Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Main / ABoyAndHisX

Go To

1%%
2%%
3%%
4%%
5%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
6%%
7%%
8%%
9%%
10%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1303680815059460900
11%% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread.
12%%
13[[quoteright:330:[[Anime/PokemonTheOriginalSeries https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/a_boy_and_his_x.jpg]]]]
14[-[[caption-width-right:330:''[[WaxingLyrical Oh, you're my best friend, in a world we must defend!]]'']]-]
15
16A heartwarming story told through the ages: Something unique enters a young man's (or woman's) life, and they form a bond that changes them forever, usually starting them down the path to adulthood.
17
18What that something ''is'', however, varies widely. From the classic [[CanineCompanion "A Boy and His Dog"]], all the way to… well, keep reading, you'll see.
19
20Be warned, however, that whatever X is can easily fall victim to DeathByNewberyMedal, [[InterruptedCooldownHug especially]] if it's of the huge and/or monstrous variety.
21
22See also InterspeciesFriendship, MonsterAndTheMaiden and NonhumanSidekick.
23----
24!!Examples:
25
26[[foldercontrol]]
27
28[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
29* ''Anime/AllPurposeCulturalCatGirlNukuNuku'': The Creator/ADVFilms advertisements described the series as: "The heartwarming story of a boy and his cat... And a major military equipment manufacturer."
30%%* ''Literature/AsuraCryin'': Tomoharu and his ghost Misao.
31%%* ''Anime/BtX'': A boy and his mechanical Kirin... Named X.
32* ''Anime/{{Bucchigiri}}'': A Boy and his BoisterousBruiser genie. However, the boy is mostly annoyed by both the genie's presence and the genies's BloodKnight tendencies, only changing his opinion once the genie's powers turn out to be useful for the boy's selfish motives. On the flip side, [[spoiler: the boy is ClaimedByTheSupernatural]] and the genie actively conceals this from the boy, even getting a TraitorShot.
33%%* ''Manga/CardCaptorSakura'': A MagicalGirl and Her Osakan-accented Winged Mouse.
34* ''Anime/DaisukiBuBuChaCha'': Buddy is a toddler whose carelessness causes him to run into several near-death experiences and the only reason he hasn't passed away yet is his dog [=ChaCha=]. [=ChaCha=] first pulls a HeroicSacrifice to prevent Buddy from being hit by a car. Miraculously [=ChaCha=] is reincarnated into one of Buddy's toy cars, which allows him to keep accompanying (and saving) Buddy while he teaches him about the important things in life.
35%%* ''Manga/DeliciousInDungeon'': A knight and his LivingWeapon.
36* In ''Anime/DigimonGhostGame'', in contrast to previous series the heroes [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman draw no distinction]] between the sapient {{mons}} and people, with TheHero Hiro seeing his childlike partner Gammamon as a younger brother. At one point he even sends him out on his traditional first errand like a typical Japanese family (using RefugeInAudacity to allow them to get away with a talking dragon buying [[TrademarkFavoriteFood chocolate]]).
37* ''Manga/FairyTail'': A Boy and his Flying Cat. The flying cat, while weak in combat, is essential for the boy as a means of transportation, as the boy's PowerAtAPrice comes at the cost of making him unable to use standard means of transportation; the cat also enables him to fight in aerial battles, without needing to use more energy just to propel himself. Furthermore, the flying cat's origins become the focus of an entire story arc.
38%%* ''Manga/GingaNagareboshiGin'' begins as the classic "A Boy and His Dog" variety, with the pair of them trying to take down a monstrous bear. [[GenreShift Then the dog goes feral and the story focuses on the dogs' war against said gigantic bear]].
39%%* ''Anime/{{Gigantor}}'': A Boy and His Giant Robot.
40* ''Manga/{{Gintama}}'': Kagura is a short-tempered, sharp-tongued girl who struggles to control her own strength. Sadaharu number 28 is the first pet she hasn't accidentally killed because of her superhuman strength and this is due to this Sadaharu's nature as an Inugami (dog deity). Conversely, Kagura is the only one able to withstand Sadaharu's preternatural strength and does, in fact, loves his bites in the head. The two further complement each other in regards to their aggressive yet caring personalities. Moreover, the act of taking care and bonding with Sadaharu brings about Kagura's motherly and girly side. Kagura convinced the other Yorouza members to keep Sadaharu and, from then on, the two have become inseparable.
41* ''Anime/HelloSandybell'': A girl (the titular character) and her collie/Scottish sheepdog mix, Oliver. He also serves as her HorseOfADifferentColour.
42%%* ''Anime/{{Heroman}}'': A Boy and his giant robot… IN AMERICA.
43%%* ''Manga/{{Kuro}}'': A girl and her monster cat.
44* ''Manga/JiuJiu'': A girl and her two shapeshifting, demon-fighting, werewolf familiars. Takamichi was devastated by her the death of her beloved twin brother Takayuki, and the sudden focus placed on her as the heir to the family legacy of demon-fighting (when she'd previously been [[SpareToTheThrone ignored and told she was of zero value to her clan]]) caused her to retreat emotionally. Being made responsible for werewolf "jiu jiu" pups Snow and Night gave the adolescent demon-hunter an outlet for the love & care she had only ever been able to express for her brother. Protecting the duo gave her a purpose in life beyond her family's work. Tor their part, Snow and Night are totally devoted to Takamichi (having been raised by her since werewolf-toddler-puppyhood). They want to see her succeed in her hunts, but more importantly they want to keep her safe and stay by her side. Snow and Night are the only people in the world who have shown Takamichi unconditional love since her brother, and Takamichi is everything to the two jiu jiu.
45%%* ''Anime/LaidBackCamp'': A girl and her chihuahua.
46* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'':
47** First {{subverted}} in the [[Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha first installment of the franchise]]. Nanoha's customary magical girl pet is the ferret Yuuno. It's true he teaches her how the [[AmplifierArtifact Intelligent Device]] works and how to do magical spells with it. However, her actual CharacterDevelopment occurs upon encountering a DarkMagicalGirl.
48** The trope is then played straight in ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAs'' with the antagonists. Hayate is an orphaned, disabled girl with a chronic illness that threatens to cut her life short. To worsen matters, there's an ArtifactOfDeath in her house that one day forces her into becoming its new master. In the process, the Book of Darkness summons the Wolkenritter as its [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots sentient defense programs]]. They are not evil and easily bond with the kind-hearted girl, providing her with the family she always craved and them with their first compassionate, non-megalomaniacal master. As a result, they set out to try and prevent the Book of Darkness from consuming Hayate's life.
49** It's also worth noticing the way Nanoha and Fate's (the now allied dark magical girl) Intelligent Devices copy the programing of the Wolkenritters' Devices so they mistresses have the chance to fight their new opponents on equal footing. Raising Heart (Nanoha's) and Bardiche (Fate's) even encourage them to go through the difficult, very innovative, and potentially dangerous power-up. If witty, the Intelligent Devices are usually just there to channel and shape the magic, rarely getting to the level of {{Virtual Sidekick}}s.
50** ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaStrikerS'': Played for laughs again with Hayate. After repairing the Book of Darkness, the new artificial intelligence inside it is as sentient as the previous one, but far more amenable and not corrupted. As such, Rein, the Unison Device, is Hayate's most loyal supporter of her dreams. She accompanies Hayate raises through the ranks and is her personal secretary when Hayate is finally appointed as the commander of her own military special operations unit. Rein is the PluckyComicRelief more often than not (perks of being a miniature humanoid), but also soothes Hayate's insecurities and helps her tune down her immense raw magic output into usable spells.
51%%* ''Anime/MyNeighborTotoro'': Two girls and their magical forest spirit.
52%%* ''Manga/{{Nukoduke}}'': A young man and his two cat-people pets.
53* ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'': Although the series has a large, rotating main cast with countless character arcs, the central characters are Ash Ketchum and his Pokémon partner, Pikachu. After getting off to a rough start in the first episode, the two became inseparable best friends, unwilling to part ways even when offered the choice.
54%%* ''Anime/PonyoOnTheCliffByTheSea'': A boy and his fish-girl.
55* ''Anime/WonderfulPrettyCure'': Two girls (Iroha and Mayu) and their pets (Iroha's pet dog, Komugi and Mayu's pet cat, Yuki), all four of whom become superheroes.
56* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' presents a {{deconstructed}} and PlayedForDrama example. Like nearly every anime of this genre, the magical girls get a cute AnimalCompanion who is the source of the magic and introduces them to the trade. Just, this time, roping prepubescent-to-teenage girls into a war against {{Eldritch Abomination}}s proves to have very dire consequences. They are now exposed to trauma, injuries, and often death. Kyubey, the alien cat/squirrel, does not help them mature, he makes them realize who truly horrible the world can be as he [[spoiler: milks their despair as free energy to counter the Entropy Death of the universe. He even comments how the conversion from a magical girl into a witch (the monsters they battle) is akin to the process of girls growing up to women]]. While all of the girls are "mentored" by Kuybey or interact with him in one way or another, this trope is most notorious with him and Madoka. Kyubey spends the better part of the series trying to convince her to turn into a magical girl, viciously exploiting her insecurities and the tragedies her friends, who are magical girls, face.
57* ''Anime/RemyNobodysGirl'': Remy's AnimalCompanion is a performing circus monkey, Joli-Coeur, who acts as her sidekick and saves her from danger. Apart from Capi, [[spoiler: he's all that she has left of Vitalis]].
58%%* ''Anime/RahXephon'': A boy and his vaguely Mayan pseudo-giant-robot.
59%%* ''Manga/ShadowStar'': A Girl and Her Cute, Cuddly Dragon. It gets worse.
60%%* ''Manga/SoulEater'': A Girl and Her [[EquippableAlly Scythe]].
61%%* ''Anime/TheTibetanDog'': A boy in the Tibet praire and his Tibetan mastiff dog.
62%%* Manga/UshioAndTora: A boy and his tiger demon. ('Tora' means 'tiger' in Japanese.)
63* One ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' {{Yonkoma}} aptly sums up the series as "A Girl And Her Doll". Said "doll" is a combat android with the power of a fleet.
64[[/folder]]
65
66[[folder:Comic Books]]
67* ''ComicBook/TheBadger'': Parodied. Norbert pets Lamont, his North American "Buffalo". The villain promptly comments, "Ain't that sweet? '''A Deranged Individual and His Bison.'''"
68* ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'': In "ComicBook/SupergirlsSuperPet" and "ComicBook/TheSuperSteedOfSteel", Supergirl meets Streaky the Supercat and Comet the Super-Horse, respectively, and starts bonding with them while teaching them how to use their new powers.
69* ''ComicBook/WhatIf'': "I'll Be Your Best Friend!" (v2 #92) was the tale of a boy and his robot -- specifically Josh (kid brother of ComicBook/XMen Cannonball and Husk) and a damaged Sentinel (robot designed to kill mutants such as the X-Men.) Many readers questioned why this story was published as a "What If" given that it could've easily fit into Earth-616 canon.
70* ''ComicBook/XMen'':
71** The origin story of Maggot (a South-African mutant whose digestive system was two semi-autonomous slugs that could eat anything) was titled "A Boykie and His Dinges". Translated from the South-African slang the flashback was written in, that's "A Boy and His Things".
72%%** Kitty Pryde and Lockheed, a Girl and her Dragon. Subverted with the discovery that Lockheed is a sentient and intelligent creature, forced to spy on the X-Men for SWORD.
73[[/folder]]
74
75%%[[folder:Comic Strips]]
76%%* ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'': A Boy and His Penguin. (Originally. This angle was swiftly dropped when Opus became the EnsembleDarkHorse.)
77%%-->'''Binkley Jr.:''' I for one think it's uniquely wholesome. A boy and his penguin!\
78%%Opus: A penguin and his boy!\
79%%'''Binkley Sr.:''' Two dips and a dad.
80%%* ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'': A Boy and His (stuffed) Tiger. Calvin views Hobbes as a real tiger and his best friend.
81%%* ''ComicStrip/CowAndBoy''
82%%* ''ComicStrip/PhoebeAndHerUnicorn'': A girl and her unicorn.
83%%* ''ComicStrip/RedAndRover'': A Boy and His Dog.
84%%[[/folder]]
85
86[[folder:Fairy Tales]]
87* In the Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index tale type ATU 531, "The Clever Horse" (which includes ''Literature/TheFireBirdTheHorseOfPowerAndThePrincessVasilissa'' and Russian literary tale ''The Humpbacked Horse''), the hero is helped by his faithful steed, which warns him against the perils on his journey and is ''vital'' to ensure the hero's happy ending with the princess. In regards to the word "vital", the king orders the hero to enter a dangerous bath of hot milk or hot water - that could potentially kill him -, and he only survives with the horse's intervention. When the king tries to replicate, he simply burns to death.
88* In a cycle of Iranian tales known as "The Magical Horse" (''Zauberfohlen'') or "The Sea-Horse" (''Korre-ye darya'i'') - stories connected to the European texts of tale type ATU 314, "Goldener", of the international Aarne-Thompson-Uther index - , the protagonist is a king's son, who has a loyal pet horse that warns him about his stepmother's, the king's second wife, attempts against his life. Things come to a head when the queen pretends to be ill and demands the horse is killed and an organ used to "cure" her. Knowing that neither of them will be safe if they stay in the palace, the prince and the horse escape to another kingdom.
89* In the East Slavic (Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian) tale type SUS 532, "Neznaiko" or "Neznaika", the hero is a usually merchant's son whom his father buys a lame-looking horse for. When the merchant is away, his wife, the hero's stepmother, starts an affair and tries to murder her stepson, but the horse warns him everytime. Eventually, the stepmother pretends to be ill and demands the horse's meat as cure, but the horse plots with the merchant's son and both escape to another kingdom. There, the horse advises the hero to always answer "ne znayu" ('I don't know', in Russian), and gives him some of its hairs to be summoned.
90* In Latin American variants of tale type ATU 530, "The Princess on the Glass Mountain",[[note]]In regards to the tale type, "Glass Mountain" is a bit of a misnomer: the Glass Mountain occurs as the EngagementChallenge in North European tales, but becomes a horse-racing contest or other competition in Spanish and Latin American stories. In both cases, the hero rides in the horse he tamed to win the challenges.[[/note]] the youngest of three brothers holds a vigil on his father's fields and discovers a horse of seven colours has been trampling/eating their fields. He tames the horse and it becomes his friend. Later, with the help of the horse of seven colours, the third brother beats the challenge and wins the princess for wife.
91[[/folder]]
92
93[[folder:Fan Works]]
94%%* ''Fanfic/ABoyAGirlAndADogTheLeithianScript'': In this ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' fic you have a boy -- human warrior Beren -- a girl -- Elvish princess Luthien--and a wolfhound--Huan.
95%%* ''Fanfic/BrilliantLightsWillCeaseToBurn'' has [[Manga/MyHeroAcademia Izuku]] and his magical talking plush toy/guardian spirit [[Manga/CardcaptorSakura Kero]].
96%%* Given that ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries'' is a ScriptFic of ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'', the premise is still A Boy and His Tiger. There's also Andy and Sherman, a boy and his genius talking hamster.
97* A common idea in ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' stories, likely because they were last seen both roaming on their own, is for [[OppositeSexClone Danielle]] and [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent Wulf]] to meet up and become friends. Such examples include:
98** ''Fanfic/{{Harmless}}'': Prior to coming to Danny aid's in a coming battle with a powerful, ancient ghost, Danielle met up with Wulf, and brought him along when she met the rest of the Fenton family.
