History Main / TroubledChild

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* Newt in ''Film/{{Aliens}}''.
* Most kids in Shyamalan movies.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* Eff Rothmer, the title character of ''Literature/ThirteenthChild''
* Sohrab in ''Literature/TheKiteRunner''.

* Tomoya from ''Series/{{Aishiteru}}''.

* Shinji Ikari from ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''. Along with [[DysfunctionJunction most of the cast]], for that matter.

The TroubledChild is an innocent-looking youngster who looks cute enough, until you notice they rarely smile, and tend to talk in a broken deadpan when they talk at all. They may inexplicably burst into tears at times. Usually the cause of their trouble is ParentalAbandonment or a congenital impairment of some sort.

* ''Manga/NatsumeYuujinchou'' is about a TroubledChild finally getting a chance to recover from past trauma he's dealt with.

* Emile of ''CountCain'', due to ParentalNeglect, mainly.
* ''NatsumeYuujinchou'' is about a TroubledChild finally getting a chance to recover from past trauma he's dealt with.

* Fard from ''SpaceRunawayIdeon''. Like most of the other kids, [[spoiler: he lost his parents when the Buff Clan attacked the colony on Solo.]] Spends most of his time, moping, cries easily and carries a rag doll with him for most of the series. [[spoiler: Then, he's killed off. Alongside everyone else.]]

* Yuu from ''{{Noein}}''. At the beginning of the series it's quite clear he's on the edge of a severe nervous breakdown due to the '''extremely''' controlling nature of his mother. Once his mother gets some sense talked into her and eases up, he starts to slowly improve.

* Eff Rothmer, the title character of ''ThirteenthChild''

* Most kids in ''Series/{{The X-Files}}''.

* Cassandra when she first appeared on ''Series/{{Stargate SG-1}}''. The show lasted long enough for us to see her grow out of it and become a normal (i.e. rather bratty) teenager.

* Zoe in ''{{Quidam}}'', a lonely adolescent girl who feels alienated from everyone, including her parents. Her journey into a MagicalLand shows her that everyone feels this way sometimes, and how she can connect/reconnect with others.

* Newt in ''Film/{{Alien}}s''.

* Luka, an orphan the team was sent to rescue in "The Stork Job" in ''{{Leverage}}''.

* Shinji Ikari from NeonGenesisEvangelion. Along with most of the cast, for that matter. ItGetsWorse.

* Fard from ''SpaceRunawayIdeon''. Like most of the other kids, [[spoiler: he lost his parents when the Buff Clan attacked the colony on Solo.]] Spends most of his time, moping, cries easily and carries a rag doll with him for most of the series. [[spoiler: Then, he's killed off. Alongside everyonme else.]]

* Eff Rothmer, the title character of ThirteenthChild

* Most kids in TheXFiles.

* Cassandra when she first appeared on ''{{Stargate SG-1}}''. The show lasted long enough for us to see her grow out of it and become a normal (i.e. rather bratty) teenager.
* Tomoya from {{Aishiteru}}.

* Fard from SpaceRunawayIdeon. Like most of the other kids, [[spoiler: he lost his parents when the Buff Clan attacked the colony on Solo.]] Spends most of his time, moping, cries easily and carries a rag doll with him for most of the series. [[spoiler: Then, he's killed off. Alongside everyonme else.]]
* Emile of CountCain, due to ParentalNeglect, mainly.

* In the ''{{Shadowrun}}'' adventure ''Divided Assets'', the {{PC}}'s are hired to kidnap a young boy named Shawn Gaffney. After doing so, they discover that Shawn has psychological problems due to emotional neglect by his parents.

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Has excellent [[TheWoobie Woobie]] potential, but if the writers go too far, they may end up as TheScrappy for less "compassionate" viewes. Opposite of the CheerfulChild. Compare CreepyChild, and don't confuse with BrattyHalfPint. Compare LonelyRichKid.

* Fard from SpaceRunawayIdeon. Like most of the other kids, [[spoiler: he lost his parents when the Buff Clan attacked the colony on Solo.]] Spends most of his time, moping, cries easily and carries a rag doll with him for most of the series. [[spoiler: Then, he's killed off. Alongisde everyonme else.]]

* ''NatsumeYuujinchou'' is about a TroubledChild finally getting a chance to recover from past trauma he's dealt with.