Basic Trope: Someone continues to believe in a childhood mythical being (such as Santa, the Tooth Fairy, or the Easter Bunny), despite being too old to believe in them anymore.
- Straight: Danny is 17 and still believes in Santa.
- Exaggerated:
- Danny also believes in the Sandman, Jack Frost, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, and every other mythical figure that exists long after he's too old to believe in them anymore.
- Danny is Really 700 Years Old and still wholeheartedly believes in Santa.
- Everyone in the work still believes in Santa despite being too old to.
- Downplayed:
- Danny is 12 and still believes in Santa - a little older than most kids learn, but not ubiquitous.
- Danny is merely curious about the existence of Santa, but doesn't necessarily believe he exists.
- Justified:
- Inverted: Danny is 5 years old and already knows that Santa doesn't exist.
- Subverted:
- Danny is shown being excited over Christmas and wonders when Santa is coming, but it turns out that Christmas is just one of his favorite holidays and that he was pretending Santa is real for his younger sister Claire.
- Danny claims that he believes in Santa, but he meant that he supports Santa emotionally.
- Santa turns out to be Real After All, meaning that Danny was right.
- Danny was lying because the cutesiness of still believing in Santa gets him presents.
- Double Subverted:
- His younger sister Claire is 14.
- He supports Santa emotionally, and also believes he's real.
- "Santa" is actually just Danny's grandfather dressing up.
- When Danny's friends realize this, they decide to prank him by staging an encounter with "Santa" — leaving him a genuine believer.
- Parodied: The work that Danny is from doesn't even mention any holidays existing, but for some reason Danny believes in the existence of holiday figures anyway.
- Zig-Zagged: Sometimes Danny believes that Santa exists, but sometimes he doesn't.
- Averted:
- Anyone who believes in holiday figures is at the right age to do so.
- Holiday figures are never mentioned.
- Enforced: To establish Danny as being somewhat more childish.
- Lampshaded: "Yeah, I guess not every 17 year old thinks Santa is real, but I sure do."
- Invoked: Someone gives Danny "proof" that Santa is real after all.
- Exploited: Danny's parents continue to use Santa to encourage Danny to be on his best behavior before Christmas.
- Defied: Danny is informed that Santa doesn't exist when he's at the proper age.
- Discussed: "Don't you think you're a little old to believe in Santa?"
- Conversed: "Why does this 17 year old still think Santa exists? I learned Santa wasn't real when I was 11!"
- Implied: Danny overhears that Santa isn't real and seems rather surprised.
- Played for Drama: Danny becomes upset after learning Santa doesn't exist.
- Plotted A Good Waste: Danny believes that there's more than one way that Santa could be real, and any one of them could be right in some form or another.
- Deconstructed: Danny is a genuinely troubled person, retreated into his childhood fantasies about Santa so he can hide from reality.
- Reconstructed: Danny finds the strength to undergo self-improvement just so he can get on Santa's Nice List, and his odd belief in Santa doesn't interfere with his ordinary life.
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