History Main / TheCareTaker

** And River ''inverts'' it in TheMovie, by [[spoiler: [[ViolentlyProtectiveGirlFriend saving him]] and [[TrueCompanions the entire crew]] by willingly locking herself in a room with an army of Reavers.]]

** And River ''inverts'' it in TheMovie, by [[spoiler: [[ViolentlyProtectiveGirlFriendsaving him]] and [[TrueCompanions the entire crew]] by willingly locking herself in a room with an army of Reavers.]]

** And River ''inverts'' it in TheMovie, by [[spoiler: saving him and the entire crew by willingly locking herself in a room with an army of Reavers.]]

* ''{{Series/Sherlock}}'': It's possible John could be seen as this, as well as his [[LivingEmotionalCrutch best friend]] and [[TheCampion body-guard.]]

* ''{{Series/Sherlock}}'': It's possible John could be seen as this.

* ''{{Series/Sherlock''}}: It's possible John could be seen as this.

* C.S. Lewis married a woman he knew was going to die of cancer in a few years to keep her company and look after her children when she was gone. Knowing beforehand the grief he would have to suffer. A great HeroicSacrifice. However like the other examples of this trope there is a darker side to it. Does anyone really want a marriage based on pity?

[[quoteright:333:[[{{Film/Serenity}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/simonandriver_5429.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:333:How do you protect someone [[HearingVoices from the voices in her head]] when they ''[[UnhappyMedium aren't hers?]]'']]

[[quoteright:305:[[{{Film/Serenity}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/SimonAndRiver.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:305:How do you protect someone [[HearingVoices from the voices in her head]] when they ''[[UnhappyMedium aren't hers?]]'']]

* ''[[WhatsEatingGilbertGrape What's Eating Gilbert Grape]]'' is a perfect example of this.
* In ''[[RepoTheGeneticOpera Repo! The Genetic Opera]]'', Nathan Wallace's wife Marni dies, leaving him to raise their newborn daughter, Shilo. He ends up keeping her locked in her bedroom for seventeen years to protect her from the outside world. [[spoiler: And then it turns out he takes the "co-dependent" and "overprotective" parts of this trope UpToEleven by administering a poison for those same 17 years to keep her bedridden and dependent, so she will never leave him. And this ''after he killed Marni trying to cure her!'' (Well, that's what ''he'' thought anyway.)]]

* ''Anime/{{Mai-HiME}}'''s main character, Mai Tokiha, completely defines her life around taking care of her equally selfless IllBoy younger brother, who eventually calls her out to find a reason to live besides him, or else he won't agree to treatment.

Most of the time they're defined more by their ward than as a character themselves. Since most stories center on their ill relative, they're often relegated to being the [[OverprotectiveDad overprotective]] guardian who actively [[{{Fantasy-Forbidding Father}} discourages their loved one from any and all self realization]], love, and risky activity in general. And that's if they're attentive; a negligent or resentful Caretaker will put the [[Franchise/HarryPotter Dursleys]]' cruelty to shame. Only rarely is there middle ground for a "dynamic" caretaker who encourages their ward while not completely losing the ability to have a life of their own.

* Mrs. Medlock in ''Literature/TheSecretGarden''. She watched over the young lord's "ill" son Colin assiduously, and scolded Mary when she worsened his condition as being reckless. When it turns out it was years of overprotective care that left Colin unable to walk, which [[TheMessiah Mary]] cured, Medlock was reduced to [[HeroicBSOD a near friendless crying heap]].

* One of [[spoiler:Akiha's]] endings in ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' has Shiki playing this role toward [[spoiler:Akiha.]] Definitely a tragic version, as she's been reduced to a more or less mindless, catatonic, blood sucking monster, and the already anemic Shiki insists on providing that blood himself, due to a sense of responsibility for her condition as well as love for her.

* ''Anime/{{Mai-HiME}}'''s main character, Mai Tokiha, completely defines her life around taking care of her equally selfless GenderFlip'd IllGirl younger brother, who eventually calls her out to find a reason to live besides him, or else he won't agree to treatment.

* PlayedWith in ''Manga/FruitsBasket''. [[PsychopathicManchild Akito]] frequently either pretends to be sick or makes himself sick (whether it's intentional or not, the root is clearly psychological) in an attempt to invoke this response. He succeeds in keeping [[TheStoic Hatori]] close this way, at any rate (Hatori's the family doctor, and Akito's the head of the family, so he doesn't really have a choice). Kureno also seems to think of himself as Akito's Caretaker (looking more toward Akito's emotional needs), although his attempts to help really just make things worse for both of them.

* The end of the A route in ''BlazeUnion'' shows Nessiah supporting Gulcasa in a combination of this role and LivingEmotionalCrutch, as it falls to him (the only one who knows enough about Brongaa's blood and its effects) to make sure Gulcasa regularly [[HumanSacrifice kills something to sate his natural bloodlust]] (no matter how much Gulcasa himself does not want to) and nurse him back to health should he fall ill from [[BlessedWithSuck overusing or underusing his powers with his body still unstable]]. He also takes Siskier's place as Gulcasa's confidante and adviser, as well as becoming his love interest. In a variation on the trope, Nessiah shows no sign of minding having to do this for three years; after all, [[spoiler:when he's [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide strung out after using Brongaa's power]], Gulcasa is awfully easy to manipulate]], so Nessiah has plenty to gain from being devoted.

