History Main / GoodSamaritan

* This is sort of a staple of ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''. While the game has lots of merchants and guys who trade you stuff, there's also plenty of [=NPCs=] who give you things ''for free'', if you simply talk to them, everything from Technical Machines, Hold Items, and Evolution Stones. The most recent games, ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' takes this UpToEleven, where you can get a Lapras and a Lucario (two powerful Pokémon) as gifts with no strings attached.

* ''[[Website/NotAlwaysRight Not Always Hopeless]]'' has [[https://notalwayshopeless.com/ill-drink-to-that/43825 this ill-named but heartwarming story]] of a door-to-door solicitor dropping ''everything'' to help a miserable alcoholic at one house, keeping them company for [[{{Determinator}} three days straight]] until they're off the booze and the worst of the withdrawal has passed.

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* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': This is what led Davos the smuggler to relieve Stannis in the Siege of Storm's End. He had heard of them starving in the castle while the Tyrells held camp and braved the waters of Shipbreaker Bay to deliver food and supplies to the starving men inside Storm's End, because despite being lords and highborn, they were reduced to straits just like he was growing up in Flea Bottom. Their commander Stannis Baratheon knighted him for it.

* Rin stopped to help Sesshoumaru when he was wounded after a fight with Manga/InuYasha. He later repaid the favor when [[EmpathicWeapon his sword]], [[HealingShiv Tenseiga]], ''demanded'' that he bring her back to life. She became his MoralityPet and he went from [[{{Villain}} full-on villain]] to AloofBigBrother.

A lot of [[{{Superhero}} Superheroes]] are considered to be [[GoodSamaritan Good Samaritans]] taken UpToEleven.

* In ''Disney/TreasurePlanet'', Jim goes to help Bones after he crash-lands.

* Most Western military forces will treat enemy wounded.

* In ''Film/AdventuresInBabysitting'', "Handsome" John Pruitt offers to tow Chris's car to his garage and even pay to replace her tire. Unfortunately, what should have been a SimplePlan is derailed when his partner radios him to tell him his wife is cheating on him again, and he gets angry enough to drive home with his gun (shattering Chris's windshield in the process.) Still, he makes partial amends for it later in the movie, managing to get the car to the garage and replace the shattered window, ''even though the police are after him.''

* Esmeralda to Quasimodo in ''Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame''. After Quasimodo has been arrested by soldier for trying to kidnap Esmeralda, after being ordered to do so by Frollo. He gets publicly whipped on the stocks. He then begs the watching crowd for some water, which no one will give him. Someone even throws a bottle after him to mock him. Esmeralda then steps up on the stocks and let him drink from her own bottle. Even though he tried to kidnap her, she still takes pity on him and helps him. This causes Quasimodo to fall in love with her.

* Esmeralda in ''Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame''. Quasimodo has been arrested byt soldier for trying to kidnap Esmeralda, after being ordered to do so by Frollo. He then gets publicly whipped on the stocks. He then begs the watching crowd for some water, which no one will give him. Someone even throws a bottle after him to mock him. Esmeralda then steps up on the stocks and let him drink from her own bottle. Even though he tried to kidnap her, she still takes pity on him and helps him. This causes Quasimodo to fall in love with her.

* Esmeralda in ''Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame''. After being caught for trying to kidnap Esmeralda, after being ordered to do so by Frollo, Quasimodo gets whipped on the stocks. He then begs the watching crowd for some water, which no one will give him. Someone even throws a bottle after him to mock him. Esmeralda then steps up on the stocks and let him drink from her own bottle. Even though he tried to kidnap her, she still takes pity on him and helps him. This causes Quasimodo to fall in love with her.

[[/folder: Theatre ]]

* At the end of ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera''. Christine Daaè kisses The Phantom, who is holding her fiance in a noose and threatends to kill him, if Christine doesn't marry him. After kissing him, The Phantom is so overwhelmed by her kindness that he let both of them goes.

Not coincidentally, the Samaritan is almost always a part of the blue collar or underclass of society. There's almost no such thing as [[AnonymousBenefactor rich Samaritans]] in fiction. Some have argued that the Samaritan from the original parable (see below) actually ''was'' fairly wealthy (since he brought the traveler to an inn and promised to pay the bill), but it's not really clear. And anyway, it could create UnfortunateImplications if someone in a privileged position sees others as helpless without them; see CondescendingCompassion and WhiteMansBurden.

Not coincidentally, the Samaritan is almost always a part of the blue collar or underclass of society. There's almost no such thing as rich Samaritans in fiction. Some have argued that the Samaritan from the original parable (see below) actually ''was'' fairly wealthy (since he brought the traveler to an inn and promised to pay the bill), but it's not really clear. And anyway, it could create UnfortunateImplications if someone in a privileged position sees others as helpless without them; see CondescendingCompassion and WhiteMansBurden.

* Michael in ''Film/{{Underworld}}'' is a very good Samaritan. In the opening firefight he risks leaving safe cover to help a woman who got shot. Later, when Selene basically kidnaps him, holds him at gunpoint, and crashes the car they're in ''into a river'', he pulls her up, swims to shore, gives her CPR and ''bandages her wound.'' Is it any wonder they develop an awkward relationship afterwards?

** In some editions, this is mandatory for Paladins, who are required to give a percentage of their wealth and earnings to charity. (How much they fit the classic image of the Good Samaritan depends on how well the character role-plays. [note]It was called tithing, and was based on the practice of donating a portion of income to the church in the Middle Ages or else on the Islamic pillar of zakat, or charity.[/note])

** In some editions, this is mandatory for Paladins, who are required to give a percentage of their wealth and earnings to charity. (How much they fit the classic image of the Good Samaritan depends on how well the character role-plays.)