99** In the ''Fanfic/FacingTheFutureSeries'', following being [[spoiler:HappilyAdopted by the Fentons]], Danielle encountered Wulf, and due to her past with strays while roaming, was [[FluffyTamer able to bond with him]] easily, to the point that she gave him a new outfit to replace his prison garb look. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, Jack and Maddie won't let Wulf live at Fenton Works]].
100%%* The plot of ''[[http://www.100megspop2.com/kayasps/main/mikehero.html Scar The Unsung Hero]]'' is [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 Scar]] bonding with a human boy.
101* As well as the canon Dragon Riders, Luisa, Isabela and Camilo in ''Fanfic/TheDragonAndTheButterfly'' end up training a Crimson Goregutter, a Snaptrapper and a Changewing respectively.
102* ''Fanfic/{{Essence}}'' is a ''Pokémon'' AlternateUniverseFic where 10-year old Ash goes on a ComingOfAgeStory journey with his loyal dog Pokémon Growlithe, instead of Pikachu.
103* ''WebAnimation/FinalFantasyVIIMachinabridged'' reinterprets [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Barret]] and [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} Red XIII]], as part of the show's general recharacterization of the cast, as this, functioning as a duo and a double act; Barret's subplots co-star Red and vice versa, while they weren't required for each other's subplots in the [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII original]], and in general, [[AdaptationRelationshipOverhaul not really especially closer to each other as they were to any of the other party members]].
104%%* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' fanfic ''Fanfic/{{Foxfire|RaharMoonfire}}'' has the amnesic prince Li and his spirit fox companion Zenko.
105* ''Fanfic/TheHaddockChronicles'' sees a young Elsa [[spoiler:become the first person to train a Snow Wraith]].
106* ''Fanfic/GodzillaNewEra'' has a downplayed example with Io Shinoda and the third Godzilla ("Junior") being playmates when they were both children at the Biotechnics institute for different reasons [[note]](Io was a student at the Psychic school and Junior was housed at the neighboring facility Io's father worked at)[[/note]]. A big part of Io's arc was her learning to interact with others as Junior was her only friend as a child. [[spoiler:That the current Godzilla seems to recognize and is docile to her is one of the first big hints he's Junior all grown up.]]
107* Sort of in ''Fanfic/{{Jessica}}''. As time passes, Cameron starts to see true Pikachu Jessica as a close friend rather than as "pixels and bytes in a video game."
108* ''Fanfic/PokemonStrangledRed'': In universe. Steven's Pokémon journey revolves heavily around his Charmander/Charmeleon/Charizard, Miki. And her death traumatizes Steven so much that he [[spoiler:descends into madness]].
109* ''Webcomic/SpringtrapAndDeliah'': A girl and her seven feet animatronic bunny-pal. Deconstructed, as the comic showcases just how quickly a relationship like that can turn sour and how much the inherent power-imbalance can screw both parties over.
110%%* The second ''Fanfic/WeasleyGirl'' fic has A Girl And Her Cat; as a {{Gender Flip}}ped Ron Weasley here becomes the owner of Crookshanks.
111[[/folder]]
112
113[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
114* ''WesternAnimation/AstroKid'': After Willy crash lands on an alien planet, he befriends a local creature named Flash. Flash quickly becomes his best friend and together they manage to survive on the planet till help finally arrives.
115* ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'': Hiro and Baymax; a boy and his robotic healthcare companion. Hiro is a BrilliantButLazy TeenGenius who loses his brother Tadashi in a fire accident. The healthcare robot Tadashi built provides him his much-needed emotional support, and the two of them (along with Tadashi's old friends) become superheroes who fight crime, with Hiro maturing into a much more responsible person.
116%%* ''WesternAnimation/{{Frankenweenie}}'': At first, a boy and his dog, eventually moved on int oa a .
117* ''Charlie & Chunk'' is the story of a boy in New Mexico who has a living clay monster named Chunk. They attempt a dangerous skateboard stunt on 10-Year-Old Boy Day.
118* Inverted with ''WesternAnimation/TheGoodDinosaur''. Arlo, a talking dinosaur, befriends a feral human boy after the two became lost in the wilderness. Arlo is initially a nervous and cowardly dinosaur, but his adventures with the human boy help him find his courage.
119* ''WesternAnimation/{{How to Train Your Dragon|2010}}'': Hiccup is a viking boy who's too scrawny and too kind-hearted to become a dragon slayer. He meets an injured dragon he names "Toothless", bonds with it and becomes its rider, maturing a lot on the way.
120%%* ''WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant'': A boy and his [[GentleGiant giant]] [[HumongousMecha robot]].
121%%* ''WesternAnimation/IsleOfDogs'': A boy (Atari) and his feral dog friends (Chief, Rex, King, Boss, and Duke) while looking for his actual dog.
122%%* ''WesternAnimation/JingleAllTheWay'': A boy and his husky dog. The sequel adds a girl and her husky dog.
123* ''Franchise/LiloAndStitch'': A Girl And Her Alien(s). In [[WesternAnimation/LiloAndStitch the original film]], Stitch was adopted by her by pretending to be a dog.
124* ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaidGolden1992'' features a girl and her dolphin; Lena, the titular mermaid, is always accompanied by her Official Royal Pet, Vink, who tries (and fails) to keep her out of trouble.
125* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'': A Man (Linguini) and His Rat (Rémy). Linguini even calls Rémy, "Little Chef". Linguini cares greatly for Rémy, whom he treats as his equal and best friend.
126* ''WesternAnimation/{{SCOOB}}'' introduces Scooby-Doo as a stray pup meeting and befriending a young and lonely Shaggy Rogers, who later adopts him. Throughout, the movie focuses on their heartwarming and comedic friendship from childhood to adulthood.
127** The film also lampshades this, also connecting the Man/Dog bond with the two heroes that Scooby and Shaggy have always idolized, Blue Falcon (the original and his son, Brian, who took over the mantle from his father) and Dynomutt, and with the villains, Dick Dastardly and Muttley.
128* ''WesternAnimation/SpiritStallionOfTheCimarron'': A boy and his horse... and another horse who did not want to be owned by anyone but warmed up to the boy by the end of the film.
129[[/folder]]
130
131[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
132%%* ''Film/AirBud'' series: A boy and his dog… that plays basketball, football, soccer, baseball, and volleyball.
133* ''Film/Alpha2018'' is about a young hunter separated from his tribe taking care of a wolf separated from her pack. The two work together to bring down prey and help each other whenever one of them is injured. This can also count as the very first "A Boy And His X" in human and dog history.
134* ''Film/{{AXL}}'' is a film about a teen boy named Miles who finds a highly-advanced military-created RobotDog in a junkyard. The two form an unbreakable bond, but his creators want him back.
135%%* ''Film/{{Babe}}'': A Boy and His Pig. Well, An Old Man and not A Boy, but it fits.
136%%* ''Born to be Wild'': A boy and his gorilla.
137* The ''Film/TransformersFilmSeries'' spin-off/prequel/reboot ''Film/{{Bumblebee}}'' narrows down this trope, with the focus of the film being entirely on Charlie and her friendship with Bumblebee. The alien invasion/disaster movie aspect of the prior films being pretty much all but removed, and the robot war mostly being a factor for the backstory and the motivation of the badguys.
138%%* ''Film/TheDarkCrystal'': Fizgig, a dog-like alien belongs to Kira, the only female Gelfling left alive.
139%%* ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial'' established A Boy and His Alien as a dream for a generation.
140%%* The French film ''The Fox and the Child'': A Girl and Her Fox.
141%%* ''Film/FarFromHomeTheAdventuresOfYellowDog'': A boy and his dog, again.
