History Literature / PeterPan

** It's generally accepted that Peter is between the ages of 12-18 years old, and, as strange as it may sound, it's entirely possible for a teenager and even an adult to still have their baby teeth. It generally happens because of a condition called ''"dental ankylosis"'' that causes baby teeth to fuse to the jaw bone and prevents them from falling out. It is also possible that there is no permanent tooth under the gums pushing on the baby tooth. Some teenagers retain baby teeth because of trauma, obstructions, pathology, or misaligned permanent teeth under them.

[[quoteright:195:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/peter_pan_book_small.jpg]]

Peter Pan is a [[TheTrickster trickster]], only nominally human. In his first appearance, ''Literature/PeterPanInKensingtonGardens'' (which was one of several stories included in the book ''Literature/TheLittleWhiteBird''), Peter is alluded to as being [[LiminalBeing half bird]]; as all children, in fact, come from birds, but only Peter is close enough to his youth to remember ''being'' a bird. In Neverland, he is more like a playful demigod, with aspects of Puck and Pan. The character has become something of a cultural symbol for youthful exuberance and innocence, especially if it persists into adulthood; it also evokes the poignant flip side - never becoming truly mature. Music/MichaelJackson identified with the character so much he named his estate (with an amusement park, et. al. on the grounds) "Neverland Ranch". The darker implications of eternal youth and perpetual irresponsibility is likely why a well-remembered 1987 film about teen vampires was called ''Film/TheLostBoys''.

The [[Theatre/PeterPan1904 original play]] is fairly [[{{Disneyfication}} Child-Friendly]]: Captain Hook is a [[BigHam blustering]] [[HarmlessVillain comic villain]], the violence is usually [[ThePratfall a pratfall]] or similar form of {{Slapstick}}, and death is treated more like a time-out. In contrast, the [[Literature/PeterAndWendy book version]] later written by Sir James M. Barrie is a [[{{Satire}} sly]] {{Deconstruction}} of the [[ChildrenAreInnocent Victorian notion of the sacred innocence]] of [[ChildrenAreCruel children]], full of ParentalBonus [[BlackComedy dark humor]] and subtle GallowsHumor; Barrie was a master satirist for his time, though few of his satires are remembered today.

Between licensing by Great Ormond Street Hospital (who still holds certain rights in the UK) and the expiration of copyright in most of the world, there are clashing Sequel and {{Prequel}} books and films. In addition to the 1953 Disney film and a 2002 sequel, there was a 41 episode {{anime}} adaption as part of the Anime/WorldMasterpieceTheater series in 1989, the 1990 animated series on the first season of Creator/FoxKids, Steven Spielberg's ''Film/{{Hook}}'' (1991), a sequel that posits what would have happened had Peter eventually decided to grow up, and a 2003 live-action adaptation. See also ''Film/FindingNeverland'' (2004), a VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory drama about Barrie's conception and initial production of the play.

For details about adaptations and sequels by other hands, see {{Franchise.Peter Pan}}.

Peter Pan is a [[TheTrickster trickster]], only nominally human. In his first appearance, ''Literature/PeterPanInKensingtonGardens'' (which was one of several stories included in the book ''Literature/TheLittleWhiteBird''), Peter is alluded to as being [[LiminalBeing half bird]]; as all children in fact come from birds, but only Peter is close enough to his youth to remember ''being'' a bird. In Neverland, he is more like a playful demigod, with aspects of Puck and Pan. The character has become something of a cultural symbol for youthful exuberance and innocence, especially if it persists into adulthood; it also evokes the poignant flip side - never becoming truly mature. Music/MichaelJackson identified with the character so much he named his estate (with an amusement park, et. al. on the grounds) "Neverland Ranch". The darker implications of eternal youth and perpetual irresponsibility is likely why a well-remembered 1987 film about teen vampires was called ''Film/TheLostBoys''.

* BizarreAlienPsychology: "Tink was not all bad; or, rather, she was all bad just now, but, on the other hand, sometimes she was all good. Fairies have to be one thing or the other, because being so small they unfortunately have room for one feeling only at a time." As a result, Tinker Bell is consumed by whatever emotion she's feeling at the time.
* BookDumb: Peter is an extreme example--he's loaded with mysterious knowledge of magical things, but is absurdly "ignorant" of everything mortals regard as normal.

