History Main / UnwantedHarem

** Robert Baratheon had one of these that he himself built, but evaded the responsibility of the numerous resulting bastards he sired whenever he could with the exception of Edric Storm because it was just too obvious to deny. [[spoiler: All this happened while his wife sired his "true born" heirs with her own twin brother.]]

** Also, Sansa Stark has one in the form of Joffrey Baratheon, Sandor Clegane, Dontos Hollard and Petyr Baelish; the lesser of the evils is Dontos Hollard, who is a drunken mess and maybe Clegane, who is a BloodKnight. It doesn't help that Sansa is attracted to the people that will simply not give her the time of day or are in a position that prevents them from reciprocating (like Loras Tyrell, Renly Baratheon and Waymar Royce).

** Robert Baratheon had one of these that he himself built, but evaded the responsibility of the numerous resulting bastards he sired whenever he could with the exception of Edric Storm because it was just too obvious to deny. [[spoiler: All this happened while his wife sired his true born "sons" with her own twin brother.]]

*** Shiera Seastar, bastard daughter of Aegon VI had two of her four her half-brothers behind her tail. Most of the reason Bittersteel sided with Daemon Blackfyre is because she preferred her half-brother Bloodraven, who was loyal to their half-brother king which Blackfyre wanted to depose. Granted, these were not the only men she had behind her.

** Subverted by King Aegon IV Targaryen, who just asked that his subject should wash the wenches before bringing them to romp with him. His bastards then decided to start a civil war after the idiot died.
*** Shiera Seastar, bastard daughter of Aegon VI had two of her four her half-brothers behind her tail. Most of the reason Bittersteel sided with Daemon Blackfyre is because she preferred her half-brother Bloodraven, who was loyal to their half-brother king which Blackfyre wanted to depose.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Arguably, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osamu_Dazai Osamu Dazai]]. Albeit, in his case, it ended badly.
[[/folder]]

* ''TheresSomethingAboutMary'' subjects the title character to three [[spoiler:(four if you count her boyfriend Ted who hires one of her love-/lust-smitten stalkers, and five if you count Brett Favre)]] [[StalkerWithACrush amorous suitors]].

* Literature/HarryPotter ends up with a large number of admirers in the sixth book in the series.
** He also suffers from this trope in the fourth book, due to his status as a Tri-Wizard champion. Viktor Krum also, both because he's his school's champion and an internationally famous quidditch seeker.
*** Hell, even Fleur Delacour ends up with a large number of admirers, legacy of her Veela heritage. Cedric Diggory... not so [[HufflepuffHouse much]].

* ''Literature/TheOdyssey'': dozens of foreign nobles seek Penelope's hand in marriage after her husband is presumed dead. [[spoiler:He returns and kills them all.]]
** After this, Ulysses has all the ladies from Ithaca behind him, [[spoiler: though they want to hang him by the short hairs for managing to kill basically '''an entire generation''' of able-bodied men on the Trojan War, on his little trip back and on that last number he pulled by killing his wife's pretenders]].
* Bella from ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' is a female example of this with a total of five guys in love with her, two of them supernatural. And she didn't have any boyfriends before moving to Forks.
** Of course, RobertPattinson gets this in real life, to his bewilderment. He claims he gets out of dates with random girls by acting like Edward. ''[[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation His]]'' idea of Edward.
** [[StephenieMeyer The author]] insists that this was based on her successful love life in college after she wasn't looked at twice in high school. In one quote, she mentioned that she was dating three guys at the same time (which none of them knew about).

* Sookie in ''TheSookieStackhouseMysteries'' has been romantically/sexually pursued by Bill, Sam, Eric, JB, Alcide, Calvin, and Quinn, at least. She is inexperienced with relationships, both sexually and socially, because her [[BlessedWithSuck telepathy]] means that any human she dates will drive her crazy due to unwanted eavesdropping. Combine this with supernatural politics and the rarity of telepaths, and her love life becomes quite unmanageable. As of ''All Together Dead'' she has dated four of them (one at a time) and her exes are still hovering hoping to kiss and make up.
** Slightly justified in that she has fairy blood, which for vampires (and maybe other supernaturals) is like cat nip.

* This trope is the entire plot of the Australian film [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_Purple ''Alvin Purple'']].

This is about a certain common reaction of men when a Harem plot begins, and women start fighting for the attention -- He might either think like a CelibateHero, that the gratuitous amounts of boobs he is forced to see every day are just a bother, ComicallyMissingThePoint that he is in an enviable situation, [[OfficialCouple or as an obstacle between him and the girl he truly likes]], or he just finds them annoying for [[SorryImGay one reason]] or [[PrettyFreeloaders another]].

