History Main / KillTheParentRaiseTheChild

* ''ComicBook/TheFlintstones'': In DC's comic book adaptation, [[spoiler:Barney and Betty Rubble adopt Bam-Bam, of the Tree People, after Fred and Barney participate in the genocide of his tribe.]]

* ''Series/GothamKnights'': [[spoiler:Team leader Turner Hayes is Bruce Wayne/Batman's adopted son. In the finale, he learns that his biological parents were members of the League of Assassins whom Bruce killed in self-defense when they tried to assassinate him, and he adopted Turner out of guilt for orphaning him]].

This trope often serves as a PetTheDog moment for the adoptive parent by demonstrating that even though they're willing to kill another person, they still WouldntHurtAChild. If the adoptive parent is a villain, this can be used to demonstrate that EvenEvilHasStandards. They may even [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone regret depriving an innocent child of their caretaker]] and step into that role themselves as a form of recompense. Sometimes the adoptive parent is a HitmanWithAHeart who was hired to kill the biological parent but refused to harm a child or leave them to fend for themself. In some cases, the killer was misinformed about their target; either their target had them pegged wrong, or they were given details that are either false or omitted certain facts--including the fact that their target has a kid. Even worse is if the biological parent was someone the killer ''knew'' personally and was tricked/decieved into killing them. There is also the scenario where the biological parent is actually [[AbusiveParents abusive]] and/or [[ParentalNeglect neglectful]] leading to the murderer both actually saving the child (intentionally or not) ''and'' possibly becoming the parent the child deserves in the process.

* ''Film/{{Executor}}'' runs on this trope. A HitmamWithAHeart, Kyle, is tasked with assasinating a mob leader who owns a diner by planting a TimeBomb in said diner, intending to kill the target only. Unfortunately a woman and her son enters at the wrong time, and Kyle only managed to save the child, six-year-old Matthew, in the ensuing explosion, with Matthew losing his memories in the process. Kyle then reluctantly took Matthew into his apartment, firstly intending to babysit Matthew until he can get the boy a foster family, but eventually becomes attached to the kid. To complicate things even further, the characters aren't even the ''same race'' - Kyle is a ScaryBlackMan while Matthew is white, a point Kyle lampshades a few times.

* ''Anime/{{Photon}}'': If the wicked and capricious Emperor is telling the truth, then he and another man discovered the secret of aho energy. The greedy fellow killed his partner, then pulled a SwitchedAtBirth trick, raising Lashara Moon as his own while leaving his rightful daughter Keyne Aqua to be raised by a rebel faction. This proves to be a BatmanGambit since Keyne became a living key that unlocks the aho generator, which can grant its user godlike powers.

* ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'': As a child, The Reaper witnessed the assassin [[spoiler:who would later be known as Koro-sensei]] kill his father, but was not the least bit upset or horrified and instead impressed, eagerly asking the assassin to train him, which he agrees to.

* ''Film/TheBookOfHenry'': Played with. Henry comes up with an elaborate plan to rescue his neighbor Christina from her abusive stepfather Glenn by having his mother Susan kill Glenn and adopt Christina into the family. [[spoiler:After Henry's sudden death, Susan, driven by grief, almost goes through with killing Glenn. At the last minute, she realizes that this is something only a child would think is a good idea. Glenn kills himself after the school prinicple reports the abuse, leaving Susan free to adopt Christina]].