History Main / TheOneWhoMadeItOut

* If Shepard has the 'Earthborn' background in ''MassEffect'', s/he escaped a childhood of petty crime on the streets by joining the military. In the [[MassEffect1 first game]], several members of Shepard's old gang who weren't as lucky attempt to blackmail him/her into doing them a favor by threatening to reveal Shepard's past. Shepard, of course, can choose how to handle it.

* Part of the reason the Yancy Street Gang hate the Thing in ''Comicbook/FantasticFour'' is that Ben Grimm is a former Yancy Streeter who got out, and they think he's forgotten his roots.

* ''AfterschoolSpecial'': Subverted in "15 and Getting Straight," a 1989 "ABC Afterschool Special" starring DrewBarrymore, Corey Feldman and David Birney about junkies in a 12-step drug counseling program. A teen named Rick seems to have made tremendous progress and is mentoring some of the other teens who are in denial about their problem. The subversion is played as irony ... in the end, the lead counselor (Birney) comes in one day and announces to the group that Rick had overdosed on a new drug. Rick had run into some old friends and was trying to tell them to go away, but they persisted in getting him to try the drug and immediately had a seizure. The counselor – himself an ex-drug user – tells the group "I would have bet money" on Rick's future success in staying straight; instead, Rick is dead ... and – in playing the trope straight and part of this episode's irony – [[WhereAreTheyNow all of the other teenagers who had been in denial are successful in their resolve to stay straight]].

* This is Mahlia's life's goal in ''TheDrownedCities''. She is desperate to make it out of the war-torn WretchedHive she lives in. [[spoiler:She manages to do it by the end, bringing a whole pack of [[ChildSoldiers soldier boys]] along for the ride]].

* This is Mahlia's life's goal in ''TheDrownedCities''. She is desperate to make it out of the wartorn WretchedHive she lives in. [[spoiler:She manages to do it by the end, bringing a whole pack of [[ChildSoldiers soldier boys]] along for the ride]].

But every so often, there's one who makes it out- usually to college or to a lucrative job, but sometimes they just up and leave. People in the town usually admire them for their tenacity but tend to resent them for leaving if the community isn't as close-knit.

* Nina from ''InTheHeights'' escaped the barrio and got into Stanford.

* Tasha Yar of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' was originally from the [[RecycledInSpace planetary equivalent]] of Bosnia, but managed to get into Starfleet.

* In ''SweetHomeAlabama'', the lead got away from her country life to make it big in [[BigApplesauce New York]] but then has to go home to a TheCityVsTheCountry plot.

* Jack Atlas of ''{{Yu Gi Oh 5 Ds}}'', who did it by betraying Yusei in his backstory.

[[AC:Film]]

* ''[[DontBeAMenaceToSouthCentralWhileDrinkingYourJuiceInTheHood Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood]]'': Parodied when Malik first arrives at college, but is shot by "The Man".

[[AC:Literature]]
* Janice and Larry, the older Grape siblings from ''[[WhatsEatingGilbertGrape What's Eating Gilbert Grape]]''. They only come back for Arnie's birthday party at the end of the book.

* In ''{{Discworld}}'', Lancre is "the place people come from to become successful somewhere else" (usually Ankh-Morpork). Opera singer Enrico Basilica grew up in Rookery Yard, in the Shades, where "you could fight your way out, or you could sing your way out" ([[{{Metaphorgotten}} or you could get out by going through an alley into Shamlegger Street]], but no-one came to anything going ''that'' way).
* The non-fiction book ''In Search Of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio'' follows the lives of Puerto Rican crack dealers in El Barrio. One managed to make it out, getting through high school (a rarity in the neighbourhood at the time) and college (almost unheard of) to make it into the middle class and move into a safer neighbourhood. He had to be careful going back home to adopt all his old mannerisms so that he wasn't ostracised, and had to keep his background hidden from his wealthy neighbours when at home.

