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---> '''Tali:''' What could I possibly be suggesting? I mean, a young woman gets saved by a dashing commander who lets her join his crew and then goes off to save the galaxy? How could she possibly develop any kind of interest in him?
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---> '''Tali:''' What could I possibly be suggesting? I mean, a young woman gets saved by a dashing commander who lets her join his crew and then goes off to save the galaxy? How could she possibly ''possibly'' develop any kind of interest in him?
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--> '''Tali:''' What could I possibly be suggesting? I mean, a young woman gets saved by a dashing commander who lets her join his crew and then goes off to save the galaxy? How could she possibly develop any kind of interest in him?
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* Arguably used in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', where Alyx rescues Gordon from Civil Protection. "Arguably" because [[HeroicMime Gordon]] never confirms his feelings - in fact, Gordon isn't really supposed to have feelings separate from the player. But judging by the reaction of the majority of players to Alyx, it worked. This is also an example of a male rescuee.
** Played straight later on, as Gordon gets to rescue Alyx from a stalker that's trying to chew her face off after the train crashes.
** And at the end of the first game, Gordon invades the Citadel to rescue Alyx, after which we get the first overt sign of romantic affection from her.
** Played straight later on, as Gordon gets to rescue Alyx from a stalker that's trying to chew her face off after the train crashes.
** And at the end of the first game, Gordon invades the Citadel to rescue Alyx, after which we get the first overt sign of romantic affection from her.
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* In ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'', CJ becomes acquainted with a woman named Denise after setting fire to a building while she was inside and subsequently going out of his way to save her. She goes on to become CJ's first girlfriend, unaware that he was the one who put her life in danger in the first place.
* Arguably used in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', where Alyx rescues Gordon from Civil Protection. "Arguably" because [[HeroicMime Gordon]] never confirms his feelings- -- in fact, Gordon isn't really supposed to have feelings separate from the player. But judging by the reaction of the majority of players to Alyx, it worked. This is also an example of a male rescuee.
** PlayedIt's then played straight later on, on as Gordon gets to rescue Alyx from a stalker that's trying to chew her face off after the train crashes.
** And at the end of the first game,Gordon invades the Citadel to rescue Alyx, after which we get the first overt sign of romantic affection from her.
* Arguably used in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', where Alyx rescues Gordon from Civil Protection. "Arguably" because [[HeroicMime Gordon]] never confirms his feelings
** Played
** And at the end of the first game,
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* ''VideoGame/StarFox'': Fox falls in love with Krystal when he sees her trapped in a crystal. After he rescues her at the end of the game, the two become a couple.
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* ''VideoGame/StarFox'': ''VideoGame/StarFoxAdventures'': Fox falls in love with Krystal when he sees her trapped in a crystal. After he rescues her at the end of the game, the two become a couple.
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* When Junichi defends Ai from an aggressive dog in her route in ''VideoGame/{{Amagami}}''.
* ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'': It's strongly implied that [[GenkiGirl Yuri]] fell for [[SharpDressedMan Robert]], after he and her brother, Ryo, saved her from [[TheDragon Mr. Big]] in the original game. The other reason being, that he's a looker and also happens to be [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan her kind of guy.]]
* In ''VideoGame/AsdivineHearts'', Uriel is convinced that Zack is the one who saved her from her burning village a year before the events of the game and joins the party to express her gratitude. This is despite the fact that he hadn't even left home at all at the time.
* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'':
** It's revealed in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'' (Through suppressed memories) that Ezio and Cristina started their relationship this way, Ezio saved her from an (Implied) AttemptedRape by [[TheRival Vieri de Pazzi]].
** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'': Kaniehtí:io defies this trope; while Haytham Kenway does indeed rescue her and a number of her people from enslavement (or worse) at the hands of a British thug, she refuses to trust him until he accepts her as an equal and fights on her side.
* In ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt'', GV was supposed to assassinate an [[PsychicChildren Adept]] called the Muse, but when he learns that the Muse is merely an adolescent girl named Joule held prisoner her whole life, GV goes against his superior's orders and instead decides to free her. The two have started living together ever since, and Joule has been nursing a not-so-subtle crush on him.
* When meeting two of the three possible female romantic interests in ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII'', you end up rescuing them (twice, in the case of one of them...) the third? She was sent to help you.
