History Main / StreetUrchin

* ''Series/GothamKnights2023'': Harper and Cullen are teenagers who'd lived on the street [[{{Delinquents surviving by theft}} after they fled their [[AbusiveParents abusive father]].

* 'WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'': WordOfGod (or specifically of Jymn Magon) says that before he took up with Don Karnage's air pirates, Kit Cloudkicker lived on his own, hitching rides or stowing away from one port to another.

* ''Film/SlumdogMillionaire: Jamal and his brother Salim grew up like this after the slum they lived in was attacked during a religious riot.

* ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'''s Firo Prochainezo used to be one, being orphaned at age nine (and fatherless before that) and forced to make it on his own in one of New York's seedier neighborhoods. He stumbled into [[TheMafia the Camorra]] after attempting to pick-pocket one of their higher-ranking executives.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} ♫ Riff raff? Street rat? I don't buy that ♫]].]]

* ''Film/Zorro1975'' have that unnamed, streetsmart urchin lad who befriends Miguel early on; the urchin recounting the "legend of a black spirit to save the people" is what inspired Miguel to become the legend himself, tie titular crusader known as Zorro.

* In ''Fanfic/HarryPotter&SevenYearsOfChaos'', Harry was evicted by his relatives and spent three years living on the streets of London before receiving his Hogwarts letter.

* In ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndSevenYearsOfChaos'', Harry was evicted by his relatives and spent three years living on the streets of London before receiving his Hogwarts letter.

[[folder:Film]]

* Jamal and his brother Salim in ''Film/SlumdogMillionaire'' grew up like this after the slum they lived in was attacked during a religion riot.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' is one of many children who grew up on the streets of Agrabah. Jafar was all too keen to sacrifice Aladdin for his scheme because in his mind, who would notice one more vanished street rat?
* ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'' has a few of these, and Fievel, a child in search of his family, nearly becomes one himself.
* ''Film/SalaamBombay'': 12-year-old Krishna isn't an orphan but he might as well be, as his mother has thrown him out of the house. That's why he's fighting to survive on the streets of Bombay, sleeping in alleyways and working odd jobs and hanging out with heroin addicts.

* ''Film/{{Ana}}'': Ana is a street-smart urchin who uses theft, persuasion and charm to get what she needs.

* Tom Canty and (briefly) Prince Edward are both this in ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceAndThePauper1995''.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': KidHero Ezra Bridger is this at the start of the show, until Kanan takes him as his Jedi apprentice.
* WordOfGod (or specifically of Jymn Magon) says that before he took up with Don Karnage's air pirates, ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'''s Kit Cloudkicker lived on his own, hitching rides or stowing away from one port to another.

* Leisl in the ''TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}'' novel ''Vampire of the Mists''.

* The Kid in ''Film/DickTracy''.

* ''Film/TheThiefOfBagdad1940'': Abu.

--> '''Kid Butterfly:''' And please consider that I have s syphilitic mother to take care of. As well as five illegitimate brothers and sisters!

--> '''Patton:''' "His clothes were worn and old, he was dirty from head to toe." So he's like a Dickensian street urchin! In a world full of hand sanitisers, he's, [fake Cockney accent] "Have you got a ha'penny, sir?... Then how about a smile?"

* Yahiko Myoujin in ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'', after his IllGirl mother's death.

* Spyke from ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' is known to hang out in a back alley, offering services like slot expansions for equipment and ability rerolls at a premium cost. Being a humanoid sea urchin, he's as literal as this trope can possibly get. Murch, another sea urchin, takes his role in following games after seeing how Spyke managed to make enough cash to retire in his twenties.

* Spyke from ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'' is known to hang out in a back alley, offering services like slot expansions for equipment and ability rerolls at a premium cost. Being a humanoid sea urchin, he's as literal as this trope can possibly get.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' is one of many children who grew up on the streets of Agrabah. Jafar was all too keen to sacrifice Aladdin for his scheme because in his mind, who would motice one more vanished street rat?

* Ariel the "Street Waif" from ''Series/KungFu The Legend Continues'', and yes, the guy who came up with that term was made fun of.

* In the ''Fairy Tail'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12908239/1/The-Spirit-Doll The Spirit Doll,]]'' when [[spoiler: Lucy]] goes missing her daughter becomes this but only for a little over a week. [[ContrivedCoincidence Luckily]], she has a run-in with Erza, Natsu, Gray, and Happy. They take her in and decide to help find her mother, especially when they find out who she is.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' is one of many children who grew up on the streets of Agrabah. Jafar was all too keen to sacrifice Aladdin for his scheme because in his mind, who would miss one more vanished street rat?

A kid, usually an orphan, who has lived on the streets for most of his short life. Survival is a matter of stealing whatever they need, doing odd jobs, and/or stuff you'd probably rather not think about. He may actually have a home or family, but the situation there may be so bad that living on the streets is preferable, or they're out stealing for their family's sake.