* CurseOfTheAncients: Captain Hook and his crew use archaic swears. "Odds bods, hammer and tongs!"
* DawnAttack: In Neverland, all attacks take place at dawn. Captain Hook is considered a vile scoundrel when he has his pirates attack before dawn, when nobody's ready.

* TheFairFolk: Fairies in the books are notoriously fickle and love playing tricks on people. Peter Pan is the only one they don't mess with. Though Peter himself is not a fairy, he bears a good resemblance to folkloric fairies, with his child-stealing and general amorality.

* VagueAge: Probably intentional. The book states that Peter has all of his baby teeth, yet all of the female characters have (or develop) a crush on him. Even so, Peter is too immature to notice.
** It's generally accepted that Peter is between 12-15 years old and strange as it sounds, its entirely possible for a teenager to still have their baby teeth. It generally happens because of a condition called dental ankylosis that causes baby teeth to fuse to the jaw bone and prevents them from falling out. It is also possible that there is no permanent tooth under the gums pushing on the baby tooth. Some teenagers retain baby teeth because of trauma, obstructions, pathology, or misaligned permanent teeth under them.

** Played straight with Peter's lifespan in comparison to those of mortals; he'll probably be picking up Wendy's descendants and taking them to Neverland until the world ends.

* SympatheticVillain: The novel PeterAndWendy states that Captain Hook and his crew had been successful pirates until Peter Pan decided it would be fun to fight some pirates, [[YouCantGoHomeAgain drawing them to Neverland and then trapping them]]. The novel suggests that Captain Hook believes he will never be able to escape Neverland or his life as the DesignatedVillain of Peter Pan's adventures until he kills Peter Pan, providing him with a sympathetic motivation for his hatred.

** In fact, [[spoiler:''all'' the other pirates died except Smee and Starkey.]]
** [[spoiler:Tinker Bell.]]

* SociopathicHero: During the climactic fight against Hook and his crew, Peter actually attacks both sides in order to keep things "interesting."

* ''Literature/PeterPan'':

Peter Pan is a {{t|heTrickster}}rickster, only nominally human. In his first appearance, ''Literature/PeterPanInKensingtonGardens'' (which was one of several stories included in the book ''Literature/TheLittleWhiteBird''), Peter is alluded to as being [[LiminalBeing half bird]]; as all children in fact come from birds, but only Peter is close enough to his youth to remember ''being'' a bird. In Neverland, he is more like a playful demigod, with aspects of Puck and Pan. The character has become something of a cultural symbol for youthful exuberance and innocence, especially if it persists into adulthood; it also evokes the poignant flip side - never becoming truly mature. Music/MichaelJackson identified with the character so much he named his estate (with an amusement park, et. al. on the grounds) "Neverland Ranch". The darker implications of eternal youth and perpetual irresponsibility is likely why a well-remembered 1987 film about teen vampires was called ''Film/TheLostBoys''.

'''Tropes mainly from the novel or play''':

* AudienceParticipation: The clapping to save Tinker Bell in the stage version. Such a famous example that it extends even to the book sometimes--people reading it aloud to little kids encourage them to clap at the same point in the story. The main character's younger sister and her mother are shown doing this in the movie ''Film/{{ET|The Extraterrestrial}}''
* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: Hook certainly feels this way. He carries poison around with him in case he's taken alive, and in the play, when he senses that death is imminent, he tries to blow up his entire ship.

* DrivenToSuicide: Hook in the play, upon being defeated, goes to the crocodile "like one greeting a friend." A DeathSeeker perhaps?

* FisherKing: Peter is this to Neverland. The land wakes up when he arrives, and reflects his mood. The 2003 movie adaptation showcases it prominently.

** In the original book, Hook is eaten by the Crocodile at the end.
** In fact, [[spoiler:''all'' the other pirates died except Smee and Starkey, who ironically is implied to have drowned in the film.]]
** Averted in some pretty bizarre early drafts of the play script, which had Captain Hook make it out of the crocodile and [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness head to London to hunt down Peter and Wendy]].

