History Main / GoodSamaritan

The TropeNamer is one of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}' parables from Literature/TheFourGospels, in which a Jewish man is mugged and left for dead and naked by the roadside. Two of his own people, a priest and a Levite (an entire clan of assistants to priests), simply walk past, and the only person who helps him is a Samaritan, who not only tends to his wounds but brings him to an inn where he can recuperate, going so far as to shoulder his medical expenses. In a historical context, Jews and Samaritans are both Israelite ethnoreligious groups which back in Jesus' day distrust each other at best, and at war with each other at worst (not unlike modern-day Jews and Arabs, both Semitic groups; nowadays Jews and Samaritans have more tranquil relations), each side claiming to adhere to a "pure," unadulterated form of the Israelite religion passed down from Abraham to Moses. Thus, in its day Jesus' story was pretty shocking to his Jewish audience in its emphasis on humanizing the "enemy". Indeed, in context Jesus is reciting this parable to a lawyer who asks him by what does the word of God mean by "to love thy neighbor" in order to enter into Heaven, emphasizing that one's "enemy" is still one's "neighbor". The closest trope to the above [[MoralOfTheStory moral]] is probably IWasJustPassingThrough. To further complicate the story, there are religious rules that prohibit contact with corpses, and the first two passersby may have assumed that the traveler was dead (though actually there are some exceptions to those rules, which may have applied here). The story shows that, when forced to choose ToBeLawfulOrGood, it is almost always preferable to [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight be the latter]]. In many modern uses of this trope, the Samaritan will protect and heal the hero even if the hero is explicitly a hunted fugitive.

* Edith Keeler from the classic ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "[[{{Recap/StarTrekS1E28TheCityOnTheEdgeOfForever}} The City on the Edge of Forever]]" embodies this trope perfectly. She runs a soup kitchen for the homeless and downtrodden in Depression-era New York and truly believes in the inherent goodness of man. [[spoiler: So of course, [[BecauseDestinySaysSo she's fated to die]].]]
* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' serial ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS21E3Frontios Frontios]]'', the Doctor is trying to obey the rules about non-intervention when he sees there are wounded.
** In ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS15E6TheInvasionOfTime The Invasion Of Time]]'', the wild Gallifreyans take in the exiled ones.
* In the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode [[Recap/SupernaturalS09E01IThinkImGonnaLikeItHere "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" (S09, Ep01)]], a pickup truck driver believes Castiel is dehydrated or mentally ill and gives him a lift to a service station as well as some cash to make a phone call and buy a sandwich.
* ''Series/InTheFlesh'' played this almost Biblically straight with Dean and Ken. Dean is put into a zombie pen because he was bitten, even though by then he and his friends in the HVF knew bites weren't contagious. Being a diabetic, he needed something to eat to keep his blood sugar up. He asks a boy and an old woman for help; the boy tells him off and the old woman spits in his face. When Ken walks by, he's the only one to actually help him, filling Dean with shame in light of the fact that [[spoiler:Dean stood by while his fellow zombie hunters killed Ken's (sentient and non-aggressive) undead wife.]]
* In ''Series/BetterCallSaul'', Mike robs a cartel member and leaves the driver alive by the side of the road in the hopes of getting the police involved without anyone having to die. However, a Good Samaritan finds him and saves him, and before he can alert the police, is killed by the cartel to LeaveNoWitnesses. Mike is very regretful when he hears, and this, along with the fact the cartel killed the driver afterwards anyway because they thought he was in on the robbery, ultimately serves as another lesson to him that 'half-measures' won't work - that if he wants something to happen, he should do it himself.
* ''Series/BreakingBad'': In the episode "Dead Freight", Walt and his associates are attempting a train robbery of its shipment of methylamine by having Kuby park a dump truck on the tracks (under the guise of engine trouble) and siphoning the methylamine while the conductors are distracted trying to find a way to move the truck. Unfortunately, the plan's time frame is massively shortened [[SpannerInTheWorks when a Good Samaritan comes along]] and offers to push the dump truck out of the way with his vehicle.

