History Main / FamilyOfChoice

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': This is how Soos views the Pines’ and why he’s [[DropInCharacter always seen at the Mystery Shack even when he’s not working and always going on adventures with them]]. [[spoiler: The only other family he has is his grandmother. [[DisappearedDad His dad left him at a young age and never came back, never being there for Soos when he needed him the most.]] That is why, when he got a job at the Mystery Shack when he was just 12, he started to view his boss Stan as [[ParentalSubstitute the father he never had.]] When Dipper and Mabel moved the the Mystery Shack, he started to view them as being like siblings to him.]]

* ''Film/TheBluesBrothers'' met each other while they were both children in an orphanage, and used a string from Elmore James's guitar to become BloodBrothers. As adults, they legally changed their names so that they have the same last name in order to make the brotherhood more official.

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14213862/1/Chaos-Theory-Z Chaos Theory Z]]'', Goku shrugs off Raditz being his long-lost brother by stating that [[TrueCompanions his friends whom he's fought alongside for years]] are more of a family to him than a blood relative he's never met before.

Subtrope of TrueCompanions. Compare/contrast with NoBloodTies and ThickerThanWater. Hint: If an example includes the words "in the end" then it's more likely FireForgedFriends than this trope (which is about characters forming a family in the beginning, before all that plot stuff happens).

See also FriendsAreChosenFamilyArent, which involves stressful family relationships which arise because a character can't choose who they are actually related to by blood. In complex cases, however, the two tropes can overlap; if things get difficult with a Family of Choice, the character can't just dump them, because they're now ''"family"'' -- so that relationship becomes stressful.

* ''Fanfic/CodeGeassPaladinsOfVoltron'': It's made very clear that Lelouch views the Paladins as this, especially since his true family abandoned him and his crippled sister to die seven years prior. He fully hits the realization after a conversation with Alfor aboard the Castle of Lions. The rest of the Paladins reciprocate this fully, [[spoiler:and even tell him just before the Black Rebellion commences that they will ''never'' abandon him]].

-->'''Merritt:''' I just wanna say. I came into the world with the wrong family, but I'm leaving with the right one.

** More broadly, having to discover a Found Family is something a lot of LGBT people are forced to go through out of sheer need for survival. This is changing as cultural attitudes shift in some parts of the world, but is still very much a reality. It's not as formal as the Houses of ballroom culture; just a group of people finding a place to live and paying for food and rent together.

* ''VideoGame/TwistedWonderland'': All four recurring Diasomnia characters are a chosen family and have lived in the same household, with Lilia as the TeamDad. Three of them have no biological family – Malleus and Silver are both orphans (though Malleus has a living grandmother) and Lilia's family status is unknown.

** [[spoiler:After going through the events of "Hollow Mind" together, Luz and Hunter, who were already LikeBrotherAndSister, become each other's closest confidants, and the only ones who know the other's dark secrets. In "Thanks to Them", Luz outright calls Hunter her family, which overwhelms Hunter so much he starts [[TearsOfJoy sobbing]] [[CatharticCrying uncontrollably]].]]

* The six surviving students from ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'' ([[spoiler:Makoto Naegi, Kyoko Kirigiri, Byakuya Togami, Aoi Asahina, Toko Fukawa/[[SplitPersonality Genocide Jack]] and Yasuhiro Hagakure]]) are a mix of this and FireForgedFriends; all of them fought together through the trials of a DeadlyGame and came out alive, which resulted in them becoming close enough to basically be a family. ''VideoGame/DanganronpaAnotherEpisodeUltraDespairGirls'' adds Makoto's sister Komaru to the mix.

* The titular character of ''The Burke Crime Novels'' of Creator/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.

* The six surviving students from ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'' (Makoto Naegi, Kyoko Kirigiri, Byakuya Togami, Aoi Asahina, Toko Fukawa/[[SplitPersonality Genocide Jack]] and Yasuhiro Hagakure) are a mix of this and FireForgedFriends; all of them fought together through the trials of a DeadlyGame and came out alive, which resulted in them becoming close enough to basically be a family. ''VideoGame/DanganronpaAnotherEpisodeUltraDespairGirls'' adds Makoto's sister Komaru to the mix.

