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3%%
4It is discovered that a character, or a baby, has a parent whose identity is not known. Solution? Get a DNA test. Prove beyond [[MamasBabyPapasMaybe a reasonable doubt]] who the father really is, and proceed from there. All the other guys who aren't the dad can go home. (Well, unless the real daddy is a GlorifiedSpermDonor and the fake one has actually been there for the kid their whole life. In which case, go take a hike sperm daddy.)
5
6There are cases where this would not help. If two or more identical siblings or clones are potential fathers to the child; having the same DNA, all of them will test positive for paternity if any of them does. Depending on how a sample is taken, someone who had a bone marrow transplant or who has genetic mosaicism could test negative for paternity even if they were the father. These are very rare in real life, but [[TelevisuallyTransmittedDisease improbably common in fiction]].
7
8This trope can also occur with mothers, but that's a much rarer occurrence (barring a babynapping, a [[SwitchedAtBirth switcheroo with a different newborn]], or a delivery while the woman is unconscious, the mother knows the baby she just birthed is her own). This test can also be used indirectly to link siblings together. In any case, how long it takes for the DNA test to get finished typically depends on the speed of the [[TravellingAtTheSpeedOfPlot plot]]. The DNA test could present complications: if the bad guys know about the test, they may attempt to keep the [[StatusQuoIsGod Status Quo]] by altering the test results (of course, they must [[KeepingSecretsSucks force other characters into secrecy]] about that, and in any case [[TheReveal it won't last for long]]).
9
10Works made prior to the invention of DNA testing may have a more primitive version of this in the form of blood tests for paternity, which could eliminate candidates under certain conditions. For example, if a type O mom had a type A baby, then a type B man cannot be the father. See a full listing of impossible blood type combinations [[https://www.britannica.com/science/blood-group/Paternity-testing here.]]
11
12May result in a SurpriseIncest, if the character was in a relationship with someone who turned out to be a relation.
13
14Almost always happens at some point after a LukeIMightBeYourFather revelation. Also happens if a woman decides to have MySecretPregnancy. The TropeBreaker for MamasBabyPapasMaybe. Also see GeneHunting.
15
16----
17!!Examples:
18[[foldercontrol]]
19
20[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
21* Very irritatingly avoided in ''Anime/PleaseTwins''. They explain that it "costs too much money" …the episode before they win a lot of money and blow it on a HotSpringsEpisode.
22* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing: Endless Waltz'', Mariemaia claims that Treize being her father has been confirmed through DNA testing. We never actually see the results of the test though, and there is considerable doubt on Mariemaia's parentage all the same. [[spoiler:She is later adopted by Lady Une, who was Treize's then-current girlfriend in the series proper, until Wufei killed him in the final episode.]]
23* ''Manga/NarutoGaiden'' does a ''Mommy'' [=DNA=] Test, when Sasuke's daughter, Sarada, begins to suspect that her father's former teammate, Karin, may be her real mother. The [=DNA=] test comes out positive, seemingly confirming this. [[spoiler: But it later turns out that the test was positive because the umbilical cord used as a sample for it was actually Sarada's, not Karin's, so Sakura was Sarada's biological mother all along.]]
24[[/folder]]
25
26[[folder:Comic Books]]
27* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': In a story arc in ''Batman: Gotham Knights'' had the villain Bane discovering evidence suggesting that his real father was an American doctor, and, as the doctor has died, seeking a DNA matching test with the doctor's son -- Bruce Wayne.
28* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': In ''ComicBook/SinsPast'', Peter ''knows'' he's not the father of twins Gabriel and Sarah Stacy but tests his blood sample with the twin's blood sample to find out for sure. Justified, since he and Gwen haven't even slept together prior to the twin's conception and this leads to him discovering that Gwen cheated on him and Mary Jane confirming his worst.
29* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'': A variation in ''ComicBook/HelOnEarth'' When Superman puts his battle-suit on ComicBook/{{Superboy|1994}}, the [[ChestInsignia family crest]] should have changed the instant it identified his Kryptonian bloodline. It stayed the same, confirming Superman's suspicions that Superboy's his clone.
