History Main / RescueIntroduction

* In the WhateleyUniverse, Team Kimba first meet Skyhawk when he swoops in and plucks Chaka off the roof of a car of badguys just before it crashes. They first meet AntiHero The Lamplighter when he mistakes Chaka and Dyna-Man for supervillains and tries to kill them.

* The heroes of ''[[Fanfic/TwiceUponAnAge All This Sh*t is Twice as Weird]]'' are first introduced aboard the ship carrying them to the Divine's Conclave. Victoria happens upon a group of sailors threatening to throw the stowaway elf Mahanon overboard, and she lies and claims he's part of her own retinue. From there they grow to be close friends, even before becoming the Heralds of Andraste.

* ''Disney/{{Hercules}}'': Hercules meets Megara when rescuing her from a monstrous centaur.
* ''Disney/{{Aladdin}}'': Aladdin meets Princess Jasmine when rescuing her from a street vendor who she accidentally stole an apple from and her arm is nearly slashed off.

* ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'': Ariel meets Eric after he is accidentally separated from his ship during a hurricane, and brings him to shore to prevent him from drowning.
* ''Disney/TheHunchbackofNotreDame'': Phoebus first meets Esmeralda after he saves her from being arrested by his own teammates.

* ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'': How Miles meets Taura in "Labyrinth". However, he was also on a mission to kill her. ItMakesSenseInContext.

* A standard trick by private investigators or spies to gain someone's trust is to stage a fake barfight or street mugging, with the investigator as the Good Samaritan coming in to "save" him or her.

** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'': The PlayerCharacter and Alistair meet Flemeth very briefly, but later have a more extensive one of these. The Warden later rescues Sten, Shale, and Wynne, leading to their RecruitmentByRescue.

** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'': The PlayerCharacter for Flemeth, and then more conventionally: Sten and Shale, while Wynne is rescued by the Warden when they help liberate the Circle Tower from demonic influence.
** In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', Hawke and family meet Aveline by saving her and her husband from darkspawn. Flemeth again introduces herself after rescuing Hawke and company from darkspawn. Varric introduces himself after taking down the pickpocket who'd just robbed Hawke, returning his/her coin before casually offering them a place in the Deep Roads Expedition.

* In ''VideoGame/MitsumeteKnight'', this is how the main protagonist meets Sophia (punks harrassing her), as well as one of the two ways to meet Laury (dangerous dog about to attack her). Depending on if one of them is the girl you target the ending of on your playthrough or not, it can evolve into RescueRomance.
* In ''[[VideoGame/{{Twinbee}} Pop'n Twinbee]]'', Light and Pastel first meet Madoka when she begs them to rescue her grandfather Mardock, a benevolent scientist whose personnality changed into [[TakeOverTHeWorld a deranged megalomaniac world-conquerer]] after he hit his head on a pole. They ultimately manage to turn him back to normal, making the three youngsters the best of friends ever since, and Mardock one of Light and Pastel's most trusted allies.

* ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'': Ariel meets Eric after he is accidentally separated from his ship during a hurricane, and is brought to shore to prevent him from drowning.

* ''Film/StarWars: Film/ANewHope'' has one of the most iconic examples of this: when Luke rescues Leia.

* ''Film/TheTerminator'' has Kyle introduce himself to Sarah J. Connor by extricating her from Tech Noir just as the T-800 closes in for the kill. This is a theme that's carried on in the other films/TV series, accompied by the CatchPhrase, "Come with me if you want to live."

** In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', Hawke and family meet Aveline by saving her and her husband from darkspawn. Flemeth again introduces herself after rescuing Hawke and company from darkspawn. Varric introduces himself after taking down the pickpocket who'd just robbed Hawke, returning his/her coin before casually offering them a place in the Deep Road's Expedition.

* ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'': How Miles meets Taura. However, he was also on a mission to kill her. ItMakesSenseInContext.

* ComicBook/SpiderMan's parents were spies working for ComicBook/{{SHIELD}]. In the special -1 issue of ''Comicbook/UntoldTalesOfSpiderMan'', the audience is treated to a case in which they have to save a fellow agent. When they rescue that agent, it's revealed to be [[spoiler:ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}]] whom they were meeting for the first time.

While this meeting may often overlap with introducing the character to the audience as well, it does not necessarily have to- this is an in-universe trope about how the protagonist(s) meet the character.

* BioWare likes this trope for party members:

* In the ''[[Franchise/{{Bionicle}} Mata Nui Online Game]]'', Gali, Pohatu, Onua and Kopaka are introduced when they [[BigDamnHeroes make a sudden appearance]] to save the player and others, and a lot of the other characters (most of the Ga-Matoran and Le-Matoran, Nokama and Matau, and Kopeke) are introduced when you have to save them.

