History Main / LonerTurnedFriend

* Although he was a minor character and only appeared in one episode, Mike Believe from ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' is somewhat an example of this. He starts off as a loner with an ImaginaryFriend who later caused trouble in the kindergarten class. After the girls defeated the evil imaginary friend with an imaginary friend of their own, Mike explains to them that he just wanted to have friends, so the girls accepted him as a friend.

** ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games are all around this trope.

** Dorulumon from ''Anime/DigimonXrosWars'' started as a lone [[IncrediblyLamePun wolf]] and a former member of the Bagra Army. At first, he refused to be a part of the Xros Heart, but as soon as Tactimon tells him about his past, he changed his mind.

* At the time of her introduction in ''Manga/DetectiveConan'', the primary reason Ai Haibara hung around with Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko was because they were friends with Conan. She would often stand off to the side during whatever activity they were doing if she didn't skip it entirely. As the story goes on, the Detective Boys' friendship gradually wins her over and later arcs, such as the Sweet and Cold Delivery Service arc, open with Haibara being a much more active participant in their activities.

* Guts, the main protagonist of ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', starts off as a mercenary loner struggling with his inner demons of [[UnstoppableRage anger]] and has no interest in making connections with others (and he {{Hates Being Touched}}). Throughout the series, though, he finally begins to accept his new friends in the form of the Band of the Hawk.
** [[spoiler:After the original Band of the Hawk gets almost completely wiped out, Guts gradually goes through this again with his new TrueCompanions.]]
* Koji Minamoto from ''Anime/DigimonFrontier'' was a loner at first, distancing himself from Takuya and the others when they all first arrived to the Digital World. It's not until Episode 6 that he permanently joins the group.
* Tsume from ''Anime/WolfsRain''. He is described as a "stereotypical angry anime loner" who withdraws himself from his allies, but despite this, he eventually grew respectful of Kiba and became a permanently loyal member of the pack.

* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': In the original ''Manga/DragonBall'', Piccolo was born as a loner due to [[YouKilledMyFather Goku killing his father King Piccolo]] and trained himself for the World Martial Arts Tournament during his isolation. He pulls a genuine {{Heel Face Turn}} during ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' after becoming close to Goku's son [[MoralityPet Gohan]], and since then, he is now one of Goku's strongest allies.
* Dorulumon from ''Anime/DigimonXrosWars'' started as a lone [[IncrediblyLamePun wolf]] and a former member of the Bagra Army. At first, he refused to be a part of the Xros Heart, but as soon as Tactimon tells him about his past, he changed his mind.

* Kiyo Takamine from ''Manga/ZatchBell'' begins as an introverted loner due to being picked on by others and started skipping school, but that all changed when Zatch's influence made him more of a sociable person. Thus, the two are officially friends.
* Mikagami Tokiya from ''Manga/FlameOfRecca'' begins as a revenge-driven loner with a cold attitude towards everyone except Yanagi, who was the reason he warmed up a bit, and he later became an official member of Team Hokage.
* Ryoga "Shark" Kamishiro from ''Anime/YuGiOhZEXAL'' started as the IneffectualLoner [[TheRival Rival]] to Yuma. Then came his {{Defeat|MeansFriendship}} from Yuma, and now both duelists are good friends with each other.
** This happens a bajillion times after that, with Yuma typically dueling a character with even worse social skills than him, and inspiring that duelist to be his friend, and nicer in general.
* Barnaby Brooks Jr. from ''Anime/TigerAndBunny''. Even though he's somewhat of a nice guy, he's too introverted to be interested in making any intimate relationships, but thirteen episodes later, he and Kotetsu are now {{Heterosexual Life Partners}}.
* Captain Gundam from ''Anime/SDGundamForce'' was a loner rebuffing companionship from Shute, but he realizes that ThePowerOfFriendship was the very thing to activate the Soul Drive. Thus, Captain officially accepted Shute as a friend.

