->'''Darth Vader:''' If you only knew the power of [[TheDarkSide the dark side]]. [[TheObiWan Obi-Wan]] never told you what happened to [[DisappearedDad your father]].\\
'''Luke Skywalker:''' [[TellMeAboutMyFather He told me enough]]! He told me [[YouKilledMyFather you killed him]]!\\
'''Darth Vader:''' [[BeamMeUpScotty No.]] ''[[BeamMeUpScotty I]]'' [[BeamMeUpScotty am your father]].\\
'''Luke Skywalker:''' No... that's not true! That's impossible!\\
'''Darth Vader:''' Search your feelings. You know it to be true.\\
'''Luke Skywalker:''' [[BigNo NOOOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOOO!]]\\
-- ''StarWars Episode V: TheEmpireStrikesBack''

A specific variety of TheReveal. A parent-child relationship between two characters who were previously thought unrelated is revealed, usually with generous dollops of melodrama -- blood is, after all, ThickerThanWater. Beloved of soap operas, made famous by the ''StarWars'' films (from which the trope takes its name, though as you can see, [[BeamMeUpScotty it isn't an exact quote]]). For maximum melodrama, the parent giving the reveal is the villain, and the one who the reveal is given to is the hero. In cases like this, count on at least one scene where the hero worries that he or she will eventually [[InTheBlood end up like the parent]].

Sometimes it's a bogus revelation, and at the end of the episode or plotline the ResetButton is pressed to restore the previous relationship -- or lack of one.

Though the trope itself is too [[UndeadHorseTrope fundamental]] to become [[DiscreditedTrope Discredited]], any use of the actual line nowadays will be met with a groan and a "Not again!" from the audience. Also a popular [[EpilepticTrees insane fan theory]].

Compare with MysteriousParent, or AreYouMyMummy where the characters were thought to be related, but are not parent and child.

Oh, and by the way, it was being mocked back in '''''1790''''' by Jane Austen in ''[[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Love_and_Friendship_%28Austen%29 Love and Friendship]]'' (with four grandfather-grandchildren relationships revealed ''in under a page''), so OlderThanRadio at the ''very'' least.

Subtropes include LongLostSibling and LukeYouAreMyFather. Sister tropes include LukeIMightBeYourFather. And, of course, abuse these and other plot twists enough, and it turns out that EveryoneIsRelated.

'''Spoilers''' incoming, in case you haven't figured it out yet.

----
[[foldercontrol]]

!!Examples

[[folder: Anime & Manga}}]]
* The third episode of ''DeathNote'': [[spoiler:Light's father is the one leading the police effort to catch the mysterious murderer -- actually Light.]]
* ''{{Nadia the Secret of Blue Water}}'': Nadia learns that [[spoiler: Captain Nemo]] is actually her long-lost father when [[spoiler: he goes down with the damaged Nautilus at the beginning of the "castaway" arc of the series]].
* A recent chapter of the ''OnePiece'' manga reveals that Luffy's grandfather is [[spoiler: Vice-Admiral Garp, a legendary Marine]], and his father is [[spoiler: Dragon, the mysterious revolutionary who saved Luffy at Loguetown]].
** Chapter 550 [[TheReveal reveals]] that [[spoiler: Ace's father is Gol D. Roger. Somewhat subverted in that he was aware of this before it was publicly announced to the world, although he's pretty emphatic that he doesn't consider Roger his true father.]]
* Misaki's relationship to Shuuko/Shuu/the Champion in ''KidouTenshiAngelicLayer''. The anime lets the viewer in on Shuuko's secret [[LockedOutOfTheLoop long before Misaki knows]], but in the manga, we only learn when she does.
* A rather unlikely example in ''MahouSenseiNegima'', where one of 10-year-old Negi Springfield's 15-year-old students claims [[spoiler: to be his ''descendant'']]. Of course, she's [[spoiler:from a hundred years in the future -- and can prove it -- so it's not as crazy as it sounds...]]
* Used in the ''Monster Rancher'' anime (''Monster Farm'' in Japan), in which Holly learns that [[spoiler:the main bad guy is her father (with the villain using the Darth Vader's dialogue from ''The Empire Strikes Back'')]]. It takes the trope further by having Holly screaming [[BigNo "NOOOOO!"]] afterwards.
* In Chapter 367 of ''{{Naruto}}'', [[spoiler: the most prevalent fan theory of the fandom is confirmed: Naruto is indeed the son of the Fourth Hokage]]. This is the third of three major [[TheReveal clarified mysteries]] that were revealed within a span of less than five chapters. A while earlier this was a lesser one: [[spoiler: Asuma Sarutobi is the Third Hokage's son]] but they had the same name and similar looks, so it was kinda obvious, just not said before then.
* ''NeonGenesisEvangelion'' does this three times. [[spoiler: Eva 1 contains the soul of Shinji's mother. Eva 02 contains the soul (well half) of Asuka's mother. Rei is occasionally compared to Shinji's mother.]]
** [[spoiler: And Lilith is the mother of all humanity.]]
** All in all, in Eva, "YourMom" jokes are done at your own peril.
** Neon Genesis Evangelion: The Abriged Series plays with this in an interesting way:
--->[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: 01 ]]
: Shinji, Gendo never told you what happened to your mother.\\
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Shinji ]]
: He told me enough...He told me you killed her.\\
[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: 01 ]]
: No Shinji. I AM YOUR MOTHER.\\
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Shinji ]]
: Ehhh saw it coming.
* ''TenchiMuyo!'' is full of these. Piece by piece we learn that Katsuhito is [[spoiler: Ayeka's and Sasami's half-brother]], which means [[spoiler: they're both Tenchi's great aunts]]; then that Washu is [[spoiler: Ryoko's mother]]; and eventually that [[spoiler: the woman we thought was Tenchi's mother is actually his sister]] and that Washu is also [[spoiler: Mihoshi's great great grandmother]]. Then in the second movie, ''Daughter of Darkness'', Mayuka turns up on the doorstep claiming that [[spoiler: Tenchi is her father]], which is awkward because they're both in their teens; but Washu does a DNA analysis, and yep, she's right. And of course there's the moment in the first movie when [[spoiler: Tenchi tells Achika and Nobuyuki that they're his parents]], even though they're all about the same age, but that doesn't really count.
* It's nice to see a good old-fashioned subversion, and ''RaveMaster'' brings us one: [[spoiler: there are two characters named Gale, one the antagonist (and head of the evil organization), one a good guy (who we've never seen before). Angst-tastic as it would be, the hero assumes his father is the former. Nope. It's the latter.]] Of course, they also play it straight with [[spoiler: the two Musicas.]]
* A variation exists in the third season of ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha''. After a successful raid on an illegal research facility, Quint adopts a pair of experimental [[SuperSoldier Combat Cyborgs]] because they looked so much like her and raises them as her own daughters. [[spoiler: It's later revealed during a medical examination that the reason why Subaru and Ginga looked like her was because their genetic structures were identical. Somehow, Quint's genetic data had been acquired by the researchers and was used to create the two children.]]
* In the manga version of ''RurouniKenshin'', Enishi, a crazed WhiteHairedPrettyBoy who wants revenge on Kenshin is his [[spoiler:brother in law]] (obviously Kenshin knew when he first met him). The old guy who befriends Kenshin is [[spoiler:Kenshin's father in law who accepted that Kenshin killed his daughter accidentally]]. Naturally, Enishi ends up with the old guy and both remark that they remember seeing each other.
* Subverted in ''SaintSeiya''. Along the series, there had been a lot of hints that Marin was Seiya's lonmg-lost sister Seika. [[spoiler:She wasn't, his sister was actually a WaifProphet, and Marin's brother Touma even appears as an enemy in the Tenkai-hen movie.]]
** And played quite straight in the manga where, it was revealed that [[spoiler:Mitsumasa Kido was actually the birth father of all the orphans he sent around the world to be trained as Saints]].
* ''DigimonFrontier'' with Koji learning he has a twin brother he was SeparatedAtBirth from: Koichi, the {{Face Heel Turn}}ed SixthRanger with the [[EvilTwin Spirits of Darkness]]. DigimonSavers also has Keenan Crier finding out he is one of the "hum'''o'''ns" he despises so much, but it's painfully obvious that he was human from the start.
** Also from ''Savers'': [[spoiler:Initially, it looks like Masaru's DisappearedDad is Yggdrasil, the "world tree," central computer and god of the Digital World. But [[MysteriousProtector BanchouLeomon]] reveals that ''he'' is Masaru's father. Yggdrasil was about to kill Suguru, but [=BanchouLeomon=] absorbed his soul. Unfortunately, Yggdrasil (being a ''god'' and all...) realized it, and has been using Suguru's body for its own ends.]]
* Parodied in a later episode of ''[[PrettySammy Magical Project S]]''. [[spoiler:Romio claims that she's the older sister of Sasami, citing the fact that they share blue hair and the lack of resemblance between Sasami and her parents as the logical reasoning. Just as Sammy was going to run up for a "family reunion", Misa stops her and makes her realize it was a lie, which Romio confirms.]]
** [[spoiler: It should be noted that Romio's character design is base on Ayeka who actually is Sasami's sister in the Tenchi Continuity.]]
* Somewhat subverted in ''{{Sonic X}}''. It is strongly suggested (said outright in the dub) that [[spoiler:Dark Oak]] is [[spoiler:Cosmo's]] father. However, while the characters ''do'' learn that [[spoiler:the two are of the same species, Cosmo]] never directly learns of her heritage.
** Or maybe she finally does at the end, by which point it [[HeroicSacrifice doesn't really matter anyway]].
* In ''PrincessTutu'', Rue's father is revealed to be [[BigBad the Raven]] in the second season. That's not so surprising considering she's the DarkMagicalGirl...[[spoiler:but it's later revealed that he actually kidnapped her as a child, and she's just a normal human girl after all.]] It's also later revealed that Drosselmeyer is [[spoiler:Fakir's great-great-grandfather, and Fakir inherited his [[RealityWarper powers]].]]
* The very last volume of the ''ChronoCrusade'' manga reveals that [[spoiler:Chrono and Aion]] are twins, and [[spoiler:their mother was a human woman turned into [[HiveQueen Pandaemonium]] when she was pregnant with them.]] Also, Satella discovers that her long-lost sister [[spoiler:is Fiore]].
* In ''{{Gravion}} Zwei'', it's eventually revealed that Sandman is [[spoiler: Leele's father, as well as the brother of the Zeravire's creator/leader]], and that Raven is [[spoiler: Eiji's missing sister Ayaka]].