* Barnaby from ''TigerAndBunny'' is introduced partway through the first episode when he swoops in and rescues protagonist Kotetsu by snatching him out of a fall, {{bridal| carry}}-style. This is {{played for laughs}} in that episode itself, soon becomes a RunningGag, and is even used as a {{Book End|s}}.

* [[SpiderMan Spider-Man's]] parents were spies working for SHIELD. In the special -1 issue of ''Comicbook/UntoldTalesOfSpiderMan'', the audience is treated to a case in which they have to save a fellow agent. When they rescue that agent, it's revealed to be [[spoiler: {{Wolverine}}]] whom they were meeting for the first time.
* In ''The Blue Lotus'', {{Tintin}} meets Chang Chon-Chen by rescuing him from drowning in a flood.

* ''[[Disney/{{Hercules}} Hercules]]'': Hercules meets Megara when rescuing her from a monstrous centaur.
* ''[[Disney/{{Aladdin}} Aladdin]]'': Aladdin meets Princess Jasmine when rescuing her from a street vendor who she accidentally stole an apple from and her arm is nearly slashed off.

* Although we never see it, Dean and Castiel from ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', when Castiel rescues Dean from Hell.

* In ''{{Shrek}}'', Shrek and Donkey meet Princess Fiona when they rescue her from her tower.

* In ''[[HeirsOfAlexandria Much Fall of Blood]]'' Erik and Bortai first met when she was escaping from Gatu's forces, and he offers her shelter, with unintended consequences.

* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2'': The president and Otacon's sister. Although I don't know if [[spoiler: the president stayed alive long enough afterward]] to count for this trope.

** ''BaldursGate2'': Branwen, Dynaheir, Viconia, Yeslick and Xan in the first game; Aerie, Cernd, Haer'Dalis, Viconia (again!), Mazzy and arguably Minsc and Jaheira in the sequel.
** ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' has you rescuing Bastila (or as she'll insist, [[ComplainingAboutRescuesTheyDontLike her rescuing you]]...)

* Nanoha rescuing Subaru in the first episode of ''NanohaStrikers''. Interestingly, the series ends with [[spoiler:Subaru rescuing Nanoha, in turn]].

* ''StarWars: Film/ANewHope'' has one of the most iconic examples of this: when Luke rescues Leia.

* StarWars has one of the most iconic examples of this: when Luke rescues Leia.

* ''PaleRider'': The Preacher and Hull first meet when the Preacher rescues him from a bunch of thugs.
* How {{Hancock}} meets Ray.

* ''TheTerminator'' has Kyle introduce himself to Sarah J. Connor by extricating her from Tech Noir just as the T-800 closes in for the kill. This is a theme that's carried on in the other films/TV series, accompied by the CatchPhrase, "Come with me if you want to live."

* ''TheTerminator'' has Kyle introduce himself to Sarah J. Connor by extricating her from Tech Noir just as the T-800 closes in for the kill.

* ''TowerOfGod'' - Yuri's introduction to Baam. As he is up and about to storm to his certain death, she [[DynamicEntry jumps in]] and convinces the test master to change the rules so much that the kid actually has a chance.

* In ''{{Drowtales}}'', while looking for Faen, Ariel discovers Freyja and Myou in a dungeon. ([[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?id=1144 seen here]]. (Spoiler Alert!))

* ''DreamPark''. The players first meet Alex Griffin's character when they find him [[QuicksandSucks sinking in quicksand]]. One of them teases Griffin by making him prove that he's worthy to join the party before they rescue him.

** ''Franchise/MassEffect'': Ashley, Liara and Tali from the first game. Archangel, [[spoiler: Legion]], arguably Jack and Grunt from the second game. In retrospect, [[spoiler: Wilson is a subversion, since he's the one who coordinated an attack on the facility on behalf of the Shadow Broker.]]
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'': The PlayerCharacter for Flemeth, and then more conventionally: Sten, Shale and arguably Wynne.
** In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', Hawke and family meet Aveline by saving her and her husband from darkspawn. Flemeth again introduces herself after rescuing Hawke and company from darkspawn.

** ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' has you rescuing Bastila (or as she'll insist, her rescuing you...)

* ''Series/LostGirl'': How Bo meets Dyson's NewOldFlame Kiara. And how Dyson re-connects with her after several centuries of separation.

* [[SpiderMan Spider-Man's]] parents were spies working for SHIELD. In the special -1 issue of ''UntoldTalesOfSpiderMan'', the audience is treated to a case in which they have to save a fellow agent. When they rescue that agent, it's revealed to be [[spoiler: {{Wolverine}}]] whom they were meeting for the first time.

** ''MassEffect'': Ashley, Liara and Tali from the first game. Archangel, [[spoiler: Legion]], arguably Jack and Grunt from the second game. In retrospect, [[spoiler: Wilson is a subversion, since he's the one who coordinated an attack on the facility on behalf of the Shadow Broker.]]