30[[/folder]]
31
32[[folder:Fan Works]]
33* In the final chapter of ''Fanfic/MGLNCrisis'', Fate takes a DNA test and it's revealed that her father is [[spoiler:her adoptive mother's late husband, Clyde Harlaown.]][[spoiler: Though the truth turns out to be ''slightly'' more complicated when she does further investigation in the sequel.]]
34* In ''Fanfic/UnexpectedSurprise'', Gabriel sees Marinette with a young daughter looking exactly like his long dead wife, so he secretly runs a DNA test to check if the girl might be Adrien's daughter. When he finds that she is, he rewrites his will accordingly.
35* In ''Fanfic/TakeAStand'' Nick Wilde takes a paternity test after Luna, the six-year old daughter of one of his ex-girlfriends, calls him "daddy". It's positive.
36* In ''Fanfic/GiveInGiveInAndRelishEveryMinuteOfIt'', Frollo finds out he fathered a son from a {{one night stand|Pregnancy}} fifteen years ago. His son, Quasimodo, comes to live with him after his mother and step-father are killed. To make sure that Quasimodo is his son, Frollo does a DNA test.
37* When Severus Snape needs an emergency blood transfusion in ''Fanfic/ThePeaceNotPromised'', his father reveals that he had Severus tested years ago to ensure that he's actually his son, so he knows that they're compatible.
38* Ruby and Yang learn in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/21775756/chapters/51958075 Who Needs Genetics When We Have Family?]]'' that their father Taiyang was in a relationship with [[{{Polyamory}} both their mother Summer and uncle Qrow]]. However, it's unclear which sired Ruby, because Ruby only takes after Summer. Ruby's parents decided to wait until adulthood to get a DNA test. Depending on who's Ruby's biological father, Ruby and Yang are half-sisters or cousins. The story ends [[spoiler:[[TheUnreveal not revealing]] the results]] to the reader.
39* In chapter 60 of the ''Manga/FairyTail'' fic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13571131/60/To-Become-a-Father To Become a Father]]'', an annonymous DNA test confirms that Cana Alberona is Gildarts Clive's daughter... and reveals that she's at risk for a life-threatening disease that had killed her mother. Gildarts ended up learning about both the paternity test result and potential disease risk and begins searching for his missing, ill child.
40** In the lighter spin-off ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13844307/1/DNA DNA]]'', a similar DNA test confirms that Erza Scarlet is related to the late, 400-years-old Queen Irene Beleserion base on DNA from an archeology site. Or more accurately, that she is her several times tested and confirmed blood daughter.
41[[/folder]]
42
43[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
44* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Ratatouille}}'' to see if [[spoiler:Linguini is Gusteau's son.]] The testing hit a slight snag when the first sample was identified as "rodent".
45[[/folder]]
46
47[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
48* Done in ''Film/{{Elf}}'' to confirm that Buddy is Walter's son.
49* The SoBadItsGood movie ''Une chance sur deux'' (''Half a Chance''): Alice gets a DNA test to find out who her real father is [[spoiler:but she likes the two possible dads so much that she throws away the results.]]
50* ''Film/BabyMama'' actually has the inverse with a court ordered maternity test. The premise of the movie was that a surrogate mother is artificially impregnated using the other woman's egg and her own husband's sperm. The test is because she has the child rather late after the egg was inserted and it's unclear who the biological mother is. [[spoiler:It turns out to be the surrogate mother's, but it's okay, because she gets pregnant herself by her new boyfriend]].
51* A variation on an Ancient Chinese proto-blood test has been employed to prove the parentage of a baby in a variety of period dramas set in the old days in several Chinese films. In at least one of these, an imposter was promptly sentenced to death when it was proven the son was not theirs.
52* In ''Film/WhiteFrog'', Oliver once had his younger son Nick take one, since Nick doesn't look much like either of his parents, and nobody else in the family has his "[[UsefulNotes/HighFunctioningAutism problem]]." Nick really is his, but his wife Irene found out about the test and was angry and hurt.
53* In ''Film/RelativeFear'', Linda has Adam take one to confirm her suspicions that he was SwitchedAtBirth.
54[[/folder]]
55
56[[folder:Literature]]
57* Plays an important role in the ''Literature/AdrianMole'' series, where a DNA test reveals that Adrian is the father of Glenn Bott, and later that his sister Rosie [[spoiler:is the daughter of their mother's ex-lover Mr Lucas.]]