* In ''Series/BetterCallSaul'', Mike robs a cartel member and leaves the driver alive by the side of the road in the hopes of getting the police involved without anyone having to die. However, a good Samaritan finds him and saves him, and before he can alert the police, is killed by the cartel. Mike is very regretful when he hears, and it ultimately serves as another lesson to him that 'half-measures' won't work - that if he wants something to happen, he should do it himself.

* Nurse Joy in ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' (''all'' of them). Her services are free to anyone who needs them, and the only time she's ''ever'' had to turn someone away from a Pokémon Center is because it was overcrowded. (Exactly where she gets her funding is a mystery, but then, her family ''does'' seem ''very'' large...)

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

* Many countries try to encourage this behavior by implementing [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_samaritan_law Good Samaritan Laws]]. In the United States and Canada, civilians helping people in need are protected from liability if they acted rationally and with good intentions, while in parts of Europe it is a crime to ignore a person in danger if you can help without endangering yourself.

* Michael in ''Film/Underworld2003'' 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?

* Esmeralda to Quasimodo in ''Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame''. After Quasimodo gets arrested by soldiers for trying to kidnap Esmeralda, after being ordered to do so by Frollo, he gets publicly whipped as punishment. 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. This causes Quasimodo to fall in love with her.

* ''The Quest for Saint Aquin'', a 1951 short story by Creator/AnthonyBoucher, takes place in a future where religion is forbidden. A Catholic priest traveling incognito blows his cover and gets beaten up, stripped naked and dumped in a ditch. Two people walk by; he can tell by various clues that they are also Catholic. He is helped by a Jew -- who observes a little tartly that he is ''not'' a Samaritan.

* {{Deconstructed|Trope}} in a sketch on ''Series/ThatMitchellAndWebbLook'', which reenacted Jesus teaching of the parable to his disciples. One of them interrupts to rail against the [[UnfortunateImplications implications]] of the story -- ''of course'' a Samaritan stopped to help, they're perfectly lovely people, they'd give you the shirts off their backs. Why would you automatically assume that someone from Samaria would walk straight past a man in need?

** 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]])

** Ned Flanders may have fallen victim to the [[{{Flanderization}} Trope named for him]], but he and his family has honestly acted like this several times, such as in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E24BrotherCanYouSpareTwoDimes Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?]]" when they help Homer's homeless brother Herb when he shows up at their house by mistake.

** [[https://notalwaysright.com/giving-you-a-bridge-to-cross/119741/ This stranger]] sees a depressed college student preparing to [[DrivenToSuicide jump onto a train track in the middle of the night]], offers to hear out their problems, stays with them until morning, gives them his coat against the cold, and calls an ambulance so they can get professional help. The submitter mentions at the end that they never got his name, but still have his coat.

If the Samaritan follows the protagonist into the mêlée, expect him/her to be an ActionSurvivor to his ActionHero. Often overlaps with TheChick, InnocentBystander, DeterminedHomesteader, and HeroicBystander.

* In ''The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted'', the hero, Jim diGriz, encounters an entire planet full of Samaritans. He wasn't lucky to find a safehouse by randomly knocking; any door would have done.
* In ''The Quest for Saint Aquin'', a Catholic priest is attacked and left subconscious by the road. Two people walk by; he can tell by various clues that they are also Catholic. He is helped by a Jew -- who observes a little tartly that he is ''not'' a Samaritan.

* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', Winry's parents were doctors who treated people on both sides of the Ishvalan War. [[spoiler: This didn't end well for them. They were the first victims of Scar's RoaringRampageOfRevenge after he woke up surrounded by Amestrians and assumed, incorrectly, that he had been taken prisoner.]]
** Their fate is altered in [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime version]]. [[spoiler:Roy Mustang was ordered to execute them for aiding the enemy, nearly [[DrivenToSuicide driving him to suicide in the process]].]]

The Good Samaritan is a character who, despite owing nothing to the hero, [[HeroicBystander helps them when they're at their weakest]], often [[BeingGoodSucks at risk or cost to themselves.]] There are many variations, but they generally follow this form: a wounded hero [[TheDrifter wanders in]], and while others pass him by (or even further harm the hero), the Samaritan takes him in, tends his wounds and extends as much hospitality as he/she is able. This has the bonus of roping the hero into owing him/her a debt and giving him a reason to stick around the [[AdventureTowns Adventure Town]] and fight off the CorruptCorporateExecutive threatening the Samaritan. Also, in a pinch, they makes an excellent LoveInterest what with having proven he/she has got a heart of gold. (Good Samaritans who do not complicate the hero's life like that may come across as a DeusExMachina.) If the Good Samaritan is much older than The Hero, they might become their [[TheMentor Mentor]].