142%%* ''Film/FlyAwayHome'': A girl and her geese.
143%%* ''Film/FreeWilly'': A Boy and His Killer Whale.
144%%* Japanese film ''Film/GameraTheBrave'': A Boy and His Baby Turtle Turned [[{{Kaiju}} Daikaiju]].
145* There's a movie called ''Gargantua'', in which a boy befriends a baby [[{{Kaiju}} giant monster,]] and must keep it safe from a poacher that wants to capture it and sell it as a sideshow attraction.
146%%* ''Hachi: A Dog's Tale'': A professor and his dog, which is based on...
147%%* ''HachikoMonogatari'': A man and his dog.
148%%* Played straight in Disney's ''[[Film/HomewardBoundTheIncredibleJourney Homeward Bound]]'' films (a boy and his dog plus a girl and her cat). Though most of the time it works the other way around, a dog/cat and their boy/girl.
149%%* ''The Invisible Boy'': A boy and his playmate, a robot ([[Film/ForbiddenPlanet Robby the Robot]]).
150%%* ''Film/Joey1997'': A boy and his baby kangaroo.
151%%* ''Film/{{Keanu}}'': A gangster and his kitten.
152%%* ''Kes'': A boy and his falcon.
153%%* ''Kauwboy'': A boy and his jackdaw.
154* ''Film/LassieComeHome'': The story is about a Yorkshire boy and the collie that won't be separated from him. Lassie's strong relationship with Joe drives the plot, as she is determined to get back to Yorkshire against all odds to return to him. The film spawned five sequels, multiple reboots, multiple TV shows, cartoons, a manga and more, which all featured Lassie as a HeroicDog with a strong bond to the 'boy' in each version, where she helped him and his family out of dangerous situations.
155* ''Film/LeanOnPete'' is about the bond between a troubled teenager called Charley and Lean on Pete, a mediocre racehorse bound for the slaughterhorse. Charley steals Lean on Pete from his owner to avoid his fate and the two go on a cross-country trip.
156* ''Film/TheMagicCrystal'': A Boy and his Sentient, Talking Venusian Crystal with Psychic Powers. Which he obtains from his uncle, a globe-trotting secret agent, during a tour in Greece. ItMakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext.
157%%* ''Film/MightyJoeYoung'': A girl and her (giant) gorilla.
158* ''Film/MonsterTrucks'': The story of a boy and a subterranean creature that escapes from its secret environment, with Trip adapting his truck so that 'Creach' can basically use it as a wheelchair/support system to move around on land.
159* ''Film/OldYeller'' is about a boy named Travis, who is set up to learn responsibility while his father is away. Travis meets a stray dog named Yeller, and his learning to trust the dog leads to a close partnership.
160%%* ''Film/OperationDumboDrop'': A Vietnamese boy and his elephant.
161%%* ''Film/{{Paddington|2014}}'': A boy and his bear. Jonathan get very attached to Paddington.
162* ''Film/PetesDragon1977'' features the dragon rescuing Pete from his abusive guardians, who had bought him. The opening song features Pete and the dragon playfully declaring their love for each other.
163* ''Film/PokemonDetectivePikachu'' is the story of a young man and his [[TalkingAnimal talking]], [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]], [[MustHaveCaffeine coffee addicted]] GreatDetective Pikachu teaming up to solve the mystery of the disappearance of the young man's father. [[spoiler: With the added twist that the Pikachu turns out to ''be'' said missing father, trapped in the body of a Pikachu]].
164%%* ''Film/TheRedBalloon'': A boy and his red balloon.
165* ''Film/TheSkateboardKid'': A boy and his talking skateboard. A young skateboarder named Zack builds a mechanical skateboard which comes to life after being struck by lightning. After the skateboard protects Zack from the neighborhood bullies, the two become best of friends.
166* "A Boy And His ''Vacuum Cleaner''" is the subject of [[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0161988/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 Stardust]], a bizarre 1998 film that's two parts ''Film/MacAndMe'', and one part each of ''Film/TheLoveBug'' and ''Film/ShortCircuit'', with a touch of ''Film/HomeAlone'' for flavor.
167* ''Film/{{Ted}}'': A boy and his teddy bear, who comes to life. Instead of helping him mature, the teddy bear hinders the boy's emotional development and results in him becoming a ManChild. But then over the course of the movie the now grown-up man learns the responsibilities of adulthood.
168* Many ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' films have this vibe:
169** ''Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay'' and ''Film/Terminator3RiseOfTheMachines'': John Connor and his robot protector against the newer model terminators.
170** ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'': Here, the Terminator, a RobotGirl who goes by Cameron, is also John's LoveInterest, so romantic tension ensues instead.
171** And in ''Film/TerminatorGenisys'' "Pops" upgrades to ParentalSubstitute.
172%%* ''Film/TooMuchTheRobotWithAHeart'': A girl and her robot.
173%%* ''Film/TwoBrothers'': A boy and his tiger, and also a hunter and his tiger.
174%%* ''Film/TheWaterHorseLegendOfTheDeep'': A boy and his, um, [[StockNessMonster plesiosaur-thing]]. Angus discovers a large egg along the shores of Loch Ness, which hatches into the titular creature.
175[[/folder]]
176
177[[folder:Literature]]
178* ''Literature/TheBartimaeusTrilogy'' has one in Ptolemy and Bartimaeus, they'd have died for each other... [[spoiler:one did]]. Then there's Nathaniel and Bartimaeus that comes after Ptolemy dies (way after, 2000 years plus), though they may not be an example as they both loath each other until the end and continuously argue (hilariously) throughout the whole three books.
179%%* In Creator/KateDiCamillo's ''Literature/BecauseOfWinnDixie'', a girl and her dog.
180%%* Literature/BlackDogs: A girl and her dog... soldier.
181%%* Walter Farley's ''Literature/TheBlackStallion'' series is very much A Boy And His Horse. So was his ''Island Stallion'' series.
182* Creator/HarlanEllison's ''Literature/ABoyAndHisDog'': Subverted. The setting is actually post-apocalyptic, so said dog is a telepathic mutant who's technically much smarter than the boy and even taught him to read, write and count. Said boy is also a teenaged serial rapist, and the dog pays him back for finding food by tracking victims for him. The story shows that the boy's UndyingLoyalty to his dog is so strong that when the dog dying and he's met a cute girl who is sexually interested in him, [[spoiler:''he kills the girl and feeds her to his dog to save him'']]. The first part of the story implies that this is a pretty common partnership, with solitary scavengers referred to as "Solos" drifting around the ruins with dog companions, though they're usually regular dogs, not mutants.
183* In one of Creator/RobertRankin's ''Brentford'' stories Omally (always spelled without the apostrophe, for some reason) refuses to die without his faithful Marchant. Pooley [[LampshadeHanging comments]], "A boy and his bike! I feel sick!"
184%%* ''Literature/CastawaysOfTheFlyingDutchman'': A boy and his dog.
185* An inversion in Fredric R. Stewart's ''Literature/{{Cerberon}}'': The eponymous unicorn has been George's best friend his entire life. The novel opens with George clearly in command, but by the end it's Cerberon who is in charge. In a ShoutOut to Creator/CSLewis, Cerberon's mother is named Jewel, after the unicorn in ''Literature/TheLastBattle''.[[note]]''That'' Jewel was male, though.[[/note]]
186%%* ''Literature/CharlottesWeb'': A Girl and Her Pig-- at least at the beginning.
187* Creator/CSLewis's ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'' book ''Literature/TheHorseAndHisBoy'': The book sometimes plays the trope straight and sometimes inverts it, as the boy is not always in charge, and is less experienced in the ways of the world than the former warhorse. The inversion is also discussed at one point, when someone tells the boy's traveling companion that it might be more accurate to say that she belonged to her horse.
