History Main / ThePresidentsDaughter

* Elizabeth Swann is chased after in ''PiratesOfTheCaribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'' due, initially, to being the governor's daughter... but subsequently mistaken for [[BloodMagic Bill Turner's]] daughter. In the sequels, she comes into her own and is no longer fought over... until being [[LivingMacguffin mistaken for a god]] in ''At World's End'', when a [[GambitPileup bargaining session]] is held on who gets to kidnap her. She manages to negotiate her way into being declared [[AscendedFangirl Pirate King]] [[SheIsTheKing as a result]].

[[folder:Comicbooks]]

* CreatureFeature's ''"Bound and Gagged"''.

* Coral, in RogerZelazny's Merlin saga of the ''BookOfAmber'' series, especially after she gets her... unusual surgery.

* Sasha in TitanMaximum, who is a spoiled bitch whose father feels little more than barely restrained rage towards her.

* Layla Miller who was a living MacGuffin in the ''HouseOfM'' comics. Parodied as "Layla MacGuffin" in Matt Gardner's ''House of M'' parody in Newgrounds.

* ''Film/AirForceOne'' has the Villain use the President's daughter to force the President to do his dirty work. And later tries to use his wife. Fortunately, HarrisonFord is the president.

Not to be confused with [[TheGeneralsDaughter the General's Daughter]], whom you are advised not to date.

* In one episode of {{Gunslinger Girl}}, the Republican Faction plans to kidnap a Senator's daughter and hold her hostage in exchange for some of their members who are in prison. Instead, the government gets wind of this and replaces the girl with [[BadassAdorable Claes]], who happens to look similar to the girl in question. [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity ensues]].

* Layla Miller who was a living MacGuffin in the ''{{House of M}}'' comics. Parodied as "Layla MacGuffin" in Matt Gardner's ''House of M'' parody in Newgrounds.

* [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The President's daughter]] in ''My Date with The President's Daughter''. Very slight subversion in that the President himself ALSO legitimately cares about his daughter's well-being (while the protagonist didn't even know who she was when he asked her out), but the Secret Service is very much treating her like a {{MacGuffin}}.

* The DavidMamet film ''{{Spartan}}'' features a {{MacGuffin}} President's Daughter played by KristenBell.

* Ellen Emerson White has the ''President's Daughter'' series of books, most of which were written in the 80's and then updated. Meg is not a plot device, but she is the first female president's daughter and in the third book, ''Long Live The Queen,'' she [[spoiler: gets kidnapped and has her knee and hand smashed to bits.]] The fourth book, ''Long May She Reign,'' deals with the aftermath of these events and is very good.
* Coral, in RogerZelazny's Merlin saga of the ''{{Book of Amber}}'' series, especially after she gets her... unusual surgery.

* In Richard Hoyt's ''Japanese Game,'' the Vice-President's young daughter and a friend are kidnapped during a trip abroad, with the intent to sell them off as sex slaves if the VP doesn't cooperate. Or maybe even if he does ...

* ''HumanTarget'', episode "Victoria", the ''Queen's'' daughter is targeted as she wants to drop her husband for an EMT, which would bring great shame to her family.

* ''[[TwentyFour 24]]'' uses this, including a literal kidnapping example with Islamic Republic of Kamistan President Hassan's daughter [[strike:Kim]] Kayla.

* In the {{Seinfeld}} episode ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pool_Guy The Pool Guy]]'', the plot of the [[ShowWithinAShow movie with in the show]] '''Chunnel''' involves the President's daughter being kidnapped.

* In an episode of ''{{Series/Merlin}}'' Lady Morgana is ambushed and captured, knowing that she is the beloved ward of King Uther.

* {{Creature Feature}}'s ''"Bound and Gagged"''.

* Estelle from ''{{Tales of Vesperia}}''.

* [[IAmNotShazam Princess Zelda]] from several ''TheLegendOfZelda'' games, most notably the original. She is usually [[BarrierMaiden the key]] to saving the world and is kidnapped by the BigBad in order to give him whatever power he needs for the game's plot. Traditionally, this is her segment of the Triforce, but not always.
** Zelda herself lampshades this in ''SpiritTracks'', saying that being a distressed damsel is a family tradition.

Named for the tendency of [[OurPresidentsAreDifferent Presidents]] to ''always'' have daughters [[hottip:*:Each of the last ten U.S. presidents has had at least one daughter, and seven of the ten have had two or more. By contrast, only five of those ten have had sons--and of those sons, [[GeorgeWBush one was a President who had only daughters]]. ]], and they ''always'' [[DistressedDamsel get kidnapped]]. Oftentimes, she'll even [[DitchTheBodyguards do most of the bad guys' work for them]].

