History Main / AccidentalKidnapping

* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
** This is what kicks off the plot for ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''. [[FeatheredFiend The Helmaroc King]], a minion of [[BigBad Ganon]], was under the orders of finding Tetra the Pirate, [[spoiler:who is revealed to be Princess Zelda later in the game,]] but it managed to kidnap several girls with long ears across the Great Sea by mistake. On [[BirthdayBeginning Link's birthday]], the bird mistakenly kidnaps his younger sister, Aryll, after nearly succeeding with Tetra, and his quest to [[BestBossEver give the bird and its master]] [[ItsPersonal their much-deserved punishments]] begins.

* Done in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', in "Return to Omashu". The gang led some freedom fighters out of the city, and accidentally get the Fire Nation Governor's toddler son as well. He was just following [[TeamPet Momo]] after the latter flew into their house to get food.
* On ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'', Dino goes missing and Fred brings back what he thinks is Dino, but he was really taking someone else's snorkasaur (dog) from its own yard.

* ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'': Randall, after bringing Boo's door to the Scare Floor for Sulley and Mike, traps Mike into a box and takes him away after Mike steps into the room and makes him think that he is actually Boo, whom Randall was baiting out. Randall doesn't realize this (even commenting the kid's put on a couple of pounds) until he tips the box over and Mike is the one who falls into the chair.

** This is what kicks off the plot for ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''. [[FeatheredFiend The Helmaroc King]], a minion of [[BigBad Ganon]], was under the orders of finding Tetra the Pirate, [[spoiler:who is revealed to be Princess Zelda later in the game,]] but it managed to kidnap several girls with long ears across the Great Sea by mistake. On [[TheHerosBirthday Link's birthday]], the bird mistakenly kidnaps his younger sister, Aryll, after nearly succeeding with Tetra, and his quest to [[BestBossEver give the bird and its master]] [[ItsPersonal their much-deserved punishments]] begins.

* PlayedForDrama in the ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2014'' fanfic ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/47176171/chapters/118862839 Raphael's Big Mistake]]''. When April doesn't come to meet the turtles, Raph decides to go to her apartment and get her whether she likes it or not, figuring it's better to be scared than killed by the Foot. Unfortunately, [[AscendedExtra April's flatmate Taylor]] walks into the flat first and Raph doesn't realise he's got the wrong person until it's too late, meaning the turtles now have a terrified and traumatised young woman on their hands.

* Near the end of the second ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigationsMilesEdgeworth'' game, [[spoiler:Sebastian Debeste is kidnapped by two men working for [[AbusiveParents his father, Blaise.]] Turns out they were actually trying to kidnap John Marsh, Justine Courtney's adopted son, in an attempt to get her to acquit Patricia Roland for murder. They kidnapped Sebastian instead because they didn't actually know what John looked like and because Sebastian said he knew Justine.]] To make things worse, [[spoiler:the men ''told him that Blaise ordered the kidnapping,'' meaning all he could do until Edgeworth and Kay Faraday found him was sit there and wonder why his own father ordered him to be kidnapped, pushing him to the brink of a mental breakdown.]]

* ''Series/TheNanny'': Happens in "The Nanny Napper", when Fran takes a baby from an ethnic woman who had her hands full on a subway. Fran and Maxwell considered caring for it until they see a criminal sketch for Fran on TV. The episode also drops a reference to a similar plot on ''Series/TheYoungAndTheRestless''.

** One episode revolves around Tommy being kidnapped by two goons who mistake the Pickles' house for the house of their actual target (due to [[SixIsNine confusion over the sixes and nines in the street address]]). They promptly return him to his very confused parents when he makes a mess out of their hideout doing what he usually does in an episode.
** Another accidental kidnapping happened when Grampa Lou puts Tommy in a luxury car while talking to a man standing next to it. Turns out the luxury car didn't belong to the man and actually belonged to two ugly spinsters.

* Happens in ''ComicBook/ScareTactics'' when Van Zandt steals the Scaremobile. Screamqueen is asleep in her coffin in it at the time.

* ''WebAnimation/MangaSoprano'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiheCH1AjOQ Miki]] attempts to coerce money out of her brother Kota by kidnapping his future wife Yuko in the middle of the wedding. However, when Kota brought Bakara to the rescue, it turned out the "bride" she kidnapped wasn't Yuko, but [[spoiler:Erika]]. This leads her boyfriend Bakara to punish Miki by making her work as a hostess.

** One episode revolves around Tommy being kidnapped by two goons who mistake the Pickles' house for the house of their actual target (due to confusion over the sixes and nines in the street address). They promptly return him to his very confused parents when he makes a mess out of their hideout doing what he usually does in an episode.

** This is what kicks off the plot for ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''. [[FeatheredFiend The Helmaroc King]], a minion of [[BigBad Ganon]], was under the orders of finding Tetra the Pirate, [[spoiler:who is revealed to be Princess Zelda later in the game,]] but it managed to kidnap several girls with long ears across the Great Sea by mistake. On Link's birthday, the bird mistakenly kidnaps his younger sister, Aryll, after nearly succeeding with Tetra, and his quest to [[BestBossEver give the bird and its master]] [[ItsPersonal their much-deserved punishments]] begins.