[[AC:Theater]]

* If Shepard has the 'Earthborn' background in ''MassEffect'', s/he escaped a childhood of petty crime on the streets by joining the military. In the [[MassEffect1 first game]], several members of Shepard's old gang who weren't as lucky attempt to blackmail him/her into doing them a favor by threatening to reveal Shepard's past. Shepard, of course, can choose how to handle it.

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* Tasha Yar of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' was originally from the [[RecycledInSpace planetary equivalent]] of Bosnia, but managed to get a job with Starfleet.

* Tasha Yar of ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' was originally from the [[RecycledInSpace planetary equivalent]] of Bosnia, but managed to get a job with Starfleet.

** Bowden Crowder and his wife Ava wanted to get out of Harlan and believed that as a local football star Bowden would get a college scholarship and then have a professional sports career. When it turned out that he was not good enough for a scholarship, he went to work in the coal mine and became an AbusiveSpouse. After Ava kills Bowden she has a chance to leave Kentucky but decides to stay.

* If Shepard has the 'Earthborn' background in ''MassEffect'', s/he escaped a life of petty crime on the streets by joining the military. In the [[MassEffect1 first game]], several members of Shepard's old gang who weren't as lucky attempt to blackmail him/her into doing them a favor by threatening to reveal Shepard's past. Shepard, of course, can choose how to handle it.

* If Shepard has the 'Earthborn' background in ''MassEffect'', s/he escaped a life of petty crime on the streets by joining the military. In the first game, several members of Shepard's old gang who weren't as lucky attempt to blackmail him/her into doing them a favor by threatening to reveal Shepard's past. Shepard, of course, can choose how to handle it.

[[AC:Comics]]
* DependingOnTheWriter, continuity reboot status, medium, etc., in various permutations of the ''{{Superman}}'' franchise, Clark Kent is occasionally given this treatment for having made it from Smallville to Metropolis.
* Part of the reason the Yancy Street Gang hate the Thing in ''Comicbook/FantasticFour'' is that Ben Grimm is a former Yancy Streeter who got out, and they think he's forgotten his roots.
* In ''ComicBook/BlackLightning'', Jefferson Pierce is the one who made it out of the ghetto and then came back to teach in the high school and help others make it out.
* Since LukeCage became a globally prominent superhero, some characters have occasionally accused him of forgetting his roots as a hero of the downtrodden in New York City. [[BerserkButton He doesn't take it very kindly]], especially not when a young upstart uses this to justify taking up Luke's abandoned "Power Man" codename.
* In ''TheBoondocks'', Huey and Riley were originally from a run-down inner-city Chicago slum. They weren't all that happy about being sent away to live with their grandfather Robert in the suburb of Woodcrest. Robert himself is a former Tuskeegee Airman who has worked his whole life to get where he is.
** According to an in-universe documentary, Thugnificent's hometown was so poor that many locals couldn't afford ''clothes''. The underfunded police department gave up on the place and built a fence around it. Thanks to his musical career, he can now afford a BigFancyHouse in Woodcrest.
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* Gary is one of these early in the ''{{Pokemon}}'' anime. For example: Before Gold/Silver were announced, he shows off 10 badges when anyone who played the game knew you could only get 8. Additionally, he has a chauffeur and is always accompanied by fangirls and his own cheerleader squad.

* Frequently parodied with Tracy Jordan on ''ThirtyRock''.

* In the DoctorWho ExpandedUniverse {{Elseworld}} novel "The Infinity Doctors", some young Gallifreyans treat The Doctor as this, and are bemused as to why he has come back.

* In ''ComicBook/BlackLightning'', Jefferson Pierce is the one who made it out and then came back to teach in the high school and help others make it out.