A lot of [[{{Superhero}} Superheroes]] are considered to be Good samaritans.

The TropeNamer is one of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}' parables from Literature/TheFourGospels, in which a Jewish man is mugged and left for dead and naked by the roadside. Two of his own people, a priest and a Levite (an entire clan of assistants to priests), simply walk past, and the only person who helps him is a Samaritan, who not only tends to his wounds, but brings him to an inn where he can recuperate, going so far as to shoulder his medical expenses. In a historical context, Jews and Samaritans are both Israelite ethno-religious groups which back in Jesus' day distrust each other at best, and at war with each other at worst (not unlike modern-day Jews and Arabs, both Semitic groups; nowadays Jews and Samaritans have more tranquil relations), each side claiming to adhere to a "pure," unadulterated form of the Israelite religion passed down from Abraham to Moses. Thus, in its day Jesus' story was pretty shocking to his Jewish audience in its emphasis on humanizing the "enemy". Indeed, in context Jesus is reciting this parable to a lawyer who asks him by what does the word of God mean by "to love thy neighbor" in order to enter into Heaven, emphasizing that one's "enemy" is still one's "neighbor". The closest trope to the above [[MoralOfTheStory moral]] is probably IWasJustPassingThrough. To further complicate the story, there are religious rules that prohibit contact with corpses, and the first two passersby may have assumed that the traveler was dead (though actually there are some exceptions to those rules, which may have applied here). The story shows that, when forced to choose ToBeLawfulOrGood, it is almost always preferable to [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight be the latter]]. In many modern uses of this trope, the Samaritan will protect and heal the hero even if the hero is explicitly a hunted fugitive.

* Ikuma Momochi, from ''Manga/TokyoGhoul''. A character from the LightNovels, he is a pacifist Ghoul that was adopted by humans and strives to live peacefully with them. The territory assigned to him by Anteiku is a suicide hot-spot, allowing him to scavenge corpses to satisfy his HorrorHunger. In spite of this, he routinely saves people preparing to commit suicide -- choosing to go hungry rather than stand by and watch someone end their life.

* ''Manga/YoureUnderArrest'': As an officer of Bokuto's Traffic Division, it's been repeatedly shown that [[{{meganekko}} Yoriko]] will drop whatever she's doing to help those in need, regardless if she's off-duty. She's helped kids and senior citizens cross busy crosswalks, made classroom visits to promote public safety, and has cleaned litter off the street. As a result, she's been awared commendations for her commitment to public service.

* 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 ASimplePlan 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.''

* ''Film/{{Deewaar}}'': Ravi gets offered a job because the man they were going to offer it to didn't turn up on time. When the man arrives, he says that he was late because he couldn't afford the bus fare and had to walk all the way. Ravi takes pity on him, and turns down the job so he can get it. When the other man thanks him, Ravi compares the situation to a jam-packed train:

* In ''Film/GroundhogDay'', once Phil is resigned to the fact that he can't escape the loop and has grown to accept it, he starts doing good deeds, doing them over and over, and adding new ones as he finds new opportunities each day. He saves a boy from falling, saves a man in a restaurant from choking, he buys enough insurance from Phil to help Phil meet his quota (which becomes even more amazing when you realize that ''this is February 2nd''), and so on. Eventually, the whole town loves him, [[spoiler:and when he finally becomes such a selfless person that Rita truly falls in love with him, he escapes the loop.]]
* ''Film/APatchOfBlue'': Often cited as a Cinderella story, the film is a better example of a Good Samaritan story, with Gordon, a black man, breaking taboo by helping an blind white girl escape from her abusive mother.

