angel, and Ishmael, tend to treat each other as competitive rivals rather than as true enemies (if they were, in fact, enemies in the first place), because they all know that the only person a truly immortal being can talk to about how hard it is to be a true immortal is another true immortal.

* On ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'', both Timmy and Tootie are harassed by Vicky the most, and several spin-off children's books and episodes hint to Timmy feeling sympathy for Tootie and her having to live with a mean sister.

It's hard being the [[LastOfHisKind only one of your kind]]. Therefore, if a character finds that ThereIsAnother, they tend to cling to the few members of their species/group/type left. They can be surrounded by friends, but that can't compare to having someone who can really understand what they're going through. Most of the time this other person is someone they don't even like - occasionally even an enemy - but their shared history, or shared condition gives them a connection. A bond - maybe not friendship, but at least a sort of grudging respect.

--> '''Amy Pond"''' [[spoiler: Very old and very kind and the very very last of his kind. Sound a bit familiar?]]

[[folder:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

* In ''Anime/DragonballZ'', Vegeta and Goku are the last of the Saiyans, so Goku asks Krillin to spare Vegeta's life. If Goku could change, so could Veggie, right?
** [[{{Bowdlerize}} However, this is only true in the English dub;]] [[SpiritedCompetitor in the original, he just wanted to fight him again.]]

* In ''Manga/{{Bokurano}}'', Kanji and Ushiro met while visiting their respective mothers' graves. [[spoiler:Although Ushiro's mother is actually not dead]].

[[folder:ComicBooks]]
* Franchise/{{Superman}} is sometimes like this when Franchise/{{Supergirl}} arrives, depending on the continuity and dimension. Just look at him being so grateful that he's not the only surviving Kryptonian! The pre-ComicBook/{{Crisis|on Infinite Earths}} stories took it ever further when Superman rescued the bottle Kryptonian city of Kandor and for years had a whole community of Kryptonians to visit on occasion.
** Similarly, in the DCAU continuity, Supes is happy to meet Brainiac, feeling him to be a shared survivor of Krypton... until he gets the full story. Fortunately, Supergirl never gives him that kind of let-down.

[[folder:{{Fanfiction}}]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' story [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7205981/7/The-Eyes-of-the-Wolverine The Eyes of the Wolverine]], after Jo confided in his soon-to-be love interest Jada that he was put in foster care because his parents were abusive drug dealers, she confesses that her mother walked out on the family after seeing another man. She had previously told Jo that her mother was simply “travelling.”

[[folder:{{Literature}}]]

* It's understated, but this forms part of Harry's bond with Ginny in the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' series -- she is the only other person (he knows) who understands how it feels to have been possessed by Voldemort.

[[folder:LiveActionTV]]

* Odo from ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'' is sort of like this, yearning to find his people, until he does and learns they're dicks (although this doesn't stop him wishing he ''could'' rejoin them). This trope is also used as the basis for the bond that ends up forming between him and Garak who, as the only Cardassian on the station, also yearns to be rejoined with his people. His separation from his people is entirely different to Odo's (for a start it [[MysteriousPast possibly]] may be his own fault he's in exile) but the knowledge that they'd both do almost anything to rejoin their people and that there's a line they can't bring themselves to cross (no-one is more surprised to learn [[TortureTechnician Garak]] has one of these lines than [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Garak]] himself) in pursuit of this desire which keeps them separated from their kin culminates in a [[TortureAlwaysWorks stunning scene]] that should have driven them apart forever but which instead is the [[DespairEventHorizon basis]] out of which their friendship forms. The look on Garak's face when he finally gets Odo to confess his deep secret about the Founders ("HOME! I want to go HOME!") says it all, followed shortly thereafter by a WhatHaveIDone expression when he realizes how similar they are (and that he too, can't go home without crossing the MoralEventHorizon).

[[folder:TabletopGames]]
* The ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' 3E supplement ''[[TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms Races of Faerûn]]'' states that on the rare occasions that two aasimar[[note]][[HalfHumanHybrid humans with a good-aligned outsider for an ancestor]][[/note]] meet, "there is a sort of unspoken understanding between them, and an aasimar is likely to take another aasimar's side in an argument, regardless of other affiliations, just for a taste of kinship."