* ''Manga/RozenMaiden'': Jun started as a {{Hikikomori}} because he was rejected by his peers for his interest in sewing, which made him very depressed. Thanks to Shinku, he finally comes out of his shell and is close to her and the other crazy dolls.
* Fakir from ''Anime/PrincessTutu'' started off as an {{Ineffectual Loner}} for almost the entire first season, but decided to (reluctantly) team up with Ahiru from then on, although another season later, he still has the tendency to revert back to do things by himself.
* Uryu Ishida from ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' was more of an [[IntelligenceEqualsIsolation intelligent loner]] and an InsufferableGenius to boot. While he will deny being friends with Ichigo, he becomes a frequent ally to him and the other Soul Reapers, only when their goals are the same.
* Shin of ''Manga/Eyeshield21'' was a loner with NoSocialSkills until he joined the football team in middle school, making this development show it was through football that he was able to make friends.
* Yukiteru Amano from ''Manga/FutureDiary'' started as a loner in school due to his anti-social personality, but he does try to get better in making friends. Unfortunately for him, Yuno doesn't want anyone closer to him. Eventually he manages to make a small group of friends with his classmates, but later on, he [[spoiler:kills his friends in his quest for Godhood]]. He was a freaky loner who got better, but it was too late for entirely other reasons.
* From ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic'', Sagara Sousuke was a loner avoiding others due to following business-related orders, but this didn't stop him from ending up with a group of TrueCompanions.
* Mizuki from ''Manga/KamisamaKiss.'' He has been alone tending to an abandoned shrine for decades when Nanami meets him and by that time he is ready to change his situation a bit. Unfortunately, the way he goes about doing so nearly winds up getting him killed by Nanami's BattleButler, Tomoe.
* At the time of her introduction in ''Manga/DetectiveConan'', the primary reason Ai Haibara hung around with Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko was because they were friends with Conan. She would often stand off to the side during whatever activity they were doing if she didn't skip it entirely. As the story goes on, the Detective Boys' friendship gradually wins her over and later arcs, such as the Sweet and Cold Delivery Service arc, open with Haibara being a much more active participant in their activities.
* ''Manga/SailorMoon'' has ''all the Inner Senshi'', for different reasons:
** Ami was ostracized due to her great intelligence and alleged snobbism (and possibly her parents' divorce, not helped by the implied infidelity). It's not until Usagi befriends her that people start talking to her.
** Rei starts out as an outcast due to the strange disappearances happening around her home, and, in the manga, her own standoffish character. Again, Usagi pulls her out of this.
** Makoto has a terrible reputation as a thug (her being an orphan in Japan would only reinforce said reputation), and everyone is just too scared to come close. Everyone except Usagi, that is.
** Minako started out having friends, but her year as Sailor V before meeting the others is implied to have caused her to neglect and then lose said friends, only to find new ones when she met the other Inner Senshi.

* After the death of her grandfather, Yue Ayase of ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'' isolated herself from others and even blew off (and insulted) Haruna, Konoka, and Nodoka when they suggested that Yue be their friend. After Nodoka tells her that "Anyone who likes books cannot be a bad person", Yue changes her mind and decides to be their friend.

* Toklo from ''Literature/SeekerBears'' started off as a loner due to being rejected by his mother and was bitter because of it, but as the journey progresses, he accepts the other bears as his friends.

* Tomoko Nozama from ''Series/KamenRiderFourze''. She's a quiet {{Goth}} who chooses to be a loner, although she is hiding her true feelings. Thanks to Gentaro, she's become the seventh member of the Kamen Rider Club and graduated to a permanent {{Perky Goth}}.
** Kengo is another example. He was a {{Jerkass}} who wanted to be left alone and denies the existence of the Club, but [[LoonyFriendsImproveYourPersonality being around them mellowed him out]] and he became a strategist to Gentaro.
* On ''Series/HappyDays'', Fonzie was originally a loner who the other guys looked up to and occasionally consulted for advice, before becoming a {{Breakout Character}} and moving in to the Cunninghams' garage apartment.

* Rob from ''Series/{{Ghostwriter}}'' first appears a loner that the team suspects in a case. Although he's a bit resistant at first, he ends up becoming their friend and joining the team after Ghostwriter revealed himself to him.