58* The ''Literature/TalesOfKolmar'' series takes place in a medieval world, but it's apparently possible for a demon to confirm who someone's father is.
59* In ''Creator/MaeveBinchy'''s Minding Frankie, the hero tests if he really is the father of the eponymous Frankie. [[spoiler:He finds out he is not, then decides the DNA result does not matter, he is her father in every way that matters.]]
60* In Malorie Blackman's book ''Literature/BoysDontCry'', Dante takes one of these tests to check that he is really the father of baby Emma, when his ex-girlfriend dumps her at his house. He decides that he'll have to give up his place at college to look after her before the results arrive, even if she isn't his daughter. [[spoiler: She is.]]
61* ''Literature/TheresMoreThanOneWayHome'': [[spoiler:Anna spends two years believing that Alex has had a vasectomy, meaning Marissa's father is Val. When she learns that in fact he was fertile the entire time, she suggests a DNA test, but Alex doesn't care about Marissa's paternity.]]
62* ''Literature/TheInheritanceGames'':
63** When Tobias Hawthorne leaves his fortune to Avery Grambs (who he seemingly has no connection to) instead of any of his (grand)children, people start speculating that she is his secret illegitimate child. A [=DNA=] test proves Avery is not a Hawthorne. However, when it turns out [[spoiler:Tobias' son Toby was adopted, Avery starts thinking that he may be her father, since it turns out that he had an affair with Avery's mother. He's not. A paternity proves that Ricky Grambs is her father after all.]]
64** After Skye gave birth to [[spoiler:Xander, Isaiah Alexander realized the child was probably his and sued for custody. Tobias Hawthorne faked a negative paternity to make sure he lost the lawsuit, so that he could raise his grandson himself.]]
65[[/folder]]
66
67[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
68* Used to establish that [[spoiler:Christian is the father of Matt]] in ''Series/NipTuck''.
69* ''Series/{{House}}'':
70** House gets a DNA test after his father's funeral, proving that they're not related. Given that they had an extremely tempestuous relationship House is relieved to find this out. Amusingly enough, the man House presumed to be his biological father also wasn't. Meaning his mother had [[ReallyGetsAround at least one more affair.]]
71** One episode revolves around House going to great lengths to prove that his patient's father is not the real father and gets both the parents tested. [[spoiler:Turns out both aren't his biological parents and he's adopted.]]
72** House also performs a paternity test on one of his "friends" and his current patient, who told him she's his estranged daughter from an old fling. [[spoiler:House tells the kid that his friend ''is'' her father, but the test result House gets later on turns out to be negative.]]
73** Another episode has House trying to prove that at least one of Taub's kids isn't his. Eventually Taub gets the results, [[spoiler:but shreds them without looking]].
74* ''Series/VeronicaMars''
75** The titular heroine suspects at one point that her real father is her ex-boyfriend Duncan's dad, so she runs a paternity test, which [[UnReveal she shreds without reading]], deciding she doesn't need to know. Later in the season, Keith Mars has his own test done, [[spoiler:which confirms that he is, after all, her real father]]. This is also why [[spoiler:Duncan doesn't talk about the night he and Veronica (who was drunk and roofied at the time) had sex for the first time. He assumes it's because both of them are ashamed of BrotherSisterIncest. In fact, Veronica simply doesn't remember]].
76** Also done, though not with a DNA test, with Trina Echols, who was adopted. Trina claimed publicly that she needed a bone marrow transplant to smoke out her real parents. Her mother came forward. Her father was a JerkAss.
77* Dorothy and her mom from ''Series/TheGoldenGirls''.
78* Sidney and Jack Bristow from ''Series/{{Alias}}'' had to go through this due to speculation that Sidney's biological father was actually Sloane. [[spoiler:Turns out Jack is her real father]].
79* In ''Series/MyTwoDads'', ''the dads'' throw away the results, but they needed a little persuading.
80* Often featured on sleazy daytime shows like ''Series/TheJerrySpringerShow'', where it's used to determine whether a woman was cheating on her boyfriend/husband with another man or to prove that a man is the father of a child when he denies it.