The more likely reasoning plot wise is the fact that the male lead cannot reciprocate all the girls' feelings without seeming to the audience to be cruel, manipulative, and giving false leads to the many beautiful girls. So the far easier solution is to make him oblivious to their affection or CursedWithAwesome.

Even if he does like one or more of the girls, the young man won't or can't admit it. Besides, until the point comes where one of the girls is in danger, the young man would [[IJustWantToBeNormal rather have his nice quiet life back]]. May or may not involve InnocentCohabitation.

While this is, as might be gathered, usually a male trope, gender-reversed versions of TheUnwantedHarem have recently begun to appear.

As shown by poor [[Manga/RosarioToVampire Tsukune]] in the above picture, the most common and immediate consequences of said Harems is the hilarious (if incredibly painful to watch) LoverTugOfWar.

When criticism is raised against a harem show it's usually due to an overdose of this trope; unfortunately when played straight this trope is almost always overdosed. While often criticized for blatant WishFulfillment most criticism is leveled against the tendency to portray the female cast very negatively, often having little personality, or having their character largely overshadowed by [[ClingyJealousGirl their dependency on the male protagonist]] and/or [[HystericalWoman irrational tendencies towards violence]].

* Didier, the French exchange student in ''SonOfRambow,'' was ''so'' androgynously beautiful that he had '''two''' harems; one for girls, and [[EvenTheGuysWantHim one for boys]].

* This trope was the entire plot to the Australian film [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_Purple Alvin Purple]].

* In ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'', Galahad enters the castle Anthrax, which is full of women. He initially refuses their sexual advances, until Lancelot shows up to rescue him from 'peril'. However, by then he doesn't want to leave.

* Literature/HarryPotter ends up with a large number of admirers in the sixth book.

* Sookie in ''TheSookieStackhouseMysteries'' has been romantically/sexually persued by Bill, Sam, Eric, JB, Alcide, Calvin, and Quinn, at least. She is inexperienced with relationships, both sexually and socially, because her [[BlessedWithSuck telepathy]] means that any human she dates will drive her crazy with unwanted eavesdropping. Combine with supernatural politics and the rarity of telepaths, and her love life becomes quite unmanageable. As of ''All Together Dead'' she has dated four of them (one at a time) and her exes are still hovering hoping to kiss and make up.

** [[spoiler: Rand eventually confesses and marries ''simultaneously'' all three of his fangirls, who are luckily the best of friends/surrogate sisters to each other anyway.]]

* TheDresdenFiles tend to lampshade the fact that Harry has a ton of attractive (and often supernaturally hot) women angling to get into his pants from time to time. These range from [[MentorShip his apprentice]] to [[DivineDate Faerie]] [[DidYouJustRomanceCthulhu Queens]] to his [[ShipTease Police]] [[FairCop officer]] best friend and [[HotScoop attractive reporter]] girlfriend. Being a semi-quasi-ChasteHero with abandonment issues who doesn't want to get involved without emotion backing it up, much of this attention (apart from said reporter girlfriend) is unwanted. A lot of the rest is unwanted because the lady in question is trying to bed him in order to enslave/devour/corrupt him or those close to him. Yeah... he has a complicated love life.

* Bertram Wooster (the Wooster bit of JeevesAndWooster) has a gang of girls who all feel that they have an open invitation to attach themselves to him whenever their current relationship has gone south. All of the women in question are attractive but they all have issues with their personalities. There's Madeline Bassett (a LoveFreak prone to [[TastesLikeDiabetes extreme sentimentality]]), [[RichBitch Florence Craye]] (a pretentious [[ICanChangeMyBeloved ball buster]]), and [[BrawnHilda Honoria Glossop]] (who is probably a closet lesbian who [[ICanChangeMyBeloved wants to "mould" him]]). He has also expressed terror at the prospect of marrying Pauline Stocker, [[TheTrickster Bobby Wickham]], and Stiffy Byng, even though none of them really want to. His terror of matrimony also has a lot to do with Bertie's wish to preserve his [[HoYay cosy bachelor establishment]] with Jeeves.

