History Main / LikeASonToMe

** When it's not Twilight, it's Sunset Shimmer who has this kind of relationship with Celestia. She may even be more popular as Celestia's surrogate daughter than Twilight, given that Twiligth does have regular parents and a family, while Sunset [[AmbiguouslyAbsentParent never mentions any family once in the entire series]], making it a quite common headcanon that she's either an orphan raised by Celestia, or has so little contact with her biological family that she might as well have been. Sunset being APupilOfMineUntilSheTurnedToEvil also adds a bit of spice to the dynamic that's usually absent from Celestia and Twilight's relationship, and a LOT of fics depict Sunset as a rebellious daughter and, on the flipside, Celestia's feelings about having [[HistoryRepeats once again]] lost her only family.

** [[Characters/TheOwlHouseEdaClawthorne Eda Clawthorne]] comes to view her apprentice [[Characters/TheOwlHouseLuzNoceda Luz Noceda]] as if she was her own daughter over the course of the first season, even referring to her as "my kid" on multiple occasions. While Luz actually does have a loving if complex relationship with her biological mother, it's clear that the feeling is mutual.

* ComicBook/TheFlash'': Barry Allen considers Wally West as his own son. The two are quite open about this, with Barry referring to Wally as his son frequently, to the point that his own kids were somewhat jealous of Wally. Barry even gave Wally his father's family watch as a high school graduation present to signify this. It became a key point in ''ComicBook/DCRebirth'', where thanks to their strong bond bypassing even [[CosmicRetcon reality-altering powers]], Barry was able to bring Wally back into the world from the Speed Force. Unfortunately, their bond becomes increasingly muddled due to the fact that everything that's gone wrong in Wally's life, including being trapped in the Speed Force, was all thanks to Barry's selfishness and his ignorantly causing ''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}''. And Barry only proceeds to make things worse for Wally since his return. Even though the two eventually patch things up, and Barry's actions were {{Handwaved}} as being influenced by Professor Zoom, it's disturbing to note Wally's forgiveness doesn't match up to the sheer depth of Barry's betrayal of his trust.

* In ''Manga/VinlandSaga'', because Thorfinn and Einar became [[SwornBrothers blood brothers]] over their time working in Ketil's farm, once Thorfinn returns to Iceland his mother Helga begins treating Einar like he was her own flesh and blood.

* In ''Manga/VinlandSaga'', because Thorfinn and Einar became BloodBrothers over their time working in Ketil's farm, once Thorfinn returns to Iceland his mother Helga begins treating Einar like he was her own flesh and blood.

* ''Webcomic/WhiteHeron'': The interrogator says that this is how General Hwang sees the metahumans under his command, but [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness his brutal treatment]] of Kim Pak and anyone else he deems a weak link say otherwise.

* Subverted in Film/{{The Maltese Falcon|1941}}. When Sam Spade suggests using Wilmer as a fall guy, [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep the Fat Man]] refuses, using this trope word-for-word. Then, when Spade explains why they need a fall guy...

* ''WebAnimation/HelluvaBoss'': In [[Recap/HelluvaBossS2E7MammonsMagnificentMusical Mammon's Magnificent Musical]], {{Mammon}} creates a contest to see who'll become the new face of his brand, saying the winner "will be like the son I never had", and after Fizzarolli wins Mammon repeatedly calls him that. [[spoiler:After Fizz has had enough of Mammon's abuse and quits Mammon angrily rants that he raised him "like the son I didn't want!"]]

** In the first season finale, Iroh tells Zuko, "Ever since I lost my son... I think of you as my own."

** WordOfGod says that even though [[FunPersonified Pinkie Pie]] isn't their daughter, Mr. & Mrs. Cake treat her as such. In fact, their ''actual'' foals, Pound Cake & Pumpkin Cake, see her as their [[CoolBigSis funny older sister]].
** [[BigGood Princess Celestia]] tends to treat [[TheHero Twilight]] [[{{Bookworm}} Sparkle]] this way.

** Eda comes to view her apprentice Luz as if she was her own daughter over the course of the first season, even referring to her as "my kid" on multiple occasions. While Luz actually does have a loving if complex relationship with her biological mother, it's clear that the feeling is mutual.
** Similarly, Eda also treats her roommate King as a son [[spoiler:which makes sense when it's revealed that she's actually raised him since he was a baby. This eventually results in him deciding to legally take on her last name.]]
** In “Watching and Dreaming”, it’s implied that [[spoiler: Darius has come to care for Hunter this way— the other kids are seen reuniting with their parents, with Hunter looking on forlornly, until Darius shows up and gives an AffectionateGestureToTheHead.]]

** In the episode "Frankendoodle", [=SpongeBob=] says this about his creation, [=DoodleBob=].
** Despite being an employer, Mr. Krabs has said this about [=SpongeBob=]. In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongebobMovieSpongeOutOfWater'', Mr. Krabs is heartbroken when it seems like [=SpongeBob=] has betrayed him for Plankton.