* Hilariously played in the ''VideoGame/BattleForWesnoth'' campaign Elvish Dynasty RPG, in which the human empire has a law on the books that if a dragon who holds a princess captive is slain the princess and the dragonslayer are considered married. Even if the dragonslayer happens to be [[LesYay the queen of the elves]].
* ''VideoGame/BlasterMasterZero'' leads Jason to an underground habitat to a CoolTank where he runs into an amnesiac Eve. Even after she recovers her memories and tells him he can go, Jason decides to stick with her anyway, and ends up [[spoiler:rescuing her again in the GoldenEnding]]. The next two games only strengthens their bond further as Jason tries to save Eve's life in some way, such as in ''VideoGame/BlasterMasterZeroII'' where [[spoiler: this is gender-inverted with Eve rescuing Jason in the Golden Ending]], and in ''VideoGame/BlasterMasterZeroIII'' where in the Golden Ending [[spoiler: Jason reunites with Eve and, following their implied {{Love Confession}}s from previous games, plus a direct one by her in this one, they end up HappilyMarried]].
* ''VideoGame/CaveStory'': It's open to interpretation whether there's any romance between the player character and Curly Brace, but if so, then Rescue Romance definitely applies. Aside from [[LetsYouAndHimFight a brief fight upon first meeting]], all their interactions involve rescuing each other (with the player doing the bulk of the rescuing) or [[BattleCouple fighting side-by-side]].
* ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'' invokes this; when Kaido asks you for advice on how to win Mari's heart, you advise him to help her out of a tight spot. [[ChekhovsGun This advice can later save the lives of multiple people]].
* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'':
** Aveline and Donnic's first on-screen meeting consists of Hawke & Co. showing up to rescue Donnic from thugs.
** Merrill's Rivalry path consists of trying to "rescue" her from her own self-destructive demon-summoning. Can be romantic or platonic, however, and there's plenty of debate on whether it comes off as controlling.
** There's also the nobleman's daughter who falls in love with Feynriel. He rescued her from being gang-raped by a group of bandits by [[DreamWeaver making them kill each other while they were still awake]], and she asks Hawke to help her find him so she can "thank him properly".
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'':
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestI'': Princess Gwaelin had been kidnapped by one of Dracolord's minions and falls in love with the Hero the moment he comes in to save her. Eventually, he has no choice but to reciprocate (since the game does not allow you to turn her proposal down).
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV'': Psaro introduced himself to Rose by vaporizing a human thug threatening her.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI'': King Irwin was appointed to the head of Eleaonor's personal guard after he saved her from a monster attack. Things went from there and resulted in the birth of [[PlayerCharacter the Luminary]].
* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': Tifa Lockhart actually wants to invoke this [[ChildhoodFriendRomance with Cloud]], because she thinks it'd be cool. When they were younger, he told her he was planning to join [[SuperSoldier SOLDIER]], so [[ThePromise she made him promise]] to save her if she was ever in a pinch. Which becomes a recurring theme with them throughout ''"The Compilation"''.
*** In ''Anime/LastOrderFinalFantasyVII'', he keeps his word by coming to her rescue at the Mako 5 reactor (seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch9Ttxku30s at 0:40-1:18]]). But the moment is ruined, when Sephiroth recovers and comes looking for revenge against Cloud.
*** While in ''[[Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren Advent Children]]'', Cloud finds her unconscious after her fight with Loz. She regains consciousness long enough to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNIV3SH4E1c tell him he's late.]]
*** Just before their battle against Bahamut SIN, however, Cloud arrives in the nick of time to save her from being crushed by falling debris. When he apologizes for being late last time, she smiles and says it's fine (seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeyyJSmLW3w at 3:05-3:29).]]
*** While the events of ''[[VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy Dissidia 2]]'' are non-canon, the scene after Cloud saves Tifa from Sephiroth contains a CallBack to their promise and [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the trope ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cport3zgHP0 seen at 1:55-2:08).]]
---->'''Tifa: (to Cloud)''' "Anyway... thanks again for saving my skin. [[BigDamnHeroes The way you showed up and fought that guy off...]] It was a pretty cool thing to watch. You were like a hero [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl charging in to save the girl."]]
*** Tifa also sorta manages to return the favor to Cloud during the original game itself. [[spoiler: When Cloud suffers an incredibly nasty AngstComa after being subjected to a TraumaCongaLine, Tifa stays behind to take care of him and, after they fall into TheLifestream, she helps him [[JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind put the pieces of his psyche together]].]]