-->'''Beast:''' '''We are Avengers,''' Logan. There is more to consider here.
-->'''Wolverine:''' I'm asking you to be an '''X-Man''' right now. This ain't '''work,''' [=McCoy=]... this is '''family.'''

* ''FanFic/ABrighterDark'': In stark contrast to her [[ConflictingLoyalty original counterpart,]] [[VideoGame/FireEmblemFates Corrin]] has absolutely no confusion over who she considers her 'real' family to be. As far as she's concerned, she's Nohrian and always has been. Her Hoshidan siblings may have had someone who looked like her as a little sister, but that [[ThatManIsDead little sister wasn't her anymore.]]

-->'''Corrin:''' Look little girl, I've seen enough blood to know that it all looks the same. It's all red, and you only ever see it when things have gone horribly wrong for the person holding it. It keeps the body pumping and makes a big mess when it gets spilled, and beyond that I don't see any reason to attach any sentimental value to it. True family is the people who have been there with you through thick and thin. They're the ones who make you feel warm when the world seems cold; the people you grow with, train with, eat with, you fight with and laugh with over the stupidest little things. That's family to me.

* In the ''[[Series/Charmed1998 Charmed]]'' fic "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8098004/1/Charmed-Alternate Charmed Alternate]]", Prue, Piper, Phoebe and Paige all ''believe'' that this applies to Paige when she and Piper become friends after Grams' death, as they assume that Paige manifesting witch powers when Phoebe cast the spell is just a coincidence and the Halliwells each agree that Paige is basically their sister even when they don't know she really ''is'' related to them.

* ''FanFic/AClashOfNEETS'': Theon makes it very clear to his sister that the Stark's have been more family to him than Balon Greyjoy ever was, and if his father wants to start another rebellion, he knows exactly whose side he'll be on.
--> '''Theon:''' "I am Ironborn as much as you! I've been left to rot for nine years, with no kith nor kin save the Starks! If I value them and their company, well, it's because they value me!"

* In ''Fanfic/CustodyBattle'', a ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia fanfiction, sometimes family is a young boy who wants to become a hero, his supervillain father, his time-traveling uncle, and his mentor who hates his dad.
* The ''Series/{{Angel}}''/''Literature/TheHungerGames'' crossover "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10718717/1/Demon-s-Games Demon's Games]]" opens with Katniss and Peeta being rescued from demons by Angel and Illyria, who takes them to District Thirteen to join the rebellion against the Capitol, which is controlled by the Senior Partners of Wolfram & Hart since his last major battle against them. Initially Katniss is mainly brought in to be the public face of Angel's rebellion, but as time goes on she forms a strong bond with Angel and his closest allies, even as she is also close to Peeta and other Panem residents. When [[spoiler:the Capitol finally falls, with Prim dead and her mother trying to avoid thinking of Prim to escape her grief, Katniss concludes that she will stay in the Capitol with Angel, Illyria, Cinna, Peeta, and the "returned" Buffy, Willow and Wesley (Buffy was brought back to life, Willow's magic extended her lifespan and Wesley was a ghost forced to act for the Partners), Katniss explicitly describing this group as her family]].

* In ''[[Fanfic/TheDragonAndTheButterfly The Dragon and the Butterfly]]'', Hiccup and Toothless become honorary Madrigals after crashing into the Encanto, with Julieta and Agustin serving as [[ParentalSubstitute parental figures]] after they learn that Stoick disowned Hiccup.
* The old Mustang unit from ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', along with the Elrics and the rest of the "allies," are well and truly forged into one of these during the Fanfic/ElementalChessTrilogy.
* [[http://tbillingsemergencyfanfic.com/storiesbytammy.htm In this]] series of ''{{Series/Emergency}}'' fics, John Gage lost his parents as a young boy. The relatives who raised him badly abused him. His aunt is the only blood family he's close to. But his work partner, Roy, and Roy's wife Joanne become the people he thinks of as his family, even if he has a hard time just understanding and accepting love. The relationship often easily shifts between brothers or brother/sister and parents/child. Joanne often mothers him like her third child, and even Roy's son recognizes that when someone tries to hurt John, Roy gets like a PapaBear. John's aunt also comes to see how the Desotos have become her nephew's surrogate family and helped him in ways she never managed.
* ''Fanfic/EnTempusVeritas'';