81* These days every other episode of ''Series/{{Maury}}''. In one amusing example, a young mother brought no fewer than a half dozen possible fathers onto the show for testing. After a long drawn-out process of discussing her lifestyle and her complicated parenting situation, the results come back and… '''none''' of them are the father! Like a pack of hounds, all the tested would-be fathers round shouting at the girl. ''"There's even more?!"''
82* These days at least once an episode on ''The Jeremy Kyle Show''.
83* The best known feature of the PointAndLaughShow of Brazilian host Carlos Massa, aka Ratinho. There is even a song played after the result, one particularly memetic ("[he is not the dadbut he is the dad], his wife complained but he [isis not] the dad!").
84* ''Series/UglyBetty'':
85** Amanda Tanen attempts this on Bradford Meade when she suspects him of being her real father. [[spoiler:He isn't. Which is a relief to Amanda, since otherwise she and Daniel Meade would have committed SurpriseIncest]].
86** Daniel Meade receives a letter telling him he is the father of Daniel Jr., the child of a French model he met years ago on a business trip. The paternity test reveals [[spoiler:that Daniel Jr.'s "father" is Alexis Meade, Daniel's transgender sister.]]
87* In the ''Series/{{Monk}}'' episode "Mr. Monk Gets a New Shrink," Dr. Kroger is revealed to have a stormy relationship with his son Troy. Namely, because Troy has made him take three paternity tests because he didn't believe they were related. Also, Randy has arrested Troy on at least one or two previous occasions.
88* ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia'' averts this--Charlie is, more likely than not, Frank's son, but Frank refuses to have the DNA test.
89* A staple of {{soap opera}}s. Count on someone to conceal and/or falsify the results.
90* ''Series/LoisAndClark'': In "Chip Off The Old Clark", this was used when a little boy displayed Kryptonian powers. The boy's mother claimed that Superman was the father, while a shocked Superman protests that he's never seen her before, let alone slept with her. One guy claimed the test wasn't needed, as it must be obvious that Superman is the father. [[spoiler: The boy was human, and the super powers had been transferred to him.]]
91* In ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'', Earl has Dodge and Earl Jr.'s DNA tested to find out who Dodge's real father is. [[spoiler: It turns out it was him all the time. Earl and Joy conceived Dodge at a Halloween party. It's also revealed that Earl Jr.'s real father is ''not'' Darnell as was previously thought. It's never revealed who his father actually is. WordOfGod says Earl Jr.'s father was supposed to be someone famous, but due to the series' cancellation, they never got to do that plotline.]]
92* In an episode of ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' a woman appears who thinks Clark is her son and demands a DNA test. Clark gets his SecretKeeper Pete to donate a DNA sample after breaking into the lab, so the results won't reveal that Clark isn't human.
93-->'''Pete:''' Man, this "Mission Impossible" stuff is great. But other than my scintillating conversational skills, I still don't understand why you brought me along.\
94'''Clark''' I need your spit.
95* ''Series/{{Dexter}}'' has a DNA test done to confirm that the man whose house he inherited was really his birth father.
96* Done confusingly on ''Literature/GossipGirl'' in season three with Elizabeth who claims to be Chuck's (supposedly dead) birth mother. Chuck gets a DNA test which proves that she is his mother, but it's implied that the results were tampered with by his [[EvilUncle Uncle Jack]]. As of season four we still haven't found out for sure whether or not Elizabeth is his mother.
97* Parodied on ''{{Series/Dinosaurs}}'': Due to a mix-up, it's suggested that the Sinclairs accidentally got another family's egg (the one that hatched into Baby) while the other family, who look more like Baby, got theirs, which looks more like the Sinclairs. Earl and the other father are subjected to battery after battery of bizarre tests (including a centrifuge)... and then the doctor just takes the blood test anyway. The test said the eggs were switched but it was later revealed it was a mistake.
98* ''Series/{{CSI}}''
99** Warrick got one just before his death, as part of his attempt to gain custody of his infant son. His colleagues only discover this when they find the test results while retrieving clothes to bury him in.
100** Catherine inverted it. She ran her DNA against Sam Braun’s when she began to suspect he was her father, and it proved he was.