Named for the tendency of [[OurPresidentsAreDifferent Presidents]] to ''always'' have daughters[[hottip:*:Each of the last ten U.S. Presidents has had at least one daughter, and seven of the ten have had two or more. By contrast, only five of those ten have had sons--and of those sons, [[GeorgeWBush one was a President who had only daughters]].]], and they ''always'' [[DistressedDamsel get kidnapped]]. Oftentimes, she'll even [[DitchTheBodyguards do most of the bad guys' work for them]].

* From Part 5 of ''JoJosBizarreAdventure'': Trish Una is the recently discovered illegitimate daughter of the local mafia boss. All of the boss's enemies want to capture and/or kill her, so she ends up under the protection of the heroes, thus driving most of the plot.

** In the first film, ''EscapeFromNewYork'', it was the president himself, whom Snake had to rescue.

* The JamesBond movie ''TheWorldIsNotEnough'' features Elektra King, the daughter of oil baron Sir Robert King, who was kidnapped five years earlier by the BigBad, Renard. [[spoiler:Let's just say that StockholmSyndrome may have been involved somewhere]].

* Lai, from ''The Transporter'', serves as ThePresidentsDaughter. Other than as a McGuffin, her contribution to the plot of the film is negligible.

* In ''Tropa de Elite'' everything happens because of the Pope's visit to Rio, but the Pope actually never appears.

* In JohnCWright's ''The Orphans of Chaos'', the hostages' abilities are extremely inconvenient because their captors want to treat them as this (Amelia deduces they don't come from democracies because of the extent of their hostage value).

* Rogue from the first ''Film/{{X-Men}}'' movie. Simply make her nonexistent, and what would Magneto do?

** And Maliver fics add the whole "Hero sees her as a person" part.
** Well, wouldn't you want to get your hands on her? Right, I'm going.

** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZsDUSxK5Fs It's up to us!]]

* In one episode of {{Gunslinger Girl}}, the Republican Faction plans to kidnap a Senator's daughter and hold her hostage in exchange for some of their members who are in prison. Instead, the government gets wind of this and replaces the girl with [[Badass Adorable Claes]], who happens to look similar to the girl in question. [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity ensues]].

* In one episode of {{Gunslinger Girl}}, the Republican Faction plans to kidnap a Senator's daughter and hold her hostage in exchange for some of their members who are in prison. Instead, the government gets wind of this and replaces the girl with {{Badass Adorable}} [[CyborgClaes]], who happens to look similar to the girl in question. [[HilarityEnsues Hilarity ensues]].

* In one episode of {{Gunslinger Girl}}, the Republican Faction plans to kidnap a Senator's daughter and hold her hostage in exchange for some of their members who are in prison. Instead, the government gets wind of this and replaces the girl with {{Badass Adorable}} [[Cyborg Claes]], who happens to look similar to the girl in question. {{HilarityEnsues Hilarity ensues}}.

* In one episode of {{Gunslinger Girl}}, the Republican Faction plans to kidnap a Senator's daughter and hold her hostage in exchange for some of their members who are in prison. Instead, the government gets wind of this and replaces the girl with {{Cyborg Claes}}, who happens to look similar to the girl in question. {{HilarityEnsued Hilarity ensues}}.

* Princess Peach in earlier ''SuperMario Bros.'' games

[[folder:Videogames]]

** [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean Well, wouldn't you want to get your hands on her?]] Right, I'm going.

* Elizabeth Swann is chased after in ''PiratesOfTheCaribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'' due, initially, to being TheGovernorsDaughter... but subsequently mistaken for [[BloodMagic Bill Turner's]] daughter. In the sequels, she comes into her own and is no longer fought over... until being [[LivingMacguffin mistaken for a god]] in ''At World's End'', when a [[GambitPileup bargaining session]] is held on who gets to kidnap her. She manages to negotiate her way into being declared [[AscendedFangirl Pirate King]] [[SheIsTheKing as a result]].
* Jen in ''CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon'' is also literally TheGovernorsDaughter and her parents scour the earth for her after Lo [[LoveAtFirstPunch "kidnaps" her]].

* In ''MonkeyIsland'', Elaine Marley, TheGovernorsDaughter of Melee Island, gets kidnapped by a [[GhostShip ghost pirate]] with a prehensile beard.

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