188%%* ''Literature/CliffordTheBigRedDog'': A Girl and her [[CanisMajor gargantuan dog]]. One of the songs on the tribute album for the Scholastic animated series is titled "A Girl and Her Dog."
189%%* ''Literature/CowgirlKateAndCocoa'' a girl and her horse. For that matter, every single PonyTale is of this format.
190%%* ''Literature/DannyAndTheDinosaur'': a boy and his dinosaur.
191%%* ''Literature/DearDragon'' series: a boy and his dragon.
192%%* ''Literature/DearMrHenshaw'': A boy and his dog. [[spoiler: He doesn't get to keep it]].
193%%* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novel ''Literature/TheAmazingMauriceAndHisEducatedRodents'': Maurice and Keith are A Cat and His Boy.
194%%* ''Literature/{{Dogsbody}}'' by Creator/DianaWynneJones is almost a standard A Girl and Her Dog story. Except that it's told from the perspective of the dog, who is actually a reincarnation of the guardian spirit of the star Sirius.
195* ''Literature/ADogsPurpose'' is this type of story from a dog's point-of-view. It follows a dog being reincarnated several times and its life with humans. To emphasise this, the protagonist often refers to his main owner Ethan as "the boy".
196* ''Literature/DragonridersOfPern'': Dragons Impress at hatching, and the ritual is a rite of passage for Pernese youth. This forms a lifetime bond that marks the beginning of a youngster's training as a dragonrider and their growth into maturity and their role as protectors of the planet.
197%%* ''Literature/TheEnormousEgg'': A boy and his ''Triceratops''.
198* Creator/RandallGarrett and Vicki Ann Heydron's ''The Gandalara Cycle'' has a Gandalaran and his sha'um (a giant telepathic cat that can be used as a steed).
199* ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'': While bond-animals of various sorts are common throughout the series, the one that fulfills the trope most strongly is the Companions. These are magical horses (that are later revealed to be spirit-guardians given mortal form) who seek out and bond with children who would make suitable Heralds. This moment of bonding marks the start of their journey towards maturity, and the bond is so strong that the death of either Herald or Companion almost invariably leads to the death of the other.
200%%* David Weber's "Literature/HonorHarrington" series starts out as "a girl and her telepathic alien cat" and follows her career in the space navy.
201* ''Literature/HumanxCommonwealth'': Flinx is an [[TheEmpath empathic]], genetically altered mutant who, in his early life, forms a [[BondCreatures psychic bond]] with an Alaspinian miniature dragon (minidrag for short) named Pip. The species naturally forms such bonds in the wild, and is rarely known to do so with humans. However, due to Flinx's unique nature, Pip acts as an amplifier and focus for his powers in addition to being a fierce protector.
202%%* ''Literature/ImagineSomeday'': A boy and his griffin.
203%%* Christopher Paolini's ''Literature/InheritanceCycle'': A Boy and His Dragon. Or a Dragon and Her Boy, depending on how you want to see it.
204* ''Literature/{{IQ}}'' a ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' book written by John De Lancie, parodies this when Q snarkily refers to Picard and Data as "A boy and his computer".
205%%* The book ''A Kestrel for a Knave'' (adapted for film as ''Kes'') follows A Boy and His... well, you can guess, can't you? [[spoiler: It also falls prey (no pun intended) to DeathByNewberyMedal.]]
206%%* Marguerite Henry's ''Literature/KingOfTheWind'': a boy and his horse.
207* ''Literature/TheLastDragonChronicles'' incorporates this trope a lot. Usually it's A Boy and His Dragon although A Girl and Her Dragon pops up almost as frequently (if not more). David gets many a dragon sidekick as the series progresses: G'reth, Golly, and even [[spoiler: SharingABody with Grockle]]. But Gadzooks definitely takes home the medal. Lucy has Gwendolen and Zanna has [[spoiler: Gretel]].
208* ''Literature/TheLifeOfAlexander'' contains what is possibly the UrExample, although as with many such it is something of an UnbuiltTrope here. The titular Alexander supposedly tames a "wild" stallion as a young prince, whom he names Bucephalus. The horse then follows him through his exploits over the next 20 years before dying in India. The distraught Alexander builds a splendid tomb for the horse, and names a city for him: Alexandria Bucephalia. This was regarded as little more than a cute story, until some linguistic and archaeological evidence for the existence of Bucephalia was turned up. The jury is still out on whether there's any truth to the legends of Bucephalus, it's not as if ''Creator/{{Plutarch}}'' was the sort to let trivial things like historical fact get in the way of a good story (and none of the other biographies of Alexander which survive do more than mention the horse). Still, it's hardly the most ridiculous legend about Alexander that Plutarch recorded.
209%%* ''Literature/TheLuckOfBrinsFive'' is a "Boy and his Alien" story -- but set on the alien planet of Torin, with an Earthman playing the role of the alien who needs to be hidden from the authorities and helped back to his mothership.
210* The ''Literature/MagicShop'' book ''Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher'' is about Jeremy and the bond he forms with his pet dragon.
211%%* ''Literature/MySideOfTheMountain'' and its sequels: a boy and his falcon
212* Interestingly [[PlayingWithATrope played with]] in ''Literature/TheNeverEndingStory'', where a Boy and His Horse relationship is early driven to [[DeathByNewberyMedal a moving end]]... only to be replaced with a better partner, when TheHero finds a much more interesting companion, turning the trope into A Boy And His Dragon (and DragonRider, incidentally).
213%%* ''Literature/OldYeller'', another classic "boy and his dog". Both of the above are [[DeathByNewberyMedal Newbery winners]]. Or losers, in the animal's case.
214%%* ''Literature/{{Pax}}'': A boy and his fox.
215%%* Literature/{{Shiloh}}: Classic boy and his dog scenario.
216* Creator/IsaacAsimov's ''{{Literature/Robbie}}'': Gloria has had her RobotBuddy "Robbie" for three years before the start of this story. Her mother, worried about what the neighbors have been saying, wants to get rid of the robot. Gloria is, of course, devastated by her loss. [[spoiler:She never stops looking for where Robbie might have gone, checking every robot she comes across, and even checking factory robots.]]
217* ''Literature/{{Skyward}}'' is described by author Creator/BrandonSanderson as being about "a girl and her starfighter," with the starfighter being an artificial intelligence named M-Bot.
218%%* The ''Literature/StephanieHarrington'' series is about one of Honor's ancestors as a young girl who was the first human to bond with a Treecat.
219* The Anthology ''Literature/TalesFromJabbasPalace'' has a story called "A Boy And His Monster" focusing on Jabba's [[FluffyTamer Rancor Handler]] Malakili and his Relationship the abused Rancor. [[spoiler: Fortunately for him the book gives him a happy ending, despite the death of his best friend, by having him opening a successful restaurant in Mos Eisley after Jabba's death.]]
220* The ''Literature/{{Temeraire}}'' series: A Boy and His Dragon. Or, possibly, A Dragon and His British Naval Officer. While not guiding Laurence into manhood, Temeraire does mark a significant shift both in his life and understanding of the world.
221%%* ''Literature/TimmyFailure'': A boy and his polar bear. It's implied the polar bear might just be an ImaginaryFriend, however.
222%%* ''Literature/WhereTheRedFernGrows'': A tragic story of a boy and his hound. Dogs.
223%%* ''Literature/TheWitchlands'' has a girl and her [[spoiler:pet mountain bat (AKA dragon).]]
224%%* ''Literature/TheYearling'': a boy and his fawn.
225[[/folder]]
226
227%%[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
228%%* ''{{Series/Flipper}}'': A Boy and his Dolphin.
229%%* ''Series/{{Fury}}'': A boy and his horse.
230%%* ''Johnny Socko and his Giant Robot''.
231%%* ''Series/{{Lassie}}'': A Boy and his Dog.