101* High-tech alien version occurs in the series finale of ''{{Series/Farscape}}''. The fact that Aeryn needs to find out who her baby's daddy is forms a major theme of the final series.
102** Earlier, Aeryn is convinced that an alien is her long-lost father via high-tech DNA test. [[spoiler: The test results were actually faked.]]
103* ''Series/BostonLegal'': A man who was born out of artificial insemination was dating a woman who was born the same way and they were afraid of being [[BrotherSisterIncest half-siblings]]. To learn if they had the same father or not, they sued the lab to force them to tell because a DNA test using only the couple's blood would be inconclusive if they were half-siblings or complete strangers. (Whether this counts as a case of the writers failing to do the research or just [[ArtisticLicense "Because The Plot Demanded It"]], it's still scientifically incorrect: Half-siblings should be a roughly 25% genetic match, and as such, fairly easy for a DNA test to catch, particularly if they have DNA from either of their mothers.)
104* On ''Series/{{NCIS}}'', Abby tests her DNA against the DNA of the woman that she thought was her mother and finds out that she's adopted.
105* Drives the plot of the ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' episode "Heart of Gold." At the titular bordello, a local petty tyrant forcibly takes a DNA sample from the unborn child of one of the prostitutes, promising to return for the child if it's his (and it is, of course). The madame hires the crew of ''Serenity'' to help drive him off.
106* In Series/GilmoreGirls, April shows up at Luke's one day, tells him that she's the daughter of his old girlfriend, and asks for a DNA sample. The unique part is that she only wants to do the test as a science project. The bigger implications of identifying her father seem lost on her at that point.
107* On ''Series/TheRedGreenShow'', an old rich guy dies, and since he amassed his fortune by donating to the local sperm bank, everyone in town gets DNA tested hoping to get a match, and therefore be entitled to the inheritance. Shockingly, ''all'' of the DNA tests turn out to be exactly the same. Incestuous implications aside, this unfortunately only entitles everyone to a few bucks each since the inheritance has to be split so many ways. [[spoiler:It turns out that this was because [[StickyFingers Mike]] stole all the test tubes, so the testers had to use the lids off pickle jars, and simply ended up testing the chemical composition of pickle juice. The reason this matched the old guy's DNA was because [[TheAlcoholic he was always pickled himself]]]].
108* In the later half of Season 1 of ''Series/ShamelessUS'', Monica does one of these to prove that Liam, long believed to be from a fling from a black man, isn't Frank's son. Turns out he really is Frank's son. Of course it then gets revealed that Ian isn't Frank's son but one of his uncle's sons.
109* ''{{Series/Moonlight}}'': Mick finds out that he might have a son with a friend's wife he slept with while they both thought his friend was dead. It seems likely at first, given that the baby was born seven months after his friend got back. Mick snabs a sample of the guy's hair and some DNA of his own from his human days for a test. [[spoiler: It shows that Mick isn't his father, and the son was just premature.]]
110* On ''Series/ChicagoPD'' Lindsay has always thought she knew who her dad was, even if he was a deadbeat who was never part of her life. After Jimmy suddenly shows up one day, Lindsay's suspicious boyfriend has a DNA test done. [[spoiler:Jimmy isn't Lindsay's biological father.]]
111* Happens from time to time in ''Franchise/StarTrek''. The guest star of the week may be some kid who was orphaned or captured, and the crew needs to find his closest living relatives - apparently most spacefaring civilizations keep a genetic database of all their citizens. Other times, someone will show up claiming to be related to one of the main cast and uses a genetic test to validate the claim.
112* In an episode of ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'', Lois discovers that her father, Victor, had a secret family with a woman named Sylvia (played by Creator/BettyWhite), and Ida, Lois' mother, was planning to sue her for Victor's tiny pension, despite the result being financial ruin even if she won. Lois tried to talk to Sylvia to hand over the pension, so that Ida would have one final memory of her late husband and leave her alone, but Sylvia refuses out spite for Ida. Lois decides to back up Ida's lawsuit, and as they're preparing the evidence and court documentation, Lois gets the [=DNA=] test the lawyer advised her to take, and is shocked to discover that Victor is not her biological father, and Ida theorizes that the most likely candidate was a guy from the old country who could walk upstairs on his hands, and admits that [[MamasBabyPapasMaybe Susan, Lois' sister, may have been fathered by another man as well.]]