[[folder:VideoGames]]
* This is essentially the CentralTheme of ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment''. While the members of your party aren't immortal beings with memory problems like the Nameless One, all of them are drawn to him by their respective personal torments, [[spoiler:and many of said torments are ultimately revealed to be offshoots of his own original torment in the first place!]]
* Very similarly to ''Torment'' above, ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'' has most of the PlayerParty members deal with and bond over the emotional fallout of the same event that made Jedi Exile what she is (an exile from the Jedi Order and [[spoiler:a living hole in the Force]]): the tragedy/atrocity at Malachor V. Not just that, but [[spoiler:the RelationshipValues are eventually [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration revealed to be a gameplay manifestation]] of the Exile drawing on her companions' shared trauma to bind them to herself]].
* This is a large component of Garlot and Leon's friendship in ''VideoGame/BlazeUnion'', and also contributes to [[spoiler:Gulcasa and Nessiah's relationship]], though the former isn't exactly aware of the nature of the shared suffering in that case.
* In the ''Citadel DLC'' for ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', it's revealed that Jack has adopted a [[MindOverMatter biotic]] varren from an abused animal shelter and she's been slowly teaching it to trust people again, leading it to become something of a [[BigFriendlyDog big softy]] as a result. One of the dialogue options has Shepard start to lampshade the parallels to how Jack was when they first met (a convict experimented on as a child), but tactfully decides to drop it.
* This is essentially the reason for Alistair's UndyingLoyalty to the {{player character}} in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins''. They are the only two surviving Grey Wardens left in Ferelden, having narrowly escaped the massacre of their fellows; for Alistair, the Grey Wardens were his true family, and the player is all he has left.

[[folder:{{Webcomics}}]]
* In ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' Aylee ''thought'' she had one of these relationships with Leono and the others of her species in a different dimension. However, it turns out Leono's a quasi-OmnicidalManiac, while the rest of her kind are barely even sentient, so she leaves them behind to return to the main ''Sluggy'' universe.

[[folder:WebOriginal]]

* In the ''WebOriginal/{{Paradise}}'' setting, an unknown force is randomly, permanently turning humans into {{Funny Animal}}s (and sometimes [[GenderBender changing their gender]]) in a way that is InvisibleToNormals. Changed, especially from the early waves where they are few and far between, often fear they're alone or outright going crazy. After spending weeks, months, or even years alone, they are so relieved to find out there are others like them that they might break down and cry.
* The Golden Marvel and Ultra-Man from the ''Roleplay/GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'' are close friends who often dine together to remember life during the Great Depression, the Spanish Influenza epidemic, World War II, and other events of the first four decades of the 20th Century.
** Most of the true immortals in the Global Guardians Universe, like Abyss, Master Mist, Black Angel, and Ishmael, tend to treat each other as competitive rivals rather than as true enemies (if they were, in fact, enemies in the first place), because they all know that the only person a truly immortal being can talk to about how hard it is to be a true immortal is another true immortal.

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

* This is subverted in ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'' when Leela supposedly meets the last remaining member of her species, and therefore feels obligated to marry him even though he is rude, dirty, and misogynist and they have nothing in common. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, it turns out that [[spoiler:he's not really a member of her species, but a shapeshifter who "collects wives" of odd species to do housekeeping for him.]]

* Franchise/{{Superman}} is sometimes like this when Supergirl arrives, depending on the continuity and dimension. Just look at him being so grateful that he's not the only surviving Kryptonian! The pre-ComicBook/{{Crisis|on Infinite Earths}} stories took it ever further when Superman rescued the bottle Kryptonian city of Kandor and for years had a whole community of Kryptonians to visit on occasion.
** Similarly, in the DCAU continuity, Supes is happy to meet Brainiac feeling him to be a shared survivor of Krypton... until he gets the full story. Fortunately, Supergirl later never gave him that kind of let-down.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' story [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7205981/7/The-Eyes-of-the-Wolverine The Eyes of the Wolverine]] after Jo confided in his soon-to-be love interest, Jada that he was put in foster care because his parents were abusive drug dealers, she confesses that her mother walked out on the family after seeing another man. She had previously told Jo that her mother was simply “travelling.”