* Karen [=McCluskey=] from ''Series/DesperateHousewives'' was a rather bitter loner who initially served as Lynette Scavo's {{Sitcom Arch Nemesis}} until it was revealed that her bad attitude stems from her son's untimely death. The two become good friends after Lynette helped Karen when she was suffering arthritis.
* This is part of Simon Bellamy's major {{Character Development}} from ''Series/{{Misfits}}''. He started as a quiet and socially-inept loner suffering from years of mistreatment and isolation, despite being a really nice guy who desperately desires for friends. After that, he becomes more of a confident member of the group.
* ''Series/{{Angel}}'' was a loner during his backstory, due to his guilt and not wanting to risk attacking anyone. He came out of it for most of the series, though he sank back into it in season 2 in an attempt to protect everyone from his darkness like before.
* This actually applies to pretty much all of the main characters of ''Series/{{Leverage}}'', before they meet each other: Parker has {{no social skills}}, Eliot has [[TheAtoner a dangerous job and an unpleasant past]], Nate is busy [[TheAlcoholic drowning his sorrows]], and Sophie [[ConArtist has a gift for getting people to like her]], but no real friends. Really, the only person who seems to have anything resembling a normal social life is [[PlayfulHacker Hardison]], and even that is mostly online.
-->'''Parker''': Remember the other day, when you were playing with your imaginary friends?
-->'''Hardison''': They're not--I ''told'' you, they're my real friends, Parker, they're just not in the same room as me.

* Knuckles from the ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' series lives a solitary life born with a task to guard the Master Emerald in Angel Island, but became a trusted ally and [[FriendlyRivalry friendly rival]] to Sonic.
** Blaze from the ''VideoGame/SonicRushSeries'' is another example. It took the first game for her to learn how to accept help from others and make friends. Although she's still a loner who has to guard the Sol Emeralds in her alternate dimension, she still assists Sonic and the gang.

* ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'': Neku Sakuraba started off as both a loner and a selfish {{Jerkass}}, but over the course of three weeks, he eventually learns of the value of friendship. In the Reapers' Game [[spoiler:if he doesn't cooperate with others, he will get erased]].
* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games are all around this trope.

* Herschel Biggs from ''VideoGame/LANoire'' was rather reluctant about being assigned partners, especially with Cole Phelps, and he would rather [[IWorkAlone get the job done by himself]]. In the end, he does warm up and accepts Cole.

* In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', most of your party is comprised of such characters. A dark Jedi who undergoes a {{Heel Face Turn}}, assuming you aren't either a {{Jerkass}}, a republic pilot, a [[TheHermit hermit jedi]], or many others.

* Although he was a minor character and only appeared in one episode, Mike Believe from ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' is somewhat an example of this. He starts off as a loner with an {{Imaginary Friend}} who later caused trouble in the kindergarten class. After the girls defeated the evil imaginary friend with an imaginary friend of their own, Mike explains to them that he just wanted to have friends, so the girls accepted him as a friend.
* At the very start of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', Twilight Sparkle is focused on her studies to the exclusion of nearly all social interaction. When Nightmare Moon usurps the throne and threatens to plunge Equestria into eternal night, Twilight tries to find the artifacts necessary to stop Nightmare all by her lonesome, but five other ponies insist on helping her. By the end of the second episode, Twilight realizes the six of them have become {{Fire Forged Friends}}, and this epiphany proves necessary to defeat Nightmare Moon. From this point forward, Twilight becomes a firm believer in the Magic of Friendship, although her lack of prior social interactions later leads to some awkwardness between her and her new friends.

* ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'': The titular character started as a loner for dismissive of assistance from Launchpad and Gosalyn in the two-part pilot episode, but later on accepts the two as friends, despite still having the tendency to do things on his own again.
* The Ice King from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' was a bit of a loner due to him being ruler of Ice Kingdom, which is uninhabited despite having semi-sapient penguins and ice creatures to keep himself company. In fact, early seasons have him as the main antagonist before bigger, more credible threats appear. He soon warms up when he makes friends with Finn and Jake, especially after they learn of his tragic, tortured origins.
* ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddy'': The three main characters serve as outcasts trying to fit in with the other kids, who seem to mistrust and mistreat them a lot (although [[{{Jerkass}} Eddy]] gets this treatment the most and not the other two Eds). In the end of ''WesternAnimation/EdEddNEddysBigPictureShow'', however, [[spoiler:the kids finally accepted the boys as their friends after [[FreudianExcuse realizing]] how cruel Eddy's brother was]].