* In the ''Demonata'' series, all of the main trio views Dervish Grady as a parental figure. His nephew Grubbs even thinks he felt closer to Dervish than his actual parents, since he took them for granted. The two constantly bicker and other people in the series even remark they see one another as a father and a son, respectfully.

* In ''The Saga of Darren Shan'', Darren develops this with his mentor Larten Crepsley, in book 7 even thinking to himself that the two share a father-son type bond. It is very clear that Larten feels the same way. Once he learns that he has a nephew, Darren starts to act like a father figure to the boy.
** In the prequel series, Seba Nile thinks of his two assistants as his sons, and they view him as a father. Gavner Purl also views Larten as his father but keeps it to himself.

* In the ''Literature/WarriorCats'' series, Yellowfang tells Fireheart that he was like this to her -- that he's more like her son than the cat she gave birth to, [[spoiler:Brokentail]].
** According to the graphic novel version of Tallstar's Revenge, Tallstar also feels this way towards Firestar, though in his case it remains unspoken.

** As the namesake of the continent of Europe, Europa treats all Europeans as her grandchildren and all non-Europeans as friends of said grandchildren.

* Alfred may officially be [[Franchise/{{Batman}} Bruce Wayne's]] butler, but he was always more of a surrogate father to him after Thomas and Martha's untimely deaths (at least in Post-Crisis.) When Franchise/{{Superman}} asked him if he was all right after Bruce's apparent death in ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis'', he answered "No, I am not all right. My son has died."

* [[ComicBook/TheFlash Barry Allen]] considers Kid Flash and later the third Flash Wally West as his own son. The two are quite open about this, with Barry referring to Wally as his son frequently, to the point that his own kids were somewhat jealous of Wally. Barry even gave Wally his father's family watch as a high school graduation present to signify this. It became a key point in ''ComicBook/DCRebirth'', where thanks to their strong bond bypassing even [[CosmicRetcon reality-altering powers]], Barry was able to bring Wally back into the world from the Speed Force. Unfortunately, their bond becomes increasingly muddled due to the fact that everything that's gone wrong in Wally's life, including being trapped in the Speed Force, was all thanks to Barry's selfishness and his ignorantly causing ''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}''. And Barry only proceeds to make things worse for Wally since his return. Even though the two eventually patch things up, and Barry's actions were {{Handwaved}} as being influenced by Professor Zoom, it's disturbing to note Wally's forgiveness doesn't match up to the sheer depth of Barry's betrayal of his trust.

* The Ancient One refers to his disciple ComicBook/DoctorStrange as "the one I am pleased to call son" or simply "my son."

* In the newspaper-comic {{Drabble}}, Norm makes his father a sundae, prompted this exchange:

* Inspector Bloch really cares about ''ComicBook/DylanDog''. [[spoiler: Even more than about his own family]], as it was shown in "200".
* ComicStrip/{{Garfield}} once encountered this in a week-long strip series, when a newborn chick imprints on him and calls him "Daddy." After daily jokes (such as the chick refusing to eat Italian food, and Garfield saying "NO SON OF MINE WOULD REFUSE LASAGNA!"), the fat cat sends the little bird away. The chick sadly says "Goodbye, Daddy"...and Garfield [[TearJerker sheds a tear]].

* In a ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse'' comic, when Orko is taken over by the Hate Stones, Man-at-Arms tells him that he thinks of Orko as a son.
* In ''{{Magazine/Mad}}'', there are a few cases of this, but given the tone of the magazine, it's often parodied or deconstructed by way of the magazine often showing the darker side of parenting.

* Apparently ComicBook/NormanOsborn thinks [[Franchise/SpiderMan Peter Parker]] makes a better son than Harry.
** In the Ultimate Six comic mini-series, the group (only five at the moment) break out of a SHIELD prison and Osborn says they need to look for 'his boy.' When Otto Octavius asks where Harry is being kept, Osborn's response is: "What are you talking about? My boy's name is Peter."
** Also inverted: On occasion, Osborn, as the Green Goblin, would try to exploit this to distract Spider-Man, only for Peter to retort that his ''true'' father was [[Characters/SpiderManFamily Ben Parker]].
* Franchise/{{Superman}}

* ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers'': As far as Gaia is concerned, she has three sons and two daughters, despite none of them being biologically or legally hers. She almost explicitly declares that she sees the Planeteers as her kids in "Volcano's Wrath", as she watches them dash off to deal with Sly Sludge's latest scheme:
-->'''Gaia''': Children. [[SoProudOfYou They make a mother proud.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/CloneHigh''

* ''Fanfic/AFrozenFlower'': Grimes views Till, Oz's former partner when they were working in Odd Squad, as a daughter to him. As such, he's distraught when Orchid ends up accidentally killing her via [[MindRape mental torture]] after arguing with her about Oz's death.

* ''Film/{{Gladiator}}''; Marcus Aurelius tells Maximus that he is the son he wished to have had (instead of [[AmbitionIsEvil Commodus]]) and semi-adopts him after deciding Maximus will be his heir to Rome. Unfortunately for both of them, Commodus isn't too keen on being passed over and murders Aurelius before trying to do the same to Maximus.