* In ''{{Fanfic/Everqueen}}'', that's how Horus views his street gang from Chtonia, Ezekyle included.
* ''Fanfic/FateBlackDawn'': When Mordred mistakenly assumes that Shirou is her father, her mother Morgan very specifically asks her if she would like Shirou to continue being her "Papa." Mordred is too young to really understand what's going on, so she just says yes. [[spoiler:Later, Morgan introduces Arturia to Mordred as her father. Morgan sees no contradiction with Arturia being Mordred's father and Shirou her Papa. Mordred, confused, just ignores the whole mess]].
* The ''FanFic/ForeverCaptain'' series: In ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/31329512 The Favor]]'', it's shown that Tony has come to see both the Jarvises and the Carters as this in this version of the timeline.

* "[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/18188153/ Half-Empty]]" looks at the characters of ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'' dealing with the aftermath of the Snap (''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'') when Holt, Gina, Boyle and various direct family members were lost. While the survivors were making sure the orphaned children were safe, they ended up staying with Holt's husband Kevin as he had the largest house, to the extent that they all become a family unit to raise their children, such as Jake and Amy raising Boyle's son Nikolaj and Gina's daughter Iggy being legally Terry's adopted daughter even as Kevin is the one she first bonded with (Terry was chosen as the legal guardian as he was the best choice on paper but she spends more time with Kevin). The fic ends with [[spoiler:those lost in the Snap returning after the Avengers undo it, with Jake privately apprehensive about the future of their forged family even as he's grateful to have everyone back]].

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10303864/12/My-Name-Is-Yasha-Romanov My Name Is Yasha Romanov]]'', Clint sees right through Natasha's protest that Yasha isn't her son.
-->"Yeah I know; he's just someone's kid you were paid to look after. But he's still your boy."

* In ''FanFic/RequestAndReceiveSaga'' story "And there was mead", Basilio thinks of Lon'qu and Olivia as his children.
* This is a constant theme of ''FanFic/TheRWBYLoops'', to the point where the celebratory hundred-chapter badge has the words "Te Potest Elige Cognatione Tua" on it--latin for "You Can Choose Your Family." Granted, it's rare that the loopers of Remnant abandon their baseline family--it's just that they incredibly commonly [[https://i.imgur.com/t8u72Or.png adopt new family members]].

* In ''FanFic/ShadowAndRose'', Elissa 's entire family is dead, and she forges a new one out of the RagtagBunchOfMisfits she recruits to help stop the Blight. Leliana invokes it when giving a RousingSpeech, pointing out that they are the only family their leader has anymore and they can't let her down.

* In the ''Series/Merlin2008'' fic "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6351946/1/The-Sorcerer-s-Bride The Sorcerer's Bride]]", even after Morgana learns that Morgause is her half-sister, she explicitly rejects Morgause as twisted and insane in favour of her established bond with Gwen, to the extent that she declares that she would abandon Morgause as a sister in favour of Gwen if it was possible (although Morgana does concede that ''anyone'' would be a better sister than Morgause).

* In the Series/ArrowVerse fanfic ''[[Fanfic/ToHellAndBackArrowverse To Hell & Back]]'', this dynamic is formed between Oliver Queen, Barry Allen, Kara Zor-El, Kal-El, Slade Wilson and Shado during their time spent on Lian Yu; even after Shado died when he was barely a year old, Kal-El still thinks of Shado as 'Mama', Slade is still referred to as 'Papa' even after he hasn't seen Slade for over nine years, and Oliver and Barry each make it clear that they've known Kara for so long that just the idea of dating her makes them each want to gag as they otherwise see her as their sister.
* In the ''Series/{{Friends}}'' fic "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1242073/1/TO-On-the-Streets TO On the Streets]]", even after Monica learns during her wedding to Chandler that her father and brother didn't know about her mother's plan to kick her out, she makes it clear to Joey that she will still see him and Phoebe as family as they were there for her and Chandler while they rebuilt their lives.

* During an argument with ComicBook/CarolDanvers in ''Fanfic/APrizeForThreeEmpires'', Wolverine admits he doesn't want to leave the X-Men because they have become his family.