* Wheeljack from ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'' started off as a bit of a [[IneffectualLoner lone wolf]] who claimed to prefer being on the move rather than being tied down to any one place. While he fought well by himself and alongside Team Prime, he continued to gently rebuff their offers to be a more integral member of the team. He later claimed to [[LonersAreFreaks prefer being by himself]]. Arcee however caught him in his lie and he eventually admitted that he just wasn't completely comfortable with change. Eventually, [[SixthRanger he joins Team Prime]]

* Lapis Lazuli from ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' was quite the loner until she began living in the Barn with Peridot in Same Old World, and had settled down by Beta, even cracking inside jokes with Peridot in Gem Harvest.
* Mitchell from ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'' was previously a ShrinkingViolet loner, who wanted to join Jet's clique but didn't know how to fit in. However, once he sings with them in the pageant in "Holidays in Boxwood Terrace", he discovers in real time that he is being invited in. Sydney and Mindy reassure him that he can always be a part of whatever the clique is doing. So Mitchell is technically now part of Jet's circle of friends.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'' fanfic ''Fanfic/ShiftingLines'' Remus and Sirius are both this for different reasons, Remus needs to keep his secret and his parents tell him not to make friends, but he does anyway. Sirius has only associated with people he didn't like but his parents deemed acceptable so when he went to Hogwarts he was finally able to make friends with whoever he wanted.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'' fanfic ''fanfic/ShiftingLines'' Remus and Sirius are both this for different reasons, Remus needs to keep his secret and his parents tell him not to make friends, but he does anyway. Sirius has only associated with people he didn't like but his parents deemed acceptable so when he went to Hogwarts he was finally able to make friends with whoever he wanted.

** Prowl starts ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' standoffish and dismissive of the rest of the repair crew. After Bumblebee and Sari save his life he reconsiders his previous attitude and warms to the rest of the team. A flashback near the end of the series confirms that he wasn't originally part of Optimus's team and they first met him meditating on an asteroid in the middle of nowhere.

* Ryoga "Shark" Kamishiro from ''Anime/YuGiOhZEXAL'' started as the {{Ineffectual Loner}} [[TheRival Rival]] to Yuma. Then came his [[DefeatMeansFriendship defeat]] from Yuma, and now both duelists are good friends with each other.

* Captain Gundam from ''Anime/SDGundamForce'' was a loner rebuffing companionship from Shute, but he realizes that {{The Power Of Friendship}} was the very thing to activate the Soul Drive. Thus, Captain officially accepted Shute as a friend.

* Uryu Ishida from ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' was more of an [[IntelligenceEqualsIsolation intelligent loner]] and an {{Insufferable Genius}} to boot. While he will deny being friends with Ichigo, he becomes a frequent ally to him and the other Soul Reapers, only when their goals are the same.
* Shin of ''Manga/{{Eyeshield 21}}'' was a loner with {{No Social Skills}} until he joined the football team in middle school, making this development show it was through football that he was able to make friends.

* After the death of her grandfather, Yue Ayase of ''Anime/MahouSenseiNegima'' isolated herself from others and even blew off (and insulted) Haruna, Konoka, and Nodoka when they suggested that Yue be their friend. After Nodoka tells her that "Anyone who likes books cannot be a bad person", Yue changes her mind and decides to be their friend.

* ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11886910/1/Gankona-Unnachgiebig-Unità Gankona, Unnachgiebig, Unità]]'': Italy did this to both Germany and Japan. His warmth melted their cold hearts, and they became incredibly close to him.

* ''Manga/DragonBall'': Piccolo was born as a loner due to [[YouKilledMyFather Goku killing his father King Piccolo]] and trained himself for the World Martial Arts Tournament during his isolation. He pulls a genuine {{Heel Face Turn}} after becoming close to [[MoralityPet Gohan]], and since then, he is now one of Goku's strongest allies.

* Sasuke from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' was this for a time. He went from being an {{Aloof Ally}} to {{The Rival}} and eventually forms a rather [[VitriolicBestBuds begrudging]] friendship with Naruto. Now, he's cemented his status as the {{Rival Turned Evil}}, and Naruto just [[EasilyForgiven can't let go of his 'friend']] despite him {{Jumping Off The Slippery Slope}}.
** Naruto himself counts since he was a loner in the years before the series began. In fact, part of the reason why Naruto and Sasuke became friends is that both of them understood what it was like to be truly alone.

* From ''Manga/OnePiece'', Tony Tony Chopper was an outcast due to his weirdness in character, but that all changed when Luffy and the others accept him into his crew.

Sometimes, this trope can play the character in two ways. One, they still retain their [[AloofAlly introverted characteristics]], but are considered a loyal teammate/friend to the group. Two, they are a permanent member of the team and show no hint of introversion.