232%%* ''Series/MyFriendFlicka'': A girl and her horse.
233%%* ''Series/{{Salty}}'': A boy (Tim Reed) and his seal.
234%%* ''Series/SkippyTheBushKangaroo'': A Boy (Sunny) and his Kangaroo (Skippy).
235%%* One of the main plotlines in the short-lived SpeculativeFiction series ''{{Surface}}'' was A Boy and His Sea Monster.
236%%* ''{{Series/Wilfred}}'' is about the misadventures of a young man and his neighbor's dog... who looks like a man wearing a dog suit for some reason.
237%%[[/folder]]
238
239[[folder:Music]]
240%%* YellowOstrich with the song "Whale"
241* Referenced in the title of "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na-xvlYMGck A Boy and his Frog]]". [[Franchise/TheMuppets The boy is Jim Henson, and the Frog is Kermit]].
242%%* Carbon Leaf's song "A Girl and Her Horse".
243* ''Music/PuffTheMagicDragon'', a [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids tearjerker]] of a children's song, has the eponymous dragon as the boy Jackie Paper's best friend. Jackie is described in the song as Puff's life-long friend, who nevertheless abandoned him as he grew older.
244[[/folder]]
245
246[[folder:Podcasts]]
247* {{Discussed|Trope}} on an episode of ''Podcast/MomCantCook'', when Luke describes ''Film/{{Hounded}}'' as the only "boy and his dog" movie where the dog is actually evil.
248[[/folder]]
249
250[[folder:ProfessionalWrestling]]
251* Jungle Boy and Luchasaurus aka. [[Wrestling/AllEliteWrestling AEW]]'s Jurassic Express also go under the name "A Boy and His Dinosaur".
252[[/folder]]
253
254%%[[folder:Roleplay]]
255%%* In ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest'', Cody Jenson, the villain of V1, has this with him and his bike. However, instead of starting him down the path to manhood, [[MoralEventHorizon it starts him down the path]] [[AxCrazy to insanity]].
256%%[[/folder]]
257
258%%[[folder:Theater]]
259%%* ''Literature/WarHorse'': a boy and his horse.
260%%[[/folder]]
261
262[[folder:Video Games]]
263* ''VideoGame/{{Aether}}'' revolves around a boy and the fluffy monster pet he befriended who then takes him on a trip to the clouds.
264%%* The ''Videogame/ABoyAndHisBlob'' franchise about a boy who finds a blob-like alien who can morph into all sorts of shapes to help them on their journey. The original games, on the NES and the UsefulNotes/GameBoy, had more of a sillier, irreverent tone than a traditional "boy and his x" work. The Wii {{Revival}}, on the other hand, was deliberately designed to milk this trope for every last drop. How many games can boast a dedicated "hug" button?
265%%* ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'': A boy and his female dragon.
266%%* The Human Noble origin story in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'': "A boy/girl and his/her warhound."
267* The mighty Starscourge Radahn from ''VideoGame/EldenRing'' is so attached to his horse Leonard that, once he became [[HugeRiderTinyMount too big and heavy to ride it]], [[MundaneUtility he learned gravity magic just so he could continue to do so]]. Even in his feral state, indiscriminately attacking anything which moves around him and devouring corpses which don't, he doesn't attack his horse.
268%%* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'':
269%%** Faris and Syldra are a "Boy and his Dragon" [[spoiler: except later the hero discovers that Faris is actually a girl crossdressing]].
270%%** Lenna and Hiryu are a Princess and her Dragon, except this dragon flies rather than swimming.
271%%** Bartz and Boko are a Boy and his Chocobo.
272%%** Krile and her unnamed wind drake are the same deal as Lenna. They bonded after Krile's parents went to the desert to save it and died in the process.
273%%** The ''only'' member of the player party who averts this is Galuf.
274%%** ''VideoGame/TheLastGuardian'': A boy and his [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot giant, horned, battle-scarred, winged, badass griffin... thing]].
275* ''VideoGame/GuardianHeroes'': A band of adventurers and their Undead Hero.
276* ''Franchise/LeagueOfLegends'': [[Characters/LeagueOfLegendsNunuAndWillump Nunu and Willump]], "the Boy and his Yeti". Nunu discovered a lonely Willump deep in the mountains of the cold Freljord, and the boy's compassion and vibrant imagination gave some much needed joy to Willump. They now venture to search for Nunu's mother, with Willump providing ancient the pair ancient magic to brave the icy region. Notably they're the only "champion" who consists of [[TheDividual two individual characters]].
277* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky'':
278** A somewhat twisted version with how the insane Angel of Slaughter treats her {{Mecha}} Pater Mater like family, more specifically as replacement for her parents, who sold her into slavery. She pilots and summons it into battle.
279** A more classic example comes in ''3rd''. The side story ''The Happiness Stone'' stars the orphan girl Mary as she whimsically befriends a small dragon.
280* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel'' features Rean Schwarzer with his mech, [[SuperRobot Valimar the Ashen Knight]] after he inadvertently finishes the trial with his friends. Rean ends up piloting Valimar throughout the CivilWar in ''Cold Steel II'' and helps end it. At first, Valimar talks robotic but when Rean gets better at piloting Valimar, Valimar ends up talking like a human and starts remembering things from before he slept 250 years before the start of the game.
281* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
282** Link's beloved mare Epona, first appearing in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' and being a one of few characters with multiple recurring incarnations throughout the series. It's pretty telling that in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'', when Link is stranded in Termina and separated from his companion [[ExpositionFairy Navi]], Epona stays with him throughout his journey.
283** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' features a fallen Twili named Midna [[spoiler:who turns out to be the titular princess]] and her [[NobleWolf wolf companion]] Link (some of the time, anyway). At first, their relationship ''is'' more akin to pet and owner, with Midna riding Link around as though he were a horse and simply using him to fulfill her own ends, but by the end of the game, they've become FireForgedFriends (with no small amount of ShipTease on the side).
284%%* ''VideoGame/MajinAndTheForsakenKingdom'': A boy and his Majin. (A Majin is apparently a large troll-like thing. Go play the game, you'll see.)
285* ''VideoGame/MapleStory:''
286** Maha is Aran's [[EmpathicWeapon magic, talking polearm.]] The former is Aran's only link to her past and the two have been through thick and thin, turning aside entire armies and bickering with each other over her missing memories.
287** The whole point of Evan's class is forming this relationship between a FarmBoy and his magic dragon, who acts as Evan's ticket towards the life of adventure he's always dreamed of.
288** Ilium is a member of the Flora who only had his magic robot, Ex, for a friend because of Illium's crippling shyness. Ex is later joined by Machina, which was made from a statue Ilium made for a festival and the two can combine to form the powerful fighting robot, Deus.
289%%* ''VideoGame/Mother3'': A boy and his dog.
290%%* Played with in ''VideoGame/{{Okamiden}}'', which is very much a "Kids and Their Dog" plot--from the perspective of the dog. And he repeats the process whenever he parts ways with one kid and meets another, to boot.
291%%* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': Children and Their Monsters. The starter Pokémon are meant to be this the most. Especially ''[[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Pokémon Yellow]]'', with A Boy And His Pikachu.
292%%* ''VideoGame/GuardiansCrusade'' has a boy and his baby dragon. Emphasized since you have to take care of it and treat it right, so the attachment can extend to the players.
293%%** ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus'': A man and his faithful horse.
294%%* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
295%%** A girl (Maria) and her anthropomorphic hedgehog (Shadow).
296%%** A rabbit (Cream) and her [[RidiculouslyCuteCritter Chao]] (Cheese).
297%%** A cat (Big) and his frog (Froggy).