* Michael in ''Film/Underworld2003'' 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 ''Literature/ABrothersPrice'' the plot starts with Jerin helping an injured stranger. The law actually compels him to do so, but as Jerin is alone at home with his younger sisters (who aren't strong enough to carry her), some of them suggest to just ignore the injured soldier and pretend to haven't known about it if asked later. He still risks his safety by going outside to carry her to safety. Later, Queen Eldest remarks that this was something they want to encourage, which is why the Queens generously rewarded the family. [[spoiler: It helps that the wounded soldier is ''Princess'' Odelia.]]

* In the ''TabletopGame/{{Planescape}}'' campaign, there's a small group (well, rather large for any group not big enough to be a full-fledged Faction) called the Ring-Givers who believe that everything that you give to others will eventually come back to you, and that you only get as good as you give. Members of this group provide charity to others, and live by accepting it from others. (No easy feat in this setting, where most folks believe that EveryManHasHisPrice.). Most members are, indeed, Good Samaritans, but unfortunately, there are plenty of [[BadSamaritan Bad Samaritans]] in the group too.

* 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 go.

* In the beginning of ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'', Marston is shot and left for dead in front of a bandit hideout. Bonnie risks her life to rescue him, and then takes him back to her ranch to treat his wounds. Even though she isn't seeking any sort of payment, a grateful Marston spends much of the game repaying her kindness by helping her keep her ranch safe.
* Litchi Faye-Ling in ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' tends to help those who are mostly ignored, such as Linhua when she first arrived to Orient Town and ignored by the majority, or for the Kaka clan who are doomed to extinction with nobody to care about, and ''especially'' on Arakune, whom everyone else considers a 'lost cause'. [[spoiler:She ends up getting tangled with a BadSamaritan (Hazama) and was ForcedIntoEvil, but at that point, when she met a distraught Carl, who is supposed to be none of her business at best, enemy at worst, she willingly lets him [[CryIntoChest cry on her hug until he calms down]] and calls out [[ArchnemesisDad Relius's]] [[AbusiveParents parenting skills when he appears]], even though he's supposed to be her boss.]]

* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'': "Benevolent Invasions" are a rare but documented phenomenon among the playerbase. Usually, an Invader attacks whoever he invades for the purpose of killing them and gaining humanity from them. Thus, players who are already weak and struggling are easy targets. But some Invaders, upon entering a struggling player's game, will not attack and will instead drop useful items before banishing themselves away. There is absolutely no reward for doing this in-game; the only reason to do so would be out of the goodness of one's heart.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', two feuding tribes have conflicting stories of an event that happened over a hundred years. One tribe alleges the other tribe’s forefather Wei Jin attacked their leader Jin Wei and stole a sacred relic used in a tribal ritual. However, the other tribe claims Wei Jin tried to help Jin Wei and was unjustly punishes for a crime he didn’t commit.

* In the very poignant episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' "It's Never Too Late", there was Father Michael, the brother of aging crime boss Arnold Stromwell. Michael saved Arnold from being run over by a train when they were kids, and lost his leg in the process, and in the present day, still tries to help his brother see reason and agree to Batman's terms after the new crime boss Rupert Thorne is set on killing him. (Stromwell asks Michael why he even bothers helping him, reminding him that he lost his leg the first time, implying that he [[ItsAllMyFault blames himself for it]].)
* In ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'', the entire Hawkins family fits this. Virgil's father and sister both volunteer for the community and provide guidance to troubled youth, understanding that seemingly "bad" kids have issues that they need help with. Virgil's mother was a paramedic who died because she was on the streets caring for the injured while a riot was going on around her (and in one episode, [[spoiler:Virgil's attempt to save her by going back in time and asking her to hide for the rest of the night]] fails because [[spoiler:there was simply no way she would save herself when others needed her help]]). Virgil himself chose to become a superhero immediately after learning about his powers, which is even more impressive considering how a majority of the bang babies chose to turn to villainy right off the bat. He also, over the course of the series, helps out bang babies who are more confused or scared than dangerous, brings a homeless girl be taken in by a pastor so she can be given help, and voluntarily has his power drained in a painful-looking procedure so [[spoiler:Edward Alva's son can be changed back from his TakenForGranite state]].
* The parable the trope is based on is featured in the ''WesternAnimation/VeggieTales'' episode "Are You My Neighbor?" and told through the style of Creator/DrSeuss. In it, the Jews and Samaritans are portrayed by the shoe-wearing Flibber-O-Loo and the pot-wearing Jibber-De-Lot and constantly fight over which of their preferred headgear is better. One day, a man from Flibber-O-Loo (played by Larry) is minding his business when three bandits ambush him, steal his milk money and stuff him in a hole, and the town's mayor and doctor are far too busy with their work to help him out. He's saved by a civilian from Jibber-De-Lot (played by Junior), who helps him in spite of the towns' feud. This humbles both towns into dropping their feud.

