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* ''Literature/WagonsWest'': In ''Literature/{{Illinois}}'' Janessa was introduced to the Holts, who did not know about her existence until she was nine years old; Toby had no idea he had fathered the child until she showed up at the door with her mother.

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* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'': the titular species raises their young communally, with all children in a generation being considered "rookery children" to all the gargoyles of the adult generations that provided eggs to that rookery. While they may or may not be ''aware'' of their biological relationships - [[AmazingTechnicolorPopulation children will often share a mix of features from their birth parents]] - it isn't culturally relevant to them. Played straighter with Angela, a gargoyle raised by humans; while it's obvious from her appearance that she is the biological daughter of Goliath and Demona, it never even occurs to Goliath to mention this, as that connection isn't important to him - she is one of his rookery daughters either way. When Angela eventually learns of this, however, it ''does'' matter to her, which throws Goliath off for a time as he struggles to balance his desire to bond with her with his unease over her focus on their biological connection (not helped by concern about her potentially extending this focus to [[PsychoExGirlfriend the other half of her parentage]]).

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* Played with in ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'': the titular species raises their young communally, with all children in a generation being considered "rookery children" to all the gargoyles of the adult generations that provided eggs to that rookery. While they may or may not be ''aware'' of their biological relationships - [[AmazingTechnicolorPopulation children will often share a mix of features from their birth parents]] - it isn't culturally relevant to them. In several cases - such as Hudson being Broadway's biological father - the connection is only affirmed through WordOfGod, as in-universe it would never occur to most gargoyles to make any sort of deal about it.
**
Played straighter with Angela, a gargoyle raised by humans; while it's obvious from her appearance that she is the biological daughter of Goliath and Demona, it never even occurs to Goliath to mention this, as that connection isn't important to him - she is one of his rookery daughters either way. When Angela eventually learns of this, however, it ''does'' matter to her, which throws Goliath off for a time as he struggles to balance his desire to bond with her with his unease over her very un-gargoyle-like focus on their biological connection (not helped by concern about her potentially extending this focus to [[PsychoExGirlfriend the other half of her parentage]]).

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* ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'':
** Lotor's backstory involves a scene where, as a child, he questions his father about the identity of his mother, not realizing said mother was in the same room and in his line of sight. It's implied that as an adult he did his own research and discovered Honerva had become Haggar, but refused to accept or acknowledge it.
** Keith spent his childhood knowing nothing about his mother aside from the fact that she had left when he was an infant and was once in possession of his OrphansPlotTrinket. It's not until his late teens that he learns that she is a Galra woman named Krolia who works with the [[DefendsAgainstTheirOwnKind Blade of Marmora]], and her apparent abandonment was a case of GiveHimANormalLife.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Twilight's brother Shining Armour is introduced this way when she receives an invitation to his wedding. Apparently the fact she ''had'' a brother had just kind of never come up, although forgetting to mention his existence would be in character for her.

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* ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'':
** Lotor's backstory involves a scene where, as a child, he questions his father about
Played with in ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'': the identity of his mother, not realizing said mother was titular species raises their young communally, with all children in a generation being considered "rookery children" to all the same room and in his line gargoyles of sight. It's implied that as an the adult he did his own research and discovered Honerva had become Haggar, but refused generations that provided eggs to accept that rookery. While they may or acknowledge it.
** Keith spent his childhood knowing nothing about his mother aside
may not be ''aware'' of their biological relationships - [[AmazingTechnicolorPopulation children will often share a mix of features from the fact that she had left when he was an infant and was once in possession of his OrphansPlotTrinket. It's not until his late teens that he learns their birth parents]] - it isn't culturally relevant to them. Played straighter with Angela, a gargoyle raised by humans; while it's obvious from her appearance that she is a Galra woman named Krolia who works with the [[DefendsAgainstTheirOwnKind Blade biological daughter of Marmora]], Goliath and her apparent abandonment was a case of GiveHimANormalLife.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Twilight's brother Shining Armour is introduced this way when she receives an invitation to his wedding. Apparently the fact she ''had'' a brother had just kind of
Demona, it never come up, although forgetting even occurs to Goliath to mention this, as that connection isn't important to him - she is one of his existence would be in character rookery daughters either way. When Angela eventually learns of this, however, it ''does'' matter to her, which throws Goliath off for her.a time as he struggles to balance his desire to bond with her with his unease over her focus on their biological connection (not helped by concern about her potentially extending this focus to [[PsychoExGirlfriend the other half of her parentage]]).


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* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': Twilight's brother Shining Armour is introduced this way when she receives an invitation to his wedding. Apparently the fact she ''had'' a brother had just kind of never come up, although forgetting to mention his existence would be in character for her.
* ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'':
** Lotor's backstory involves a scene where, as a child, he questions his father about the identity of his mother, not realizing said mother was in the same room and in his line of sight. It's implied that as an adult he did his own research and discovered Honerva had become Haggar, but refused to accept or acknowledge it.
** Keith spent his childhood knowing nothing about his mother aside from the fact that she had left when he was an infant and was once in possession of his OrphansPlotTrinket. It's not until his late teens that he learns that she is a Galra woman named Krolia who works with the [[DefendsAgainstTheirOwnKind Blade of Marmora]], and her apparent abandonment was a case of GiveHimANormalLife.
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'''WARNING: As a [[TheReveal Reveal Trope]], spoilers will be unmarked.'''

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'''WARNING: As !!As this is a [[TheReveal Reveal Trope]], form of TheReveal, [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff unmarked spoilers will be unmarked.'''
abound]]. [[Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned Beware]].






