History Main / ConvenientlyAnOrphan

* Many a protagonist on Website/{{Wattpad}} lacks parents, for purposes of angst, and to justify why a teenager is allowed to go on such adventures. Especially Y/N in ReaderInsertFics.

* Many a protagonist on Website/Wattpad lacks parents, for purposes of angst, and to justify why a teenager is allowed to go on such adventures

* In ''Franchise/SailorMoon'', both Mamoru and Makoto's parents are dead, long before the start of the series. In the [[Manga/SailorMoon manga]] it's used to handwave why they live alone, but in the [[Anime/SailorMoon anime]] any mention is quickly swept under the rug.

*** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'': The sole [[AvertedTrope aversion]] in the series. Link rescuing his sister is the impetus of the main quest, and visiting and helping his grandmother is a sidequest.

* Simon of ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' lost his parents in an earthquake before the start of the series, so when his {{blood brother|s}} 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 be exiled to the surface explicitly because they don't have family who will mourn their departure.

* [[Characters/MarvelComicsPeterParker Spider-Man]] has his beloved aunt, and his uncle [[DeathByOriginStory lived long enough]] to [[AesopCollateralDamage say the thing that has shaped most of Spidey's career]]. Also, more than a few members of the supporting cast have lost one ([[Characters/MarvelComicsMaryJaneWatson Mary Jane Watson]], Harry Osborn, John Jameson) or both (Betty Brant, Gwen Stacy) parents.

* Orphans were extremely common in Golden and Silver Age Creator/MarvelComics, in addition to those already mentioned for example ComicBook/SubMariner, [[Characters/MarvelComicsSteveRogers Captain America]], [[Characters/MarvelComicsBuckyBarnes Bucky]], the ComicBook/FantasticFour ([[Characters/FantasticFourTheFantasticFour Reed Richards]]' father reappeared in the 1980s, though), Alicia Masters, [[Characters/MarvelComicsMattMurdock Daredevil]] (although Creator/FrankMiller would eventually change that, revealing that his mother had actually become a nun), ComicBook/IronMan, ComicBook/AntMan and Characters/TheWasp, ComicBook/BlackWidow, [[Characters/MarvelComicsProfessorX Professor X]], and [[Characters/MarvelComicsCyclops Cyclops]]. Angel became one before long.

* The debut issue of ''Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk'' makes it clear up front that Rick Jones (Bruce Banner's newly-acquired teenage sidekick) is an orphan. Much later, we learn that Bruce is also an orphan; Bruce's mother was killed by his father when he was a child, and Bruce (accidentally?) killed his father shortly before the explosion that made him the Hulk.

* The Plutonian of ''Comicbook/{{Irredeemable}}'' is yet another convenient superhero orphan. The series actually deconstructs this Trope, examining the effect it can really have on a little boy with superpowers. The Plutonian was also abandoned by his subsequent foster parents, after he accidentally crippled their biological son. They even devoted themselves to ''never speaking again'' just so he wouldn't pick up their voices by superhearing.
* Orphans were extremely common in Golden and Silver Age Creator/MarvelComics, in addition to those already mentioned for example ComicBook/SubMariner, [[Characters/MarvelComicsSteveRogers Captain America]], [[Characters/MarvelComicsBuckyBarnes Bucky]], the ComicBook/FantasticFour ([[Characters/FantasticFourTheFantasticFour Reed Richards]]' father reappeared in the 1980s, though), Alicia Masters, Characters/{{Daredevil|MattMurdock}} (although Creator/FrankMiller would eventually change that, revealing that his mother had actually become a nun), ComicBook/IronMan, ComicBook/AntMan and Characters/TheWasp, ComicBook/BlackWidow, [[Characters/MarvelComicsProfessorX Professor X]], and [[Characters/MarvelComicsCyclops Cyclops]]. Angel became one before long.

* [[Characters/SpiderManPeterParker Spider-Man]] has his beloved aunt, and his uncle [[DeathByOriginStory lived long enough]] to [[AesopCollateralDamage say the thing that has shaped most of Spidey's career]]. Also, more than a few members of the supporting cast have lost one ([[Characters/MarvelComicsMaryJaneWatson Mary Jane Watson]], Harry Osborn, John Jameson) or both (Betty Brant, Gwen Stacy) parents.

* According to Mai Shiranui’s conversation with Takuma Sakazaki in''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters XIII'', Hanzou Shiranui’s death leaves the legacy of the Shiranui school of ninjitsu in the hands of Mai and Andy. This implies Mai is the only member of the Shiranui family left.

* In the ''Literature/{{Replica}}'' series, Nancy Candler is an orphan with no living relatives, making it easy for her to pass off an adopted genetically altered clone as her biological daughter without anyone raising eyebrows.

* Sousuke Sagara of ''Literature/FullMetalPanic'' being rendered an orphan helps justify why he can keep risking his life with no regard for consequences. Although his mother dying for his sake and her dramatic LastWords telling him he must "live," "never give up," and "fight!" does have the other purpose of making him the CrazySurvivalist he is today, it mainly seems to serve as a plot device to allow the readers to realize he simply has no one waiting for him.