* LiminalBeing:
-->''"You will be a Betwixt-and-Between," Solomon said,''

* MultipleChoicePast:
** Due to Neverland's nature, the book states that Peter's FreudianExcuse of ParentalAbandonment may not have really happened how he remembers it, if at all.
** In the prequel ''Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens,'' Peter's mother lost him very much against her will. He could have chosen to go back to his mother but he kept putting it off because he was having so much fun among the birds and fairies, even though he knew his mother must have been missing him. By the time he had finally resigned himself to giving up his freedom, his mother had had another baby, and to prevent this one from becoming lost as well she had had bars placed over the nursery window. She must have believed Peter was lost to her forever. Tragically, the bars prevented Peter from coming back in, and so the two were forever separated.
* MusicalisInterruptus: Yet another reprise of the pirate's VillainSong gets interrupted when Peter kills Bill Jukes.

* NoHeroToHisValet: Even after gaining celebrity through riding to work in Nana's kennel, George Darling gets no respect from the maid, Liza. In fact, her respect for him actually lessens.

* OedipusComplex: Despite Wendy and Tiger Lily's obvious sexual/presexual interest, Peter regards his relationship with Wendy as a mother/son one. Furthermore, Peter manages to get Mrs. Darling's "hidden kiss"--a symbol which the 2003 film promptly renormatized as romantic between Wendy and Peter.

* ServileSnarker: The Darling's sole servant, Liza, toward the end of the play. Granted, her master was [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment living in a dog kennel]] at the time, so he was practically begging to be snarked at.

* VillainExclusivityClause: Captain Hook is the main villain in all adaptations [[spoiler:and the official sequel]].
* VillainSong: The pirates, especially Hook, have a habit of bursting into song:
-->''Avast, belay, when I appear By fear they're overtook''
-->''Nought's left upon your bones when you Have shaken claws with Hook''

* WestminsterChimes: In the play, quoted in "Tender Shepherd".

* WorldOfHam: Neverland -- {{Justifi|edTrope}}able, since it is the product of children's imagination. The pirates, and Captain Hook especially, are generally ChewingTheScenery with great enthusiasm in most productions.

The [[Theatre/PeterPan original play]] is fairly [[{{Disneyfication}} Child-Friendly]]: Captain Hook is a [[BigHam blustering]] [[HarmlessVillain comic villain]], the violence is usually [[ThePratfall a pratfall]] or similar form of {{Slapstick}}, and death is treated more like a time-out. In contrast, the [[Literature/PeterAndWendy book version]] later written by Sir James M. Barrie is a [[{{Satire}} sly]] {{Deconstruction}} of the [[ChildrenAreInnocent Victorian notion of the sacred innocence]] of [[ChildrenAreCruel children]], full of ParentalBonus [[BlackComedy dark humor]] and subtle GallowsHumor; Barrie was a master satirist for his time, though few of his satires are remembered today.

The [[Theatre/PeterPan original play]] is fairly [[{{Disneyfication}} Child-Friendly]]: Captain Hook is a [[BigHam blustering]] [[HarmlessVillain comic villain]], the violence is usually [[ThePratfall a pratfall]] or similar form of {{Slapstick}}, and death is treated more like a time-out (in the famous 1954 version with Mary Martin, every pirate Hook kills lies dead on the floor for a few minutes, then gets up again and joins in the pirate crowd scenes without comment). In contrast, the [[Literature/PeterAndWendy book version]] later written by Sir James M. Barrie is a [[{{Satire}} sly]] {{Deconstruction}} of the [[ChildrenAreInnocent Victorian notion of the sacred innocence]] of [[ChildrenAreCruel children]], full of ParentalBonus [[BlackComedy dark humor]] and subtle GallowsHumor; Barrie was a master satirist for his time, though few of his satires are remembered today.

Also in the 1950s, a successful Broadway musical version of the story was launched; live TV broadcasts of it with Mary Martin as Peter were ratings winners, and this version is frequently staged in US theaters great and small to this day. An unusual quirk of most stagings of the play and musical, going back to its original productions, is that Peter is traditionally [[CrosscastRole played by a young woman instead of a preteen male actor]]. (As late as the mid-1950s, the labels for [[http://gogd.tjs-labs.com/show-picture?id=1080576186&size=FULL Peter Pan peanut butter]] showed "Peter Pan" as a woman with shoulder-length hair and lipstick, wearing a green dress to her knees and high-heeled pumps.)