* The six surviving students from ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'' (Makoto Naegi, Kyoko Kirigiri, Byakuya Togami, Aoi Asahina, Toko Fukawa/[[SplitPersonality Genocide Jack]] and Yasuhiro Hagakure) are a mix of this and FireForgedFriends; all of them fought together through the trials of a DeadlyGame and came out alive, which resulted in them becoming close enough to basically be a family. ''VideoGame/DanganronpaAnotherEpisodeUltraDespairGirls'' adds Makoto's sister Komaru to the mix.

* Though his own family life, if he even has one, is never commented on, by the end of the first game in ''VisualNovel/TheGreatAceAttorney'' Duology, Ryonosuke comes to call Sholmes, Iris, and Susato his family. Later, [[spoiler: Kazuma]] and even Professor Mikatoba are added to the family (though to be fair, he was Susato's birth father in the first place so he was really part of the family from the get go).

* ''VisualNovel/PhantomThiefSilverCat'': Ginka's parents are both deceased, but she considers her staff as her family.

* ''Manga/ChainsawMan'''s main trio of Denji, Power, and Aki start out as a bunch of dysfunctional coworkers who are forced to live together, but as the series goes on, they come off more as bickering siblings who nonetheless have each other's backs. [[spoiler: Tragically, the second half of Part 1 kills off Power and Aki in cruel ways, and reveals their boss set them up to bond together simply so Denji could be hurt worse by their loss. But Denji survives to become a big brother to a potential PersonOfMassDestruction, who he's determined to give a good upbringing.]]

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter,'':

* ''Fanfic/Ben10Unlimited'': The fic starts with Ben having lost everyone he ever loved, and almost [[BrokenBird losing himself over it]]. Luckily, via the [[JustForPun timely]] interference of Professor Paradox, Ben gains a new found family in the form of the Justice League (the founding members of whom see Ben as a little brother), the Kents, the Bats, and his best friend turned girlfriend, Kara.

* ''Fanfic/AFrozenFlower'': While Odd Squad as an organization is this in canon, the first chapter has Olive, as [[HearingVoices a voice in Otto's head,]] taking the concept and horrifically twisting it when taunting Otto.
--> '''Otto:''' ''[mentally]'' I don't know what's deluded you. You were never first to me, Olive. I have a family, you know!
--> '''Olive:''' A family that doesn't know the real you, the Otto who pretends to go to school each day but really comes to Headquarters to work with -- guess who? Me! By the time you decide to leave, I'll mean more to you than your little family ever did. Just wait and see. When agents leave the Squad, they leave changed. They're never truly part of their family again, because this is their home. We are their family. They'll be filled with an intense, dreadful longing for Odd Squad. But they can't come back, because they took an oath. The longing infests their minds and poisons their hearts. It eventually drives them insane-
--> '''Otto:''' ''STOP IT! STOP IT!''

* In ''Fanfic/TheOtherSideMemoriaeterna'', after basically the other half of the universe was dusted by Thanos (''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''), Peter Parker uses the resources left to him as Tony Stark's primary appointed heir to work on finding a way to undo the Snap, earning the respect and loyalty of basically every remaining hero. After a year of work on this project, the others become so close to Peter that (at the least), Wanda Maximoff and Yelena Belova proclaim themselves his sisters, Star-Lord affectionately terms Peter his "little brother", and Doctor Strange, Hope Pym and Jane Foster are his uncle and aunts respectively. [[spoiler:Once the Snap is undone, Wanda accepts the 'need' to add Tony to the chat, and May is swiftly added once Strange points out that it's somewhat odd for this chat not to include Peter's only living relative now that she's available]].

* The [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Batfamily]], hence the name. Bruce is a ParentalSubstitute for Dick, Jason, Tim, and Cass. The fact that Jason CameBackWrong complicates his relationships with everyone. There's also Barbara, who acts as a mother/big sister figure for Cass, and a big sister figure for Tim and Steph. Steph's relationship with Bruce is a deconstruction of the ParentalSubstitute role he takes with the others, as he accepted and rejected her at his convenience. She picks up the Batgirl mantle whilst he's "dead" and their relationship improves upon his return. In fact the Batfamily is such a family of choice that when Damian, Bruce's biological son, shows up, he feels insecure because he's surrounded by people who were ''chosen'' to be Batman's family whilst he was forced on him by Talia. Of course, Damian eventually becomes a little brother to Dick and Steph. Jason and Tim too since, regardless of who's writing them, all of the Robins refer to each other as brothers as of the New 52.