History Main / BigLittleBrother

* ''WebAnimation/HelluvaBoss'': Millie's sister Sallie Mae is younger than her, despite being much taller than her ([[SmallParentHugeChild and their parents]]).

* ''WebAnimation/NaturalHabitatShorts'': One short is based on the fact that owls feed their strongest babies first (though in practice that's usually the oldest, so RuleOfFunny is in full control). Two normal-looking tiny fluffy owlets feed on the scraps left by their "baby brother", who has an owlet's head on the body of a muscular man and a disturbingly deep voice despite still being diapered and in a baby car seat.

* Donatello in ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' is commonly the tallest of his four brothers, despite being the third of the four. While he is typically only slightly taller than Raphael, he shown to be well over Leonardo in nearly every appearance, most notably in the Nickelodeon shows and films. In the 2014 film, he stands at a whopping 6' 8" compared to Leonardo's 6' 2" and Raphael's 6' 5".

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime'': Spike is the adopted little brother of Ducky, but is much bigger than her because he is a ''stegosaurus'' and she is a ''saurolophus''.

** ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix'': We get to meet Hagrid's little brother, Grawp. Grawp, being a full giant instead of just a half giant, is 16 feet tall (which makes him small, by giant standards).

* ComicBook/{{Colossus}} from the ComicBook/XMen was the youngest of the "All-New, All-Different" team, being 17 or 18 when recruited, but he was also the BigGuy and towered over the others in his metal form.

* In ''FanWorks/BendyAndBorisTheQuestForTheInkMachine'' Boris is twelve and Bendy is eighteen, but Boris is tall enough to easily pick up Bendy who is the size of a small child.

** The [[https://aliceoseman.fandom.com/wiki/Oliver_Spring Spring siblings]] are also like this. Tori, the oldest, stands at [[https://aliceoseman.fandom.com/wiki/Tori_Spring 5'2"]], Charlie, the middle child, is [[https://aliceoseman.fandom.com/wiki/Charlie_Spring 5'11"]], and the youngest, Oliver, eventually grows to [[https://aliceoseman.fandom.com/wiki/Oliver_Spring at least 6'1"]].

** Nick Nelson, who is the last few years of secondary school, who is taller and more muscular than his University age brother David. He's more emotionally mature too being a kind GentleGiant compared to David being a homophobic BigBrotherBully who picks on Nick and his boyfriend Charlie Spring.

* Nick Nelson, who is the last few years of secondary school, who is taller and more muscular than his University age brother David. He's more emotionally mature too being a kind GentleGiant compared to David being a homophobic BigBrotherBully who picks on Nick and his boyfriend Charlie Spring.
* The [[https://aliceoseman.fandom.com/wiki/Oliver_Spring Spring siblings]] are also like this. Tori, the oldest, stands at [[https://aliceoseman.fandom.com/wiki/Tori_Spring 5'2"]], Charlie, the middle child, is [[https://aliceoseman.fandom.com/wiki/Charlie_Spring 5'11"]], and the youngest, Oliver, eventually grows to [[https://aliceoseman.fandom.com/wiki/Oliver_Spring at least 6'1"]].

* ''Webcomic/{{Heartstopper}}'' has Nick Nelson who is the last few years of secondary school, who is taller and more muscular than his University age brother David. He's more emotionally mature too being a kind GentleGiant compared to David being a homophobic BigBrotherBully who picks on Nick and his boyfriend Charlie.