Note that this trope doesn't always have be about a character joining TheHero's group. It can also apply to TheProtagonist of the series, too, particularly the AntiHero. A group of characters will become [[MagneticHero drawn by the hero]] without them knowing it and they will be dismissive at first, but later on, they accept them into their life.

* Shido Fuyuki from ''Manga/GetBackers'' started of as a loner with the ability to talk to animals (and considered them as friends), but it took one Get-Backers member, Ginji, to make him more of a different person.

* Sasuke from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' was this for a time. He went from being an {{Aloof Ally}} to {{The Rival}} and eventually forms a rather [[VitriolicBestBuds begrudging]] friendship with Naruto. Now, he's cement his status as the {{Rival Turned Evil}}, and Naruto just [[EasilyForgiven can't let go of his 'friend']] despite him {{Jumping Off The Slippery Slope}}.
** Naruto himself counts, since he was a loner in the years before the series began. In fact, part of the reason why Naruto and Sasuke became friends is because both of them understood what it was like to be truly alone.

* Mikagami Tokiya from ''Manga/FlameOfRecca'' begins as an revenge-driven loner with a cold attitude towards everyone except Yanagi, who was the reason he warmed up a bit, and he later became an official member of Team Hokage.

* Barnaby Brooks Jr. from ''Anime/TigerAndBunny''. Even though he's somewhat of an nice guy, he's too introverted to be interested in making any intimate relationships, but thirteen episodes later, him and Kotetsu are now {{Heterosexual Life Partners}}.

** [[TheLancer Zoro]] counts as well. Though he did have two fellow bounty hunting friends (Johnny and Yosaku) back when he was one himself, he traveled alone, didn't seem to have any close relationships (nor did he appear to want any), and was feared and avoided by the general public due to his reputation as a "demon." Then [[MagneticHero Luffy]] came along and saved him from execution, and Zoro not only warmed up to him very quickly, but became his loyal NumberTwo, as well as a friend and protector to the new crewmates they recruited afterwards.

* ''Manga/RozenMaiden'': Jun started as a {{Hikikomori}} because he was rejected by his peers for his interest in sewing, which made him very depressed. Thanks to Shinku, he finally comes out of his shell and is close with her and the other crazy dolls.

* Uryu Ishida from ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' was more of an [[IntelligenceEqualsIsolation intelligent loner]] and an {{Insufferable Genius}} to boot. While he will deny being friends with Ichigo, he becomes an frequent ally to him and the other Soul Reapers, only when their goals are the same.

* Yukiteru Amano from ''Manga/FutureDiary'' started as a loner in school due to his anti-social personality, but he does try to get better in making friends. Unfortunately for him, Yuno doesn't want anyone closer to him. Eventually he manages to make a small group of friends with his classmates, but later on he [[spoiler:kills his friends in his quest for Godhood]]. He was a freaky loner who got better, but it was too late for entirely other reasons.

* Mizuki from ''Manga/KamisamaKiss.'' He has been alone tending to abandoned shrine for decades when Nanami meets him and by that time he is ready to change his situation a bit. Unfortunately, the way he goes about doing so nearly winds up getting him killed by Nanami's BattleButler, Tomoe.

** Ami was ostracized due her great intelligence and alleged snobism (and possibly her parents' divorce, not helped by the implied infidelity). It's not until Usagi befriends her that people start talking to her.
** Rei starts out as an outcast due the strange disappearances happening around her home, and, in the manga, her own standoffish character. Again, Usagi pulls her out of this.

* The film ''Film/HenryPooleIsHere'' deals with the main protagonist moving back into his old neighborhood, spending time alone suffering a disease which will eventually take his life. Thanks to a nosy neighbor, Henry begins to accept the help from others which cured his disease and changes his perception of life.

* Tomoko Nozama from ''Series/KamenRiderFourze''. She's a quiet {{Goth}} who choses to be a loner, although she is hiding her true feelings. Thanks to Gentaro, she's becomes the seventh member of the Kamen Rider Club and graduated to a permanent {{Perky Goth}}.

* On ''Series/HappyDays'', Fonzie was originally a loner who the other guys looked up to and occasionally consulted for adivce, before becoming a {{Breakout Character}} and moving in to the Cunninghams' garage apartment.