** Turned in weird directions in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII''; Rinoa's interest in Squall is visible well before any rescue scenarios, but it takes Squall saving her several times before he really starts to warm up to ''her''.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX''. Zidane [[KidnappedByAnAlly stole Garnet from the castle]], and OneThingLedToAnother. It should also be noted that the romance between them only really begins to show through after Zidane (and Co.) save Garnet from the Alexandria Dungeon during Disc 2.
* In the ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series:
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden'':
*** In the remake, ''Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia'', Gray joins the mission to rescue Clair in hopes to help save her and score this with her (or at least, RescueSex). If both of them live to the end, they get married.
*** Tatiana and Zeke's relationship mixes this and FlorenceNightingaleEffect since she rescued him when he washed ashore and took care of him.
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar'':
*** Sigurd helps a girl named Deirdre who's harassed by a thug. She thanks him profusely, but flees, and Sigurd can't take her out of his mind, even when people say she's from [[HiddenElfVillage a hidden village]] and can't be with him. The next time they see each other, Deirdre asks to join his troupe since she's a [[SquishyWizard magic]] [[WhiteMagicianGirl user]] and confesses she's been crushing on him ever since he helped her. Sigurd says he feels the same and lets her come with the group, and they eventually become an OfficialCouple.
*** Another possibility in the same game (this one's optional, whereas Sigurd and Deirdre automatically become hitched) is the hook-up between Prince Jamke and [[WhiteMagicianGirl Lady Edain]]. She was kidnapped by Jamke's evil older brother who wanted to marry her, but Jamke let her go along with [[FragileSpeedster teenage thief Dew]]. When he returns, it's as an enemy; Edain recruits him for the good guys ''and'', through conversations, can make him fall in love with her.
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'':
*** An optional possibility is [[TheHero Eliwood of Pherae]] and [[MysticalWaif Ninian the Dancer]]. The ship falls into this trope too. In Lyn's tale, Eliwood helps Lyn and Nils save a kidnapped Ninian, but [[ConvenientComa she's unconscious that time]] and doesn't know Eliwood played a part in her rescue until their C support brings that up and she's able to say thanks.
*** Something similar happens with Rebecca the Archer and [[BigEater Lowen the Cavalier]]; their C support is about Rebecca glamourizing the time they met when Lowen rescued her from the bandits ransacking her village and recruited her for Eliwood's troupe.
** In ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones The Sacred Stones]]'', it is possible to form a strong Support bond between the Paladin Seth and Princess Eirika, where he confesses that he has feelings for her that were fanned when he had to evacuate her from Renais Castle. This changes the epilogue such that Seth eventually gets married to her.
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'':
*** Chrom and Robin, the female Avatar can have something like this as well: He's one of the two persons who find her in the field at the beginning and take her into the Shepherds (the other being Chrom's sister Lissa), and [[spoiler:when she's trapped by Grima in the final chapter, it's the sound of his voice that brings her back]]. In the case of a male Avatar and Lissa, the tie-in comics explain that [[spoiler:while she can't bring the Avatar back when trapped by Grima... she ''is'' the one who actually found the passed out Avatar in the fields (via [[CrashIntoHello tripping on them]]), then called Chrom over for help]].
*** If you get Chrom and Sumia hitched via Supports, they're a gender-flipped example since ''she'' saves him in Chapter 3 from the enemy on her Pegasus.
*** Maribelle can get hitched with Ricken (who helps her flee from Plegian soldiers), Libra (whom ''she'' rescues from a bunch of drunkards), and [[spoiler:Gaius (who once was forced to frame her father to save her from a corrupt nobleman who held her hostage, and still feels horrible because of that... despite also him having sent a letter that ultimately saved Maribelle's father from being unfairly executed.)]]
*** Subverted by Kellam and Sully. He ''does'' help her once during battle, but he's wounded and not only does she call him out on his lack of self-care, but returns the favor immediately via [[AfterActionPatchUp bandaging his injuries]].
*** For such a [[TheSoCalledCoward so-called coward]], Yarne can score this with Nah as well, rescuing her from kidnappers.
*** Lon'qu can have this with Lissa after saving her from an assassin, and a variation with Miriel after he keeps her from falling to her death while she's completely absorbed in her studies.