113* ''Series/TheRepublicOfSarah'': Corinne gets a paternity test done for Josh, her son, as she's unsure whether Danny or Adam is his father. [[spoiler:Sarah tells Corinne that Adam is the father, but this turns out to be a lie; Danny was the father, but Sarah lied in the hopes that Corinne would end her relationship with Danny]].
114* The Keith and Paddy Picture Show plays this for laughs when the pair recreate Film/ReturnOfTheJedi. When Luke asks Yoda if Darth Vader is really his father, Yoda prompts Luke to ask Jeremy Kyle, who has just got the DNA test results, which confirm Vader as Luke’s father. Luke proceeds to realise the SurpriseIncest between him and Leia, which prompts an argument with Yoda, to which Kyle declares an ad break, [[AdamWesting giving commentary like that on his own show]].
115[[/folder]]
116
117[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
118* Interesting twist in ''ComicStrip/SafeHavens'': Samantha runs a genetic profile on her daughter Maria. She has no doubts at all about Maria's parentage, but she ''is'' a geneticist by profession so naturally she's curious about what's in her daughter's DNA. However, she keeps getting Maria's profile mixed up with the ''other'' Maria's- Maria the time traveler- because they're identical...and she freezes as the implications sink in.
119-->'''Maria:''' [[spoiler: [[WhamLine Hi]] [[KidFromTheFuture Mom.]]]]
120[[/folder]]
121
122[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
123* Wrestling/PaulBearer subjected himself to this to prove to the world that he’s Wrestling/{{Kane}}’s biological father from an affair he had with Wrestling/TheUndertaker’s mother. The test shows that Paul Bearer is indeed Kane’s father.
124[[/folder]]
125
126[[folder:Video Games]]
127* In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'' Miller and Ocelot suspect [[ChildSoldiers Eli]] is one of Big Boss's clones and compare he DNA to Snake's to verify this. The results come back negative, leading them to conclude that the resemblance is simply a coincidence. Given that Eli is very obviously a young [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Liquid Snake]] this information only serves to clue-in fans that something isn't right. As it turns out [[spoiler:Eli is indeed Liquid. The reason the DNA test didn't find a match is that [[TomatoInTheMirror Snake isn't Big Boss]]]]
128* Discussed in ''VideoGame/YakuzaLikeADragon'': After [[spoiler:Sawashiro Jo]] states that [[spoiler:Ichiban and Masato]] were SwitchedAtBirth, he admits that the only way they could know for sure is with a peternity test. [[spoiler:Ichiban]] refuses to take one because as far as he's concerned both men who raised him are his fathers regardless of a blood relation.
129[[/folder]]
130
131[[folder:Web Animation]]
132* ''WebAnimation/EtraChanSawIt'':
133** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GVsdg8_K-g Yuzuriha]] insists Kuroki have a DNA test with his son to satisfy her suspicion about the boy's parentage. When the test reveals that Kuroki's son is not related to him, she {{faint|In Shock}}s.
134** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seEHxvIgUOQ Akamatsu]] forces Karin to take a DNA test out of an allegation of cheating. Unsurprisingly, the baby was Akamatsu's, but Karin still divorces him because of his stupidity and distrust.
135** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGgwS58aTtQ After Akane gave birth to her child]], Hiiragi insists that the baby was his until his father requests a DNA test since there is a chance that the child is Kuroki's, who was Akane's previous husband. Hilariously, ''neither'' of the men is the child's father, but instead, it's Akamatsu.
136** When [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXd1RoDSSgo Tachibana]] hears a rumor that Azami isn't his daughter, he does a DNA test on her and gets a zero percent match. It turns out that Akane cheated on him with Hiiragi.
137** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgZtP8XVscM Hiiragi]] requests a DNA test for his and Yuri's baby and asks his family to submit their DNA as well for a more accurate result. [[spoiler: It turns out the test wasn't for his and Yuri's baby, but to confirm whether or not Kuroki is his real father. The test reveals a zero percent match, exposing Akane's affair.]]
138** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqomxb5wEq0 Azami]] claims to be Tachibana's illegitimate daughter, however, Karin demands a DNA test to confirm her paternity. The result reveals [[spoiler: that Azami is not Tachibana's daughter, and she actually turns out to be Hiiragi's illegitimate daughter from his affair with another woman. It is revealed that Hiiragi actually tried to pin the blame on Tachibana for his affair by using his daughter to cover his tracks.]]
139** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl2YWIrQRTQ Karin]] decides to get a DNA test when a senile Akamatsu claimed that he was her father, instead of Tachibana. When the results came out, [[spoiler: Katsura turns out to be Tachibana's only child, while Hiiragi turns out to be the product of Akane's affair with another man, and Karin turns out to be not biologically related to either of them because she was accidentally switched with another baby at birth.]]
140* ''WebAnimation/{{Otakebi}}'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNGS4oEwMTc Bob's father]] [[spoiler: secretly did a DNA test on his sons after he became suspicious of his wife's affair, Bob is revealed to be his only biological son.]]
141* ''WebAnimation/RevengeFilms'':
142** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC9Ha_v_mDk I asked my wife to go on a date. She was surprised to see the man she was cheating on with]]": [[spoiler:After divorcing his wife Emily and banishing her to her lover Kevin's apartment, on top of finding out she did it with Kevin while pregnant, he realized a DNA test on their 1-year-old son Jonathan and found out the baby was Kevin's all along]].
143** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVsmiN0Er_4 Found out my son wasn't related to me…]]": The OP realized a DNA test on his son on his fourth birthday when his brother told him the boy had a different and unlikely blood type from his own. When the test results confirmed it, he fell into depression and even tried to take his own life. To make matters worse, the cheating wife's lover ''wasn't even the real father''; his wife had many different lovers.
144
145[[/folder]]
146
147[[folder:Web Comics]]
148* ''Webcomic/BatmanAndSons'' mentions that Bruce is taking care of baby Terry, but not baby Damian, because [[spoiler:Catwoman]] thought to do a DNA test before handing over her kid, whereas Talia keeps Damian to herself and just keeps sending him bills.
149* In ''Webcomic/SomethingPositive'', [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Davan]] has SexForSolace with the ex-girlfriend of his friend who recently committed suicide. Years later, the two meet up again and Davan finds out she had a son named [[BrattyHalfPint Rory]], whose father is either Davan or the man she dated shortly after their tryst. The test shows that Davan isn't the father, but LawOfInversePaternity kicks in and he becomes Rory's ParentalSubstitute anyway.
150%%* A [[http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=272 Victorian version]] on ''Webcomic/HarkAVagrant''. (Fourth down)
151* One arc of ''Webcomic/CaseyAndAndy'' had Jen meet her KidFromTheFuture, who accidentally left a strand of her hair behind. She takes it to the titular MadScientist duo to have them determine who she would have the kid with. The test confirms that the father is her LoveInterest Quantum Cop, though a quick shot from the last panel of the arc teased the (ultimately unused) possibility that the father might have been his evil alternate dimension counterpart, Quantum Crook.
152[[/folder]]
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154[[folder:Web Original]]
155* On ''Website/NotAlwaysRelated'', [[https://notalwaysright.com/love-is-in-their-dna/237945/ a young man's flighty ex-girlfriend leaves him a child]], which his father assumes [[MamasBabyPapasMaybe is not actually his]]. Determined to prove it, he takes his "granddaughter" to get tested behind his son's back, starting a fight that drives them apart for months and earns him a black eye [[PapaWolf from his enraged son]], then interrupts his own wife's birthday party with an "I TOLD YOU SO" cake and the unopened test results... '''which are positive for a match'''. The submitter describes him [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone dying a little inside]] upon reading it.
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158[[folder:Western Animation]]
159* When Homer on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' wanted to know if his dad was Abe or a lifeguard named Mason Fairbanks. [[spoiler:He wasn't, but Abe switched the labels because Homer seemed too interested in Fairbanks.]]
160* In ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'' episode "The Story of Lando Freeman", Robert Freeman goes on ''Series/TheSteveWilkosShow'', where a DNA test reveals that [[spoiler:the titular Lando is his long-lost son... but this is subverted by the reveal that they lied about the test results on camera, only putting a disclaimer in the credits. Lando's real father is Creator/BillyDeeWilliams.]]
