History Main / BlackSheep

* ''Fanfic/WithPearlandRubyGlowing'': Wilbur feels like this among the rest of the Robinsons, a downplayed example since they do love him and care for him. But flashbacks show the turmulous feelings this has caused.

** Euron "Crow's Eye" is the black sheep (squid?) of the Greyjoy family. And in a family that believes in RapePillageAndBurn is a way of life, that takes a fair amount of effort, [[spoiler:at least none of the other Greyjoys engaged in kinslaying, Euron is suspected to have murdered his brother Balon so he could usurp rule of the Iron Islands. He later tells his youngest brother Aeron he personally slew two of his half-brothers, and was responsible for Balon's death]].

* The UsefulNotes/{{Bollywood}} film ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sooryavansham Sooryavansham]]'', in which Creator/AmitabhBachchan was in a dual role has Heera as the odd one out of his family. While his two older brothers and older sisters are seen as high-achievers by their father, Thakur Bhanupratap Singh coldly regards his youngest son as an idiot who failed to live up to the high expectations he set for his children. But despite being neglected by his family, [[WellDoneSonGuy Heera is very benevolent and obedient]], and hopes to earn the respect of his father. [[spoiler:His father finally acknowledges him as his son in the end.]]

* Wabisuke is the Jinnouchi's prodigal son in ''Anime/SummerWars''.

** N'Jobu and his son N'Jadaka aka [[Comicbook/{{Killmonger}} Erik Killmonger]] from ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}'' unlike the rest of the Golden Tribe of Wakanda they believe in using their country's power for global revolution to free the black-skinned people of the world from oppression, and while it's [[WellIntentionedExtremist a noble goal]] their methods (particularly Killmonger's) are abhorrent. When Erik [[TheUsurper seizes the throne]], he immediately abuses his power and continues his father's goal planning to use Vibranium TakeOverTheWorld before being stopped by his cousin T'challa.

In kids shows, there's a common Aesop where a Black Sheep from one of the kids' families will show up as either a CoolBigSis (or brother) or a CoolUncle. Often the Cool Relative will inspire emulation by all the kids in town (sometimes excepting only the kid who is actually related to him). Eventually this emulation gets the kids into trouble. Either the Black Sheep helps the kids out and then delivers the {{Aesop}} that they really don't want to be like him, or he reveals himself to be a {{Jerkass}} and leaves the kids in their mess (often to be saved by the one kid who didn't emulate the Black Sheep).

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}}'': Beetlejuice, in the animated adaptation is shown to be this. His parents are hardworking, well-mannered neat freaks, and he has a brother (who appeared in only one episode) who is essentially perfect.

!This trope is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=16661157600.33910300 under discussion]] in the Administrivia/TropeRepairShop.

* Creator/GeorgetteHeyer's book ''Black Sheep'' has as its hero Miles Calverleigh, who was packed off to India after he [[spoiler:tried to elope with an heiress]]. Upon returning to England twenty years later, he acknowledges that wasn't a good idea, but still doesn't worry about conforming to the rules of propriety.

* An inversion is found in ''Burton's Zoom Zoom Varoom Machine'' by Dorothy Haas. The entire family are eccentric inventors of one sort or another, except for Little Brother. He's the Black Sheep ''because'' he's the only normal one.

* A ''Dr. Ecco'' puzzle features three heirs to a fortune, Alice, Brad, and Carla. Brad and Carla are stereotypical rich folk but Alice, the self-proclaimed Black Sheep, wears a plastic earring and jeans. The reason she is the black sheep is that she doesn't fit in with her other two siblings.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', Iroh is a bit of a Black Sheep because he doesn't seem to care about the throne and ceases to actively serve as a general in the war. Zuko is TheUnfavourite, but not much of a Black Sheep, at least not until he specifically rejected his father.

** Pinkie Pie proves to be the black (or in her case, ''pink'') sheep of her family. Her parents are basically the pony equivalent of the Amish, and none of her sisters are exactly fun-loving; Limestone is harsh and abrasive, Maud is an EmotionlessGirl, and Marble is TheQuietOne. Pinkie, on the other hand, is a GenkiGirl who likes nothing more than to [[LifeOfTheParty throw parties]]. It's even evident in their designs; the Pie family are all drab earth-toned ponies with straight manes, while Pinkie is bright pink with QuirkyCurls. She ''does'' get along with her family just fine, but she clearly doesn't share their passion for Rock Farming, having left the family farm to go work in a bakery as a live-in party planner.

* Heinz Doofenshmirtz from ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' could qualify as this. He's divorced, without a job, his mother favors his younger brother, his father thinks of his dog as his son rather than Heinz, and his parents even disowned him. To make matters worse, it's not exactly easy to compete with his younger brother Roger since he's the Mayor of Danville and seen as perfection in human form.

* Sheldon J. Plankton in ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' is an EvilGenius, while the rest of his family are country bumpkins easily bribed with root beer.

Contrast WhiteSheep, where a family member is an outcast for not engaging in the family's poor behavior. An OddballInTheSeries is often called its "black sheep". The RemittanceMan is a specific example who mostly appears in TheWestern; an unwanted scion of a prominent European (usually British) family, sent overseas to make his fortune or to avoid scandal, and paid a regular sum of money (the "remittance") to stay there.

* In ''Series/{{Dallas}}'' and its SpinOff ''Series/KnotsLanding'', Gary is the Black Sheep of the Ewing family.