* Gary of the NotSafeForWork webcomic ''Webcomic/MenageA3'' gains one. Early on, he seems to want to focus on Yuki, insofar as he has any opinions at all, but he's desperate enough not to turn down many options. Anyhow, Yuki returns his interest but has ''issues'', Kiley and Sonya both become interested in him for various reasons, Amber discovers his unique sexual talents, and Senna wants to CorruptTheCutie next time she's in town. Kiley backs off for ethical reasons, and Sonya pays him less attention for a while after realising she loves Zii, but meanwhile [=DiDi=] has become interested in him. Amber is induced to back off a bit and then disappears to [[Webcomic/StickyDillyBuns another title]], Yuki hands him off to Sonya while she attempts to address her problems, and then Sonya drops him due to incompatibility. So Zii tries to throw [=DiDi=] at him the same night that Sonya tries to do the same with new character Peggy. However, by then, Gary is [[spoiler:on another continent, doing something unspecified with Senna and Sandra]]. [[LoveDodecahedron It's complicated. Ye gods, it's complicated.]] And that's without even mentioning his ''male'' admirers.

* Gary of the NotSafeForWork webcomic ''Webcomic/MenageA3'' gains one - he wants to focus on Yuki, but Kiley and Sonya both want him. Sonya backs off after realising she loves Zii, but then Didi becomes interested in him. And now that Kiley's backed off, Amber and Senna can be added to the list.

* ''Manga/DailyLifeWithMonsterGirl'' has the main character suffering through this with different [[CuteMonsterGirl monster girls.]] So far, there's a [[SnakePeople Lamia,]] [[OurCentaursAreDifferent Centaur,]] [[HarpingOnAboutHarpies Harpy,]] [[BlobMonster a Slime girl,]] and the latest addition so far, [[SpiderPeople an Arachne.]] It's showing no signs of slowing down ''yet.''

The more likely reasoning plot wise, is the fact that the male lead cannot reciprocate all the girls feelings without seeming to the audience to be cruel, manipulative, and giving false leads to the many beautiful girls. So the far easier solution is to make him oblivious to their affection or CursedWithAwesome.

When criticism is raised against a harem show it's usually due to an overdose of this trope, unfortunately when played straight this trope is almost always overdosed. While often criticized for blatant WishFulfillment most criticism is leveled against the tendency to portray the female cast very negatively often having little personality, or having their character largely overshadowed by [[ClingyJealousGirl their dependency on the male protagonist]] and/or [[HystericalWoman irrational tendencies towards violence]].

* In addition to her two husbands within two years, Candi Levens of the ''Webcomic/CiemWebcomicSeries'' has had to deal with two other men attempting to rape her. In the book, she has been bedded by three men and had to ward off (at least) two would-be rapists that were after her. She even comes to complain about how she appears to be a rape magnet. Making matters worse, her high school's boy population could never remember which of the Flippo girls they'd slept with. So Candi was occasionally flirted with by ''Marina's'' old suitors!
** One of Steve's old friends, being a voyeur, set up hidden cameras to spy on Steve and Miriam. Hence, Miriam's unwanted career as the porn star Mila Fila was born without her knowledge or consent. This led to hundreds of fans, a few living in the Evansville area, mistaking Candi for Miriam and casting awkward glances. Some days, the only escape was to run around rooftops dressed like a centipede. The poor girl's [[AllWomenAreLustful mostly]]-[[UrbanLegendLoveLife undeserved]] [[ReallyGetsAround reputation]] could ''never'' catch a break!
** Donte eventually gives up [[MyGirlIsNotASlut trying to defend Candi's honor]]. Especially after he caves in under his own fears and [[ImAManICantHelpIt becomes part of the problem]]. He finally resigns to the fact that he loves her no matter who else she's been with and regardless how little others think of him for marrying her.

* DailyLifeWithMonsterGirl has the main character suffering through this with different [[CuteMonsterGirl monster girls.]] So far, there's a [[SnakePeople Lamia,]] [[OurCentaursAreDifferent Centaur,]] [[HarpingOnAboutHarpies Harpy]] [[spoiler:and a Slime girl.]]

* ''ToAruMajutsuNoIndex'': Kamijo Touma, through a combination of RescueRomance and {{Chick Magnet}}ism, has gathered a harem with a number of [[ExtraordinarilyEmpoweredGirl powerful mages and espers]] consisting of [[TokenMiniMoe Index]], [[ShockAndAwe Misaka Mikoto]], [[HotForStudent Komoe Tsukuyomi]], [[BlessedWithSuck Aisa Himegami]], [[ActionGirl Kanzaki]] [[CoolBigSis Kaori]], [[CloningBlues Misaka Imouto]], [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Hyoka Kazakiri]] [[spoiler:and from the later novels Orsola Aquinas, [[HeelFaceTurn Anieze Sanctis]], Seiri Fukiyose, [[BodyguardCrush Itsuwa]], possibly Lessar, and many more.]] Of course his [[CoolBigSis admitted type]] isn't very well represented in it.

