History Main / ParentsInDistress

* ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'':
** [[BigBad The Trix sisters]] endanger Bloom's adoptive parents, Mike and Vanessa, to lure her into a trap since the effort to rescue them would leave her exhausted and in a bad position to defend herself. For context, they throw Mike and Vanessa into a PocketDimenssion-like abyss, so she has to catch them in time and then fly them back to safe terrain.
** Bloom's biological parents, Oritel and Marion, are trapped as a statue and inside a sword, respectively, courtesy of the villains who caused their home planet's fall. The plot from late-stage season three to the first {{movie}} revolves around finding and rescuing them.

* ''WesternAnimation/JimmyNeutronBoyGenius'' features this in TheMovie.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' often find themselves having to rescue their [[TrulySingleParent creator and father figure]] Professor Utonium, although [[PapaWolf he's come to their aid at times in return]].
* [[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse Huey, Dewey, and Louie]] are always rescuing their granduncle Scrooge and/or their uncle WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck from danger.
* Has happened several times in ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', both to Timmy's parents and to his godparents Cosmo and Wanda.
* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender,'' [[spoiler: Sokka]] rescues his father [[spoiler:Hakoda]] from [[TheAlcatraz the Boiling Rock]].

* Happened once in ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies'', when the girls' mothers were kidnapped [[HypnotizeTheCaptive and then brainwashed]] [[BrainwashedAndCrazy into fighting their daughters.]]
** Happens in ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingSpiez'' with ''uncanny'' frequency... geez, [[DoomMagnet do Cal and Karen]] [[WeirdnessMagnet get into trouble]] ''a lot''.
* WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}} has to help Lydia rescue her oblivious parents in a few episodes, such as the one in which her mother is kidnapped by a vampire. Fortunately, Charles and Delia almost ''never'' realize they're in any real danger.
* Penny does this for her dumbass uncle ''WesternAnimation/InspectorGadget'' all the time.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'' series, the turtles have several instances where their adoptive father, Splinter, has to be saved because he's captured or injured.
* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'' features quite a lot of {{Parental Substitute}}s in distress; has anyone even '''counted''' the times when Captain Planet needed the Planeteers' help? Not to mention the instances where Gaia's life (or at least her immortality) was at stake.
* ''WesternAnimation/BooBoomTheLongWayHome'' In episode 25, Boo-Booms parents, while on their way to finally meet up with him, are arrested by the Germans and put on a train that will transport them to a labor camp outside Italy, suddenly turning Boo-Boom’s quest to find them into a rescue mission. This leads straight to TheClimax of the series, where Boo-Boom and his friends have to pull off a TrainEscape to rescue them.
* ''WesternAnimation/LambertTheSheepishLion'' has [[LovableCoward Lambert]], who [[CowardlyLion snaps into action]] when [[ObliviousAdoption his sheep mother]] is attacked by a wolf.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpacePOP'' revolves around five teenage princesses who have to rescue their captive parents from an evil empress.

* A couple in ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard''

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7JsFZXp1XQ&feature=related This video of a dog protecting his mother when she got hit by a car.]]

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOLa6SRfqVA&feature=related This video]] [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome of a baby rhino protecting its mother]].

** In the second season, [[DarkMAgicalGirl Corrector Ai]]'s main goal is to find the conscience of her comatose mother Azusa, which was "separated" from her body in an accident in the Net. [[spoiler: It turns out [[HeKnowsTooMuch it was NOT an accident]].]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Home}}'', Tip goes across the world to reunite with her mother.

** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThracia776'', one of Prince Leif's goals is rescuing his ParentalSubstitute Lady Evayle, [[spoiler: who has been TakenForGranite by the Loptyr Sect.]] Not succeeding will [[spoiler: cause her to be BrainwashedAndCrazy into becoming one of the Dead Lords.]]

* Happened once in ''WesternAnimation/TotallySpies'', when the girls' mothers were kidnapped [[HypnotizeThePrincess and then brainwashed]] [[BrainwashedAndCrazy into fighting their daughters.]]

** Happens briefly in the DP arc when Mars holds Johanna hostage in Lake Verity.
** In the ''XY'' arc, Y's mother, Grace, is taken by Team Flare (along with the rest of the town), presumably for leverage against her daughter and, more importantly, her charge, X, who possesses the Mega Ring that they're after.

[[quoteright:350:[[Franchise/WonderWoman https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wonder_woman_vol_1_209_6.png]]]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

[[folder:Myths and Religion]]

* [[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse Huey, Dewey, and Louie]] are always rescuing Scrooge and/or WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck from danger.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' often find themselves having to rescue their [[TrulySingleParent creator and father figure]], although [[PapaWolf he's come to their aid at times in return]].

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls'' often find themselves having to rescue their [[TrulySingleParent father figure]], although [[PapaWolf he's come to their aid at times in return]].

* BumblingDad Kogoro Mouri from ''Manga/DetectiveConan'' has had to be bailed out of trouble more than once by his ActionGirl daughter and his KidDetective (sorta) protegé. i.e, in a {{filler}} case Conan once uses his super-powered shoes to kick a rock towards a DarkActionGirl who has Kogoro in a makeshift gallows, forcing her to release him.

* [[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse Huey, Dewey, and Louie]] are always rescuing Scrooge and/or DonaldDuck from danger.

* Penny's character in the ShowWithinAShow on ''WesternAnimation/{{Bolt}}''.
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Home}}'', Tip goes across the world to save her mother.

* ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'': When South Italy was a kid, his "boss" and ParentalSubstitute Spain saved him from being kidnapped. Years later, Spain falls sick when his economy goes rotten, so South Italy decides to search for a "cure".