Stories about those who are notable in some way are usually considered more interesting than those about the dime-a-dozen commoner. This effect is also seen in stories about meeting a foreign or new group of people.
In stories where a character travels to or is introduced into a new culture, civilization, coterie, or community, the people that they become the closest with tend to be some of the most important ones in that place, either through ability or blood. The newcomer also tends to end up living with these people, and coming to view them like family in this new place. They could be the chief and his family, a prominent local clan or aristocrats, the family of the local preacher, the wisest wiseman, the fiercest fighter, the most powerful sorcerer, or anyone else who has an important standing.
The Chief's Daughter is a subtrope of this trope, as the hero is more likely to fall in love with a princess-adjacent figure than any regular girl. This also causes the overlap with Gratuitous Princess and Rags to Royalty. May overlap with Heir-In-Law too.
This trope does not necessarily mean that they won't befriend any commoners of that culture whatsoever, it just means that the specific people that they'll be the closest with will be important members. Sometimes, their greatest enemies from this culture will be important people as well, from a rival elite family.
Stories that involve being Trapped in Another World, Going Native, or Mighty Whitey are frequently seen alongside this trope. This is especially present in the latter where the character trains with or is taught by someone who has an important position in the community or culture, or is particularly knowledgeable in a certain art, style, topic, or other skill.
In many of these stories, the protagonist themselves may have some level of importance or a high position in their own community or culture (or even the world at large). This is frequently seen with princes and other aristocrats' children, most notably the ones who want to get out and explore the world, sometimes even going so far as abandoning their culture. Could potentially overlap with Fake Aristocrat too.
Compare Royal Favorite, Interclass Friendship, and What's Up, King Dude?
Examples include:
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Anime & Manga
- Shortly after Michiru arrives in Anima-City in BNA: Brand New Animal, she's taken in by the mayor and befriends a detective who's also an immortal Physical God.
- Code Geass: After Lelouch and his sister are banished from their home to Japan, they're taken in by a local aristocratic family (although the extent to which this counts is debatable since they're the same race and nationality).
- The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World: After six months of being Trapped in Another World and finding work as an adventurer, Red gets hired by Idola Avorn, the daughter of the former Royal Magic Wand, to help her with her research. Not long afterward, the two of them are recruited by Princess Teltina, third princess of the Avalost Empire, and Rosie Mist, the current hero and wielder of the Royal Sacred Sword. The four of them soon set off to prevent the spread of the parasitic Seeds of Magic, running afoul of the Demon Lord's children in the process.
Film — Animated
- In Atlantis: The Lost Empire, despite his famous explorer relative, Milo Thatch is a neglected museum worker who is ridiculed by the higher-ups for his fancy notions about the legend of Atlantis (which turn out to be true, in-universe). His expertise in reading and translating ancient languages is what gets him recruited by an eccentric millionaire for an expedition to the lost continent. When the crew reaches Atlantis, it is Milo's language skills that allow the group to mingle with the local Atlanteans, and eventually Milo befriends (and falls in love with) Kidagakash (Kida), the long-lived princess of Atlantis.
Film — Live-Action
- In Avatar, the main character first meets Neytiri, the daughter of both the tribal and spiritual leaders of the Na'vi. He eventually falls in love and marries her too.
- In the first cinematic adaptation of Mortal Kombat: The Movie, Liu Kang is a former Shaolin Monk who returns to the fold at the behest of Earth's Thunder God Raiden (whom, at first, he believes to be only a beggar). He becomes involved in the dangerous competition of the Mortal Kombat in Outworld and meets Kitana, Shao Kahn's stepdaughter and princess of the fallen realm of Edenia. Kitana advises Liu about some of his fights. There is a certain sexual tension between both throughout the movie that is carried over to its sequel and ascends to canon in the video game franchise soon after.
Literature
- In the first book of Virgil's The Aeneid, the hero Aeneas and his crew land in Carthage and almost immediately get introduced to its queen, Dido, to whom Aeneas spends the second and third books of the epic relating how they got there. Thanks to the intervention of the gods, this does not end well for anyone, especially Dido.
- In The Chosen, Reuven is introduced to the insular and hostile Hasidic community in a game against Danny, the heir to a large local rabbinate of which his father is the respected leader. He goes on to become close friends with him and be further immersed in their community.
- Dune: Chani, the Fremen girl who Paul falls in love with, is the daughter of their tribe's leader.
- Earth's Children: The main protagonists often develop close relationships with the leaders of communities they visit or settle with on their travels. There is some justification for this given that communities tend to be smaller in this setting (the late Ice Age) and Ayla's medical training and other skills draw her to those in leadership positions.