161* On ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'', [[MadScientist Dr. Sevarius]] does a DNA test on [[AffirmativeActionGirl Angela]] (against her will) and happens to discover that [[TheHero Goliath]] is her biological father. This shocks her and winds up causing some drama, since Goliath follows the gargoyle tradition where biological relationships aren't important.
162* On ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', Eric Cartman had no idea who his father was. Neither did his mother considering the number of possible candidates so a blood test was taken. It was then revealed his father was [[spoiler:his "mother", who was actually a hermaphrodite who had a penis (much to the disgust of the men who only learned when Dr. Mephisto brought it up) and impregnated some woman. Cartman briefly asked who his real mother was, much to the horror of the men who believed they could have been his Dad, but, once Ms. Crabtree the school bus driver, Principal Victoria and the Mayor of South Park were introduced as options, Cartman decided he didn't want to know.]] Of course many many seasons later it was revealed that [[spoiler:the whole thing was a ruse, Cartman's mother is actually biologically female, and Cartman's father is Scott Tenorman's father, who Cartman had killed and tricked Scott into eating in a bowl of chili. The reason they hid the truth was because Tenorman was a member of the Denver Broncos and the townspeople didn't want to ruin the team's good season by distracting them with an illegitimate child scandal]].
163* On ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', Kif's BizarreAlienBiology means that when he's "receptive" he can be [[MisterSeahorse impregnated]] by anyone he makes skin-to-skin contact with. Necessitating the use of the Professor's "maternifuge" to determine who the DNA donor was. It was Leela, but by Kif's cultural norms his girlfriend Amy is still considered the "mother" as she triggered his receptive phase, the only reason they bothered with the test was to make sure it wasn't [[GeneralFailure Zapp Brannigan]].
164* On ''WesternAnimation/BoJackHorseman'', [[spoiler:18-year-old Hollyhock claims to be Bojack's long-lost daughter, and they are a DNA match. This trope ends up being subverted in the end of the season when it's revealed that she's his ''sister'', not his daughter, resulting from an affair his father had with the maid.]]
165* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'': In "Epilogue", the elderly Bruce Wayne needs a new kidney. [[WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond Terry McGinnis]] checks himself for compatibility, and finds that he's a perfect match. Suspicious, Terry has a test done and discovers he is Bruce's biological son, which drives the rest of the episode.
166* ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'': In season 2's "Blood Test" Archer is forced to take a paternity test by a prostitute who claims her infant son is his. Malory, who doesn't want the shame of a bastard grandchild, forces Archer to swap his blood sample for one from Cyril Figgis. The test yields a positive result anyway because it turns out Cyril is the actual biological father. Archer still gets stuck paying child support as he can't prove the sample was switched.
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169[[folder:Real Life]]
170* A regular (usually weekly) occurrence at family courts around the world. It's usually not usually that dramatic; the results are less "[[Series/{{Maury}} You are the father!]]" and more "DNA testing ordered by this court on June 17, 2016 and conducted June 30, 2016 shows a 99.5% probability that the defendant is the father of the child. The court is therefore satisfied of defendant's paternity of the child and enters an order of paternity. Child support is set at $65 per week with $18 per week arrears payable through Probation. . . ."
171* The paternity of Anna Nicole Smith's daughter, Dannielynn, was a tabloid sensation during late 2006 and early 2007, with Smith's boyfriend and several other alleged lovers claiming paternity. A paternity test revealed a former lover as the father.
172* Creator/PattyDuke had several lovers over the years, and a test was eventually done to determine the true father of her son Creator/SeanAstin. His father is Michael Tell, but her other lovers Creator/DesiArnazJr, Creator/JohnAstin (who officially adopted him), and Michael Pierce all helped raise him.
173* Not DNA, but Ward's Science markets a prepackaged blood-typing simulation kit that's specifically designed so that it can be staged as this trope for a lesson. Three of the four simulated-blood samples to be tested are labeled with men's names, while the fourth is "Ms. Brown". As "Ms. Brown" tests as O- and the "men" all have different ABO blood types, lab instructors can tell students that they need to determine which of the guys in Ms. Brown's life could have fathered her B+ baby, confident that they'll narrow it down to one option.
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