Such height differences can also be the case with adopted, step- or half-siblings. Different biological parents means a different sets of height genes. This can be heavily exaggerated in more fantastical works where InterspeciesAdoption is practiced; for example, if the younger adopted sibling is a [[OurGiantsAreBigger literal giant]], a {{Kaiju}}, or other similar type of massive creature, or conversely, if the older adopted sibling is a [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame dwarf]], a [[OurFairiesAreDifferent fairy]], or other similar type of diminutive creature. {{Shapeshifting}} can also cause or amplify this height difference, especially if the older sibling is [[FountainOfYouth made younger]] or the younger sibling is [[OvernightAgeUp made older]] (or maybe some more general type of {{Sizeshifting}}). See SmallParentHugeChild for a parent-child variation.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague NFL]] defensive lineman Chris Long is a big dude at 6'3" and 268 lbs, but compare him to his younger brother Kyle Long, who is 6'6" and 313 lbs.
** The Bailey brothers are similar. Older brother Champ is a 6'0", 190lb corner while younger brother Boss is a 6'3", 230lb linebacker.
* Creator/ElleFanning is four years younger than her sister Creator/{{Dakota|Fanning}}, yet [[http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/01/07/article-2258570-16CB33E5000005DC-2_634x987.jpg this picture]] would make you think it was the opposite (admittedly, Elle's platform heels exaggerate their height difference).
* [[Series/{{Girls}} Lena Dunham]] and her sibling Grace fit this trope. Whereas [[http://www.elle.com/fashion/news/a30449/lena-dunhams-little-sister-grace-makes-her-modeling-debut/ Lena is short, pear shaped, and older, Grace is not only slimmer, but taller than their big sis]].
* Noel Gallagher of Music/{{Oasis}} is 5'8", shorter than his brother and bandmate Liam Gallagher, who is 5'10".
* Creator/MarkHamill once said in an interview that his two younger brothers are over 6 feet tall, compared to his 5'9" height, allegedly due to metabolism.
* Of the Kardashians, the youngest sister Kendall is 5'11", and towers over her older sister Kim, who's 5'3".
* ''Creator/JackKirby'' had a brother who was five years younger than him, but grew to be taller than him by the time they hit their teens, and often fought off bullies who ganged up on Jack.
* Creator/{{Funimation}} voice actor Creator/GregAyres is a few inches taller than his older brother Creator/ChrisAyres.
* ''Literature/GuinnessWorldRecords'' breaker Maci Currin, who stands at a whopping 6'10", being several inches taller than her brother Jacob... is actually the younger sister, which makes you think it was the opposite.
* Creator/SteveIrwin's family. Pictured [[https://media-ncd.cmgdigital.com/photo/2017/10/19/AP17291009854582-RFwfBuLPPH7MOqcjItKT4SI-680x383_9512702_ver1.0_640_360.jpg here]]: 14-year-old Robert, already taller than his mother and almost OneHeadTaller than his 19-year-old sister, Bindi.
* Creator/EliWallach was actually taller than his older brother Sam.
* Creator/ElizabethOlsen is four inches taller [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_3_olsen_sisters.jpg than her sisters]] Creator/MaryKateAndAshleyOlsen, who are older than her by three years.
* Creator/LukeHemsworth is the lesser known older brother of Creator/ChrisHemsworth (middle child) and Creator/LiamHemsworth (youngest child). [[https://www.goldderby.com/gallery/hemsworth-brothers-movies-thor-the-hunger-games/ The brothers]] get progressively taller the younger they are, with Luke standing at 5'9", Chris at 6'2", and Liam at 6'3".
* Alejandra of Music/TheWarning, is the youngest and tallest of the sisters.
* Creator/CharlotteBronte was only about 4'10", much shorter than her two younger sisters Creator/AnneBronte and Creator/EmilyBronte, particularly the latter who was about 5'7".
* Most boys who have older sisters end up growing taller than them during puberty.
* Social media star and singer Peet Montzingo is known for being the only non-dwarf (and, in fact, is 6' 4") in an otherwise entire family of them -- he's also the youngest of three siblings, with his older sister and brother both being ''much'' shorter than him due to their dwarfism.
* Longtime UsefulNotes/{{NASCAR}} driver Michael Waltrip is one of motorsports' tallest drivers at 6'5", four inches taller than his older brother by [[PracticallyDifferentGenerations 16 years]], NASCAR legend Darrell (himself 6'1").
[[/folder]]

* [[spoiler:Fate to Alicia, as the latter was ''dead'' for thirty years]], in ''[[Fanfic/GameTheoryLyricalNanoha Power Games]]''. Though the latter thinks that "big little sister" sounds weird, and prefers "little big sister".

* In ''Fanfic/TheEditWarForAshsFreedomToNotBeBetrayed'', Misty grows to be taller than her older sisters after Arceus fixes one of the clocks in the Hall of Origins.
* In ''Concerning Us'' John is much taller than Janine and even their dynamic suggests big brother and little sister, but Janine is actually two years older than him. Growing up in UsefulNotes/VictorianBritain just put John in the role of protector far too early.
* In ''Fanfic/KarmaInRetrograde'', Touya was always shorter than his younger brother Natsuo because of how his fire Quirk [[CastFromCalories used so much energy]] combined with his naturally weak constitution. After being reverted back to his 16-year-old self by a Quirk, Touya is miffed to find that his youngest brother Shouto is taller than him by a few centimeters. He's even more dismayed to find that Natsuo ''towers'' over him.
* ''Fanfic/CicadaPsalms'': Satoshi spent most of his teens bedbound so his growth is a bit stunted. His younger sister Satoko is slightly taller than him.
* Lori in the [[WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse Loud House]] fic [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12359359/1/Her-Baby-Brother Her Baby Brother]] is distraught to find out from Lisa that when the Loud children finish growing Lincoln will be taller than her. As she associates height as part of her authority as the eldest, she fears Lincoln as the only one whose going to be bigger than her, will stop needing her.
* ''Fanfic/Earth27'': Thanks to being shrunk by the mutagen process, Mondo Gecko is over a foot shorter than his younger sister Mona Lisa.

* As one of several side effects of [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug Alya]] hijacking a reality altering wish from Gabriel Agrestre in ''Fanfic/AlyaAndTheHaremReality'', Zoe, Chloe's younger half sister, is now taller than her. This is among several sources of grief Chloe has about Zoe in the story's universe, along with the fact she has more time with their mother and the fact Zoe is nicer and more likeable than Chloe is by Chloe's own admission.

This trope primarily applies to siblings of the same sex. It is less unusual for younger brothers to grow to be taller than older sisters, given that men are generally taller than women. If this is portrayed as strange or unusual when both siblings are fully-grown adults, it can be a case of RealityIsUnrealistic, similar to TeensAreShort. But this trope can still be played straight if he's a hulking giant while she's average-sized or petite.

* In ''{{Film/Halloweentown}},'' [[FlatEarthAtheist Dylan]] is the oldest Cromwell sibling, but much shorter than his sister [[NightmareFetishist Marnie]]. This is {{subverted|trope}} in the sequels due to his actor's rather shocking growth spurt.