History Main / FamilyOfChoice

* Members of local Christian churches are often this way, relying on one another for prayer and moral support, celebrating major life events, and so on.

* In SlyCooper, main characters Sly, Benteley, and Murray met in an orphanage and became as thick as thieves (pun intended.)

* In {{Baccano}}!, Firo, Ennis and Czeslaw - three immortals who've faced a [[StreetUrchin pretty]] [[TrappedInVillainy rough]] [[ColdBloodedTorture life]] - eventually settle into this arrangement, right down to sharing the same apartment.

* In ''{{Battlestar Galactica Reimagined}}'', Bill Adama mentioned a couple times that he regards Kara Thrace (Starbuck) as "family" (implied above and beyond any BandOfBrothers comraderie within the Fleet), and seemed to have a soft spot for her under his tough leadership exterior. It's never really mentioned why though, other than they go back a way (but so does he with a few others in the fleet)--and her being responsible for his son Zak's death (by not washing him out of flight training when he was failing, due to having relations with him) makes it even more perplexing.

* {{Manga/Naruto}}: Naruto, whose entire family is dead, has formed close bonds with his 'Grandfather' the third hokage, his 'brother' Sasuke and his 'father' Kakashi.

* Haymitch, Peeta and Katniss in [[Literature/TheHungerGames the Hunger Games]]. Katniss still has her mother and sister [[spoiler:until the third book where her sister dies and her mother moves away]] and Peeta's family is still around [[spoiler:until the end of book two]] but all of Haymitch's loved ones were killed by the Capitol after the second Quarter Quell. The three of them become very close and at one point in the second book Katniss flat-out calls Haymitch a family member. For Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta seem to be the children he never had. By the end of the series [[spoiler:Katniss and Peeta are married with two small children and Haymitch presumably fills the role of grandfather, since both Katniss' and Peeta's fathers are dead.]]

* Haymitch, Peeta and Katniss in [[Literature/TheHungerGames]]. Katniss still has her mother and sister [[spoiler:until the third book where her sister dies and her mother moves away]] and Peeta's family is still around [[spoiler:until the end of book two]] but all of Haymitch's loved ones were killed by the Capitol after the second Quarter Quell. The three of them become very close and at one point in the second book Katniss flat-out calls Haymitch a family member. For Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta seem to be the children he never had. By the end of the series [[spoiler:Katniss and Peeta are married with two small children and Haymitch presumably fills the role of grandfather, since both Katniss' and Peeta's fathers are dead.]]

* In ''HarryPotter'' the Weasley family seems to choose [[TheHero Harry]] pretty much from the moment they meet him; aside from him being [[ClassicalAntiHero Ron]]'s best friend, it probably has to do with his OrphansOrdeal being well-known among wizards. [[MamaBear Mrs. Weasley]] sends him a homemade sweater (like she does to all her children) after only meeting him once, and from the second book on he spends a large chunk of each summer with them. (He ''officially'' joins the family sometime after the series when [[spoiler:he marries [[FieryRedhead Ginny]]]]).

Often in fiction, a character who starts out ConvenientlyAnOrphan will pick up [[TrueCompanions extremely loyal companions]] along the way. Sometimes these relationships are forged through the [[FireForgedFriends fire of conflict]], but with Families of Choice, its a bit different. Members of a Chosen Family mourn the lack of family in their lives and decide to build one of their own out of people they care for and who care for them in turn.

* ''{{Friends}}'' was described by one critic as a show about a bunch of young adults finding a replacement family for their own, dysfunctional ones. Lampshaded by a [[GirlOfTheWeek Guy of the Week]] of Phoebe's whose [[MinorFlawMajorBreakup minor flaw]] was his incessant psychoanalysis of the group. There are times where actions usually performed by a family member are taken over by the gang: Chandler walks Phoebe down the aisle, they all attend Rachel giving birth, everyone comes to Ross and Monica's grandmothers funeral and they spend every Thanksgiving together.

* ''{{Friends}}'' was described by one critic as a show about a bunch of young adults finding a replacement family for their own, dysfunctional ones. Lampshaded by a [[GirlOfTheWeek Guy of the Week]] of Phoebe's whose [[MinorFlawMajorBreakup minor flaw]] was his incessant psychoanalysis of the group.
** Specifically Phoebe parents basically abandoned her, Rachel's father cut her off, Joey's family seem pretty distant, Chandler's mom only appears to humiliate him and Monica is hurt by her parents favouritism of Ross. No wonder they found support in each other!

* Definitely part of the {{Juggalo}} subculture's philosophy.
* Some cultural groups (for example, Italians) will consider even the most distant relatives family, and often this extends to [[TrueCompanions friends]]...and in some more extreme cases even casual acquaintances. This makes planning large family events (for example, weddings) a bit of a hassle, because ''everyone'' has to be invited (yes, even that third cousin twice removed on your mother's side whom you have not seen since you were a toddler) or else that person will (theoretically) feel snubbed or slighted, which has the effect of [[FamilyHonor offending everyone else]].

* Burke of the crime novels of AndrewVachss has no family by blood or law but has such close bonds with the people he’s chosen for his family that he would kill anyone who hurt them.

* Explicitly stated in an episode of ''BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' when Tara's AbusiveParents try to take her home, but Buffy and her friends insist that ''they'' are Tara's family instead, as they actually care for her.

** This even upgrades to legal family when Monica and Chandler get married, making Ross and Chandler BestFriendInLaws, and Monica and Chandler later become aunt and uncle to Ross and Rachel's daughter.

** Specifically Phoebe parents basically abandoned her, Rachel's father cut her off, Joey's family seem pretty distant, Chandler's mom only appears to humiliate and Monica is hurt by her parents favouritism of Ross. No wonder they found support in each other!
** This even upgrades to legal family when Monica and Chandler get married, making Ross and Chandler BestFriendInLaw, and Monica and Chandler become aunt and uncle to Ross and Rachel's daughter.

** Specifically Phoebe parents basically abandoned her, Rachel's father cut her off, Joey's family seem pretty distant, Chandler's mostly estranged from his parents who either neglect or humiliate him and Monica is hurt by her parents favouritism of Ross. No wonder they found support in each other!

* ''{{Friends}}'' was described by one critic as a show about a bunch of young adults finding a replacement family for their own, dysfunctional ones. Lampshaded by a [[GirlOfTheWeek Guy of the Week]] of Phoebe's whose [[MinorFlawMajorBreakup minor flaw]] was his incessant psychoanalysis of the group. The cast of ''Friends'' could be considered as a RealLife version, too.

* In ''{{Theatre/Rent}}'' the main characters, most of whom are isolated from their families and other friends, band together in the wake of Benny's FaceHeelTurn, just to try to get by in life. All but Joanne are desperately poor, half of them are HIV-positive and the relationships between the couples are rocky at the best of times, but they support each other and won't let any of the group go through it alone. Even Joanne, an Ivy League lawyer who was only there because she was dating Maureen, gradually joined the gang and stuck around after the couple's breakup [[spoiler:which was fortunate, since Angel's death brought them back together.]]

* Manga/Naruto: Naruto, whose entire family is dead, has formed close bonds with his 'Grandfather' the third hokage, his 'brother' Sasuke and his 'father' Kakashi.