* In ''RahXephon''... er, this is going to take a while: [[spoiler: Ayato's real mother isn't Maya, but Itsuki's adopted sister Quon. Quon is also Maya's twin sister and Itsuki's ''mother'', making Itsuki Ayato's brother. Shirow Watari is their father. Haruka Shitow's uncle, Shougo Rikudoh, was the adoptive father of Maya and Quon. And Haruka? Before her mother remarried, her family name was '''Mishima''' - making her the same long lost "object of desire"/childhood sweetheart that [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Ixtli/Ishtori]] took her appearance from]]. Or, for those that don't like to read: [[spoiler: everyone is related to everyone ever.]]
* [[TheDragon Altair]] and [[TeamMom Vega]] in ''GEARFighterDendoh'' are [[spoiler:brother and sister]], ''both'' of whom had presumed each other dead for years ([[MaskPower wearing those damn masks all the time]] probably only added to the confusion). Then there's Vega's true identity as [[spoiler:Hokuto's mom.]]
* ''GlassFleet'' had a pair of sibling enemies learn at ''the same time'' that they were related. [[spoiler: Vetti and Cleo]] were none-too-pleased to say the least.
* [[spoiler:Silver and Giovanni]] from ''[=~Pokémon~=] Special''. It is hinted that [[spoiler:Silver's]] game counterpart is also related to [[spoiler:Giovanni]].
** Confirmed in a sidequest event, from ''Heartgold'' and ''Soulsilver''. [[spoiler:Silver knows who his dad is though, since he's arguing with him.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Comics ]]
* Eighteen years after their creation, it was revealed that [[Comicbook/TheAvengers Avengers]] Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver were actually the children of their former leader, long-time Comicbook/{{X-Men}} antagonist Magneto. Their feelings over this revelation were mixed, to put it mildly.
** Polaris, of the X-Men, was revealed early on to be [[spoiler:Magneto's daughter, too]]. But then that was revealed to actually be a plot by the villain [[spoiler:Mesmero, who was using a Magneto robot to make that claim]]. Then later it was again revealed that she ''is'' [[spoiler:his daughter]]... [[spoiler:then once again not]]. Currently, she is once again [[spoiler: revealed to be Magneto's daughter]]... ugh.
* A ''{{Legion of Super Heroes}}'' mini-series in the '80s started with the premise that R. J. Brande, the team's billionaire sponsor, was dying, and in order to save him, the Legionnaires had to figure out which one of them was secretly his child -- an idea that had never been even hinted at before. It finally turned out to be Durlan shapeshifter Chameleon Boy; Brande was revealed to also be a Durlan who'd contracted a disease that [[ModeLock froze him into human form]].
* Chris, Superman's adopted son, was found in a rocket similar to his. It was revealed during an invasion that [[spoiler:the rocket was sent from the Phantom Zone, and he was the son of Zod and Ursa.]]
* Mr. Sinister pulls a particularly unpleasant LukeIAmYourFather on Gambit in ''[[{{X-Men}} X-Men: The End]]'' when he reveals that Gambit is a clone created from Sinister's original DNA mixed with that of [[SummersFamilyTree Scott Summers]].
** Gladly, this probably isn't canon, the Summers' have a messed up history as it is.
* In ''[[BoosterGold Booster Gold One Million]]'' it is revealed to the audience -- but not to any of the other characters -- that [[spoiler: Rip Hunter is actually Booster's son]].
* The plot of ''[[{{Batman}} Batman R.I.P.]]'' essentially involves multiple {{Mind Rape}}s piled on top of each other to see how many it takes to make Batman crack. The biggie? Enigmatic villain Simon Hurt claims that he is actually Thomas Wayne, and that he faked his own death after hiring Joe Chill to kill his faithless whore of a wife. The truth of his story hasn't been determined, but Bruce decides to reject it at the end of the arc.
** There are strong hints in ''Batman R.I.P.'' that Hurt is actually [[spoiler: a part of Bruce Wayne's psyche come to flesh. Which would mean that the proper phrase here is, "Luke, I am your subconscious!"]]
* ''{{Preacher}}'': [[spoiler: Mom?]]
* In ''Umbrella Academy: Dallas'' #6, it's revealed that [[spoiler:00.01 and 00.05 are biological siblings (they were adopted siblings before this point).]]
* Rose Walker's grandfather in ''{{Sandman}}'' is Desire, who impregnated the comatose Unity Kinkaid during Dream's imprisonment.
* A pivotal turning point in the original 2099 Marvel universe run of ''{{Spider-Man}}'' featured Miguel O'Hara (Spider-Man) discovering that the main antagonist of the series and head of the megacorp Alchemax, Tyler Stone, was in fact his father. This derailed the current plotline for quite a few issues as Miguel wrestled with his hatred of the man. The trope was somewhat subverted near the end of the title's run, when Tyler attempted to shock Miguel into following his orders by dropping the bombshell of his parentage, only to have Miguel, who by this point had come to terms with the fact, casually sip his coffee and then smugly and calmly reveal that he knows.
-->'''Tyler Stone:''' And you will do it... because I'm your father.\\
'''Miguel O'Hara:''' ''(sips coffee)'' Yeah, I know.\\
'''Tyler Stone:''' You... you know?\\
'''Miguel O'Hara:''' Yeah. Now get out of my office... '''dad.'''
* Tossed in a blender with LukeYouAreMyFather (but not really) in ''Usagi Yojimbo'': [[spoiler:Usagi discovered that his old flame Mariko's son Jotaro is actually his son, and Mariko's husband (Usagi's ''very'' unfriendly rival) also knows but loves Jotaro anyway. Usagi and Jotaro's sword master guessed almost immediately (they're very much alike), and gives them the opportunity to travel together for several months; after talking with Tomoe about responsibilities and relationships, Usagi decides not to break the bond between Jotaro and his family, while Jotaro decides not to force Usagi to give up his wanderer lifestyle to take care of him. It turns out Mariko told Jotaro the truth, but left out the part about Usagi knowing too. Upset at his "weakness" and the fact that he doesn't know when or if he'll ever see his "uncle" again, Jotaro calls out "Miyamoto Usagi! You are my father!!" but Usagi is already too far away to hear ("Just a trick of the wind, I must be tying my ears too tight").]] TL;DR: Father A and Son B know they're related, but they don't know the other knows the truth (C,D,E, and F know the truth too but they aren't talking, mainly out of respect).
* In ''GreenLantern Corps #35'', Sinestro tells [[spoiler: Soranik Natu]] that she is his daughter. He left her in the care of her foster family to keep her away from the dangers of being associated with him; making this one of the only semi-decent things he's ever done in his life. Of course, since it's ''[[BigBad Sinestro]]'', he could be lying.
** The last of page of ''Green Lantern'' #36 makes it pretty clear that he's telling the truth.
* ''{{Watchmen}}'' has a particularly twisted example of this. Laurie, the second Silk Spectre, discovers that the recently-deceased Comedian tried to rape her mother, the first Silk Spectre. Then Laurie finds out that after the near-rape, her mother had consensual sex with him anyway, and that the Comedian is in fact her father.
* Parodied brilliantly in ''FoxTrot''. [[{{Geek}} Jason]] is wearing his Darth Vader helmet to see [[StarWars Episode III]], but gets stuck in his helmet. His father helps him get free, commenting that he had that problem with his Vader helmet when he was Jason's age.
-->Jason: Wait, you're saying that you were a Star Wars fan long before I was?
-->Dad: Search your feelings, you know this to be true.
-->Jason: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
* In ''Batman/Huntress: Cry for Blood'', Huntress gets an old photo of her deceased mother, Maria Bertinelli, ''in flagrante delicto'' with mob boss (and rival to mob boss Franco Bertinelli, Maria's husband) Santo Cassamento, and demands to know what they were doing in that hotel room together. His answer: "Isn't it obvious? We were conceiving you, Helena Rosa." [[spoiler:That doesn't stop Huntress from ultimately killing him.]]
* Parodied in {{Mafalda}}. Remember, the protagonists are all little children.
--> '''Susanita''': Felipe, did you get me something for Mother's day ?
--> '''Felipe''': Why should I get you something for Mother's day ?
--> '''Susanita''': Well, I don't know how to say this... You have to get me something for Mother's day because...
-->''(cue melodrama)'' I AM YOUR MOTHER !
--> '''Susanita''':''(disheveled and bruised)'' I don't understand, [[TVNeverLies it works in the soaps]] !
[[/folder]]

[[folder: FanWork ]]
* Lampshaded in ''A Rose and a Thorn 3''.
-->'''Ashura:''' I am your father Luke -- I mean, Shadow.\\
'''Shadow:''' Shut up with the clichés already! You're not actually my biological father, are you? I saw that movie. I'm not going to do that stupid NOOOOOOOOOO thing.
** I'm afraid he really is... Well, one of them, anyway.
* NiceGuy foreign transfer student from another planet, dates the female DarkAndTroubledPast / TheWoobie character? Seems simple until you realise... [[spoiler: That they're MUCH closer than intended... ''IncestIsRelative'']].
[[/folder]]
* In [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4489465/1/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_Erazors_Revenge Sonic the Hedgehog: Erazor's Revenge]], it is reveled (by the author) that the evil Genie of the Lamp, Erazor Djinn is the father of Sharah the Genie of the Ring, the lesser genie.

[[folder: Film ]]
* As mentioned above, [[ItWasHisSled everybody knows]] about TheReveal from the second part of the original ''StarWars'' trilogy. The reason that this reveal worked and a lot of the imitators fell flat was that a big part of Luke's story revolved around his [[TellMeAboutMyFather Jedi Knight father]], whom he sought to emulate as a Jedi himself, which was ''why'' Luke let out the BigNo in response to the AwfulTruth about said father being revealed. It also gives new light to Uncle Owen's reasons for refusing to let Luke accept the CallToAdventure, in particular his "That's what I'm afraid of" response to Aunt Beru's assessment that "he's got too much of his father in him."
**It helps too that this is what created the trope, and that nobody saw it coming.
** Not to mention the lesser reveal in ''Return of the Jedi'', that Leia is Luke's sister.
*** Parodied in ''Thumbwars'': "Luke... I am your MOTHER!"
*** ''RobotChicken'' has Vader reveal that as well... and that the Empire would be defeated by ''Ewoks''! And that as a child, ''he'' built ''C-3PO''! (Luke: "Look, if you're not going to take this seriously, I'm out.")