[[AC:For various major adaptations, see:]]
[[index]]
* Disney's ''Disney/PeterPan'' and its sequel ''Return to Neverland''
* ''Theatre/PeterPan'', the musical(s).
* ''WesternAnimation/PeterPanAndThePirates'', a cartoon series which aired on Fox Kids in the early 90s.
* ''Anime/PeterPanNoBouken'' by Nippon Animation, '''also''' aired by Fox Kids at the same time.
* ''Film/{{Hook}}'' (1991) which tells what happens after Peter, played by Creator/RobinWilliams, grows up and leaves Neverland.
* ''Film/PeterPan'', the 2003 film.
* Writer/Artist Brom's novel ''Literature/TheChildThief''.
* ''Tigerheart'' by Peter David, an alternative version in which "The Boy" lives in "the Anyplace" and fights Captain Hack (and his sister Slash).
* ''Literature/PeterAndTheStarcatchers'' by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, a novel series that acts as a prequel to the original story, which was also adapted to stage, having a popular run on Broadway.
* ''Literature/PeterPanInScarlet'', by Geraldine [=McCaughrean=]. The official sequel approved by rights-holder Great Ormond Street Hospital. [=McCaughrean=] was selected during a competition in 2004, and the book was published in 2006. Her Majesty Elizabeth II received a specially printed copy.
* ''Comicbook/PeterPan'', a DarkerAndEdgier [[FrancoBelgianComics French comic book]] by [[Creator/RegisLoisel Régis Loisel]].
* ''WesternAnimation/JakeAndTheNeverlandPirates'', a Disney {{Edutainment}} cartoon based off their film adaptation, aimed at young children.
* ''Series/{{Neverland}}'', a 2011 Creator/{{Syfy}} miniseries, which acts as another prequel to the story. By same guy who directed ''Series/TinMan'' and ''Series/{{Alice|2009}}''.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheNewAdventuresOfPeterPan'', a 2013 CGI cartoon by DQ Entertainment starring Peter and the Darlings set in the 21st century.
* ''Series/OnceUponATime'' features Hook as TheDragon to the first BigBad in season 2, but by the end of the season, and throughout the first half of season 3, Peter himself is the BigBad, and Hook is on the side of the heroes.
* ''WebVideo/TheNewAdventuresOfPeterAndWendy'', a 2014 web series and a modern adaptation.
* ''{{Film/Pan}}'', another retelling of Pan's origin focusing on Peter's friendship with Hook before they became enemies.
[[/index]]

!!Tropes from all or most adaptations:

* BettyAndVeronica: Wendy (Betty) and Tinker Bell (Veronica) for Peter Pan with Tiger Lily as the ThirdOptionLoveInterest. Although in the book, being a child, he displays no romantic interest in anyone and doesn't even comprehend the concept.
%% * BigBad: Captain Hook.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:Most versions tell of Wendy, her brothers, and the Lost Boys [[GrowingUpSucks all growing up]], with varying degrees of happiness or regret. Wendy herself in time - although it's hinted she hoped Peter would have come for her - get married and has a daughter. Peter himself [[WhoWantsToLiveForever stuck forever as a boy]] revisits Wendy every year - mostly - as promised but at some point she becomes too old to play with him. Tinker Bell, being a fairy, had passed years before. However, Wendy's daughter Jane soon becomes Peter's companion playing out the same role as her mother, and it's implied that future generations of girls through Wendy's bloodline will do the same.]]
* BrokenMasquerade: Neverland, pirates, fairies.
* ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve: TropeNamer comes from a famous scene. A fairy is mortally wounded any time a child says "I don't believe in fairies;" in the scene in question, Peter uses the effect in reverse to save the fairy Tinker Bell's life by calling on children everywhere to indicate that they do believe in fairies. (In the original stage version - which predates the novel and the various film and television adaptations - this was an audience participation bit...and, in case you're wondering, if the audience is a bunch of heartless bastards who won't clap, the orchestra is instructed to begin the applause.)
* ClingyJealousGirl: Tinker Bell is very jealous of anyone else getting Peter's attention, even to the point of attempting to have Wendy ''murdered''.
* CompressedAdaptation: While the novel has the children staying in Neverland for weeks, if not months - Michael has all but forgotten their London home by the time they actually do get back, though to be fair he's very little - most adaptations cut the duration of their stay in Neverland down to a single night and day.
* TheCrocIsTicking: The {{Trope Namer|s}} is the crocodile who swallowed an alarm clock.
* CrosscastRole: In just about any theatrical or film version, Peter is played by a woman. On film, the only exceptions are the [[Disney/PeterPan Disney version]], which has Peter voiced by Bobby Driscoll, and [[Film/PeterPan the 2003 version]] with Jeremy Sumpter. Meanwhile, the only male to have played Peter Pan on Broadway is Jack Noseworthy, who was an understudy in ''Jerome Robbins' Broadway'', a musical revue of highlights of choreographer Jerome Robbins' work, which included the Mary Martin Broadway version.
* DamselInDistress: Wendy, Tinker Bell, and Tiger Lily are all captured at one point or another.
* DawnAttack: In Neverland, all attacks take place at dawn. Captain Hook is considered a vile scoundrel when he has his pirates attack ''before'' dawn, when nobody's ready.
%% * TheEdwardianEra: If only by default.
* EvenBadMenLoveTheirMamas: Hook. (And, in the [[Disney/PeterPan Disney movie]], Smee--although in the original, he didn't know what a mother was).
%% * FairyTale
* FriendlyWar:
** The Lost Boys and the Indians take turns attacking each other as a game. It turns serious in the Disney version when the Chief accuses the Boys of kidnapping Tiger Lily, who was actually taken by Captain Hook for the purpose of trying to get the location of Peter Pan's hiding place out of her.
** In the Disney sequel "Return to Neverland", Hook tells Jane that his relationship with Peter is this. [[ILied He's lying.]]
* GrowingUpSucks:
** The Lost Boys.
** Deconstructed in the ''Hook'' movie, as [[spoiler:the happy memories that the now adult Peter won as he grew up are what restores his ability to fly]].
* HookHand: Guess who? Captain James Hook certainly turned out to have a prophetic name when he got a prosthetic hook to replace his hand.
* ImpossiblyCoolClothes: Hook is always seen to be decked out in his finest in all the adaptations.
%% * IslandOfMystery: Neverland itself.
* JustDesserts: The fate of Hook in the original play and book, as well as many adaptations.
* LiteralDisarming: {{Inverted|Trope}}. At some point prior to the events of the book, Peter and Captain Hook dueled and Peter cut off Hook's right hand, throwing it to a crocodile. [[MeaningfulName Hook]] made the most of this situation and [[HookHand weaponized his missing member.]]