*** More downplayed examples include the Female Avatar [[spoiler:and Walhart]] when he saves her from collapsing while reorganizing her books, Laurent and Cynthia when he saves her from being run over by a ballista during training (and [[GenreSavvy he]] lampshades the trope itself), and Gerome and Noire when he helps her when she's carrying a too-heavy crate and almost falls.
** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' doesn't lack examples, either.
*** [[WhiteMage Azama]] can potentially have this with two women: [[BodyguardCrush his lady-of-liege]] [[TomboyPrincess Princess Hinoka]] (whom he found badly injured in the mountains and nursed back to health, which is why he serves under her in the first place) and [[spoiler: [[GlacierWaif Effie]]]] in the third path (theirs is a mutual rescue since they met when she shielded him from an enemy attack, and [[AfterActionPatchUp he healed her injuries]] at least three times.)
*** [[MysteriousWaif Princess Azura's]] romantic supports often invoke the trope... but in several of them, ''she'' is the one to the rescue. On one hand, she helps Hinata to get away from a Nohrian spy that had tricked him before, [[FromDressToDressing patches up Saizo's wounds]] when he gets hurt helping her, exorcises a demon that was about to attack Silas, [[spoiler: helps Takumi to get free from a MoreThanMindControl spell]] on the ''Birthright'' route, and [[spoiler: stops Ryoma and Xander from what's about to be a DuelToTheDeath]] on the ''Revelation'' route; on the other, Subaki protects her from hitmen and [[spoiler:Arthur]] once rescued her from guards years ago. She also has a mutual rescue with the Male Avatar on ''Conquest''; he saves her from soldiers that had captured and were going to execute her, and she later repays the favor by protecting him from assassins in their support chain.
*** The above-mentioned Saizo is not only rescued by Azura but also by [[ShrinkingViolet Princess Sakura.]] He's very seriously injured in their C support and Sakura walks on him about to pass out from pain and blood loss, so she promptly heals his wounds and then helps him get away from the ones who attacked him. [[spoiler: And in the GoldenPath, she's one of the two persons (the other being his brother Kaze) who manages to stop him from committing MurderSuicide with the Avatar.]]
*** While [[WarriorPrince Prince Xander]] is not exactly a DistressedDude, in his A support with [[TheFakeCutie Charlotte]] he's taken by surprise by a Faceless [[DistressBall at a time when he doesn't have a weapon handy.]] Charlotte runs in, tears the Faceless off him, and ''beats it to death with her bare hands''.
*** If Kaze and a Female Avatar obtain an A support before Chapter 15 of ''Birthright'', he saves the two from falling down a huge cliff ([[spoiler:and if they ''don't'' have said A support, he pulls a HeroicSacrifice]]). If they get an S support ''after'' that, it can be easily seen as this trope.
*** On the ''Revelation'' route, Leo saves Sakura when Zola takes her hostage in Chapter 10, and the two can later hook up when he joins the party in Chapter 17. She's even one of his best options for a wife in gameplay given she provides excellent pair-up bonuses as an Onmyoji and passes him access to the class for access to Tomefaire, which gives a sizable boost to his damage output with his trademark tome Brynhildr.
** At the beginning of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'', PlayerCharacter Byleth saves Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude from a bandit attack, and they can romance them at the end of the game. It's played with a bit when you beat [[WhamEpisode Chapter 11]] and learn [[spoiler:Edelgard set the whole thing up to begin with, but Kostas' comments on the matter indicate he didn't know who hired him and she was in genuine danger of losing her life]].
* Arguably used in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', where Alyx rescues Gordon from Civil Protection. "Arguably" because [[HeroicMime Gordon]] never confirms his feelings - in fact, Gordon isn't really supposed to have feelings separate from the player. But judging by the reaction of the majority of players to Alyx, it worked. This is also an example of a male rescuee.
** Played straight later on, as Gordon gets to rescue Alyx from a stalker that's trying to chew her face off after the train crashes.
** And at the end of the first game, Gordon invades the Citadel to rescue Alyx, after which we get the first overt sign of romantic affection from her.