*** Also parodied in ''{{Darths And Droids}}'', [[http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0302.html using Anakin's stepfather in the second episode.]] Naturally, Anakin says a BigNo.
** The line itself, the Trope Namer, is actually a {{Beam Me Up Scotty}}.
** Considering how famous this is, it is hard to believe that the scene in ''Attack of the Clones'' where Dooku tells a helpless Obi-Wan that he is his "grandfather" (the Master of Obi-Wan's Master Qui-Gon Jinn) isn't a deliberate homage...
** In [[http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/09/20/sidebar.hamill/index.html an interview]] with CNN, Luke's actor Mark Hamil expressed his disappointment about the role of Boba Fett in this way:
--->"I mostly was upset with the cavalier attitude towards Boba Fett. He had been built up as this monumental bounty hunter, and he... just flies away. I thought that was going to be a major revelation, off comes the helmet, oh my God, it's my mother! She's a double agent working for the good guys, who knows."
*** Certainly that would cast Fett's "[[ThePrincessBride As You Wish]]" from ''TheEmpireStrikesBack'' in a ''completely'' different light. It would screw up canon ''so'' much; the {{retcon}} attempts to make things fit together would be ''magnificent''. This troper loves it.
* [[TheParody Parodied]] in ''[[ToyStory Toy Story 2]]'' with a Buzz Lightyear action figure and his archnemesis Evil Emperor Zurg reenacting a [[BeamMeUpScotty slightly modified]] version of the ''StarWars'' reveal. They are later seen playing catch. "Go long, Buzzy!" "Oh, you're a great dad!"
* [[TheParody Parodied]] in the second ''AustinPowers'' movie with Dr. Evil claiming to be Austin's father (in an exaggerated voice akin to Vader's) and then admitting almost immediately that he was just making it up.
** In a twist, the third movie featured the revelation that [[spoiler:Austin and Dr. Evil were in fact brothers, separated as infants]].
* [[TheParody Parodied]] in ''{{Spaceballs}}'':
-->'''Dark Helmet:''' I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate!\\
'''Lone Starr:''' What does that make us?\\
'''Dark Helmet:''' Absolutely nothing, which is what you are about to become!
* In the movie ''TheBoondockSaints'', the hitman known as Il Duce, who previously gave the [=MacManus=] brothers the fight of their lives, is revealed to be their long-lost father when he walks in on them delivering the family prayer to their fallen comrade Rocco (whom he had previously been hired to kill) and finishes the prayer himself.
** And then much [[BadAss ass]] was [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome kicked]].
* ''Transamerica'': [[spoiler: when Toby, a teen runaway who had made a living as a hustler and who seems to only show affection sexually, attempts to seduce the {{Transsexual}} woman, Bree, who is adopting him, her only recourse is explain him that she was, in fact, his ''father'' before transitioning. She'd kept it secret from him because she knew he thought his father was a famous actor and didn't want to disillusion him. The fact that the audience already knows this is a considerable source of {{Squick}} in the scene.]]
* ''{{Scanners}}'': [[spoiler: Darryl Revok, the villain, reveals that he and Cameron Vale, the hero, [[CainAndAbel are the sons]] of Dr. Paul Ruth, the BrokenPedestal mentor.]]
* In the direct-to-video sequel of Disney's {{Disney/Aladdin}}, ''Aladdin and the King of Thieves'', Aladdin discovers his father is head of the 40 Thieves.
* In the film ''{{Wanted}}'', this is used as the twist about 3/4ths of the way through the film. It actually makes sense, because it's the only reasonable explanation for why [[spoiler: Cross never seems to be able to hit Wesley despite his improbable superpowered gun skills; turns out he was never trying to kill him in the first place.]]
* The big reveal in ''AngelHeart'' [[spoiler: where Harry Angel is revealed to be Johnny Favorite, and therefore the father of Epiphany Proudfoot, who he has been having sex with, and has just murdered during a blackout]]; in a rather bizarre set of supernatural circumstances.
* Taken to ridiculous extremes in ''Dirty Work''. Mitch and Sam are talking to Sam's father, Pops, who reveals he's also Mitch's father. They don't believe him; so he pulls out a locket:
-->'''Mitch:''' That's you and my Mom!... having sex!\\
'''Sam:''' You were unfaithful to my mom!\\
'''Pops:''' No I wasn't. Who do you think took the picture?\\
''(later)''\\
'''Sam:''' Hey, Mitch, remember when you had sex with my sister?
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Literature ]]
* Inverted in the ''PrydainChronicles'', where Taran goes on a search for his parents. He encounters a crippled shepherd who reveals that he is Taran's father [[spoiler:but after a few months of living with Taran, the guy has a fatal accident and reveals that he was lying, that his son died years ago and that he told Taran this because he was so lonely.]]
* Terry Pratchett does a great job of LampshadeHanging on this one in the ''{{Discworld}}'' novel ''Maskerade''. In an early scene, Nanny Ogg explains the plot of the opera ''La Triviata'' to Granny Weatherwax thusly: "Well, there's a lot of humorous dressin' up, etcetera, someone will probably turn out to be someone's long-lost father or somethin'..." Near the end of the book, it is revealed that the star singer in the production of ''Il Trucadore'' really ''is'' the long-lost father of a young man in the audience. When Agnes (the junior witch) complains "This sort of thing ''does not happen''!" the more GenreSavvy Nanny replies, "Happens all the time in opera."
** A more interesting variation happens in ''Thief Of Time''. First, Susan has to [[spoiler:tell Lobsang Ludd that he and Jeremy Clockson are the twin sons of the AnthropomorphicPersonification of Time]]. Later, she [[spoiler:admits she was lying, sort of: Lobsang and Jeremy aren't twins, they're [[StarfishCharacter the same individual]], bifurcated at birth by the complexities of Time going through labor.]] For that matter, Susan's discovery that [[spoiler:there are other children of {{Anthropomorphic Personification}}s, and natural-born, not adopted]], almost qualifies but fails the "met before" requirement.
* This happens not once, but ''twice'', and to the ''same character'', in Ann Radcliffe's Gothic novel, ''The Italian''. In the first instance, the evil monk Schedoni is about to murder the virginal heroine in her sleep when he happens to glimpse her locket -- her ownership of which reveals that she is (gasp!) ''his long-lost daughter!''... Only, turns out she isn't. Still, it was a pretty good reveal, wasn't it? She actually turns out to be the long-lost child of a nun who was nice to her earlier in the book, and to whom she'd previously felt a "mysterious connection". Given that ''The Italian'' was written in 1796, that makes this trope OlderThanRadio.
** Even though it turns out that Schedoni isn't Elena's father, [[spoiler:he does turn out to be the brother of her long-deceased father whom he closely resembles, making him her uncle. Thus, this is perhaps an example of ''EveryoneIsRelated''.]]
* ''TheInheritanceTrilogy'': [[spoiler:Murtagh reveals that the evil Dragon Rider Morzan was Eragon's father, making Eragon and Murtagh brothers. This is subverted in the third book, when it turns out that Morzan is not Eragon's father, and it was actually Brom, who fell in love with Serena, Morzan's consort (also known as the Black Hand). This is presumably due to the comparisons made between the ''Inheritance Cycle'' and ''Star Wars''. There is also a scene where Arya is revealed to be the daughter of the elf queen Islanzadi, but this may or may not qualify since both Arya and Islanzadi knew about it even if the reader did not.]]
* In RobertAHeinlein's short story "'—All You Zombies—'", the main character is revealed to be [[MyOwnGrampa ''his own'' father]]. And mother. And responsible for getting them together. And taking away his baby self away and putting him in an orphanage...
* ''HisDarkMaterials'': [[spoiler: Lyra's father is Lord Asriel, the man she thought was her uncle, while her mother is Mrs. Coulter, the first book's major villain.]] Though this could be seen as a rather knowing use of the trope, given that the reveal occurs unusually early in the story. In the film adaptation, on the other hand, it appears in the typical place as a third act plot twist.
* In TerryGoodkind's ''Wizard's First Rule'', the first book of the SwordOfTruth series, it is revealed that Richard is actually the son of Darken Rahl, the antagonist. Yes, his name is ''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Darken]]''. And he's the father of the protagonist, who has a magic sword, and is taught by an old man. [[RealSlimShadowen This editor]] would have blanked it out with spoiler tags, but frankly it's not that important. And it's not even the father revealing it to his son, but his son's maternal grandfather. So.
** The [[LegendOfTheSeeker TV series]] loosely based on the books also follows the trope but replaces LukeIAmYourFather with [[spoiler:Luke I Am Your Brother]], and this time, [[TheWizard Zedd]] is not the one who reveals the truth. The substitution is likely due to the fact that the actor playing Rahl is much younger than the character in the novel, making Richard only about 10-15 years Rahl's junior in the show.
* Dickens did it: ''OliverTwist'' [[spoiler:has Oliver finding out that Mr. Brownlow is his grandfather]].
** Note that it only counts in the ''Oliver!'' musical. In the book... [[spoiler:Mr. Brownlow is an old friend of Oliver's DisappearedDad, Edwin Leeford, and he actually adopts Oliver as his son in the end. What else? The SmugSnake Monks is Oliver's half-brother (real name: Edward Leeford) and Rose Mayley is Oliver's aunt (his [[DeathByChildbirth deceased mother Agnes]] was Rose's older sister).]]
** Dickens had a thing for lost parents. In ''Great Expectations'', [[spoiler:Magwitch, Pip's benefactor, turns out to be Estella's father]], while in ''Bleak House'', [[spoiler:Lady Dedlock and Captain Hawdon ("Nemo") are Esther Summerson's mother and father.]]
* In RafaelSabatini's romantic historical adventure ''Scaramouche'', André-Louis Moreau has to deal with questions related to his mysterious past while struggling with the eternally troublesome and abhorrent Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr who [[spoiler:dun DUN DUN, unsurprisingly turns out to be his father.]]
* In Garth Nix's ''[[OldKingdom Abhorsen]]'' trilogy, Lirael finds out the identity of her real father at the end of book two: [[spoiler: it's the former Abhorsen, Terciel, making Lirael Sabriel's younger sister, and Sameth's aunt. This accounts for much of Lirael's {{Wangst}}]] -- that is, morbid tendencies, et alia. Fortunately, she had already [[IncestIsRelative prevented her nephew becoming attracted to her]] by saying that she was thirty years older than him.
* ''AmericanGods'': [[spoiler:Shadow's father is Mr. Wednesday, the man who hires him after he is released from prison. Mr. Wenesday is also the Norse god Odin.]]