* LivingShadow: Peter's shadow is alive and tries to escape. Wendy sews it back on.
* LostInImitation: Tons. In many adaptations and spinoffs, nobody ages while on Neverland. Yet in the novel it's clear that people ''do'' age and grow to some degree - the Lost Boys arrive as infants, after all, and Peter "thins them out" (which knowing Peter, is probably lethal) if they seem to be growing up. For more examples, see the page on Disney's ''Peter Pan''.
* MeaningfulEcho: When Wendy first meets Peter, he's crying over the fact that he can't get his shadow to stick, causing her to ask, "Boy, why are you crying?" Years later, Peter cries again upon finding out that Wendy had grown up and can't return to Neverland, waking up her daughter, Jane, who then asks Peter the exact same thing.
* MinionWithAnFInEvil:
** Mr Smee. So. Very. Much. The original book goes into great detail about how pathetic-but-loveable he is.
** Though he's still willing to tickle the kids with Johnny Cork-screw if the situation demands it. More than one critic has pointed out that, viewed in a certain light, Smee is deeply frightening in that he's an innocent simpleton who is completely sanguine about murdering children.
* MobySchtick: Barrie openly acknowledged that the enmity between Captain Hook and Peter, and the crocodile's relentless pursuit of Hook, were inspired by Ahab. Even more emphasized in adaptations that stress Hook's attempts to kill the latter.
* MonsterShapedMountain: Skull Rock in the various versions, where Captain Hook takes the kidnapped Princess Tiger Lily.
* {{Neologism}}: The name 'Wendy' was not commonly recognized as a viable name for a girl before this book.
* NeverGrewUp: The point of Never Land is that all the children who live there never have to grow up, like Peter himself, making this the TropeNamer.
%% * NeverSmileAtACrocodile: Guess who...
* NominalHero: Pan, who 'thins out' any Lost Boys who appear to be growing up; can subsist perfectly well on pretend food, and beats any boys who demonstrate hunger after they've missed meals and had to just pretend they ate; cuts parts off the boys to make them 'fit' the trees that are the secret entrances to their hideout; and often changes sides in the middle of battles to make the fight more exciting.
* NoodleIncident: Hook's origins. Barrie wrote, "To reveal who he ''really'' was would even at this date set the country (England) in a blaze." Future tellings reveal he attended Eton College, although the records were destroyed to prevent further scandal.
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou:
** Hook towards Pan. This wasn't as much so in the beginning. Hook saw Pan as another annoying child, but after his hand was fed to the crocodile [[ItsPersonal it became personal]].
** Peter, for his part, has made all the Lost Boys promise to leave Hook to him.
* PajamaCladHero: The Darling children wear their [=PJs=] throughout their adventures.
* {{Pirate}}: Naturally, Captain Hook and the pirates.
* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: Well, they do quite a few things within the story, but no actual piracy. This may be a JustifiedTrope because there is a reason: Hook has no intention of leaving Neverland and resuming regular piracy until he kills Peter Pan.
* PuffOfLogic: This is how fairies are killed.
%% * SociopathicHero: Peter Pan.
* SparedByTheAdaptation:
** Captain Hook doesn't die in the Disney version. Various unofficial sequels such as ''Film/{{Hook}}'' also retcon the original ending to keep him alive.
** In the novel, fairies have extremely short lifespans and Tinker Bell died of old age not long after the Darling children's adventures. This is changed in any adaptation that takes place after the Darling children return home.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Is Disney's version of the fairy companion's name spelled "Tinkerbell," "Tinkerbelle," or "Tinker Bell"? The ''Fanchise/KingdomHearts'' series uses Tinker Bell, and so does the new Disney movie that centers around her. It's likely that Tinker Bell is the official spelling, as it is spelled that way in the original novel.
* SuperPersistentPredator: The Crocodile, after eating Hook's hand, liked the taste so much that it has constantly pursued Hook ever since, hoping to eat the rest of him.
* TeamMom: Wendy is literally treated as the mother by all the Lost Boys.
%% * WalkThePlank
%%"* WickedCultured: Captain Hook.