- In The Valley of Horses, Thonolan and Jondalar stay with a Sharamudoi camp following a run-in with a woolly rhino. Jetamio, the adoptive daughter of the camp's leaders, helps tend Thonolan's injuries, resulting in them falling in love and marrying, joining the Sharamudoi in the process.
- After being cast out of her clan, Ayla saves Jondalar from a cave lion and falls in love with him; he happens to be from a family associated with leadership for generations. Jondalar's mother is the retired leader of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii and his brother Joharran is the current leader, his stepfather is Trade Master of the Zelandonii, while his father is the leader of the Lanzadonii. As such, Ayla has an easier time integrating with and being accepted by the Zelandonii. Ayla also quickly comes to the attention of Zolena, the spiritual leader of the Zelandonii (and Jondalar's ex-girlfriend), who encourages Ayla to become her acolyte.
- In The Mammoth Hunters, Ayla and Jondalar are invited to stay with the Lion Camp of the Mamutoi and befriend the headman Talut, headwoman Tulie, their families, and the camp's shaman Mamut. Ayla especially comes to regard them as family and is formally adopted by the Lion Camp, going from "Ayla of No People" to "Ayla of the Mamutoi".
- Quite possibly the Ur-Example from The Epic of Gilgamesh: Enkidu the wild man is created by the gods to balance out king Gilgamesh, who otherwise spends his days drinking, feasting and exercising Droit du Seigneur. After a wrestling match ends in a draw, they become best friends and Gilgamesh a better king.
- This trope is zigzagged in Harry Potter. Many of the important characters Harry is introduced to and becomes the closest (positively or negatively) vary between their importance in the society. Dumbledore, the Malfoys, the Lestranges, Sirius Black, and several other characters are very important in the magic society. However, there are equally many people he becomes close to who aren't particularly well-known or high-standing in their society, such as the Muggle-born Hermione, the impoverished Weasleys (debatable since they are one of the important pure-blood clans), several house-elves, the half-giant Hagrid, and many others.
- Subverted in Journey to the Dream Land. Anya (later joined by Fyodor) is an ordinary eleven-year-old who visits the Land of Dreams and befriends one of its queens Mirabel, a famous magician and wanderer Aluvel, and the legendary Lonesome Knight. However, as her memories gradually return, she is revealed to be Annabel, one of the queens and founders of the Land of Dreams and Mirabel's sister, born again on Earth.
- In Mortal Engines, when Tom boards the city of Anchorage, he has a short affair with its princess.
- Mutiny on the Bounty: The English protagonist goes to Tahiti on a scientific expedition. He becomes fast friends with a powerful chief, moves in with him and marries a daughter of another noble family.
- In Outbreak Company, the empress befriends Shinichi almost instantly, although it's more of entering a love triangle.
- Warrior Cats: As a kittypet let into ThunderClan, Firepaw was an outcast who nevertheless grew very close with some of the most important members of his Clan: The Leader, Bluestar; The Medicine Cat, Spottedleaf and later Yellowfang, and a few important senior warriors as well. After becoming a warrior, he also had a close relationship with WindClan's leader, Tallstar.
- Averted with Lockwood in Wuthering Heights. Though Lockwood is living in the former home of an aristocratic family and his landlord is a rich adopted heir of another, the person he ends up befriending the most is his servant Nelly, who narrates to him the entire story. Played straight with Heathcliff, who is a Romani orphan adopted into a rich English family.
Live-Action TV
- Midsomer Murders: In "The Green Man", Tom is a homeless man rejected by most of the community yet is under the protection of a retired appeals court judge. Some of the villagers joke that Tom is the one who's friends with someone beneath his station.
Video Games
- In Final Fantasy XIV, the Warrior of Light is introduced as either a fresh-faced adventurer coming to Eorzea by boat or carriage or one of the adventurers at the Battle of Carteneau transported forward in time. Their possession of the Echo and heroic feats get them recruited by the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. From there, it isn't long before the Warrior becomes Fire-Forged Friends with kings, admirals, seedseers, and sultanas.
- The player character in Genshin Impact is a traveler from another world that travels across the seven nations of Teyvat and usually quickly gets involved in the affairs of the highest-ranking people of these countries, whether they want to or not.
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Link, the neglected black sheep of the Kokiri tribe, is called to a quest that leads him to aid Zelda the princess of Hyrule and assemble the leaders of the various races of the land to oppose the Gerudo King Ganondorf.
- In Phantasy Star Online 2, one of the Player Character's first and closest friends as a new ARKS recruit is the mysterious Matoi, who is later revealed to be Klariskrays II, a former member of the Council of Six and thus one of ARKS greatest heroes. But her past as a Living Weapon and One-Man Army also makes her a as a viable vessel for the Profound Darkness.