* In Chapter Two of ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami'', [[PersonWithTheClothing the letterman-jacket wearing protagonist]], AKA "Jacket", saves a young woman who was seemingly held captive and abused by the level's bad guy. He lets her sleep on his sofa, and it's implied by her moving into the bed next to him that they've undergone a RelationshipUpgrade. She doesn't seem to mind that he's a killer (since that's how they met) and the girl is implied to have a positive effect on Jacket's life (shown by his messy apartment getting cleaner) [[spoiler:until she gets killed off in Chapter Twelve]].
* In ''VideoGame/ImmortalLove 6: Bitter Awakening'', Alison falls in love with Jacob after he saves her from a charging boar.
* The player's introduction to Dawn Star in ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'' is the player sending Gao packing when he tries to hit on her. Though this might not count, as it is definitely not the first time the characters meet, and Dawn Star was infatuated with a male character long before the incident.
* In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic''. Bastila Shan initially resents the player for rescuing her. If you want to finish the game still in a romance you have to do it ''again'' though this time it's more psychological.
** Used, even if one ''is'' a GayOption, with the female paths. Carth ''did'' pull the unconscious PlayerCharacter off the escape pod and nurse him/her back to health in the Taris apartment. Later, if you choose to rescue Juhani, she reveals that the PlayerCharacter rescued her ''twice.'' The second time was in the grove. The first time was [[spoiler: when Revan's forces marched on Taris and chased out the slavers]].
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
** A game designer once admitted it's mainly Link's job as a heroic figure to rescue the princess; Link has usually been either too young or the game's mood too light to do any sort of serious romantic subplot. To say nothing of Mario, who [[GoKartingWithBowser doesn't even take his ''villains'' seriously]]...
** This is actually portrayed very well in the various games: even in the few situations where Link ''is'' old enough to conceivably pursue a romance with Zelda, he's also far too intently focused on his duty instead of her. He never ignores her, or through ignorance or malice puts her in danger, but he's never shown even the slightest interest in a romantic relationship. In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', however, the initial reason you start your adventure is to go rescue [[DamselInDistress the mayor's daughter]] [[VictoriousChildhoodFriend who pretty clearly likes Link already]]. Link ''does'' meet Zelda and Midna, but he has almost no interaction with Zelda at all, nor do either he or Midna ever show explicit romantic feelings for each other.
** In the cartoon and early games it was played as romance. Later however they avert this, from ''A Link to the Past'' onwards, except for [[spoiler:that kiss at the end of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames'' linked game]].
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', Link ends the third dungeon by saving Princess Ruto from the dungeon's boss. Ruto, who had initially been standoffish towards Link, changes her tune and becomes quite taken with him. She gives him the Zora's Sapphire, but mentions that her mother told her to only give to her future husband...which means she and Link are now engaged! When Link meets Ruto in the adult era, she calls him out on making her wait but admits that saving Hyrule is more important than getting married.
** Played for laughs in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames Oracle of Ages]]''. At one point, Link goes back in time to rescue the female Maku Tree sprout from a pair of Veran's moblins who went back in time to kill it. The ''tree sprout'' falls in love with Link and vows to marry him when she grows up. When Link returns to the present, the restored Maku Tree (previously quite professional) is still in love with him, is miffed that he made her wait for centuries, and declares that they are married.
** Played rather straight in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]''. The Link of the time period meets the Zelda of the time period after the plot's started rolling, and the two grow affectionate during Link's quest to restore her to mortality. It's not done completely straight, though, as they spend more time working together as partners than they do as hero and distressed damsel.
** Would be played straight in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]'' if it wasn't for the fact that the two have known each other for years and are pretty clearly crushing on each other before the game starts. Neither of them has declared their feelings by the time the plot starts, though.
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', it's implied that after Link rescues Zelda from a trio of attacking Yiga ninjas, she starts to warm up to him and possibly even develop feelings for him. Mipha's diary in the "Champions' Ballad" DLC also shows that [[ChildhoodFriendRomance she fell in love with Link]] after he protected her from a [[BossInMookClothing Lynel]].
* The E3 [[http://www.mediamolecule.com/littlebigplanet/ trailer]] for ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet'' inexplicably subverts this.
* Due to the very nature of the games (and Creator/BioWare's known love for RecruitmentByRescue), many {{Romance Sidequest}}s in the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series have elements of this:
** Ashley is rescued by Shepard (and Kaidan) on Eden Prime from overwhelming geth forces.
** Liara is saved from a trap in the Prothean ruins as part of the main plot.
** Although Tali first becomes romanceable in the sequel, she is recruited in the first game (and in the second one, for that matter) in a situation of much distress and will actually invoke this trope if you pursue her RomanceSidequest:
--> '''Tali:''' What could I possibly be suggesting? I mean, a young woman gets saved by a dashing commander who lets her join his crew and then goes off to save the galaxy? How could she possibly develop any kind of interest in him?