* Fujimura-kun from {{Fujimura-kun Mates}}, consisting of a CloudCuckooLander, a SchoolIdol, and the StudentCouncilPresident. Three adorable girls who are all deeply in love with him. And they are willing to [[MarryThemAll share]], too!

* Semi-parodied in one episode of ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}'': [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl Kyou 'n Ryou]], [[TeenGenius Kotomi]], and [[StudentCouncilPresident Tomoyo]], all of whom are hoping to capture Tomoya, [[ContrivedCoincidence independently make gigantic boxed lunches for him on the same day]]. They each attempt to guilt-trip him into choosing theirs, and then [[CloudCuckoolander Fuko appears]] to "solve" the dilemma by [[UpToEleven adding yet another giant lunchbox to the mix]]. To keep them all from being offended, he ends up [[MarryThemAll eating all of the food]]. [[spoiler:Naturally, the only heroine who ''wasn't'' involved in this fiasco ([[YamatoNadeshiko Nagisa]]) [[TakeAThirdOption is the one he ends up with.]]]]

* In ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail'', Galahad enters the castle Anthrax, which is full of women. He initially refuses their sexual advances, until Lancelot shows up to rescue him from 'peril'. However, by then he doesn't want to leave.

* The Warren Zevon song "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" is a masterpiece mixture of this and complete obliviousness.

* In ADanceWithRogues, every male character who joins your party ([[LesYay and one female character]]) have at least some interest in the Princess.
* ''{{Persona 3}}'' plays this trope straight with Akihiko: he has a harem, but he [[ObliviousToLove doesn't pay attention to it]]. He doesn't even know the names of the girls involved.
* In ''YggdraUnion'', there's the [[{{Bishonen}} lovely]] [[{{Kuudere}} Roswell]]. [[ChristmasCake Mistel]], [[ChristmasCake Eudy]], [[CloudCuckooLander Pamela]], [[BlackComedyRape Ortega]], [[CannotStandThemCannotLiveWithoutThem Ros]][[{{Tsundere}} ary]], [[MeetCute Ygg]][[RescueRomance dra]], and [[LoveRedeems Nessiah]] all seem to want to get into his pants, but the poor guy isn't interested in ''any'' of them. [[ShipTease ...except maybe Yggdra]]. ''Maybe.''

* From ''MassEffect2'', [[BadassBookworm Mordin]] [[CoolOldGuy of]] [[CrazyAwesome all]] [[DeadlyDoctor people]] claims to have had one of these, or at the very least many come-ons from different species, and he is able to rationalize why each species would find him attractive.

** In the Citadel DLC for MassEffect3, if the genophage is cured and Wrex is alive, he will complain that ever since his people became fertile again, every female krogan has lined-up to have their firstborn from him. He even had to sneak out his own bathroom window, and still got cornered by interested females.

* In ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'', a man is expected to marry every sister in a family - and since they themselves are descended from a family of sisters, there are typically a lot of them. One of the viewpoint characters of the novel is Jerin, who is just reaching the age of marriage and is apprehensive; he wants a good family, and not to be wedded to the Brindles. There are ''thirty'' of them. Over the course of the book many more women want him married, and most of this attention is unwelcome. We see from the parts of the book seen through the princess Ren's view, though, that while some of it is due to GenderRarityValue and Jerin's beauty, a lot of this is political, and the backbone of the book is about intruiges.

* In the {{Disgaea}} [[LightNovel/DisgaeaNovels novels]] [[Characters/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness Laharl]] gets a whole bunch of girls after him, including [[PromotedToLoveInterest Flonne and Etna]], Gordon and Jennifer’s daughter [[Characters/DisgaeaNovels Jane]] and Flonne’s little sister [[Characters/DisgaeaNovels Ozonne]], and ''more'', to [[AllergicToLove Laharl’s mayor dismay]].

** Don't forget the demons, the sucubi (plural), and his [[spoiler: mind controlled]] boss. And that's the women.

* The title character in ''[[Literature/{{Kull}} KullTheConqueror]]'' inherits a literal unwanted harem from the previous king. At the end of the movie, Kull officially disbands the harem, proclaiming that "the king commands no one's affection".

* The title character in ''KullTheConqueror'' inherits a literal unwanted harem from the previous king. At the end of the movie, Kull officially disbands the harem, proclaiming that "the king commands no one's affection".

* Disney/TheEmperorsNewGroove features a different kind of UnwantedHarem. Kuzco rejects all the women because he thinks nobody is good enough for him.

* TheHeroDies[=/=]AnyoneCanDie[=/=]KillEmAll (it did say to '''[[KilledOffForReal death]]''' do us part)