History Main / RecruitedFromTheGutter

* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedI'': While killing Talal, Altaïr learns that the slaver has imprisoned people who were either poor, sick, or insane, with Talal claiming in his dying breath that he wanted to rescue them from their miserable lives. Altaïr then consults with Al Mualim who explains that it is possible to create from downtrodden people loyal followers by invoking the StockholmSyndrome. It later turns out that Talal was using them to supply the Templar ranks.

* In the back story for ''[[VideoGame/SoulSeries Soul Calibur 2]]'', Raphael is on the run from the king's men when he comes upon a village ravaged by plague. A young girl (Amy) hides him in a nearby building and when asked by the king's men, she sends them in a different direction. Since Amy's parents died from the plague, Raphael adopts her as a daughter.

* In the second ''Franchise/TheMatrix'' film, [[TagalongKid The Kid]] wants to serve on the Nebuchadnezzar with Neo (who helped him escape from the Matrix), which he'll soon be old enough to do. However, Neo defies the trope:

** The Kid's Story is told in the ''Anime/TheAnimatrix'' short "Kid's Story". [[spoiler:They're kinda both right. The Kid idolized Neo, and ''self-redpilled'' through sheer belief in him.]]

This trope is about characters who work for or with someone who (and often because they) saved them from a life of crime, poverty or another situation with bleak prospects. With heroic (or neutral) characters, this reinforces how close the two of them are. With villains, it serves to establish a VillainousFriendship or to explain why the MookLieutenant or TheDragon is so loyal despite working for a BadBoss (or demonstrate that the villain isn't - [[FaceHeelTurn or wasn't]] - so bad). An ArmyOfThievesAndWhores is usually full of such recruits.

* ''Literature/ImTheEvilLordOfAnIntergalacticEmpire'': ConMan swordsmanship trainer Yasushi finds two StreetUrchin girls, and senses opportunity to train them specifically in the same technique [[GoneHorriblyRight he accidentally taught Liam]] in the hopes of having them assassinate him so that Musashi can live in peace from all the trouble their association [[LaserGuidedKarma has brought him]]. [[spoiler:Liam gives the two a CurbStompBattle and forces them to work as maids to BreakTheHaughty.]]

** This is essentially how the entire Franky Family was made: Franky went around Water 7 and beat-up punks who tried picking a fight with him, told off the square-sisters for drinking underage and gave all the jobless, homeless bums around town a home, a job, and a purpose for their lives. As ManOfTheCity, he protects Water 7 with help from the Frank Family, who serve as bounty hunters and dismantlers of pirate ships (the city is a major trading hub with the Sea Train and home to the best shipwrights in the seas). It's pointed out by Iceberg that this was likely Franky's way of trying to improve Water 7 and make-up with his memory of Tom.

* In ''Anime/PrincessMononoke'', Lady Eboshi runs a large and profitable iron mine, and steel mill which caused conflict with the local woodland spirits, whose forests she cut down, and a nearby powerful lord, who wants the valuable real estate for himself. Her loyal employees who mine the iron and forge the steel, and defend the mine/mill are composed landless peasant men, their former prostitute wives, and a number of talented gunsmiths who were cast aside in their old hometowns because they were lepers.

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': In some versions of the origin of ComicBook/{{Robin}} II, Jason Todd was a street urchin that tried stealing the wheels off the Batmobile. Bruce Wayne takes him as his ward and trains him up as his new sidekick.

--> '''Neo:''' I told you, Kid, you found me, I didn't find you.
--> '''Kid:''' I know, but you got me out! You saved me!
--> '''Neo:''' You saved yourself.

* Subverted in ''Film/CruelIntentions''. Mrs. Caldwell, after catching Ronald kissing Cecile, she tells him that she "got him off the streets". Ronald, incredulous, states that he lives at 59th and Park Avenue (an area full of luxury condos and apartments).

** This is also a standard method of recruitment for the Night's Watch. The recruits are given a new life, a cleaned reputation, and good military training, but their [[ReassignedToAntarctica living conditions]] and [[CelibateHero regulations]] make the deal somewhat sour.

* In ''Literature/TheRealBoy'', Caleb tells his autistic eleven-year-old shop boy Oscar why he recruited him from the OrphanageOfFear, instead of all the other children available: because the wards told him that Oscar would never be adopted. Caleb needed someone who would work hard and be loyal, and the best way of ensuring that was to take a child no one else wanted.
* Jimmy the Hand in ''Literature/TheRiftwarCycle'' started out as a street thief who crossed the path of Prince Arutha by sheer chance and helped him out for money. A year later, Jimmy warns the Prince of an attempt on his life out of personal fondness of their previous meeting, and Arutha repays him by getting him off the streets and into a court position as Squire. He would go on to be one of the royal family's most loyal and talented followers, and his descendants would continue in that path for four generations and the rest of the series.

* In the backstory, in ''Literature/GirlsKingdom'' Sakura recruited Sara from a life of homeless poverty by shaking the poor girl awake, slapping her as hard a she could, then giving the poor girl her address and telling her that is she wanted to make something of herself she should go there. Sara, whose only other option at that point was dying on the street, took her up on her offer, though not without a bit of initial grumpiness about how Sakura treated her.

The trope can also be treated more cynically (especially with villains). The sponsor [[BadSamaritan might have an ulterior motive]], or simply be extremely [[CondescendingCompassion patronising and insincere]]; possibly even abusive (or both if the sponsor is helping because [[MustMakeAmends they feel they owe them]]). A particularly nasty villain might even recruit their {{mook}}s this way (with the implication they're preying on the vulnerable). Heroes should be aware that the rescued character might be [[UsefulNotes/StockholmSyndrome loyal enough]] to end up AvengingTheVillain. Conversely, the rescued character might be a TokenEvilTeammate or PsychoSupporter, thanks to the habits from their old life, in which case their reformation will factor into their CharacterDevelopment (especially if they were recruited by TheMessiah).

The trope can also be treated more cynically (especially with villains). The sponsor [[BadSamaritan might have an ulterior motive]], or simply be extremely [[CondescendingCompassion patronising and insincere]]; possibly even abusive (or both if the sponsor is helping because [[MustMakeAmends they feel they owe them]]). A particularly nasty villain might even recruit their {{mook}}s this way (with the implication they're preying on the vulnerable). Heroes should be aware that the rescued character might be [[StockholmSyndrome loyal enough]] to end up AvengingTheVillain. Conversely, the rescued character might be a TokenEvilTeammate or PsychoSupporter, thanks to the habits from their old life, in which case their reformation will factor into their CharacterDevelopment (especially if they were recruited by TheMessiah).