* ''{{Wicked}}'': [[spoiler: The Wizard is Elphaba's dad.]]
** Also in ''Son Of A Witch'': While the title implies it pretty strongly, it's left very much in doubt whether Liir is Elphaba's son until the very last line, when [[spoiler: Liir's own newborn daughter is revealed to be green like Grandma. Apparently the complexion is genetic, but only expressed in females.]]
* In Meredith Ann Pierce's ''[[TheFirebringerTrilogy Firebringer]]'' trilogy, Jan, the lead character and prince of the unicorns (all the main characters in the trilogy are unicorns), discovers in the third book that [[spoiler:his father Korr mated with another mare before he pledged himself with Jan's mother- which is something of a problem, as the other mare's child is Jan's own mate and the mother of his children, and unicorn custom absolutely forbids incest]]. Lucky thing then that [[spoiler:it turns out the mysterious, renegade stallion Calydor, who Jan felt oddly connected to upon meeting for the first time, was actually Jan's mother's first love- and Jan's biological father]].
** Another Meredith Ann Pierce example: the white witch Oriencor is actually the daughter of [[spoiler: Ravenna the Ancient]]. Her excuse for becoming the BigBad was that she felt cheated of her inheritance [[spoiler: since Ravenna promised, falsely, that she could one day return to Oceanus with the Ancients; Oriencor's schemes to take over the world are really just Part One of her attempts to get there on her own]]. The heroine of the trilogy, Aeriel, also has one: raised an orphaned slave in the land of Terrain, she later discovers she's [[spoiler: the heir to the suzerainty of Pirs. Made squicky by her uncle, who killed her father and attempted to force her mother to marry him, and tries to seduce Aeriel.]]
** And another: ''Treasure at the Heart of the Tanglewood''. Hannah is [[spoiler: the "daughter" of the Queen, having grown from the branch the Wizard stole.]] Pierce ''really'' likes this trope.
* In the ''{{Animorphs}}'' supplemental novel The Andalite Chronicles, we find out that [[spoiler: Elfangor, the Andalite prince that gave the kids the power to morph, is actually Tobias' father, from some fancy [[TimeyWimeyBall time manipulation]] care of the [[AWizardDidIt Ellimist]].]]
* In ''TheNightAngelTrilogy'', the Godking does this to both the protagonist and someone else. In the protagonist's case, the Godking is just screwing with his mind. In the latter case, [[spoiler: she kills him anyway]].
* In ''The Last Book in the Universe'', Spaz finds out from Ryter in the final moments of his life that [[spoiler:Billy Bizmo is his father and Lotti Getts is his mother]].
* In Christopher Moore's ''Fool'', titular character and king's fool Pocket learns that his father was [[spoiler: King Lear's brother]], since [[spoiler: Lear]] made him rape Pocket's mother. Uh-huh. (This means he's been [[spoiler: screwing and lusting after his first cousins]].)
* Done '''twice''' in Karen Miller's ''GodspeakerTrilogy''. In Dmitak's case it's [[spoiler:moments before he kills his mother and gets killed himself]].
* Inverted (and partly subverted) in RobinHobb's ''Tawny Man Trilogy'' where the main character is forced to interact with his children, who doesn't know who their real father is.
* In the first book of Richelle Mead's ''DarkSwan'' series (''Storm Born''), it is revealed, fairly early on, that [[spoiler:Storm King]] is Eugenie's father. On a slightly different note, it is also revealed, much later on - close to the very end of the book, in fact - that [[spoiler:Jasmine]] is her [[spoiler:half-sister]].
* In the third book of the ''Maximum Ride'' series, Max is horrified to learn that the [[spoiler:Director and leader of Itex]] is her mother. Later, Jeb informs her that this is a lie and [[spoiler:he is her real father and Dr. Martinez]] is her real mother. She takes this revelation much better, though is just as shocked.
* In the Brother Cadfael novel ''The Leper of St. Giles'' by EllisPeters, the titular leper turns out to be [[spoiler: the unwilling bride's long-lost grandfather, whom everyone thought had died in the Crusade]]. Subverted in that, while he admits the truth when Cadfael confronts him about it, his leprosy has disfigured him so badly that he refuses to reveal himself to anyone else, not wishing to be a burden or to spoil tales of his HeroicSacrifice.
* In ''All the King's Men'', [[spoiler: Judge Irwin was revealed to be Jack Burden's father at the precise moment it was also revealed that he had shot himself.]]
* Near the end of Hannah Tinti's ''The Good Thief,'' Ren discovers that he is the son of [[spoiler: McGinty's sister]] and [[spoiler: Benjamin Nab.]] That last is a [[ConsummateLiar big maybe]], however.
* In ''VillainsByNecessity'', it turns out near the end (hinted at earlier subtly [[spoiler: main antagonist Mizzamir is Sam's father, and wiped his mother's mind after raping her, proving LightisNotGood, indirectly helping to put Sam into his life of being a cold-blooded hired killer.]]
* Played with in Brandon Sanderson's ''{{Mistborn}}''. Main character [[ActionGirl Vin]] knows from the beginning of the story that her father is an important nobleman (she inherited [[ExtraordinarilyEmpoweredGirl her powers]] from him), but doesn't know his identity. He turns out to be Tevidian, High Prelan (priest) of the CorruptChurch and right-hand-man to [[EvilOverlord the Lord Ruler]]. Surely this leads to a dramatic moment where the rebel Vin confronts and defeats her badass {{Dragon}} father? Wrong- when we meet Tevidian, he turns out to be a coward who toadies to the Inquisitors (the ''real'' Dragons) and gets killed offhand for [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness essentially annoying them]] without ever getting a chance to ''speak'' with his daughter. But honestly, nobody was really that torn up about it.
* ''The Lost Symbol'': [[spoiler:The main antagonist throughout the book is revealed to be the son of one of the main protagonists.]]
* In [[BenBova Ben Bova's]] ''Venus'', the protagonist, Van, is really [[spoiler:Fuchs' son, not Humphres'.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]
* ''{{Carnivale}}'' Where to begin? [[spoiler:The mysterious Henry Scudder is Ben's father. Lucius Belyakov (AKA Management) is the father of both Justin and Iris. And of course, Justin is Sofie's father, having raped her mother.]]
* ''{{Lost}}'': [[spoiler:Claire and Jack are half-siblings. And it seems their father (or his ghost, or [[MindScrew SOMETHING like it]]) is close to the mysterious Jacob]].
** In season 5, [[spoiler:Pierre Chang, the guy from the orientation tapes, turns out to be Miles's father. "The third day we were here, I was in line at the cafeteria and my mother got in line behind me. That was my first clue."]]
* [[TheParody Parodied]] in the ''{{Stargate SG-1}}'' episode "200": the rest of the SG team momentarily trick Mitchell into believing that O'Neill is his father by means of TimeTravel.
** Then again, all the numbers work out, those ''are'' some good arguments they give, and they never tell him they were joking. [[WildMassGuessing Who knows?]]
*** Well since Mitchell is ActingForTwo with his grandfather, it doesn't seem likely.
*** Most folks have two grandfathers. Unless they're Fry.
* The second-season finale of ''ThePretender'': Miss Parker learns that she has a twin brother she was never told about because he supposedly died at birth -- and not only is he still alive, he's one of the recurring characters! (All four of the series' season finales feature a "He's the brother you never knew you had" [[TheReveal reveal]] for one of the lead characters -- counting the clone in the third season finale as a brother -- but this is the only one where the brother is an already-established character.)
* The ''[[TheXFiles X-Files]]'' episode "William": [[spoiler: the Cigarette Smoking Man is Mulder's father, although implications thereof had been dropped throughout the series.]]
* ''{{The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog}}'': Maeve, the BigBad, reveals she is TheChosenOne Rohan's mother. There is no indication at what point she learned this; Maeve seemed as shocked as anyone when Lugad told her Rohan told him they were brothers. The line is almost identical to the movie's with the names changed appropriately.
* ''PowerRangers'' has been fond of this one.
** In ''Power Rangers In Space'', we are treated to the tasty reveal that BigBad Astronema is TheCaptain Andros's sister Karone after brainwashing.
** Two years later in ''Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue'', we are treated to the revelation that then-evil SixthRanger Ryan is MissionControl Captain Mitchell's long-lost son (And, thereby, Pink Ranger Dana's brother).
** In ''Power Rangers Ninja Storm,'' we find out that BigBad Lothor is [[{{Mentors}} Sensei Watanabe]]'s twin brother, and SixthRanger Cam's uncle. This was fortunate for Lothor's nieces by marriage, as they would have [[NeverSayDie been destroyed]] if Cam hadn't decided to save them--because "they're family."
** In ''Power Rangers Dino Thunder'', we have the revelation that SixthRanger Trent is the adopted son of BigBad Mesogog's human counterpart Anton Mercer.
** But the all-time leader is ''Power Rangers Mystic Force'', where we learn in short succession that the evil Wolf Knight Koragg is the mind-controlled form of Leanbow, husband to TheObiWan Udonna. Udonna then discovers that Red Ranger Nick is actually her long-lost son Bowen. Meanwhile, we discover that comic relief character Leelee is secretly the daughter of Necrolai, queen of the vampires.
*** It would have helped if they hadn't been playing what this troper would call a fantasy-sounding version of the theme from the Star Wars prequels throughout the season. Unlike Luke, however, [[spoiler: Nick actually does take up the mantle of the Master's apprentice as the new Knight Wolf, for a short time]].
* [[TheParody Parodied]] on ''The Brak Show'' episode "All That I Desire You", itself a [[WholePlotReference complete send-up of soap operas]]; Dad is revealed to be living a double life as billionaire oil baron Drake Gainway, and is father to Zorak, Clarence, and his secret third wife Cynthia - in addition to Brak and the Gainway children, of course.
** And just for extra craziness, when ''The Brak Show'' was "hosting" {{Adult Swim}}'s New Year's Night, it was revealed that Thunderclese's father was none other than Frylock from ''{{Aqua Teen Hunger Force}}'', ''a completely different show''.
* In the series ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', Claire is revealed to be [[spoiler: the daughter of Nathan Petrelli.]]
** Not to mention the earlier reveal, when HRG/Noah comes home and we find out that he is Claire's father. (He adopted her, but she considers her adopted parents her "real" parents)
*** And in the Season 3 premiere, [[spoiler: Gabriel Gray/Sylar is another Petrelli Brother.]]
**** Not so much...
**** There's also rumours of yet another Petrelli on the way. I'd guess Adam, but I don't know.
***** Adam's impossible as he's been around for hundreds of years and looks nothing like the Petrellis. Matt Parkman on the other hand... though his dad, Maury, has already been a character, but we don't know if he's not a HALF brother...