* In ''VideoGame/Disgaea3AbsenceOfJustice'', Mao spends the entire game as the {{Ineffectual Loner}} caring about his goal to defeat his father to become a hero and has the tendency to disregard the needs of others. During the course of the story, however, he begins to [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold warm up to others]] and more or less sees them friends, although he will never openly admit it.

* Herschel Biggs from ''VideoGame/LANoire'' was rather reluctant about being assigned partners, especially with Cole Phelps, and he would rather [[IWorkAlone get the job done by himself]]. In the end, he does warm up and accept Cole.

* In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', most of your party is comprised of such characters. A dark jedi who undergoes a {{Heel Face Turn}}, assuming you aren't either a {{Jerkass}}, a republic pilot, a [[TheHermit hermit jedi]], or many others.

** Justicar Samara from the second game is [[MarriedToTheJob married to her job]], having given up all of her worldly possessions and personal relationships in her quest for justice. She still becomes close to Paragon Shepard, and, while she's a {{Not Love Interest}}, she tells him/her that in another world, where she weren't a justicar, she would definitely want a relationship with Shepard. (Renegade Shepard...not so much.)

* ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles'': [[ColdSniper Marina]] [[SugarAndIcePersonality Wulfstan]] is portrayed as a loner in both the game, and the [[{{Anime}} anime]] adaptation. She even gains a skill called 'Lone Wolf', which acts as a double edged sword: it increases her accuracy the further she is from your other units. At optimal distance, it guarantees [[OneHitKill 1HK's]]. But it also causes her accuracy to suffer greatly, when near others.

** Robin and Cyborg were much the same in the origin episode. Robin had just left Batman and wasn't looking for a team. Cyborg was still hiding because he thought he was freak. Unlike Raven, they've warmed up to working on the team by the time the series starts proper.

* Perry from "Film/TheWanderers" is basically a lone wanderer.

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]

* Tsume from ''Manga/WolfsRain''. He is described as a "stereotypical angry anime loner" who withdraws himself from his allies, but despite this, he eventually grew respectful of Kiba and became a permanently loyal member of the pack.

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[[folder: Western Animation]]
* Prince Zuko from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. He once made a statement to Jet that being on your own isn't always the right path. He has also undergone a {{Heel Face Turn}} and, although he wasn't [[ReformedButRejected widely accepted]] at first, he became a loyal ally and friend of Team Avatar.

Compare DefaultToGood and NeutralNoLonger which is mainly about choosing an alignment in a setting of BlackAndWhiteMorality, while this trope focuses on solitary and asocial characters becoming friends with people. Compare CantLiveWithThemCantLiveWithoutThem if the character grows accustomed to another character's presence. LoonyFriendsImproveYourPersonality may enforce this trope. Related to FriendlessBackground.

* Knuckles from the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series lives a solitary life born with a task to guard the Master Emerald in Angel Island, but became a trusted ally and [[FriendlyRivalry friendly rival]] to Sonic.

** Prowl starts ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' standoffish and dismissive of the rest of the repair crew. After Bumblebee and Sari save his life he reconsiders his previous attitude and warms to the rest of the team. A flashback near the end of the series confirms that he wasn't originally part of Optimus's team and they first met him meditating on asteroid in the middle of nowhere.

* Mitchell from ''WesternAnimation/ReadyJetGo'' was previously a ShrinkingViolet loner with a JerkassFacade, who wanted to join Jet's clique but didn't know how to fit in. However, once he sings with them in the pageant in "Holidays in Boxwood Terrace", he discovers in real time that he is being invited in. Sydney and Mindy reassure him that he can always be a part of whatever the clique is doing. So Mitchell is technically now part of Jet's circle of friends.

Note that this trope doesn't always have be about a character joining TheHero's group. It can apply to TheProtagonist of the series, too, particularly the AntiHero. A group of characters will become [[MagneticHero drawn by the hero]] without them knowing it and they will be dismissive at first, but later on, they accept them into their life.

Compare DefaultToGood which is mainly about choosing an alignment in a setting of BlackAndWhiteMorality. Compare CantLiveWithThemCantLiveWithoutThem if the character grows accustomed to another character's presence. LoonyFriendsImproveYourPersonality may enforce this trope. Related to FriendlessBackground.

** Ami was ostracized due her great intelligence and alleged snobism. It's not until Usagi befriends her that people start talking to her.

** Makoto has a terrible reputation as a thug, and everyone is just too scared to come close. Everyone except Usagi, that is.