298%%* ''VideoGame/SummonNightSwordcraftStory'': A KidHero and their [[HappinessInSlavery slave]]-[[{{Mon}} monster]]
299* This is a recurring trend in two of the VideoGame/TeamICO games:
300** In VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus, Wander's only companion is his loyal steed, an [[MadeOfIron invincible]] horse that takes Wander on his back as he hunts down the Colossi.
301** In VideoGame/TheLastGuardian, an unnamed young boy encounters and befriends a [[MixAndMatchCreatures giant-dog-cat-bird-thing with a long neck, horns, and an energy weapon for a tail]]. The two then travel across desolate and dangerous ruins to try and escape the Nest.
302[[/folder]]
303
304%%[[folder:Visual Novels]]
305%%* ''VisualNovel/TheCrownAndTheFlame'' has a boy and his [[AllAnimalsAreDogs very loyal and affectionate]] hawk.
306%%* ''VisualNovel/DRAMAticalMurder'' A boy and his [[LetsPlay/ChipCheezum dog-shaped robot buddy]].
307%%[[/folder]]
308
309%%[[folder:Web Animation]]
310%%* ''WebAnimation/{{Ducktalez}}'' parodies ''WesternAnimation/TheIronGiant'' with Buzzkill as the robot and Louie as Hogarth.
311%%[[/folder]]
312
313%%[[folder:Web Comics]]
314%%* ''[[http://www.webtoonlive.com/description/3+Level+Combination 3 Level Combination]]'': A boy and his robot.
315%%* ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'': A 12-year-old Mustachioed Gunslinger Sidekick and his Raptor, Yoshi.
316%%* ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfShanShan'': A boy and his dog-shaped backpack, who talks, although no one else can hear it.
317%%* Murphy the dog from ''Webcomic/BoyAndDog'' is baby Rowan's best (and probably first) friend.
318%%* ''Webcomic/BreakpointCity'' has Ben (boy) and Dan (dog). Hmm... note the letters.
319%%* The ''{{Webcomic/Buildingverse}}'' webcomic ''Children And Monsters'' is about [[MegaCrossover fictional children and their monsters or other interesting companions]]. The main characters are [[{{Film/Labyrinth}} Toby Williams]] and his Goblins.
320%%* ''Webcomic/CameronAndCorinna'' says in the description "a boy and his thylacine".
321%%* ''Webcomic/CatNine'': A boy and his cat girl.
322%%* ''Webcomic/ChasingTheSunset'': A(n Elf) Boy and His Dragon.
323%%* ''[[http://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/the-crawling-city/list?title_no=43147 The Crawling City]]'': A girl and her Lovecraftian tentacle monster.
324%%* ''Webcomic/DawnOfTime'': A girl and her triceratops.
325%%* ''Webcomic/TheCurseOfGaea'''s title for chapter one [[note]]A Girl and her Inu[[/note]] plays off this.
326%%* Averted in ''Webcomic/{{HERO}}'' -- though the cat initially appears to fulfill the role, it stays behind when the protagonist enters the watchtower.
327%%* ''Webcomic/AGirlAndHerFed''.
328%%* ''[[http://lolilovesvenom.livejournal.com/ A Girl and Her Venom]]''. We're not kidding.
329%%* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'': A girl and her all-powerful god dog.
330%%* ''WebComic/{{Jix}}'': A girl and her alien. (Though Lauren is actually in her late teens when the comic starts and is currently in her early twenties.)
331%%* ''Webcomic/LovelyLovecraft'': Howard and Phil are quickly developing into a Boy and His Night Gaunt.
332%%* ''Webcomic/NerfThis'': A boy and his [[http://nerf-this.com/what-friends-do/ monster]].
333%%* ''Webcomic/QuestionDuck'': A boy and his duck.
334%%* ''Webcomic/SandraAndWoo'': A girl and her raccoon.
335%%* ''Webcomic/SynodicReboot'': Could be said about Kristan and his childhood-plush-turned-spiritual-guide, Mirgon.
336%%* ''Webcomic/TuesdayTitans'': A Man and His Giant Monster Woman. [[spoiler:Later, A Boy and His Giant Monster Girl.]]
337%%* Webcomic ''Webcomic/TheWotch'' did a story arc called [[http://thewotch.com/?epDate=2007-07-18 A Girl and Her Blob]].
338%%[[/folder]]
339
340[[folder:Western Animation]]
341* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' is about twelve-year-old Finn, the [[TheLastOfHisKind last human]], adventuring in a [[spoiler: post-apocalyptic]], RPG-like world along with Jake, a magically shapeshifting dog. In a rare case of this trope, Jake [[NonhumanSidekick is not only sentient but is able to talk and perform very human activities]] such as playing the violin, doing magic when taught, and having a girlfriend. Also, Jake is literally Finn's family -- he is his adopted brother since Jake's biological parents found a baby Finn alone in the woods. If one ignores that Finn is the protagonist, it could be said the show it's about [[InvertedTrope a dog and his boy]]. In any case, both of them help each other mature and become better versions of themselves. Usually getting through life milestones together (e.g., Finn supports Jake when he meets his girlfriend's parents, Jake gives Finn advice in romantic matters).
342%%* ''WesternAnimation/TheBackyardigans'' has quite a few examples: A Kangaroo and His Dinosaur (Austin and Boy in "Caveman's Best Friend," the ultimate example), a Moose and His Burro (Tyrone and Molasses in "Horsing Around"), a Penguin and His Bath Mitten (Pablo and Mitty in "Robin Hood the Clean"), and A... [[CartoonCreature Thing]] and Her Dolphin (Uniqua and Sea Squirt in "The Great Dolphin Race").
343%%* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' had an episode of A Boy and His Giant Robot. Also A Girl and Her Boy (Who Is A Robot). A whole episode dedicated to a boy and his badass dog.
344%%* ''WesternAnimation/BooBoomTheLongWayHome'' has a boy and his five animal friends: a horse, a dog, a cat, a rooster, and a bee.
345* ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'': Insofar, this trope happens twice and both times Sam [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] it.
346--> '''Sam:''' A boy and his dog. Somehow, it's not supposed to be this weird.\
347'''Sam:''' A boy and his snow beast.
348** Cujo's appearance in Danny's life is accompanied by a break of the status quo and the start of Danny's rocky relationship with Valerie. Cujo himself is a dog ghost who will grow from puppy to dangerous, giant dog whenever he feels menaced. Taming him helps Danny be more patient and responsible, as Cujo's aggressive rampages gained him a permanent enemy in Valerie.
349** Frostbite is a very imposing yeti and a constant source of aid and advice for Danny -- Danny's mentor figure, in short. Frostbite gifts Danny the Infi-map (to guide him where he must go rather than where he wants to go), trains him in his newly-discovered ice powers, and teaches him a lot about what does it mean to be a hero.
350%%* ''WesternAnimation/DrDimensionpants'': A (superpowered) boy and his talking Unicorn.
351* ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'': Gary and Mooncake. Gary, though [[{{Manchild}} in his twenties]], starts out as a hyperactive head-in-the-clouds nut who's little better than the loser conman he started his five-year prison sentence as, then when he meets Mooncake (who is sought by the Lord Commander and Invictus as the key to [[LeakingCanOfEvil Final Space]]), it starts Gary's CharacterDevelopment toward becoming leader of the Team Squad.
352* [[ParodiedTrope Parodied]] in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' episode "T: The Terrestrial," a WholePlotReference to ''[[Film/ETTheExtraterrestrial ET: The Extraterrestrial]]'' in which Fry befriends Jrrr, an adorable young alien... with the twist that [[HumansThroughAlienEyes Jrrr is the boy and Fry is the alien since Fry is stranded on Jrrr's homeworld]].
353-->'''Jrrr:''' But T., can't you stay with me? We could grow up together.
354-->'''Fry:''' [[ManChild No, I need to grow up on my own planet]].