**** On the subject of the "new Petrelli", [[spoiler: hilariously it ended up as a literal "I am your father" moment, both when Peter and Nathan learned their father, Arthur, was still alive and when Sylar got to meet him for the first time.]]
*** [[spoiler:Funnily enough, there is no new Petrelli. They lied to Sylar. He killed Arthur for it, and he's working on Angela to get the location of his real parents.]]
** Also as of season 3, Claire is revealed to also be related to [[spoiler: Level 5 escapee Flint, who is brother to Meredith, Claire's biological mother.]] Though it's as yet unknown to Claire, it will most likely comprise a bit of a surprise at least.
*** Seriously, is there anyone on that show who isn't related?

* Strongly hinted in the ''LawAndOrderCriminalIntent'' episode "End Game."
** [[spoiler: And confirmed in "Frame."]]
* Subverted in an episode of ''Las Vegas'' where Mike finds evidence that the Montecito's new owner, AJ Cooper, is Piper's father. Piper confronts Cooper and he vehemently denies it. It turns out that [[spoiler: Cooper knew her father from when they served in the Marines together and promised that he would keep an eye on her.]]
* Also subverted in ''{{Life on Mars}}'', where DCI Morgan takes Sam to a graveyard.[[spoiler: He shows Sam two graves which have the name Williams on them, telling him that these are his parents, he is not Sam Tyler, but Sam Williams, working for him undercover. Sam shrugs this off and is about to leave when he spots three graves behind him, one of which says 'Here lies Sam Tyler', the other two with his parents names, Vic and Ruth Tyler. He's a little upset by this.]].
* In the series ''NightCourt'' it is revealed after several seasons that Harry's [[spoiler: mentally unbalanced step-father "Buddy" is actually his ''biological'' father]].
* Parodied by the Melty Man (an AnthropomorphicPersonification of male impotence, complete with black glove and [[StarWars Darth Vader]] voice) in ''{{Coupling}}''.
-->'''Patrick:''' You killed my erection!\\
'''Melty Man:''' No Patrick, I ''am'' your erection!
* Mocked in the third series of ''DoctorWho'' when dealing with [[spoiler: The Master]], Martha asks if he is [[spoiler: the Doctor's long-lost brother]]. To which the Doctor responds, "[[YouWatchTooMuchX you've been watching too much television.]]"
** Though, it was originally going to be played straight, and [[spoiler: when the Doctor was going to let the Master die]], the dialogue was originally going to [[spoiler: reveal them to actually be brothers]]! This line was cut before filming, though, leaving the canonocity of it heavily debated. [[spoiler: The Master is still killed off though, due to his refusal to regenerate and live out the rest of eternity as the Doctor's prisoner after being shot by his wife.]]
* Masterfully inverted, gender-swapped, and played without melodrama in ''TheTenthKingdom'', when via the magic mirror Virginia and her father learn that [[spoiler:the Evil Queen is her missing mother Christine]]. Not only is this trope combined with that of the MysteriousParent (though here there is no revelation about the child), but despite the constant references throughout the miniseries, the scene of TheReveal genuinely took this editor by surprise when he first saw it -- and it did for every other person he's ever shown the film to. It's ''that'' subtle, but so obvious on a second viewing... rather like ''The Sixth Sense''. What makes it particularly unique is that, rather than the villain making the revelation, it comes from a third party (in this case a magical object), and it is the hero who must then convince their erstwhile parent of the truth, rather than the reverse. The tragedy ensues of course when [[spoiler:Virginia breaks through to her real mother after the poison comb has loosed her from the Swamp Witch's spell, [[TearJerker she remembers who she is and declares her love...and dies in her daughter's arms.]]]]
* Parodied on ''TheDailyShow''. StephenColbert is asked to report on the cancellation of daytime drama ''Another World''. He goes off on a wild melodramatic tangent, reveals that Colbert is not his real name and accuses Jon Stewart of abandoning his "bastard elevator baby". Subverted within the parody because when Stephen finally calls him "Daddy", Jon spoils it by pointing out that they're the same age.
* Caleb and Sheriff Buck of ''AmericanGothic''. Unique in that it is revealed ''in the pilot of the series'', and that while Caleb reacts in disgust and anger at the notion, he never has a HeroicBSOD or otherwise freaks out over the revelation. In fact the more time passes, the less issue he seems to take with it, even welcoming and embracing the relationship by the end of the series. This could be due to being orphaned and having no one else to turn to except an increasingly unstable doctor and a [[strike:CoolBigSis]] cool cousin [[EvilIsSexy who is also being drawn into Buck's orbit]], but [[DemonicPossession all things]] [[InTheBlood considered]], [[StartOfDarkness probably not]].
* Subverted in ''VeronicaMars''. Paternity tests confirm that Keith Mars is Veronica's father.
* Done in very a surprising "How the hell did I not see that coming?" way on {{Dexter}} when [[spoiler: The Ice Truck Killer is revealed to be Dexter's brother.]]
* This happens on ''GreenWing'', where Guy discovers that [[spoiler:Joanna]] is his mother, making him and [[spoiler:Martin]] brothers. Unfortunately, he only finds this out ''after'' they have sex, leading to a complete meltdown on Guy's part.
* In ''Sharpe's Justice'', the rabble-rouser Matt Truman is Sharpe's half-brother.
* In ''JonathanCreek'', an actress attempts to covertly help the son that she secretly gave up for adoption many years ago by having him cast in the movie she is currently starring in, only to learn that he has developed a bit of an obsession with her, unaware that she is his mother. He's embittered when she rejects him in this sense, understandably a bit {{Squick}}ed out; unfortunately, she confesses this to her ex-husband who, holding his own grudge, manipulate the son into murdering her.
* Averted in ''WithoutATrace'': Agent Malone is captured and tortured by conwoman who thinks he's an enemy out to get her and her partner who is, naturally, her son. I can't recall all the facts, but in the end the conwoman dies and asks Malone not to tell her son the truth (it probably would've been squicky for him anyway).
* Prodied innummerable times on ''WhoseLineIsItAnyway''.
* ''AllMyChildren'' loves this trope. Examples: Daisy Cortlandt and Myra Murdock (Nina's "dead" mother and long-lost grandmother), Palmer Cortlandt (Ross Chandler's long-lost father), and Jackson Montgomery (Greenlee Smythe's real father). In the most recent example, the show waved a magic RetCon to make Erica Kane's aborted child appear as Josh Madden, supposedly the son of evil Dr. Madden.
* Taken to absurdity in ''{{A Bit of Fry and Laurie}}'', when they parody Australian soaps:
-->'''Fry:''' The truth is, mate, I was confused and slightly bewildered. I'd just discovered that Durnick isn't my real father.\\
'''Laurie:''' He isn't? Then who is?\\
'''Fry:''' I am.\\
'''Laurie:''' Then that must mean that you must be--\\
'''Fry:''' Exactly. Devlin's half-sister's wife's doctor's cousin's niece.\\
'''Laurie:''' Well then, who the hell am I?
* Parodied on ''{{Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire}}''. Krod confronts Chancellor Dungalor, who stalls for time by revealing that he's Krod's ''brother''. [[spoiler:Well, his ''brother-in-law'', as Dungalor was married to Krod's sister. Ex-brother-in-law, actually, as they're not even married anymore.]]
* Played straight in ''{{Reaper}}'' with [[spoiler:The Devil]] revealed to be [[spoiler:Sam]]'s father at the end on season one.
* Parodied in an episode of ''TheMightyBoosh'', "Journey to the Centre of the Punk": Howlin' Jimmy Jefferson, the Spirit of Jazz, claims to be Howard's father, then uncle, then second cousin twice-removed on his sister's side, in an attempt to keep Howard from killing him. Only the last one works.
* Played straight in ''{{Jekyll}}'', [[spoiler: with [[NightmareFuel an extra twist]] at the end of the final episode]].

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Radio ]]
* Spoofed in ''Mitch Benn's Crimes Against Music'' when, after a series-long RunningGag about Mitch's rivalry with fellow musical satirist Richard Stillgoe, the final episode features him as a special guest, and a showdown between the two performers.
-->'''Stillgoe:''' Punt and Dennis never told you what happened to your father.\\
'''Benn:''' You're not my father!\\
'''Stillgoe:''' No, of course I'm not. Whatever gave you that idea?
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Theater ]]
* ''{{The Marriage of Figaro}}'' has an instance of this that's similar to the one from ''The Italian'' above: Marcellina is about to force Figaro to marry her in lieu of paying off a debt, when a casual comment he drops about a birthmark reveals that she's his mother. They embrace and make up, leading instantly to a classic NotWhatItLooksLike scenario...
* Happens with the Baker and the Mysterious Man in ''{{Into the Woods}}''.
* ''{{Wicked}}'' has the Wizard realize that he's Elphaba's father. Elphaba herself never learns the connection -- probably all for the better.
* ''{{Urinetown}}'' milks the revelation that Penny Pennywise is [[TheIngenue Hope Cladwell's]] mother for all that it's worth.
* In Molière's ''L'Avare'' Anselme, the man who Harpagon wants his daughter to marry, ends up being the father of [[spoiler: her lover Valère as well as Mariane, the love interest of both Harpagon and his son]].
** And just a note, this play was first performed in 1668, definitely making this trope OlderThanSteam.
* Comedian Gad Elmaleh parodied this in his stand-up show. His mother, he said, used to tell him that "your father is no Rothschild", ie "he's no millionaire, we can't waste money." He then says that he later met Rothschild, only to scream at him: "I know! You're not my father!"
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]
* ''SuperMario Sunshine'': [[spoiler: It was stated early on that Princess Peach was Bowser Jr.'s mother. However, this is completely subverted after you defeat Bowser, when he tells Bowser Jr. that Peach is, rather, ''not'' his mother.]]
* After the first ''{{Art of Fighting}}'', Yuri Sakazaki revealed to her brother Ryo and his friend Robert Garcia that, the game's final boss, Mr. Karate, was Takauma Sakazaki, Ryo and Yuri's father. Good thing too, Ryo was about to kill him for thinking he was the BigBad. That honor belonged to Geese Howard who blackmailed Takuma by arranging for Yuri's kidnapping, so he could work for him.
