History Main / StreetUrchin

* Zael in Creator/DanAbnett's ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' novels of Literature/{{Ravenor}}.

* Homnibus' adopted son Justin in ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' episode "To Smurf A Thief" was one when he used to go by the name of Dipper.

* Fin of ''Literature/TheMapToEverywhere'', as his particular brand of BlessedWithSuck means that any potential caretakers simply forget about him as soon as he's out of sight (though this does make him an excellent thief).

* ''Literature/TheHanSoloTrilogy'': Han's earliest memories were being on the street as a child by himself, with no clear memory of his past, begging to survive. Garris Shrike then "rescued" Han, though it turns out he has former street kids [[TheFagin beg, con or pickpocket for him]]. Many more children who used to be homeless lived there with Han on Shrike's ship, the ''Trader's Luck''. Later, when he's left all of that behind, Han meets one Jarik Solo, a supposed LongLostRelative who it turns out also had been. Han learns he isn't his relative, but feels very sympathetic with poor Jarik as a result of his own past, letting it slide and keep the name as he knows much he's got to desire a family. Jarik becomes [[FamilyOfChoice as good as family]] to him after this.

* In ''TheShipWho'' series, [[GeniusLoci Simeon, the protagonist]] of ''The City Who Fought'' found and managed to befriend a stowaway named Joat who'd been hiding out in his passageways and performing maintenance. At the urging of [[HandyHelper his new brawn]], Simeon offers to adopt Joat and is [[SamusIsAGirl surprised]] to hear that Joat is actually a girl. While there's some friction and the DepartmentOfChildDisservices interferes, ultimately Joat is HappilyAdopted, and a major help during the events of the novel, defending her home and "Pops" against invaders.

** ComicBook/{{Storm}} started out as one of these after an [[ParentalAbandonment airplane crashed atop the Cairo home of her Black American father and Kenyan mother]]. She had a solid claim to being the best pickpocket and escape artist in the city by the time she hit puberty only to wander south along the Nile on impulse, have her powers kick in, and spend the bulk of her adolescence as a Weather Deity made manifest on the Serengeti. To this day, her street urchin skills come in handy in combat. She hasn't met a lock she couldn't pick. In fact, when wearing a costume that features it, ''her tiara contains a number of lock picks.''
** ComicBook/JubileeMarvelComics too. After the murder of her parents, she spent a few years living on the streets of L.A., doing fireworks shows with her abilities, before being picked up by the X-Men when the X-women at the time (Dazzler, Rogue, Storm and Psylocke) went for a shopping spree in a L.A. mall.
** ComicBook/{{Gambit}} spent most of his young life being raised to be a thief by thieves in the streets and swamps of [[TheBigEasy Louisiana]]. When he met Storm for the first time, she suffered from LaserGuidedAmnesia and briefly returned to her thieving ways. The two quickly became partners in crime.

* In the ''Literature/{{Borribles}}'' trilogy by Michael de Larrabeiti, street urchins are sort of the embryonic form of the immortal, elfin Borribles -- particularly successful and cunning urchins [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} "evolve"]] into Borribles.

* Several characters are this in ''VisualNovel/RoseGunsDays'', starting with Wayne, who fled from his abusive foster family and survived alone before being picked up by Rose, after which he swears UndyingLoyalty to her. Season 2 also introduces Charles, Nina and Oliver, who are among the many orphans created by the Great Disaster. They were picked up by an old man who offered them shelter in exchange for… taking music lessons. Because they were used to life in the streets though, [[TrashOfTheTitans their appartment is a little bit messy.]]

* Sahar, in the Literature/WhateleyUniverse. You do not want to be a girl who's an orphan on the streets of Baghdad. Her powers kick in when she's being dragged off by a pimp who plans to make some money using her body.

* ComicBook/{{Storm}} from ''ComicBook/XMen'' started out as one of these after an [[ParentalAbandonment airplane crashed atop the Cairo home of her Black American father and Kenyan mother]]. She had a solid claim to being the best pickpocket and escape artist in the city by the time she hit puberty only to wander south along the Nile on impulse, have her powers kick in, and spend the bulk of her adolescence as a Weather Deity made manifest on the Serengeti.
** To this day, her street urchin skills come in handy in combat. She hasn't met a lock she couldn't pick. In fact, when wearing a costume that features it, ''her tiara contains a number of lock picks.''
** ComicBook/JubileeMarvelComics too. After the murder of her parents, she spent a few years living on the streets of LA, doing fireworks shows with her abilities, before being picked up by the X-Men.
** ComicBook/{{Gambit}} spent most of his young life being raised to be a thief by thieves in the streets and swamps of [[TheBigEasy Louisiana]]. When he met Storm for the first time, she suffered from LaserGuidedAmnesia and briefly returned to her thieving ways. The two quickly became partners in crime.

** Briar, in his books, is always interacting with the street urchins from whatever town they're currently in. ''[[Literature/CircleOfMagic Briar's Book]]'' also had street kids in the opening, before it became a magical-epidemiology-procedural drama.

* [[MeaningfulName Urchin]] from ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'' series.

* ''Literature/TheHanSoloTrilogy'': Han's earliest memories were being on the street as a child by himself, with no clear memory of his past, begging to survive. Garris Shrike then "rescued" Han, though it turns out he has former street kids [[TheFagin beg, con or pickpocket for him]].