355** Similarly, Fry's InterspeciesFriendship with [[RobotBuddy Bender]] seems to cut both ways; from a human perspective Bender is Fry's SnarkyNonHumanSidekick, but Fry is ''Bender's'' MonsterRoommate, living with him in an apartment complex designed for robots. When Fry first moves in with him, he says that he's always wanted [[HumanPet a pet]].
356--->'''Bender:''' I should have understood how someone could love an inferior creature, [[PlatonicDeclarationOfLove because I love you]]. Not in the way of the Ancient Greeks, but the way a robot loves a human, a human loves a dog, and, occasionally, a gorilla loves a kitty.
357* ''WesternAnimation/MoonGirlAndDevilDinosaur2023'': The trailers present the series as a story of a teen genius and the dog-like dinosaur she accidentally summoned to the present with her invention.
358%%* ''WesternAnimation/MrBogus'': A gremlin (Bogus) and his fourth-grade boy (Tommy).
359%%* ''WesternAnimation/NedsNewt'': A boy and his giant shape-shifting amphibian.
360* ''WesternAnimation/TheNewScoobyDooMovies'': In "The Caped Crusader Caper," Shaggy and Scooby go missing on a camping trip. Batman (guest star with Robin) assures the kids that a caped crusader always gives priority to a boy and his dog.
361* While most witches from ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' have their own [[BondCreature Palisman]], special attention is paid to the relationship between Hunter and his Palisman Flapjack, who takes the form of a red cardinal bird. Hunter is initially dismissive of, sometimes even ''hostile'' towards Flapjack, but as time goes on and Hunter un-learns more and more of his Emperor's Coven brainwashing, a genuine friendship begins to form between the two. Flapjack, for his part, steers Hunter towards the people who might be able to help his CharacterDevelopment, [[spoiler:scavenges food for Hunter when the events of "Hollow Mind" force him to go on the run, and ends up [[HeroicSacrifice sacrificing his own life]] to save Hunter's in "Thanks to Them".]]
362%%* ''WesternAnimation/RainbowBrite'': A Girl and Her Horse (Rainbow Brite/Starlight, Stormy/Skydancer, and later on, Krys/On-X)
363%%* Inverted on ''WesternAnimation/RockyAndBullwinkle''. Mr. Peabody's initial impetus for adopting Sherman was that, as a dog, he needed a boy to feel complete. Specifically, the idea is that it's "A Dog and His Boy".
364* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' parodies this with ''Soccer Mummy'', a [[ShowWithinAShow film within the show]] in which a reanimated Egyptian mummy joins a little league soccer team and teaches a young boy to believe in himself.
365* ''WesternAnimation/{{Sintel}}'' is about a girl who rescues a wounded baby dragon and befriends it. As the dragon grows up, it flies away with a flock of dragons passing above. Sintel sets out on a long journey to find it.
366%%* ''WesternAnimation/{{Wakfu}}'': an Original Eliatrope (Yugo, Chibi, Qilby, Nora, Mina, and Glip) and his/her Dragon sibling (Adamai, Grougaloragran, Shinonome, Efrim, Phaeris, and Baltazar), though only the first pair really qualify for the spirit of this trope since little things like death [[spoiler: and being sealed away in limbo for being an evil jerk in Qilby's case]] have torn apart the other pairs. [[spoiler: Though they'll be back, as Qilby states that he's revived several times.]]
367* ''WesternAnimation/TigNSeek'': The series is about a boy and his super genius cat. Tiggy adores Gweeseek, and Gweeseek is always by Tiggy’s side.
368* ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'':
369** Overall, the series provides a very {{downplayed}} and mostly PlayedForLaughs example. Bloom is a fairy girl who discovers her magical powers kind of thanks to her pet bunny, Kiko, with whom she parts from Earth to the magical dimension she belongs to. Downplayed because the focus of the plot is not Bloom and Kiko's relationship, but the friendship between Bloom and other five fairies. However, it must be noted Kiko's supposed death triggered Bloom's first fairy transformation and that marked the start of Bloom's CharacterDevelopment (gaining more confidence in herself). Other than that, Kiko is used as a PluckyComicRelief and progressively loses screen time.
370** Another similar instance happens with Roxy and her dog Artu. Like Bloom, Roxy thought she just watched her AnimalCompanion being murdered in front of her, with the grief and rage unlocking her fairy powers. Therefore marking the point where Roxy has no other option than to accept she is a fairy and that she needs the Winx's protection and aid.
371** In season one, the witch Mirta is turned into a pumpkin by the villains. As the fairy of nature, Flora is the one in charge of finding the countercurse. During all the scenes dedicated to the two of them (Mirta warning her about stuff, Flora trying spells on her, the two simply talking), it's "a fairy girl and her witch pumpkin". The whole ordeal prompts Flora to overcome her insecurity of being TheLoad for her friends and gives her someone as sweet and caring as her to bond with. Given the credits pair the two of them, it's heavily hinted Mirta was intended to be Flora's love interest.
372** The second season presents us with the Pixies, miniature fairies with whom actual faires can bond. The power boost aside, each of the Winx girls overcome a personal struggle with the help of their pixies, which goes along with the first four seasons' overall theme of coming of age.
373*** Piff is a constant reminder of Aisha's more maternal side and helps her soothe her separation anxiety -- as a baby, Piff will always be dependent on her and therefore incapable of abandoning her. Furthermore, taking her of Piff is a very calming activity.
374*** Chatta resembles Stella quite a lot, but it's Flora's bonded Pixie because Flora needs to get out of her shell in order to strengthen her relationships with her loved ones and to be more receptive to love.
375*** Tune is uptight and clashes with Musa a lot, but her nature is exactly the kind of maternal figure Musa so desperately needs after losing her mother at a young age.
376*** Digit is Tecna's Pixie precisely because they are so very alike. Yeah, Tecna has friends now and they help her get in contact with her feelings. But Tecna also needs someone to remind her that logic, videogames, and book smarts are as part of her as her feelings -- she doesn't have to ditch the latter to achieve the former.
377*** Like Chatta and Flora, Amore and Stella are polar opposites in several regards. They only have in common their fixation on playing matchmakers and romantic love in general. But Amore is the Pixie of love and Stella craves affection since her parents' divorce and often feels people only like her (not love her) by her looks.
378*** Bloom's bond with Lockette is more metaphorical in nature than it is psychological. Lockette is the Pixie of Portals (or Directions in some dubs) while Bloom has only encountered (physical and proverbial) closed doors and dead ends in her journey of self-discovering.
379** A great deal of the seventh season's plot revolves around the eponymous group of girls (plus the villains, the fact three of them are witches notwithstanding) bonding with fairy animals. As the Winx are quite mature by then, the fairy animals are a subversion (compared with their previous magical companions) of this trope. Surprisingly enough, it's one of the villains the one to get a case of this trope. She bonds with a winged, black unicorn. Both Diaspro and Aryo were betrayed in the past (a two-timing fiancee and a broken horn respectively) and their bonding is the first time they are able to trust someone else anew.
380** Bloom is gifted a horse by her newly found biological parents in the second movie and names her Peg. Peg is used mostly as a device to rekindle Bloom and Sky's romance in the face of hardships, but one must remark Bloom is happier to re-meet Peg than Sky. After eating a seedling she probably shouldn't have, Peg [[spoiler: is transformed into a winged unicorn]].
381* ''WesternAnimation/WolverineAndTheXMen2009'': Marrow is a BrokenBird who lives in an apocalyptic BadFuture. Then, a day comes where she meets this unrepaired Sentinel (giant robot) named Rover and her life gets a little happier. Her days get a little more purpose as she destroys other Sentinels looking for robotic parts to fix Rover. Unfortunately, Rover [[spoiler: is destroyed and it's partially her team's fault, which leaves her so distraught, she betrays her team]].
382[[/folder]]

Top