** Used again in ''{{King of Fighters}}'' where K' long lost sister is presumably Whip.
* Throughout the adventure game ''Bad Mojo'', there are hints that [[spoiler: Eddie, the landlord of main character Roger Samms,]] is actually Roger's estranged father. In the game's [[MultipleEndings best ending]], if you [[spoiler: manage to save both Roger and Eddie from the gas explosion that takes out Eddie's bar]] at the end of the game, this turns out to be the case.
* We find out near the end of ''{{Tales of Symphonia}}'' that [[spoiler: Kratos is Lloyd's father]]. It's actually kind of obvious, though.
* In ''{{Tales of Eternia}}'', it's more of a "Luke, I am your mother": [[spoiler:Meredy's mother, Shizel.]]
** Does this count? The characters in question both knew. Only the other characters and the audience didn't.
* In ''{{Tales of Destiny}}'', [[spoiler:Leon reveals that he's Rutee's brother and that Hugo's both of their father.]]
* In ''ChronoCross'', it's revealed that [[spoiler: the antagonist Lynx is actually Serge's father. ''Despite being a cat''.]]
** [[spoiler: Not a just cat, but an {{Animorphism}}. He was turned into one when he became possessed by FATE, who needed Serge to regain control of the Frozen Flame. Why a cat? Well, that is what nearly got Serge killed.]]
* [[TheParody Parodied]] twice in ''{{Kingdom of Loathing}}'': the BigBad tells the player she is your mother (quoting, almost word for word, the rest of the exchange from ''The Empire Strikes Back'', right to the BigNo)... then insults you for believing her. After you beat her, the Council that sent you to defeat her says "Say, did you know she was your mother? .. nah, just kidding" as part of their congratulations message.
* In the first ''Fantasy Zone'', the commander of the invading forces turns out to be Opa-Opa's father.
* In ''FinalFantasyVIII'', this trope is taken to an extreme, when discovered that [[spoiler: ALL the PC's except Rinoa and Edea grew together at the same orphanage. The only reason why Edea is excluded was because she ran said orphanage.]]
** On top of that, numerous hints are dropped later on that the other star of the game, Laguna, is [[spoiler:Squall's father.]]
** ''FinalFantasyVIII'' wasn't the only Final Fantasy to use this trope. In FinalFantasyIV, [[spoiler:BigBad Golbez turns out to be Cecil's {{Brainwashed}} brother, who is being controlled by TheManBehindTheMan from the ''moon'']]. And, in FinalFantasyIX, [[spoiler:TheDragon Kuja is a "brother" of sorts of the main character Zidane -- they were both artificially created by the same man]].
** For this editor, ''FinalFantasyX'' takes the cake. Fairly early on, Auron reveals [[spoiler: to Tidus that ''Sin'' is really his father, Jecht,]] without any explanation for how [[spoiler: the human Jecht became a giant SpaceWhale]] beyond "you know it to be true." The explanations don't come until much, much later. Why he expects him to ''believe'' this...
** In ''FinalFantasyVI'', it's implied that [[spoiler:Shadow]] is the father of [[spoiler:Relm]]. What's particularly amazing that it's actually fairly subtle.
* Tragically inverted in ''[[JakAndDaxter Jak III]]'', where [[spoiler:a fatally wounded Damas makes a final request for Jak to find his missing son. Jak realizes that Damas' son is his younger self, whom he sent back into the past in the previous game.]]
* ''MetalGearSolid'' did it quite embarrassingly straight -- at least to start with. After that it ran with it, taking it to its logical, [[CloningBlues truly disturbing]] conclusion.
** Variations of the trope are a favorite of Metal Gear Solid:
*** Big Boss is Snake's father
*** Liquid is Snake's brother
*** Solidus is not only Snake's brother, he's also Raiden's "father"
*** while not part of the reveal, The Boss is Big Boss's "mother"
*** Gene, BigBad of Portable Ops, is Big Boss's "Brother", raised as a successor to The Boss
*** Ocelot is the son of The Boss and The Sorrow (confirmed by the [[AllThereInTheManual Database]])
*** Colonel Campbell is Meryl's father.
*** Grey Fox is also the "brother"/father figure of Naomi. He killed her parents and raised her. Hell, one could also say he's a further continuation of the twisted familial relationships. He's practically Gene's "Son". And after Gene's death, he becomes Big Boss's protege to boot!
*** Major Zero [[spoiler: started Les Infantes Terible to replace Big Boss. Para-medic did the actual cloning, and EVA are the triplets surrogate mother]]
*** Wooh, that's a lot to sum up.
* In the infamous ending of ''MonkeyIsland 2'', [=LeChuck=] is revealed to be Guybrush's brother. Fans are divided over whether this ending is to be considered canonical, or [[AllJustADream a dream sequence]].
* A particularly egregious use of this trope in ''[[FireEmblem Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn]]''. We learn that Micaiah is [[spoiler:the sister of Empress Sanaki]] and Soren is [[spoiler:the son of Almedha and Ashnard. Yes, the BigBad of the first game. These just seemed to come out of nowhere in this troper's opinion.]]
** Given the requirements necessary to unlock the ending that reveals this (an A support with Soren and Ike in Path of Radiance, uploading that info to Radiant Dawn via save files, and getting an A support with Soren ''again'', then beating the game twice to unlock the ending where [[spoiler:Pelleas doesn't die]]), all of which fleshes out the background of these various characters, this troper actually thought it made a distinct sort of sense when he was informed.
*** Not to mention Soren's resemblance to Kurthnaga and Rajaion, even in Path of Radiance.
** Furthermore, Micaiah's reveal is addressed as early as [[spoiler: the end of Part 3, where Sanaki notices that Micaiah has the abilities that Sanaki herself does not, which are supposedly inherited through the Apostle line]].
* In ''SuperRobotWars Alpha'' and ''Super Robot Wars Original Generation'' Levi Tolah, one of the invading aliens is actually Aya Kobayashi's BrainwashedAndCrazy [[spoiler:sister, Mai Kobayashi.]]
** Since that wasn't crazy enough, in ''SuperRobotWars Original Generation 2'' it's revealed that [[spoiler: neither are related because their "father" Dr. Kenzo Kobayashi {{brainwashed}} them into thinking they were his daughters when they were unrelated; their real past and identity are never revealed.]]
* ''{{I Wanna Be the Guy}}'' pulls this out of nowhere with the final boss, "The Guy" that you want to kill for his title basically being a huge version of the player character. Just to make sure you got it he says, "Yes, I ''did'' have sex with your mother" before the final phase of the battle.
-->"Check your inventory screen, Kid. You know it to be true."
* ''NoMoreHeroes'' tell the story of Travis Touchdown who became the best assassin in the US by a fictive association and that one of the responsible is in fact [[spoiler:the wife of his brother that he didn't knew the existence before and that the number one assasin is in fact his half-sister who want to take a revenge on his father because he ran away from her mother.]]
** It's actually much more complicated than that. [[spoiler:The character that's supposedly number one, Dark Star, claims to be Travis's father, but his half-sister Jeane shows up, kills Dark Star, and reminds him that his father is dead. After all, she's the one that killed him and Travis's mother. On top of this, Henry is not just his brother, but his long-lost twin, and a clip after the credits shows Henry's wife and Travis's main love interest, Sylvia, looking at a painting of the two battling with a young girl who she calls Jeane. Yep, just like Travis's half-sister. And his cat.]]
* The [[BlackKnight Darkshine Knight]] from ''SeikenDensetsu 3'' has a backstory that is way too similar to Darth Vader's to be a coincidence. [[spoiler:He was once a heroic knight who fought against the Dragon Emperor, only to lose and be converted into his {{Dragon}}. Oh, and he's Duran's father.]]
* ''GodOfWar'': [[spoiler:Zeus is revealed to be Kratos' father in a bonus cutscene in the first game and at the end of the second game.]]
* ''ViewtifulJoe'' does this quite blatantly when [[spoiler:Captain Blue reveals himself to be Silvia's father]], to the point of downright quoting Darth Vader. The entire game is one big homage to movies, so it fits.
* In ''{{Mother 3}}'', the [[TheDragon Masked Man]] turns out to be Lucas' twin brother, Claus, who had been kidnapped and brainwashed by BigBad Porky.
* There are no coincidences in the ''FireEmblem'' games. From the Sealed Sword/Blazing Blade saga, Nino turns out to be Canas's niece, Dart is Rebecca's long-lost brother Dan, Raven is actually Priscilla's brother Raymond. Then, in Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn, [[spoiler:Sephiran]] is really Lehran, the patriarch of the Begnion line of apostles/empresses [[spoiler: and a heron laguz, which means that Begnion has been following Branded around all this time]]. However, Empress Sanaki cannot hear the voice of the goddess because the apostle power is only passed down to the firstborn female of each generation, and unbeknownst to her, she had an older sister. We later find out that this is [[spoiler:Micaiah.]] Also, Mad King Ashnard's mount is really the Goldoan prince Rajaion, and his [[strike:wife]] mistress, Almedha, is Rajaion's sister. Ena, Rajaion's fiancee, went to Daein to try to save him in Path of Radiance, but her grandfather, Nasir, was serving as a mole in the Crimean party. Oh, and [[spoiler:Prince Pelleas isn't actually Almedha and Ashnard's son--he's not a Branded at all. But it turns out that the long-lost prince of Daein is ''Soren''.]] Did we mention that Calill and Largo's adopted daughter is ''also'' a Branded? This is the most convoluted series ever. In fact, given that no character is ''just'' mentioned casually in support conversations, it is this troper's opinion that the missing sister that Oujay mentions in his support conversation with Lilina (in Sealed Sword) is Lalum.
* The ''{{Disgaea}}'' series. Nippon Ichi ''loves'' playing with this, and making them major plot points...
** It happens at least three times in the first game:
*** [[spoiler:Mid-Boss is the reincarnated form of Laharl's father.]] This is hinted at in game, somewhat more strongly in the anime adaption of the game (even though it lacks the [[spoiler: [[XanatosGambit "Seraph Lamington was behind everything"]] subplot]], and confirmed by the ''World of Disgaea'' artbook.
*** [[spoiler:The Big Sis Prinny is Laharl's mother, paying off the sin of suicide (that she did to save Laharl's life).]] The game does everything to tell you, short of actually telling you, and the anime preserves this plot point.
*** [[spoiler:Jennifer was raised by General Carter. He makes a lousy father, though.]]
** As if they didn't beat this trope into the ground with the first game, they brought it back in the second game to beat it ''under the ground''.
*** [[spoiler:Adell was given to Mom and Dad to raise by his real parents, Shura (the Masked Man) and Serion (the Masked Woman).]] Again, the game does everything to tell you, short of actually telling you.