** Garrus, while introduced in the first game, is first romanceable in the second, where he first has to be rescued from an entire horde of mercenaries after his head.
*** In the second and third game, it's heavily implied that Dr. Chloe Michel, the doctor that Garrus saves when Shepard recruits him, develops quite a crush on him. Garrus in this case is ObliviousToLove.
** Jacob probably would have survived the assault on the Project Lazarus lab without Shepard, but Shep still proved a lot of help.
** Jack's recruitment mission in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' effectively boils down to you rescuing her from the ''Purgatory'' PrisonShip (which she got put into in the first place by being [[TokenEvilTeammate a ridiculously dangerous criminal]]). And, of course, she's romanceable.
** [[{{Revision}} It took two games to come into play]], but it's hinted that Kaidan's feelings for [[GayOption MaleShep]] really kicked into gear when he was saved on Virmire.
** The usual pattern is actually inverted with Miranda, who rescued Shepard rather than the other way around, and put a ton more effort into it than Shepard usually does - Shepard's rescues typically take at most an hour including any boss fight, maybe half a day if you factor in transportation, while Miranda spent ''two years'' and a ton of the Illusive Man's money putting Shepard back together.
** For a pairing that doesn't involve Shepard, the Shadow Broker [=DLC=] is built around Liara's attempt to rescue her friend Feron. If she was romanced, she confirms they're JustFriends. If not, she's ambiguous about her own feelings but states it wouldn't be ethical so soon after Feron's imprisonment (and torture).
* Possibly played with in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'': In Ground Zeroes [[spoiler:Chico goes to Camp Omega with the intention of rescuing Paz, who he has feelings for, but ends up getting himself caught. Nevertheless, Paz is extremely happy that he came to her rescue and gives him a kiss at one point]].
* ''VideoGame/MitsumeteKnight'' likes this trope. No less than [[spoiler:''three'']] conquerable girls can be saved from pinches, and will kickstart or considerably strengthen bonds with them: [[spoiler:Sophia, Laury, and Priscilla]]. The first [[spoiler:two]] are even saved [[spoiler:''twice'']]; the last one's Rescue Romance is doubled up with [[spoiler:SaveThePrincess]].
* The player's relationship with Aribeth in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'' Hordes of the Underdark is at least partially based on this trope.
** The player's first meeting with Tiera in the fan module Shadowlords arc has him getting her out of some trouble with the local police.
* If Obsidian had kept Neeshka's romance arc in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'', her relationship with the hero would count. Safiya's first meeting with the player in Mask of the Betrayer might also qualify.
* ''VideoGame/PathfinderKingmaker'': A common theme in most of the romances:
** The PlayerCharacter first meets the enslaved Octavia and Regongar when attacking a Technic League encampment, and freeing them will immediately ingratiate the couple to you, to the point a [[AThreesomeIsHot a casual threesome is easily achieved]] and the player can pursue a romance with both or either of them.
** Tristian romance can often start with a female PlayerCharacter rescuing him against a wild Owlbear. More importantly, his romance arc has the player [[spoiler:rescue him from his bondage to [[BigBad Nyrissa]] and his own spiritual despair.]]
** The secret romance with [[spoiler:Nyrissa]] also has the PlayerCharacter [[spoiler:redeem her and ultimately rescue her from the Lantern King's curse by giving her back her stolen heart, convince her to genuinely atone and turn back into the kind-hearted and idealistic nymph she used to be. In this case, she ends up as the player character's queen and fully redeems herself.]]
** The romance with the twin tiefling sisters, Kalikke and Kanerah. They are immediately attracted to the PlayerCharacter after he helps them having their TwinSwitch partly fixed. The confident and straightforward Kanerah desires a physical relationship immediately after finding the magic mirror. Kalikke is more uncertain about opening her heart and losing someone else she has feelings for, but fully gives in once problems with the [[SinsOfOurFathers Forefather]] are heroically resolved.