* ''Peter Pan In Scarlet'', by Geraldine [=McCaughrean=]. The official sequel approved by rights-holder Great Ormond Street Hospital. [=McCaughrean=] was selected during a competition in 2004, and the book was published in 2006. Her Majesty Elizabeth II received a specially printed copy.

** Oddly enough, this is averted with the Lost Boys--Peter named them (well, except for Slightly), but their names make ''absolutely no sense'', even [[ItMakesSenseInContext in context]]. It's possible that Curly might have curly hair, but this is never stated. (''Peter Pan In Scarlet'' goes ahead and states that Curly's hair is curly.)

!!Tropes from the authorized sequel, ''Peter Pan In Scarlet'':
* AppliedPhlebotinum: Turns out that putting on someone's clothes makes you ''become'' more like that person.
* BackFromTheDead: [[spoiler:Tinkerbell, who died in the original book, is in the last third of this one resurrected thanks to Fireflyer.]]
* BigDamnHeroes: ''So'' many times. It would probably be quicker to list characters who ''don't'' get a BigDamnHeroes moment in this book, than listing the ones who ''do.''
* BigEater: Fireflyer, the newborn blue fairy, is always hungry and will eat [[ExtremeOmnivore anything]], including [[RuleofFunny musical notes]].
* BlatantLies: Fireflyer's ''modus operandi.'' Occasionally this comes in handy.
* BusCrash: [[spoiler:Michael died in the war]] during the time skip.
* CatchPhrase: Fireflyer, whenever he thinks he's not getting enough attention, will inform everyone that "Fairies die if people ignore them!"
* ContinuityNod: Quite a few, sometimes even bordering on ContinuityPorn.
** On at least two occasions, Peter tells everyone that nobody's allowed to touch him -- this is taken directly from the original play, where he in their first scene together tells Wendy that "No one must ever touch me," and during the course of the play no one ''does.''
** John is a patriot to the extreme, which is a nod to the fact that his motivation for refusing to be a pirate in the original book was that he would no longer be subject to the British Crown.
** Slightly in the original book is mentioned to make flutes and whistles for himself and make up tunes to play. This is brought up and expanded upon here, as he's taken up the clarinet and his musical talent plays an important part in the plot.
** In one chapter, Wendy tells Peter and the Lost Boys a story about a little white bird in Kensington Gardens. This is a ShoutOut to Barrie's book ''The Little White Bird,'' which featured the first appearance of Peter Pan.
** The Crocodile is revealed to be female. In the original book, the narrative does refer to the Crocodile as a "she" in the first scene it appears (the rest of the book uses "it").
* ContinuitySnarl:
** Despite all the {{Continuity Nod}}ding, here are a couple of ''really'' noticeable contradictions here. Some, as mentioned, are seen as AcceptableBreaksFromCanon, while some seem a little off:
** In the original book, it was explicitly stated that Peter cut off Hook's ''right'' hand. In this book, probably influenced by all the adaptations, it's stated that it was Hook's ''left'' hand that was cut off.
** It's stated that nobody can fly without a shadow, but this contradicts the first book, where Peter is perfectly able to fly after he's separated from his shadow. [[spoiler:(Then again, the character who states this is Hook, and nobody really sets out to prove him wrong -- he may have been lying.)]]
** The fate of the pirates is completely different. [[spoiler:In the original book, all of them except Smee and Starkey are killed in the final battle. Here, Smee and Starkey are still the only survivors, but the other pirates are mentioned as having been given leave to go fight in World War I, and never returned. It is, of course, possible that Hook was talking about a different crew, but it still doesn't fit the original timeline very well.]]
** Confusingly, both Smee and Starkey are referred to as having been Hook's "first mate." Reading the original book, it's Starkey who is the real first mate; Smee is the bo'sun.
* CryingWolf: It doesn't get very much attention, but since Fireflyer lies almost constantly (and he and Slightly treat it as a sort of game to see how tall his lies can get), it does mean that nobody's forewarned that the Roarers are in the area because nobody even pays attention to him -- even the narrative gives no indication that he's not just making things up like usual.
%% * DamselInDistress: [[spoiler:Tootles.]]
* EmbarrassingFirstName: Turns out the twins are named [[spoiler:Marmaduke and Binky. {{Subverted}} in that the twins themselves don't find the names embarrassing at all, but are just thrilled that they finally know their real names]].
* GenderBender: [[spoiler:Tootles]], for the entire book, after [[spoiler:putting on his daughter's ballet dress to magically become young again. (He has no sons). In typical Neverland fashion, he quickly forgets his past life, including the fact that he was a guy in the first place, and becomes girlier even than Wendy. Things get pretty awkward when he decides, like every female character, that he wants to marry Peter]].
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Michael.]] But ''not'' [[spoiler:Hook]].
* LoveAtFirstSight: [[spoiler: Fireflyer and Tinkerbell, sort of. Fireflyer is revealed to have developed a crush on Tinkerbell long before he even meets her, thanks to Sightly's stories about her, and it's his wish that eventually calls her [[BackFromTheDead back to life]].]]
* OddFriendship: Loud, abrasive and self-centered Fireflyer is a devoted friend to the gentle, considerate and poetic Slightly.
* ThePowerOfRock: Or should we say, rhythm and blues.
* RunningGag: Peter doesn't know the word "please." At several points during the story, someone will ask him "What's the little word that gets things done?" and he'll begin listing random words in the hope that one of them is the right one.
-->"I don't know! Is it 'flogging'? Or 'plank'? Or 'maroon'?"
* SpinOffspring: Averted with the human characters (though Wendy's daughter Jane appears a few times, and children of other characters are mentioned, though not by name). Played straight with "Puppy", a descendant of the original Nana, who joins the adventure.
* SelfProclaimedLiar: Fireflyer claims that he ''never'' tells the truth (but this is confirmed to be a lie).
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Averted with Fireflyer, who's mostly in the story as a replacement for Tinkerbell, but beyond being the "token fairy" he's almost nothing like her, being an [[{{Keet}} over-enthusiastic]], [[BigEater gluttonous]] MotorMouth and [[SelfProclaimedLiar liar]] who befriends Slightly rather than Peter.
* TookALevelInKindness: Bratty, vain Slightly became ''extremely'' sensitive during the time skip. [[JustifiedTrope It's possible to infer]] that he was softened out by misfortune, as Tootles was in the original; the book and play imply that he was taken down a peg or two after the boys left Neverland (this is made explicit in the novel, which states that he gets put into the bottom set at school while the others do all right) and by the events of ''Peter Pan In Scarlet'' [[spoiler:his wife has died, leaving him with no children]].