*** [[spoiler:Although the game makes clear that Rozalin, as Zenon's reincarnation, cannot be the daughter of the fake Zenon, and out right states that she was kidnapped. The game hints that Rozalin was born into the Snow Clan, and the fake Zenon's attack on them was to secure her.]] The second point is, once again, confirmed by the ''World of Disgaea'' artbook.
** With the third game, they don't bother even trying to take it seriously anymore...
*** In one scene, [[spoiler:Laharl claims to be Mao's father]]. It doesn't work, mostly because [[spoiler:Flonne and Etna can't decide who would be his mother]].
*** And in Rasbperyl mode, [[{{Bishounen}} Master Big Star]] and [[ThoseWackyNazis Salvatore]] claim to be the [[GoldfishPoopGang Vato Brothers]]' parents, while two [[ButtMonkey Prinnies]] claim to be the parents of [[TheBigGuy Gold Knuckle]]. All of this, needless to say, is both impossible and absolutely ridiculous.
* ''[[WildArms Wild ARMs 4]]'' repeatedly drops the fact that main character Jude has no father, then has the party meet a mysterious vagrant with the same hair colour as Jude, only a little darker. Jude immediately feels strangely connected to this unknown man. [[spoiler:Slightly subverted when it is hinted that this is ''not'' Jude's real father (he died), but rather a collection of nanomachines that mimicked him]].
* The ending of ''Stubbs the Zombie'' reveals that Stubbs and BigBad Andrew Monday are [[spoiler:father and son respectively, with [[HotShonenMom Maggie Monday]] having slept with the then living Edward Stubbleton before he was gunned down by her father (this also explains why Stubbs instantaneously falls in love with her).]] Needless to say, Andrew is disgusted to learn this.
* At the end of ''BaldursGate'' (the first), we learn that the man who killed Gorion is [[spoiler:Charname's brother]].
** More literal example is the fact that the voice in your head belongs to [[spoiler:Bhaal, God of Murder and your daddy. You'll have a LOT more of these revelations as the series goes on.]]
* In ''[[JaysJourney Jay's Journey]]'', Jay's father is [[spoiler:Max, the team's RalphWiggum, who was rendered as such when a magical spell misfired. Jay is less than pleased.]]
* In ''GoldenSun: The Lost Age'', [[spoiler:Hama is revealed to be Ivan's sister.]]
** In the same game, one could also say that [[spoiler:the Doom Dragon being a fusion of Felix and Jenna's parents and Isaac's father]] could count for this trope as well.
* Parodied in ''Grabbed by the Ghoulies'', in which Baron Von Ghoul tells Cooper he can join him, and they can rule the mansion as father and son. After Cooper's reply, the Baron realizes he's gave the wrong speech.
* Near the end of ''[[InfiniteUndiscovery Infinite Undiscovery]]'' Iskan Du Bal reveals to Capell that [[spoiler:Sigmund is his father.]] This was heavily implied by Svala explaining that [[spoiler:after the newly born Capell was exiled from Casandra for being [[FantasticRacism born an Unblessed]], Sigmund, then-King of Casandra, had his Lunaglyph removed, thus reverting back to an infant.]]
* Semi spoofed in ''LegendOfDragoon''. Two of the characters are related (it's not hard to guess which two by Disc 2. It's even lampshaded by the older party "There may be a secret connection between us!". Apparently seems to be a spoof in honor of the FF8 father/son thing. YouShouldKnowThisAlready.
** Then it goes on to have an actual example. [[spoiler: Emperor Diaz is Dart's father and Rose's former lover, Zieg. Then it's subverted - it's actually Melbu Frahma in Zieg's body.]]
* In ''[[FirstEncounterAssaultRecon F.E.A.R.]]'', the [[spoiler: Point Man]] is Alma's first son.
* ''RivalSchools: United by Fate'' reveals that TheHero Batsu is the son of ([[LargeAndInCharge literal]]) BigBad Raizo. In a surprising twist, Batsu also learns that his classmate Kyosuke and the ''[[ManBehindTheMan real]]'' BigBad Hyo are twin brothers ''and'' Batsu's cousins (their father Mugen is the older brother of Raizo).
* Borderline example in ''{{Shadow the Hedgehog}}'': [[spoiler:The titular character was created from the blood of the BigBad.]]
* In ''{{Overlord}} II'', the mysterious woman who foresees your inevitable downfall and secretly observes your progress is later revealed to be [[spoiler:Rose, the previous Mistress and your mother]]. This is hinted at first with Gnarl noting how familiar she looks and revealed with this exchange:
-->'''Gnarl:''' Look, it's our old friend.\\
'''[[spoiler:Rose]]:''' Oh, do shut up, Gnarl.\\
'''Gnarl:''' What! How did you know-- hang on, I recognize that voice now! [[spoiler:Rose! Former Mistress Rose! Or Mrs. [[TheDragon Marius]] now, I should say.]] Don't trust her. [[spoiler:She's a devious, manipulative, abandoner... Oh and she's your mother!]]
* ''[[AceAttorney Apollo Justice]]'' takes this trope UpToEleven when it's revealed to the audience (but not to the protagonist) that [[spoiler: Trudy is his little sister, the guy who got killed in the first case was their father, and their mother is Lamoir, the blind, amnisiac foreign singer from the third case]]. Whew....
* ''[=Indestructo2Tank=]'''s Adventure Mode. After Dirk Danger defeats General Betton, Betton tells Dirk that he's Dirk's father.
* In the Troperiffic fantasy game parody ''DarkenedSkye'', when Skye finally meets her long-lost mother, she finds her to be extremely bitter towards Skye's father and distrustful of men in general. The reason for this attitude is revealed in the game's penultimate battle, where Skye's father is revealed to be [[spoiler: TheDragon to the BigBad. ''Literally'', with 3 heads to boot.]]
*In BatenKaitos, you find out at one point that [[spoiler: Giacomo is Georg's son.]] However, since you find out even later that [[spoiler: Kalas is an ArtificialHuman and therefore has no biological parents]], this doesn't mean what you think it means.
*A popular TeamFortress2 theory is the idea that the Spy is the Scout's father. In "Meet the Spy," the BLU Spy reveals that the RED Spy has been sleeping with the BLU Scout's mother. A drawing of the Scout's mother is engraved on the barrel of the Spy's unlockable handgun, the Ambassador. And one achievement for the Spy, "Who's Your Daddy," involves headshotting three Scouts with the Ambassador, the gun on which his mother is engraved.
**Another popular idea is assuming the Pyro is female and the Scout's mother, explaining why the Pyro and Spy are archenemies (she hates him for whatever reason) and is in the thick of battle to watch over her son. A related theory is that the unseen Announcer is the Scout's mother, or that the Pyro and Announcer are somehow the same person.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Animation ]]
* In ''Proxicide's MK vs. SF 3'', it is revealed at the very end that [[spoiler:Akuma and Ryu are father and son]].
* The Most In The Graveyard toon on ''HomestarRunner'' reveals that [[spoiler:Coach Z's aunt is Bubs's uncle, which makes them sixth fourth second fifth cousins thrice removed, according to Bubs.]]
* ''BrokenSaints'': More like [[spoiler: I Am ''Her'' Father''. BigBad Lear Dunham tells the other heroes that he is Shandala's biological father in his JustBetweenYouAndMe.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]
* ''GirlGenius'': At the end of the first major arc, Agatha escapes from Baron Wulfenbach with the newfound knowledge that she is the daughter of famous adventurer Bill Heterodyne.
** In the next arc, she finds out that her mother Lucrezia [[spoiler:was almost certainly the infamous menace known as the Other... shortly before getting a copy of said progenitor's persona [[EnemyWithin uploaded into her mind]]]].
** Gilgamesh Wulfenbach, the Baron's son, may also be the son of a woman from the lost city of Skifander. This may or may not be related to [[spoiler:reports that a princess of Skifander is in Baron Wulfenbach's domains and according to the Baron wants Gil dead.]]
*** He's also maybe Von Pinn's son. Which says some scary things about his genes.
**** Could this be a ShoutOut to the legendary parentage of Gil's heroic namesake?
* ''{{Ozy and Millie}}'': Millie eventually learns that [[spoiler:the dread pirate Locke]] is her father, even though [[spoiler:MerlinSickness makes him look like he's about her age]].
* A variation in ''TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob,'' when Bob [[http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20061007.html first tells Molly]] that he ''considers'' her to be his daughter, even though they are not related.
** Still later, Jean [[http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20080503.html reveals that]] [[spoiler: because Molly shares some of her DNA, Jean ''is'' her mommy, "just a little bit."]]
* Revolver Ocelot tells this to Psycho Mantis at one point in ''TheLastDaysOfFoxhound''. Mantis, [[SelfMadeOrphan having killed his father at the age of eight]], states that he isn't. Ocelot concedes the point since the only reason he said it was to rip up in Mantis' old wounds.
* In ''{{Drowtales}}'', [[http://www.drowtales.com/~wiki/index.php/Jer%27kol_Sarghress Jer'Kol]] [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?check=1&order=chapters&overview=1&chibi=1&cover=1&page=1&extra=1&id=311 tells]] [[http://www.drowtales.com/~wiki/index.php/Ariel_Val%27Sarghress Ariel]] he is her father, but [[spoiler: it turns out he is really an assasin sent to kill her!]]
* ''QuestionableContent'' references it in [[http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=436 this strip]].
* In ''{{Looking for Group}}'', when Richard is in the demonic court on the Plane of Suck, he is asked why he travels with Cale. He responds with a mumbled "He's my mother." This gets a "What?" reaction from everyone in the room, including Richard. Probably just a joke, though. But they said that about the rabbit, too, so...
* Subverted in the ''{{Dan and Mabs Furry Adventures}}'' side-comic ''Abel's Story'', in which Abel [[spoiler: grows up believing Cid Rewanz is his father, when in fact Cid was killed and replaced with the Incubus Aniz years before Abel was born.]]
* ''{{Darths and Droids}}'': [[http://www.darthsanddroids.net/episodes/0302.html "Anakin, I am your stepfather."]]
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[[folder: Web Original ]]
* In "[[TheAngryVideoGameNerd AVGN]] vs [[ThatGuyWithTheGlasses NC]]", the Nostalgia Critic tries pulling this on the Nerd. It fails.