* ''Film/APatchOfBlue": Often cited as a Cinderella story, the film is a better example of a Good Samaritan story, with Gordon, a black man, breaking taboo by helping an blind white girl escape from her abusive mother.

* In ''Film/RapeOfLove'', protagonist Nicole is rape and dumped on the side of a road by the rapists. She's found by a gentle couple who immediately take her to a doctor with their car and comfort her on the way as she can't do anything but cry.
* An interesting use in ''Film/TrainingDay:'' The hero stops to rescue a little girl, and gets a LaserGuidedKarma reward for it later. The twist? The hero is an on-duty police officer, and only in the CrapsackWorld he's just stumbled into could the rescue be considered a noteworthy act.
* Michael in ''Film/Underworld2003'' 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?

* Michael in ''Film/Underworld2003'' 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?
* ''{{Series/Firefly}}'': "[[BadassPreacher Shepherd]] Book always said, if you can't do [[ShootTheDog something smart]], [[HonorBeforeReason do something right]]."

* The leading male in ''Film/{{Cellular}}'' helps the female lead simply because he's the only one who can. She randomly dialed out on a broken phone and the odds of her being able to get an actual number again without being caught are slim to none. He then runs around all day, stealing cars, shooting guns, fighting with the DirtyCop squad, and generally getting "in deep shit!" And he never quits.
* An interesting use in ''Film/TrainingDay:'' The hero stops to rescue a little girl, and gets a LaserGuidedKarma reward for it later. The twist? The hero is an on-duty police officer, and only in the CrapsackWorld he's just stumbled into could the rescue be considered a noteworthy act.
* ''Film/TheBlindSide'' has a rare example of a rich samaritan. Leigh Anne helps Michael Oher, a homeless black student at her children's school, by giving him a home, tutoring, and general emotional and vocational support to enter the football team.

* 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 ASimplePlan 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.''
* ''Film/{{Deewaar}}'': Ravi gets offered a job because the man they were going to offer it to didn't turn up on time. When the man arrives, he says that he was late because he couldn't afford the bus fare and had to walk all the way. Ravi takes pity on him, and turns down the job so he can get it. When the other man thanks him, Ravi compares the situation to a jam-packed train:
-->"If I'd have sat, you'd have stood."
* ''Film/ByHookOrByCrook'': Broke, homeless, and down on his luck just after reaching San Francisco, the protagonist Shy witnesses Val being beaten up. Shy attacks Val's assailant, getting knocked down but eventually chasing him off. This moment is the start of Shy and Val's friendship.

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

** This is sort of a staple of the series. While the games have 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. ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' takes this UpToEleven, where you can get a Lapras and a Lucario (two powerful Pokémon) as gifts with no strings attached.

The Good Samaritan is a character who, despite owing nothing to the hero, [[HeroicBystander helps them when they're at their weakest]], often [[BeingGoodSucks at risk or cost to themselves.]] There are many variations, but they generally follow this form: a wounded hero [[TheDrifter wanders in]], and while others pass him by (or even further harm the hero), the Samaritan takes him in, tends his wounds and extends as much hospitality as he/she is able. This has the bonus of roping the hero into owing him/her a debt and giving him a reason to stick around the [[AdventureTowns Adventure Town]] and fight off the CorruptCorporateExecutive threatening the Samaritan. Also, in a pinch, he/she makes an excellent LoveInterest what with having proven he/she has got a heart of gold. (Good Samaritans who do not complicate the hero's life like that may come across as a DeusExMachina.) If the Good Samaritan is much older than The Hero, he/she might become The Hero's [[TheMentor Mentor]].