** It just goes to show the downside of innocence; namely, a lack of knowing right from wrong and MoralDissonance. Innocent doesn't necessarily mean 'good.'

* HookHand: Guess who? Captain James Hook certainly turned out to have an ironic name when he got a prosthetic hook to replace his hand.

* ActingForTwo: Traditionally, Captain Hook and Mr. Darling are played by the same actor. This has been [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory subject to some analysis]], but [[OckhamsRazor the simplest explanation]] is probably that the characters share no stage time and it would be a waste to have a good actor sitting around backstage that long.

%% * ClingyJealousGirl: Tinker Bell.

%% * TheCrocIsTicking: {{Trope Namer|s}}.

%% * HookHand: Take a wild guess.

%% * NeverGrewUp: TropeNamer.

%% * TeamMom: Wendy.

* GenerationXerox: Wendy's daughter, Jane, sees Peter weeping on the nursery floor and addresses him with the words, "Boy, why are you crying?" They proceed to go through dialogue highly reminiscent of Wendy's with Peter. This might be justified in that Jane has often heard the stories of Peter Pan from her mother and is implied to be rather GenreSavvy. Note that she also shares some traits with her uncle Michael, complaining "I won't go to bed!" in the same way he complains about being bathed at the beginning of the play and book.

* CrosscastRole:
** In just about any theatrical or film version, Peter is played by a woman. On film, the only exceptions are the [[Disney/PeterPan Disney version]], which has Peter voiced by Bobby Driscoll, and [[Film/PeterPan the 2003 version]] with Jeremy Sumpter. Meanwhile, the only male to have played Peter Pan on Broadway is Jack Noseworthy, who was an understudy in ''Jerome Robbins' Broadway'', a musical revue of highlights of choreographer Jerome Robbins' work, which included the Mary Martin Broadway version.

* AudienceParticipation: The clapping to save Tinker Bell in the stage version.
** Such a famous example that it extends even to the book sometimes--people reading it aloud to little kids encourage them to clap at the same point in the story. The main character's younger sister and her mother are shown doing this in the movie ''Film/{{ET|The Extraterrestrial}}''

* {{Yandere}}: Sweet, sweet Tinkerbell....wants to kill Wendy for clinging to Peter Pan.
** Somewhat {{justified|Trope}} in that Tink is a fairy, and thus too small to experience more than one emotion at a time. She's either a perfect angel or an utter demon, and when she's jealous, well...

Between licensing by Great Ormond Street Hospital (who still holds certain rights in the UK) and the expiration of copyright in most of the world, there are clashing Sequel and {{Prequel}} books and films. In addition to the 1953 Disney film and a 2002 sequel, there was a 41 episode {{anime}} adaption as part of the Anime/WorldMasterpieceTheater series in 1989, the 1990 animated series on the first season of FoxKids, Steven Spielberg's ''Film/{{Hook}}'' (1991), a sequel that posits what would have happened had Peter eventually decided to grow up, and a 2003 live-action adaptation. See also ''Film/FindingNeverland'' (2004), a VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory drama about Barrie's conception and initial production of the play.

* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: Well, they do quite a few things within the story, but no actual piracy.