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[[folder:Real Life]]
* It is said that, in the final few years of his life, UsefulNotes/SteveJobs was told an intriguing fact about one time that he had been to a restaurant: the waiter was ''his biological father'' (Jobs was adopted), neither of them knew it, and that was the last time that they would meet.
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* The final issue of ''ComicBook/ImmortalHulk'' reveals that [[spoiler:[[ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk Bruce Banner/the Hulk]] and his archenemy, [[BigBad the Leader]], are distantly related to one another via a common ancestor, with an implication that their feud is just the latest expression of a [[FeudingFamilies blood feud]] and CycleOfRevenge between the Banner and Sterns families that goes back centuries.]]
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** The first time she goes over to Juleka's, Marinette meets Juleka's brother, Luka, who becomes her LoveInterest. Juleka being so shy explains why her casual friends didn't know about him (whereas her best friend Rose is already acquainted).

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** The first time she goes over to Juleka's, Marinette meets Juleka's brother, Luka, who becomes her LoveInterest. Juleka being so shy explains why her casual friends didn't know about him (whereas her best friend Rose is already acquainted). [[spoiler:In season 4, Luka and Juleka find out that DisappearedDad is none other than world-famous rocker Jagged Stone]].
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Thorul is an anagram of Luthor, not an acronym. Anagrams are letters of a word rearranged, acromyms are initials abbreviating a long name (as in CSI, NCIS)


* Lena Luthor from DC Comics in the Pre-Crisis Continuity originally had no idea that she was the sister of famous super villain Lex Luthor due to the fact that her and Lex's parents (who were actually alive in this continuity) changed their name from Luthor to the [[FunWithAcronyms acronym]] Thorul.

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* Lena Luthor from DC Comics in the Pre-Crisis Continuity originally had no idea that she was the sister of famous super villain Lex Luthor due to the fact that her and Lex's parents (who were actually alive in this continuity) changed their name from Luthor to the [[FunWithAcronyms acronym]] [[SignificantAnagram anagram]] Thorul.

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This is not the only circumstance, but is a common one. Another common variation is the character themselves not knowing of a relative of their own, that person then coming to meet them -- in these cases it is more likely that the audience already knows.

A character may also be hiding their relationship to a family member from their friends for a good reason, though that family member may be frequently present.

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This is not the only circumstance, but is a common one. Another common variation is the character themselves not knowing of a relative of their own, that person then coming to meet them -- in these cases it is more likely that the audience already knows.

knows of the relative. A character may also be hiding their relationship to a family member from their friends for a good reason, though that family member may be frequently present.



See also RememberTheNewGuy, when a never-before-seen character is treated as if they've been through the story with everyone else (making them an unknown relative to the audience, rather than the characters).

SuperTrope to LongLostRelative, for specific cases of when ''both'' parties do not know they are related, YourSonAllAlong, when the relationship is a father-son one that the father doesn't know about and LukeIAmYourFather for the other way around, and RelativeError, when someone doesn't know that two people are siblings and thinks they are dating.

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See also RememberTheNewGuy, when a never-before-seen character is treated as if they've been through the story with everyone else (making them an unknown relative to the audience, rather than the characters).

SuperTrope to LongLostRelative, for specific cases of when ''both'' parties do not know they are related, YourSonAllAlong, when the relationship is a father-son one that the father doesn't know about and LukeIAmYourFather for the other way around, and RelativeError, when someone doesn't know that two people are siblings and thinks they are dating.
dating. See also RememberTheNewGuy, when a never-before-seen character is treated as if they've been through the story with everyone else (making them an unknown relative to the audience, rather than the characters).



The unknown relative may be played by an actor who's a relative unknown, but you may be looking for '''DarkhorseCasting'''.
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* ''VideoGame/Yakuza3'''s plot kicks off when Kiryu discovers a man who looked just like his deceased father figure, Shintaro Kazama, appears and shoots Daigo Dojima. Much later does he learn that man was his younger brother, Joji Kazama, who after his career was disgraced because his connections to his brother, left to America and became a CIA agent.
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* ''Fanfic/TheSecretBiographyOfDonaldDuck'': Upon learning that Beakley adopted [[ComicBook/DoubleDuck Agent Kay K]] while reading through Donald's journal, Webby begins wondering if Kay might actually be her birth mother, whom she knows nothing about. The idea is soon dropped when Huey points out the timeline doesn't match whatsoever considering Kay died before she could have conceived Webby, meaning the spy is merely her aunt by adoption... at least until [[spoiler:it's revealed that Kay survived the crash that made the kids initially drop the idea, with her going on to have a one-night stand with Donald Duck years after the fact, which does fit the timeline and implies that Donald could be her father.]] When Donald is asked directly a few chapters later, willing to answer any lingering questions the kids have, he immediately confirms her parentage, though he further reveals that he was ''also'' LockedOutOfTheLoop and didn't know until he investigated himself a few months prior.

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* ''Fanfic/TheSecretBiographyOfDonaldDuck'': Upon learning that Beakley adopted [[ComicBook/DoubleDuck Agent Kay K]] while reading through Donald's journal, Webby begins wondering if Kay might actually be her birth mother, whom since she knows nothing about.about either of her parents. The idea is soon dropped when Huey points out the timeline doesn't match whatsoever considering Kay died before she could have conceived Webby, meaning the spy is merely her aunt by adoption... at least until [[spoiler:it's revealed that Kay survived the crash that made the kids initially drop the idea, with her going on to have a one-night stand with Donald Duck years after the fact, which does fit the timeline and implies that Donald could be her father.]] When Donald is asked directly a few chapters later, willing to answer any lingering questions the kids have, he immediately confirms her parentage, though he further reveals that he was ''also'' LockedOutOfTheLoop and didn't know until he investigated himself a few months prior.

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