- Undertale: In the pacifist ending, Frisk can be adopted by Toriel, who in the past was the Queen of the Underground. They also become a friend of King Asgore. And this is not the first time that Asgore and Toriel become friends with and adopt a human child.
Visual Novels
- BAD END THEATER: the Maiden very quickly becomes a friend and love interest of the Overlord.
- Choices: Stories You Play:
- The Elementalists: The Player Character has never heard of magic before getting suddenly transported to a Wizarding School. Among their closest friends and potential love interests are Shreya Mistry and Beckett Harrington, who come from extremely wealthy and powerful Attuned families.
- It Lives: The Player Character of the second novel is an Ordinary College Student who arrives in the town of Pine Springs and befriends (with a possibility for romance) Spoiled Sweet Imogen Westcott, daughter of the town's power couple.
- The Royal Romance: The Player Character is a waitress from New York. After coming to the kingdom of Cordonia, she befriends its crown prince (later the king), his best friend, and several people from old aristocratic families. Four of the above, the prince included, are her potential love interests.
- Veil of Secrets: The Player Character is a journalist who arrives in Birchport for the first time for their friend's wedding. Among their closest friends and potential love interests is Grant Emerson from one of Birchport's richest families.
- Hiveswap Friendsim: The main goal of the game is the MSPA Reader's friendship with trolls, both highblooded and lowblooded. And they do manage to make friends with many highblooded trolls, including Zebruh Codakk, Ardata Carmia and Marvus Xoloto. Subverted, as Doc Scratch brainwashed the characters and changed the timelines so that this could happen.
Web Original
- In Brig Scarlet Flamingo:
- In the prequel The School Years, Gerry Ernscott, a Starving Student who manages to get accepted to a prestigious school, eventually becomes best friends with Rick Frankson and Letty Spencer, both of whom are among the richest and highest-born students of the school.
- In the main timeline, Gerry and his wife Izzy are now themselves the wealthiest people on Jarison Haven. Amelia, a Sweet Polly Oliver commoner who gets stranded on the island after a sea battle, befriends Izzy after their mutual friend Mabel introduces Amelia to the Ernscotts.
Western Animation
- Amphibia: Shortly after being transported to Amphibia, Marcy is introduced to King Andrias and becomes one of his most trusted friends and advisors. Subverted in that, though he did genuinely grow fond of her, Andrias befriended her with the conscious intention of using her for his, and his master the Core’s, own ulterior motives.
- Avatar: The Last Airbender: A good chunk of the characters that Aang becomes close to fit this trope. Katara and Sokka are the children of the chief of their tribe. Zuko is the prince of the Fire Nation. Toph is the daughter of an aristocratic family. Suki is the leader of her troop of warriors. Yue is the princess of her tribe. Aang's old friend Bumi ends up being a king in his old age. Justified in that as an Avatar Aang is one of, if not the most important person in the world, and the only one believed to be able to resolve a hundred year old conflict, so other important people naturally gravitate towards him. For example, he met Zuko because the prince was actively hunting him down.
- G.I. Joe: Renegades: Snake Eyes is a poor foreigner boy but he is taken in by the powerful and respected Arashikage Clan.
- Green Eggs and Ham: EB befriends a Yookian boy hanging out on the border of the country, but later finds out that he is actually the prince of the kingdom.
- The Owl House: Upon being trapped in the Boiling Isles, Luz befriends and moves in with Eda, who despite being a fugitive is also the most powerful witch on the Isles (and also the one who got Luz stuck there in the first place). She also befriends (and then some) Amity Blight, one of the best students on the Isles and the daughter of one of its most prominent families.
- Winx Club: Bloom, an Ordinary High-School Student from Earth, stumbles upon and saves Princess Stella of Solaria from some monsters. In the process, Bloom discovers she's a fairy too and accompanies said fairy princess to the Magical Land she comes from. There, she gets accepted at the most prestigious fairy school, develops a mentor-protegee relationship with the headmistress (a senior warrior of the most powerful magical team, the Company of Light), and unknowingly romances the prince of another planet. Two more fairy princesses are added to her friend circle in the following seasons. Bloom's penchant for befriending well-positioned people gets dialed up in the comics, where most of the Winx Club are princesses — like in the series, this includes Aisha and Stella but also Musa and Tecna. The whole situation gets kind of subverted, though, as Bloom is too a fairy princess, but of a lost kingdom. So, she's only an outsider because she was sent to Earth for her protection when she was a baby.
Real Life
- This was what John Smith allegedly experienced when he claimed he was saved by the chief's daughter Matoaka ("Pocahontas"). However, the prevailing historical view is that John Smith made up the story.
- Rasputin was a peasant but was able to be accepted into the inner circle of the Russian royal family after showing his mysterious talents and allegedly helping the prince.