* A factor in the powerful bond between the Heralds of Andraste, in ''[[Fanfic/TwiceUponAnAge All This Sh*t is Twice as Weird]]'', is the fact that they ''are'' the Heralds of Andraste. They each have the Anchor upon their hands and, whether they're willing to be or not, are hailed as representatives of the Maker and His Prophet. It's especially difficult for Mahanon, who is a Dalish elf and doesn't even ''believe'' in the Maker and His Prophet, but at least neither of them has to go through this alone.

* ''ComicBook/MightyAvengers:'' The third version of the team uses this trope in their fight against an enemy, with individual shots of each member who lost their family, whether to villains or accidents.

-->-- '''The Doctor''', ''Series/DoctorWho'', "The Doctor's Daughter"

* In ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', season nine, [[spoiler:Zod may not be the nicest person but on his good days, Clark admits that he almost feels a brotherly bond with him.]]
* In ''Series/DoctorWho'', this is the rationale the Doctor has for not killing The Master in "Last Of The Time Lords".
** He also tends to connect with other long-lived characters, notably the Face of Boe. He also attempts to connect with an clue Doctor Lazarus in to the woes of a long life in "The Lazarus Experiment", both having memories of the Blitz.
*** Oddly enough, he doesn't spot the connection with [[spoiler: the Star Whale in ''The Beast Below'', but luckily Amy did]]:
--> '''Amy Pond''': [[spoiler: Very old and very kind and the very very last of his kind. Sound a bit familiar?]]
* Buffy and Kendra/ Buffy and Faith in ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' have a few conversations about how they're the only ones who understand what it's like to be the Slayer (at least before "Chosen").
** Nicely subverted when Faith figures that the reason for her and Buffy's Epic Disagreements is because there was never meant to be two of them.

* Lister and Rimmer in ''Series/RedDwarf'' (series 1-7) are the only two left who remember Red Dwarf before the accident. And Lister and Kochanski in series 7 are the only two humans.
* Odo from ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]]'' is sort of like this, yearning to find his people, until he does and learns they're dicks (although this doesn't stop him wishing he ''could'' rejoin them). This trope is also used as the basis for the bond that ends up forming between him and Garak who, as the only Cardassian on the station, also yearns to be rejoined with his people. His separation from his people is entirely different to Odo's (for a start it [[MysteriousPast possibly]] may be his own fault he's in exile) but the knowledge that they'd both do almost anything to rejoin their people and that there's a line they can't bring themselves to cross (no-one is more surprised to learn [[TortureTechnician Garak]] has one of these lines than [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Garak]] himself) in pursuit of this desire which keeps them separated from their kin culminates in a [[TortureAlwaysWorks stunning scene]] that should have driven them apart forever but which instead is the [[DespairEventHorizon basis]] out of which their friendship forms. The look on Garak's face when he finally gets Odo to confess his deep secret about the Founders ("HOME! I want to go HOME!") says it all, followed shortly thereafter by a WhatHaveIDone expression when he realizes how similar they are (and that he too, can't go home without crossing the MoralEventHorizon).
* Kyle and Jessi from ''Series/KyleXY'' are like this due to both being born in the same lab and having similar abilities. It helps that their genetic donors were once lovers.

* On ''Series/RobinHood'' Guy of Gisborne tries this tactic on Allan-a-Dale, telling him that they're the ones that "make their supposed betters look good", both being in service to the Sheriff and Robin respectively. That (and a bout of torture) is enough to convince him to spy on the outlaws for him.

* In ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', invoked by Ronon Dex after he learns that some of his former military unit from Sateda have survived the Wraith culling, only to have been turned and become [[TheQuisling Wraith worshipers]]. He spares the only one who doesn't openly attack him and tells them to run, but makes it clear he won't hesitate to kill them next time he sees them.

* On ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'', both Timmy and Tootie are harassed by Vicky the most, and several spin-off children's books and episodes hint to Timmy feeling sympathy for Tootie and her having to live with a mean sister.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' episode "Transmutate", Rampage seeks out and befriends the malformed Transformer, believing he has found a kindred spirit in Transmutate's tortured existence. When Transmutate is destroyed while trying to stop Rampage and Silverbolt's battle having befriended them both, Rampage wails in anguish. Silverbolt makes the other Maximals leave him alone in his grief, declaring that for this moment they are brothers.