-->'''NC:''' Wait! Would you do this to your brother?\\
'''AVGN:''' Brother? You're my brother?\\
'''NC:''' Yeah!\\
'''AVGN:''' Huh. Well, certainly you know the name of our mother.\\
'''NC:''' Um... I don't know... Elyssa... ''(Nerd points Super Scope at Critic)'' Oh, blame a guy for trying!
* In the [[{{ptitlegm3tnwe7}} Legion of Net.Heroes]] title ''Dvandom Force'', .Sig Lad is revealed to have been the son of Mr. Thingy and the !Visible Woman of the Net.tastic Nine, who was dosed with an unstable form of the Super-Molder Serum, and who managed to escape the {{Retcon}} Limbo where the rest of the Nine had been sent through the Dvandom Dial.... No, seriously.
* Parodied, once again, in ''CollegeSaga''. The FinalBoss Diculous (wearing a Darth Vader helmet with voice-changing filter) tries to pull this on the hero, only to have two of the party members inform him that [[spoiler:"*We* are your parents!"]]. Perhaps the reason the hero doesn't fall for it is that [[spoiler:he was already revealed to be the son of Willie Wonka]].
** Of course, there's the final twist that Diculous is [[spoiler:their ''daughter'']].
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]
* ''KidsNextDoor'': Number 1 learns in TheMovie that the BigBad Father is his uncle. [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] in the same movie with the Delightful Children, who it's revealed aren't actually Father's children but former KND operatives whom he kidnapped and {{Brainwashed}}.
** Also, kind of inverted in that Numbuh Zero, who we haven't seen before, is [[spoiler:Nigel's dad]], who we have.
* ''{{Avatar the Last Airbender}}'': In "The Avatar and the Firelord", it is revealed that [[spoiler: Avatar Roku, Aang's spiritual predecessor, was the great-grandfather of Prince Zuko, making Aang Zuko's great-grandfather in spirit, if not in body.]] Did we mention that Mark Hamill voices ''[[spoiler:Zuko's]]'' father? Cue run-in-the-family memes.
* Such a moment happens in {{WITCH}} when Caleb finds out that [[spoiler:{{Wicked Witch}} Nerissa is his mother.]]
* ''{{HeMan and the Masters of the Universe}}'': in the original series episode "Teela's Quest", the titular HotAmazon finds out that she's the daughter of the Sorceress. Her mommy gave her EasyAmnesia, though, since Teela was NOT supposed to find out. This would've been true in the 2002 remake, but without the amnesia, had the show continued. Oh, we would've also learned that Fisto was Teela's biological father. For some reason, a couple of episodes seemed to hint that it was Duncan a.k.a. Man-At-Arms (who happens to be Fisto's brother and Teela's adoptive father) instead.
** Some time after the end of the original animated series, the minicomic ''The Search for Keldor'' dropped hints that Skeletor is really King Randor's long-lost brother Keldor, making him Adam/He-Man's uncle. In the 2002 remake, Skeletor was originally named Keldor, but there is no indication that he is related to Randor.
*** While never stated in the show, the writers have since revealed that Keldor was intended to be Randor's half-brother. Same father, different mothers.
* ''JusticeLeague Unlimited'' pulls this off twice, using ''BatmanBeyond'' both times. In the episode "The Once and Future Thing", it's revealed that Warhawk, assumed to be the LegacyCharacter of Hawkman, is (or will be) in fact [[spoiler: the son of Hawk''girl'' and GreenLantern John Stewart]]. "Epilogue", the FullyAbsorbedFinale of ''BatmanBeyond'', reveals that [[spoiler: Bruce Wayne was Terry [=McGinnis=]' genetic father. Warren [=McGinnis=]' reproductive DNA had been overwritten with Bruce's as part of Amanda Waller's Batman Beyond project.]]
** Hades also tries to do this with Wonder Woman, with a twist that he had to resort to a technicality when WW pointed out her origin story doesn't ''allow'' her to have a father (she was sculpted of clay and made flesh by the breath of her mother, Hippolyte, instead of born; Hades claimed he was there during the sculpting, but not the life-granting).
* ''CodeLyoko'': Revealed just before the Season 2 finale that Franz Hopper, creator of Lyoko, is actually [[TheChick Aelita]]'s father. This also reveals that she is human, and not an AI as everyone originally thought.
* Parodied in ''TeenTitans''. In the first episode of the fourth season, Control Freak [[TrappedInTVLand enters]] a ''StarWars''-esque TV show, kicks the Darth Vader lookalike and approached the Luke lookalike with saying, "I am Count Rol Freakow, the twelfth-level space samurai that trained Baran Rang. And... [[LukeIAmYourFather I am your father!]]". Followed by the typical [[BigNo "NOOOOOOO!!!!"]]
* Parodied in ''[=~Dexter's Laboratory~=]'':
-->'''Dad:''' Dexter, I'd like to have a little word with you.\\
'''Dexter:''' Oh, and what would that be?\\
'''Dad:''' ''(coming out of the shadows)'' Dexter, I am your father!\\
'''Dexter:''' NOOOOO! That Cannot Be True!... Oh, No wait, that's right.\\
::And Also:
-->'''Dad:''' Join me, Dexter. Join the muffin side!\\
::Note that [[SeriousBusiness Dexter's dad was making a big deal over not being allowed to get Mom's muffins.]]
* Parodied in ''TheVentureBrothers'', quoted above.
** However,[[spoiler: fans are forming EpilepticTrees that it will be played straight in season three when Brock Samson, not the Monarch, is revealed to be Hank's real father. There's only vague evidence that this is true, but it would explain why Brock is so attached to the Ventures and calls them "his family," and why Dr. Venture is grooming only Dean to follow in his footsteps as a super-scientist.]]
*** Ahem,[[spoiler: a recent flashback episode appears to debunk this, as Brock appears to be assigned to Operation Rusty's Blanket after Hank has already been born. So, the true origin of the boys may be what we've been told all along, the creations of Dr. Venture and Crazy Cat Lady.]]
** This Troper can't believe no one else is counting the episodes until the Monarch is revealed to be some sort of relation to Dr.Venture. Given that we still don't know why he is so determined to destroy him (it's explicitly implied that the destruction of Venture is the only reason The Monarch became a super-villain in the first place) Not to mention the fact that they look EXACTLY alike. Including same hair colour.
* Evil Emperor Zurg pulled this during a climactic fight scene with the titular character in an episode of ''BuzzLightyearOfStarCommand''. Quite possibly to give a ShoutOut to the ''[[ToyStory Toy Story 2]]'' movie (''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command'' is a ShowWithinAShow that got [[{{Defictionalized}} turned into a show.]] It gets a little headscratch-ey, but the above mention is canon because of this show, which is the derivative work and... [[SoYeah yeah, just yeah.]]).
* In ''XMenEvolution'' (and also in the comics, but done with considerably less drama, as this troper remembers) Nightcrawler is lured out to a construction site with a mysterious note that promises that "everything will be explained". A hooded figure comes out of the shadows (actually, since it is early evening, there aren't many shadows to speak of, so they obviously added this in for dramatic effect) and, after making Nightcrawler squirm in confusion and anticipation for about thirty seconds, throws her hood off to reveal Mystique, [[BigBad Magneto's]] EvilChancellor of sorts and says, "Kurt, I'm your mother." (This troper, though having not previously known this fact, was driven to hysterical laughter due to the similarities between this scene and the TropeNamer.)
** The original 90s cartoon also did this with Nightcrawler and Mystique, but with the added twist that BigBad leader of the [[PathOfInspiration Friends of Humanity]] Grayden Creed, Jr. (who was already exposed in an earlier episode as being Sabertooth's son) was Mystique's son and Nightcrawler's brother.
*** X-Men scribe ChrisClaremont originally intended Mystique to be Nightcrawler's ''father'' -- she's apparently a ''really good'' shapeshifter -- but ExecutiveMeddling derailed those plans.
*** Thank ''God''.
* Parodied in ''TheFairlyOddparents'' in a "copyright-infringing dream sequence":
-->'''Timmy:''' Hey! You cut off my hand! I've only got two of those!\\
'''Darth Vader-like:''' Don't worry, you get a new one. A really cool robot one!\\
'''Timmy:''' How do you know all this?\\
'''Darth Vader-like:''' Because, Timmy, I am your father. ''(removes mask to reveal himself as Cosmo)''\\
'''Cosmo:''' Your godfather!
* Parodied in ''{{Freakazoid}}'', in the episode "The Wrath of Guitierrez". During the climax of the episode, Guitierrez is knocked off a platform and hangs dangling over an abyss, and cries for Freakazoid to pull him up.
-->'''Guitierrez:''' Freakazoid, help me! Would you let your father fall?\\
'''Freakazoid:''' My father? You're my father?!\\
'''Guitierrez:''' ''(glances confused at camera)'' O-oh yes. I am your father!\\
'''Freakazoid:''' ''(goes to help him, stops)'' W-who was my mother?\\
'''Guitierrez:''' Uhh... Faye Dunaway?\\
'''Freakazoid:''' ''(crosses arms)'' No she's not...\\
'''Guitierrez:''' Kaye Ballard?\\
'''Freakazoid:''' Kaye--nooo.\\
'''Guitierrez:''' [[{{Get Smart}} Would you believe Sandy Duncan?]]
* ''MoralOrel'': The episode "Dumb" shows that [[spoiler:Nurse Bendy is Joe's mother]].
* Happens in the ''{{Futurama}}'' DVD movie ''Bender's Game'', the parties being [[spoiler:Farnsworth and Igner, the stupidest of Mom's three sons]].
* Parodied in ''TeamoSupremo'' when Skate Lad corners the [=CheapSkate=].
-->'''[=CheapSkate=]:''' You can't turn me in, Skate Lad.\\
'''Skate Lad:''' Give me one good reason.\\
'''[=CheapSkate=]:''' Well, um, because, uh... Skate Lad, I am your father.\\
'''Skate Lad:''' Huh?! No you're not; my dad works down at the sporting goods store. I look just like him, loser!
* The final episode of ''TheReplacements'' reveals that Conrad Fleem is Todd and Riley's uncle.
* Parodied in ''{{Phineas and Ferb}}'', in the episode "The Chronicles of Meap". The pair mistake an alien villain (named Mitch) is the eponymous Meap's father, due to miscommunication. Later, after having discovered this, Mitch quite explicitly tells Meap "Just so we're clear on this, I am '''not''' your father!"
* In ''{{Chaotic}}'', the card game revealed something more of a "I am ''also'' your founder" with Kiru, the greatest Overworld hero (even got a beautiful city named after him)[[spoiler:and the ancestor to Chaor, currently one of the Overworld's greatest enemies.]]
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