* Jack Atlas of Yu Gi Oh 5 Ds, who did it by betraying Yusei in his backstory.
* Gary is one of these early in the {{Pokemon}} anime. For example: Before Gold/Silver were announced, he shows off 10 badges when anyone who played the game knew you could only get 8. Additionally, he has a chauffeur and is always accompanied by fangirls and his own cheerleader squad.
* Hojo and Asami, the main characters of Manga/{{Sanctuary}}, escaped from the Killing Fields of Cambodia under Khmer Rouge as children, and work together to reform the political system of Japan, one from "on top" as a diet member, and one from "underneath" as a yakuza boss. Atypically, they claim that they didn't make it out of Cambodia because they were clever or driven, but because they were lucky.

* OctoberSky: Homer Hickam especially, but all of the rocket boys qualify. Their small West Virginia town is proud of them for their success.
* In SweetHomeAlabama, the lead got away from her country life to make it big in [[BigApplesauce New York]] but then has to go home to a TheCityVsTheCountry plot.
* [[DontBeAMenaceToSouthCentralWhileDrinkingYourJuiceInTheHood Don't Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood]]: Parodied when Malik first arrives at college, only to be shot by "The Man".
* Inverted in GoodWillHunting, where mathematics prodigy Will Hunting wants to stay in Southie but his friends desperately want him to use his gifts to become the one who gets out.

* Janice and Larry, the older Grape siblings from [[WhatsEatingGilbertGrape What's Eating Gilbert Grape]]. They only come back for Arnie's birthday party at the end of the book.
* In the DoctorWho ExpandedUniverse {{Elseworld}} novel "The Infinity Doctors" some young Gallifreyans treat The Doctor as this, and are bemused as to why he has come back.
* In {{Discworld}} Lancre is "the place people come from to become successful somewhere else" (usually Ankh-Morpork). Opera singer Enrico Basilica grew up in Rookery Yard, in the Shades, where "you could fight your way out, or you could sing your way out" ([[{{Metaphorgotten}} or you could get out by going through an alley into Shamlegger Street]], but no-one came to anything going ''that'' way).

* Tasha Yar of StarTrekTheNextGeneration was originally from the [[RecycledInSpace planetary equivalent]] of Bosnia, but managed to get a job with Starfleet.
* This is a major theme in "Series/Justified". Harlan County is very poor and many of the characters dream of leaving and starting a better life somewhere else. However, few actually follow through with this.
** Raylan Givens is actually one of the characters who actually made it out of Harlan. Faced with either working in the coal mine for the rest of his life or becoming a criminal like his father, he left Kentucky and became a US Marshal. He is understandably quite unhappy that when he is assigned to the Kentucky office at the beginning of the series.

* Frequently parodied with Tracy Jordan on 30Rock.
* WelcomeBackKotter: The titular character made it out of the Brooklyn "ghetto", became a teacher, then moved back to teach in his old neighborhood.

* Nina from InTheHeights escaped the barrio and got into Stanford.

* Depending on writer, continuity reboot status, medium, etc and so on, in various permutations of the {{Superman}} franchise Clark Kent is occasionally given this treatment for having made it from Smallville to Metropolis.
* Part of the reason the Yancy Street Gang hate the Thing in FantasticFour is that Ben Grimm is a former Yancy Streeter who got out, and they think he's forgotten his roots.

* Since LukeCage has become a globally prominent superhero, some characters hve occasionally accused him of forgetting his roots as a hero of the downtrodden in New York City. [[BerserkButton He doesn't take it very kindly]], especially not when a young upstart uses this to justify taking up Luke's abandoned "Power Man" codename.
* In ''TheBoondocks'', Huey and Riley were originally from a run - down inner - city Chicago slum. They weren't all that happy about being sent away to live with their grandfather Robert in the suburban town of Woodcrest. Robert himself is a former Tuskeegee Airman who has worked his whole life to get where he is.
** According to an in - universe documentary, Thugnificent's hometown was so poor that many locals couldn't afford ''clothes''. The underfunded police department gave up on the place and built a fence around it. Thanks to his musical career, he can now afford a BigFancyHouse in Woodcrest.