* ''Series/GameOfThrones''. In Season 3 Tyrion and Cersei Lannister have their power stripped away by their domineering father Lord Tywin, who forces them into unwanted marriages for political reasons while making it clear just how much he despises them both. Despite having ample reason to hate each other, this does lead to moments where Tyrion and Cersei interact like siblings instead of enemies.
* In ''Series/StargateAtlantis'', invoked by Ronon Dex after he learns that some of his former military unit from Sateda have survived the Wraith culling, only to have been turned and become [[TheQuisling Wraith worshippers]]. He spares the only one who didn't openly attack him and tells them to run, but makes it clear he won't hesitate to kill them next time he sees them.

* Without getting into the specifics, Franchise/{{Batman}} tries to reach out to SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker in ''ComicBook/TheKillingJoke''. For a brief moment, it works.

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[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]

[[AC:ComicBooks]]

[[AC:{{Fanfiction}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:TabletopGames]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]

[[AC:WebOriginal]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

* In ''Manga/NatsumeYuujinchou'', Natsume finally meets someone else who can see youkai as well... But turns out [[spoiler:he's an exorcist, who does not hesitate to kill youkai]]. Still, they [[spoiler:become friends]].

* ''OnePiece'': the Straw Hat Pirates becomes such a staunchly TrueCompanions partly because they all have suffered in the past one way or another, and partly because of FireForgedFriendship.

* Franchise/{{Superman}} is sometimes like this when Supergirl arrives, depending on the continuity and dimension. Just look at him being so grateful that he's not the only surviving Kryptonian! The PreCrisis stories took it ever further when Superman rescued the bottle Kryptonian city of Kandor and for years had a whole community of Kryptonians to visit on occasion.

* Kyle and Jessi from ''KyleXY'' are like this due to both being born in the same lab and having similar abilities. It helps that their genetic donors were once lovers.

* Manga/{{Naruto}} and Gaara are ([[spoiler: or in Gaara's case was]]) Jinchuuriki, living containers of [[SealedEvilInACan powerful demons]]. They grew up [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer isolated and lonely because most people were afraid of them]].

* ''In DragonballZ'', Vegeta and Goku are the last of the Sayians, so Goku asks Krillin to spare Vegeta's life. If Goku could change, so could Veggie, right?

* In {{Natsume Yuujinchou}}, Natsume finally meets someone else who can see youkai as well... but turns out [[spoiler:he's an exorcist, who does not hesitate to kill youkai]]. Still, they [[spoiler:become friends]].
* In ''{{Bokurano}}'', Kanji and Ushiro met while visiting their respective mothers' graves. [[spoiler:Although Ushiro's mother is actually not dead]].

** Similarly, in the DCAU continuity, Supes is happy to meet Brainiac feeling him to be a shared survivor of Krypton... until he gets the full story. Fortunately, Supergirl later never gave him that kind of letdown.

* In the WesternAnimation/{{Kung Fu Panda}} story [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7205981/7/The-Eyes-of-the-Wolverine The Eyes of the Wolverine]] after Jo confided in his soon-to-be love interest, Jada that he was put in foster care because his parents were abusive drug dealers, she confesses that her mother walked out on the family after seeing another man. She had previously told Jo that her mother was simply “traveling.”

** Nicely subverted when Faith figures that the reason for her and Buffys Epic Disagreements is because there was never meant to be two of them.

* In the ''{{Paradise}}'' setting, an unknown force is randomly, permanently turning humans into {{Funny Animal}}s (and sometimes [[GenderBender changing their gender]]) in a way that is InvisibleToNormals. Changed, especially from the early waves where they are few and far between, often fear they're alone or outright going crazy. After spending weeks, months, or even years alone, they are so relieved to find out there are others like them that they might break down and cry.

* The Golden Marvel and Ultra-Man from the ''GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'' are close friends who often dine together to remember life during the Great Depression, the Spanish Influenza epidemic, World War II, and other events of the first four decades of the 20th Century.

* ''ComicBook/MightyAvengers:''' The third version of the team uses this trope in their fight against an enemy, with individual shots of each member who lost their family, whether to villains or accidents.

* Ai Haibara in ''DetectiveConan'' admits early on that the reason she can handle being stuck the size of a six-year old is because she has Conan around to share the same situation.