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The TropeNamer is one of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}' parables from Literature/TheFourGospels, in which a Jewish man is mugged and left for dead and naked by the roadside. Two of his own people, a priest and a Levite (an entire clan of assistants to priests), simply walk past, and the only person who helps him is a Samaritan, who not only tends to his wounds, but brings him to an inn where he can recuperate, going so far as to shoulder his medical expenses. In a historical context, Jews and Samaritans are both Israelite ethno-religious groups which back in Jesus' day distrust each other at best, and at war with each other at worst (not unlike modern-day Jews and Arabs, both Semitic groups; nowadays Jews and Samaritans have more tranquil relations), each side claiming to adhere to a "pure," unadulterated form of the Israelite religion passed down from Abraham to Moses. Thus, in its day Jesus' story was pretty shocking to his Jewish audience in its emphasis on humanizing the "enemy". The closest trope to the above [[MoralOfTheStory moral]] is probably IWasJustPassingThrough. To further complicate the story, there are religious rules that prohibit contact with corpses, and the first two passersby may have assumed that the traveler was dead (though actually there are some exceptions to those rules, which may have applied here). The story shows that, when forced to choose ToBeLawfulOrGood, it is almost always preferable to [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight be the latter]]. In many modern uses of this trope, the Samaritan will protect and heal the hero even if the hero is explicitly a hunted fugitive.

* In ''Webcomic/ImpureBlood'', [[http://www.impurebloodwebcomic.com/Pages/Issue4PAGES/ib096.html when someone in a drifting boat pleads for help, Dara leaps to the rescue]].
* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', in a Day In the Life, [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2735 Jesus saves a woman from an angry mob.]]

The TropeNamer is one of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}' parables from Literature/TheFourGospels, in which a Jewish man is mugged and left for dead and naked by the roadside. Two of his own people, a priest and a Levite (an entire clan of assistants to priests), simply walk past, and the only person who helps him is a Samaritan, who not only tends to his wounds, but brings him to an inn where he can recuperate, going so far as to shoulder his medical expenses. In a historical context, Jews and Samaritans are both Israelite ethno-religious groups which strongly distrust each other at best, and outright at war with each other at worst (not unlike modern-day Jews and Arabs, both Semitic groups), each side claiming to adhere to a "pure," unadulterated form of the Israelite religion passed down from Abraham to Moses, and accusing the other of allowing foreign influences into their observance. Thus, in its day Jesus' story was pretty shocking to his Jewish audience in its emphasis on humanizing the "enemy". The closest trope to the above [[MoralOfTheStory moral]] is probably IWasJustPassingThrough. To further complicate the story, there are religious rules that prohibit contact with corpses, and the first two passersby may have assumed that the traveler was dead (though actually there are some exceptions to those rules, which may have applied here). The story shows that [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight compassion is preferable to obedience]]. In many modern uses of this trope, the Samaritan will protect and heal the hero even if the hero is explicitly a hunted fugitive.

The TropeNamer is one of UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}' parables from Literature/TheFourGospels, in which an Israelite is mugged and left half-dead and naked by the roadside. Two of his own people, a priest and a Levite (an entire clan of assistants to priests), simply walk past, and the only person who helps him is a Samaritan, who not only tends to his wounds, but brings him to an inn where he can recuperate, even shouldering his medical expenses. In a historical context, Israelites and Samaritans are cultural cousins but also bitter rivals (similar to Jews and Arabs, both of Semitic stock), with each claiming to adhere to "true" Judaism. Thus in its day Jesus' story was pretty shocking to his Israelite audience in its emphasis on humanizing the "enemy". The closest trope to the above [[MoralOfTheStory moral]] is probably IWasJustPassingThrough. To further complicate the story, there are religious rules that prohibit contact with corpses, and the first two passersby may have assumed that the traveler was dead (though actually there are some exceptions to those rules, which may have applied here). The story shows that [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight compassion is preferable to obedience]]. In many modern uses of this trope, the Samaritan will protect and heal the hero even if the hero is explicitly a hunted fugitive.

* Rakushun found Yoko almost dead in ''LightNovel/TheTwelveKingdoms'', and after he helped her they ended up hanging together.

* Esmeralda to Quasimodo in ''Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame''. After Quasimodo gets arrested by soldiers for trying to kidnap Esmeralda, after being ordered to do so by Frollo, he gets publicly whipped as punishment. 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.