->'''Simon:''' R-River... Hey, it's okay. It's okay. It's okay... It's okay. I'm here.
->'''River:''' Simon they-they talk to me. They want me to - They want me to...
->'''Simon:''' No, they're gone. They're gone. They're gone. They're gone - We're safe now... We're safe. We're safe. I'm here.
-->-- ''Series/{{Firefly}}:'' pilot episode

* ''{{Superman}}'' is possibly an example of this trope, as odd as that may sound; as he is usually depicted as leaping into a situation based on his own assumption that he is doing what other people want, generally without bothering to actually stop and ask first. It's also arguably implied that being a Caretaker for humanity is Supes' only real reason to exist.

He suppresses any irrational blame for River and is never too smothering, though very affectionate (a necessary quality: arguably River needed a big brother even more then she needed a doctor). He is very protective and those who might harm her find that he is also a PapaWolf when necessary. And to top it all off, he manages to have characteristics beyond caretaker ones - the show and TheMovie make him a DeadpanSnarker with a [[MomentKiller somewhat bumbling approach to love]]. He does acknowledge that he's been ignoring what he wanted for himself by the end, though.

*** Arguably that would be more like MamaBear, then like TheCaretaker despite the fact that the "my turn" thing is made to make it sort of a dramatic reversal.

* Lelouch of CodeGeass takes on the TheEmpire, and eventually the entire world with [[IDidWhatIHadToDo almost no qualms about the sacrifices it would take]] specifically to build a world where his [[IllGirl little sister]] can live peacefully, though he realizes that he has been using his sister as an excuse for his real motive: to make a better world.

[[AC: VisualNovel]]

* Annie in ''Theatre/TheNormanConquests'' takes care of her bedridden mother, apparently with only occasional help from brother Reg (and no help at all from her sister Ruth).

Most of the time they're defined more by their ward than as a character themselves. Since most stories center on their ill relative, they're often relegated to being the [[OverprotectiveDad overprotective]] guardian who actively [[{{Fantasy-Forbidding Father}} discourages their loved one from any and all self realization]], love, and risky activity in general. And that's if they're attentive; a negligent or resentful Caretaker will put the [[HarryPotter Dursleys]]' cruelty to shame. Only rarely is there middle ground for a "dynamic" caretaker who encourages their ward while not completely losing the ability to have a life of their own.

* ''VisualNovel/{{Air}}'': See VisualNovel section

* Cornelia, for Juliet in ''{{Romeo x Juliet}}''.

* Mrs. Medlock in ''TheSecretGarden''. She watched over the young lord's "ill" son Colin assiduously, and scolded Mary when she worsened his condition as being reckless. When it turns out it was years of overprotective care that left Colin unable to walk, which [[TheMessiah Mary]] cured, Medlock was reduced to [[HeroicBSOD a near friendless crying heap]].

* Simon Tam from ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' frequently takes on this role when it comes to his sister River. He is genuinely caring toward her and constantly strives to find out what was done to her at the hands of the Alliance so he can find a way to "cure" her, putting him squarely in the Activist role. Not to mention that he gave up a rich, comfortable life and a very promising medical career for a dangerous life on the run to do the above mentioned.\\
He suppresses any irrational blame for River and is never too smothering, though very affectionate (a necessary quality: arguably River needed a big brother even more then she needed a doctor). He is very protective and those who might harm her find that he is also a PapaWolf when necessary. And to top it all off, he manages to have characteristics beyond caretaker ones- the show and TheMovie make him a DeadpanSnarker with a [[MomentKiller somewhat bumbling approach to love]]. He does acknowledge that he's been ignoring what he wanted for himself by the end, though.

* On the opposite side of the coin, there is the highly dysfunctional relationship of Lucille Bluth and her son Buster on ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment''. She switches back and forth from coddling to abusive based apparently on what will cause her son the most psychological damage. It's funnier than you'd think.
* There's a literal "the caretaker" in ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. He's taking care of the Ocampa after accidentally frying their planet to a barely inhabitable mess.
* Arguably, Saffron Monsoon in ''Series/AbsolutelyFabulous'' could fit this trope. She is the most sane and mature character in the show, constantly being the Voice of Sanity to her mother (who is a middle-aged woman with a teenager's behavior and a toddler's emotions).
** Later episodes upset the balance by having her do things like spying on a "normal" family by hiding in their cupboard.
* This trope was the premise of the sitcom ''Mother And Son'', with the son both caretaker and [[TheUnFavourite UnFavourite]] of a senile mother.
* On ''Series/{{Buffy|the Vampire Slayer}}'', Willow briefly became this after Tara [[spoiler: was driven insane by Glory. ]]
* Played for laughs several times on ''{{Seinfeld}}'', where Elaine's boyfriends have a tendency to wind up horribly injured, suffering a heart attack, or going through heroin withdrawal just as she's about to dump them.
* Dean Winchester from ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', especially in regards to his Sammy. Dean is naturally nurturing and protective by nature. However, Dean has made it his purpose to take care of Sam his entire life.
** In Season 7, [[spoiler:after Castiel absorbs Sam's madness, Meg gets a job as a nurse at the mental hospital to protect him.]]
-->[[spoiler:'''Castiel:''']] Will you look at her? My caretaker. All of that thorny pain. So beautiful.
-->[[spoiler:'''Meg:''']] We've been over this. I don't like poetry. Put up or shut up.
* In ''{{Fringe}}'', Peter Bishop reluctantly takes this role to get his MadScientist father, Walter, out of the mental institution where he's been held for the last 20 years, since Walter can only be released into the care of a blood-relative. Over time however, Peter comes to see that it was the institution ''itself'' that mentally damaged his father, to the point where when a case requires Walter to readmit himself to speak to another patient who holds vital information, Peter is furious at the suggestion.