* In ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'', Zelgadis and Gourry both have no parents (Zelgadis's great-grandfather [[AffablyEvil Rezo]] killed his, and Gourry's were killed during a [[BigScrewedUpFamily family feud]]), and Sylphiel, Filia, Pokota, Amelia, and [[spoiler:Naga]] only have one parent each (a father, actually); in Sylphiel's case, she falls under this trope when her father is KilledOffForReal in the third {{Light Novel|s}}/late first season of the anime in a [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill town-wide explosion]]. Ironically, the main protagonist's (Lina) parents are both alive and well. And the status of the parents of Lina's later allies in the novels (Luke and Milina) is unknown.

* ''Series/{{Revenge}}'' is centered around this trope. Amanda/Emily's whole purpose is to avenge her father, who was framed for aiding terrorists and later died; her mother passed away when she was a small child.

[[caption-width-right:350:Dead {{mentor}} figure optional ([[MentorOccupationalHazard for now]]).]]

* Orphans were extremely common in Golden and Silver Age Creator/MarvelComics, in addition to those already mentioned for example ComicBook/SubMariner, [[Characters/MarvelComicsSteveRogers Captain America]], [[Characters/MarvelComicsBuckyBarnes Bucky]], the ComicBook/FantasticFour ([[Characters/FantasticFourTheFantasticFour Reed Richards]]' father reappeared in the 1980s, though), Alicia Masters, Characters/{{Daredevil|MattMurdock}} (although Creator/FrankMiller would eventually change that, revealing that his mother had actually become a nun), ComicBook/IronMan, ComicBook/AntMan and [[Characters/AntManHeroes The Wasp]], ComicBook/BlackWidow, [[Characters/MarvelComicsProfessorX Professor X]], and [[Characters/MarvelComicsCyclops Cyclops]]. Angel became one before long.

* ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'': Ford Prefect is not only an orphan but the LastOfHisKind, which provides a convenient explanation for why his original alien name is forgotten.

* VideoGame/GenshinImpact: several characters have been orphaned as a plot point for their origin.

* Discussed in ''Webcomic/SaturdayMorningBreakfastCereal'', where an artifical intelligence concludes that the continuing appeal of ''Literature/AnneOfGreenGables'' is because Anne has no family ties, no psychological damage from her loss, and is an intelligent and amusing person who requires minimal effort to raise.

* ''Webcomic/TrueVillains'': PlayedForLaughs with ThePollyanna Mia when she joins the {{Villain Protagonist}}s. Her orphaning and subsequent HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood makes them [[http://truevillains.com/comic-2008-06-29~N-Meeting%20Mia-jpg.htm feel a lot better]] about having just [[DoomedHometown incinerated her hometown]] and everyone in it, so they adopt her.

* [[MultipleChoicePast Two of the three options]] in ''Franchise/MassEffect'' for Shepard. With the spacer background, Shepard's mother is not only alive and well, but also helps [[GenderNeutralWriting him/her]] out during one of the optional sidequests in ''VideoGame/MassEffect1''. They have another conversation in the ''Citadel'' DLC for ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''.

* An optional backstory for the Dragonborn in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim''. If the ''Dawnguard'' DLC is installed, there comes a point in its main quest when Serana, who has some justified parent issues, will inquire about her companion's parents. The game provides a few choices for what happened to the player character's parents, one being to say that they died a long time ago.

Orphaned heroes, on the other hand, never have to deal with all that. They don't need an excuse to go on wild adventures or stay away for days on end, they don't have anyone waiting around for them to come home! Conveniently, these heroes can answer the CallToAdventure because they don't have other responsibilities.

* Buck and Larry 3000 of ''WesternAnimation/TimeSquad'' needed Otto from the 20th century since he knows more history than they do. Since he's an orphan that was in a rather troubling situation when they found him, they adopted him despite the fact that it's forbidden by the Time Squad.

* Sousuke Sagara of ''Lightnovel/FullMetalPanic'' being rendered an orphan helps justify why he can keep risking his life with no regard for consequences. Although his mother dying for his sake and her dramatic LastWords telling him he must "live," "never give up," and "fight!" does have the other purpose of making him the CrazySurvivalist he is today, it mainly seems to serve as a plot device to allow the readers to realize he simply has no one waiting for him.

* In ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'', Zelgadis and Gourry both have no parents (Zelgadis's great-grandfather [[AffablyEvil Rezo]] killed his, and Gourry's were killed during a [[BigScrewedUpFamily family feud]]), and Sylphiel, Filia, Pokota, Amelia, and [[spoiler:Naga]] only have one parent each (a father, actually); in Sylphiel's case, she falls under this trope when her father is KilledOffForReal in the third {{Light Novel|s}}/late first season of the anime in a [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill town-wide explosion]]. Ironically, the main protagonist's (Lina) parents are both alive and well. And the status of the parents of Lina's later allies in the novels (Luke and Milina) is unknown.

* Subverted twice in ''ComicBook/XStatix'':