* Played with in the web game ''VideoGame/{{Phoenotopia}}'' where the heroine Gale saves a prince. She is [[FriendToAllChildren friends with a lot of children]] who think that she is going to fall in love with the Prince because she rescued him and one even urges her to "confess her feelings."
* {{Downplayed|Trope}} in ''VideoGame/PokemonColosseum''. Rui is clearly grateful to Wes for rescuing her from Cipher and [[RecruitmentByRescue joins him because of it]], and other characters refer to them as a couple, but there's no official RelationshipUpgrade.
* In ''VideoGame/PrincessMaker2'', one of the main ways that your daughter can end up developing feelings for [[BattleButler Cube]] is if she is often defeated by monsters and/or bandits while out on trips since Cube is the one who rescues her and brings her home.
* This is how Cornet's infatuation with Prince Ferdinand gets kick-started in ''VideoGame/RhapsodyAMusicalAdventure.'' She dreams of him saving her from a scary, nondescript monster, and then it happens for real when she goes off to the forest to retrieve some red Inotium and gets attacked by Myao and her hench-cats. And ''then'' she has to play it straight for him, as the BigBad gets Ferdinand TakenForGranite and Cornet has to undo the spell...
* During the penultimate chapter in ''VideoGame/Sly3HonorAmongThieves'', Bentley organizes a caper to save Penelope from Captain [=LeFwee=], and she falls for him after spending most of the game crushing on Sly. [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/SlyCooperThievesInTime This proved to]] [[{{Yandere}} be]] [[GoldDigger his]] [[EvilAllAlong biggest]] [[GreenEyedMonster mistake]].]]
* ''VideoGame/StarFox'': Fox falls in love with Krystal when he sees her trapped in a crystal. After he rescues her at the end of the game, the two become a couple.
* The semi-sequel, ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', has an interesting play with this trope. [[TheChessmaster The Sith Inquisitor]] decides he wants Ashara Zavros as his apprentice. Instead of going about it [[BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil the usual way]], he can decide that turning her will be much easier if she likes him. [[BatmanGambit So he hires a bunch of assassins, sends them after her, then "heroically" swoops in at the last minute and saves her from them]]. Not long afterwards, [[JustAsPlanned she joins him]] and he can start her RomanceSidequest.
** Male Jedi Knights have a more straightforward example with Kira--the option to first start her RomanceSidequest comes after you rescue her from a bunch of Sith holding her captive.
** In ''Shadow of Revan'', if you've been following his RomanceSidequest, then the PlayerCharacter gets his/her RelationshipUpgrade with [[spoiler:Theron]] after busting him out of a Revanite prison. …[[BadassInDistress Sorta.]]
* In ''VideoGame/StardewValley'' several of the possible romances have elements of this:
** Penny lives with her {{Jerkass}} alcoholic mother Pam in a little trailer by the river, spending her time between being a SchoolMarm to the local kids and tending to chores in her dim, stuffy home. If your character marries her, she moves in with you as a farmer's wife, alleviating the problem and giving Penny her own space to flourish.
** Shane is a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold prickly but likeable]] alcoholic who wrestles with depression while working a soul-sucking job at the local Walmart {{Expy}}. To make things worse, if the Community Centre is finished and Jojamart is run out of town, then Shane loses his job and cannot support his family on a Saturday job at Pierre's - his depression and suicidal thoughts exacerbate. Unlike Penny, simply meeting a lover and going to live on a farm doesn't alleviate years of poor mental health, the mess in his room suggests his struggles are ongoing.
** Sebastian is a troubled loner who lives in his parents' basement. He doesn't get along with his stepfather Demetrius or his half-sister Maru. He smokes heavily and seems to have depression and social anxiety. If he moves in with the Farmer, he goes a good way to kicking his habit and his relationship with his mother Robin improves, though he is still estranged from Demetrius and Maru.
* ''VideoGame/StoryOfSeasonsPioneersOfOliveTown'': Laura's first heart event consists of her rescuing the PlayerCharacter after they almost drown while trying to find a wallet Jacopo accidentally threw in the sea after absent-mindedly getting it mixed up with an item he wanted to discard.
* In ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'', [[RubberMan Necro]] and [[PerkyGoth Effie]] rescue each other. In [[http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/arcade/d/sf3nec.htm the first game]] and ''[[http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/arcade/a/sf3-2nec.htm Second Impact]]'', Effie finds out that Gill has locked Necro up in a building that's about to explode and sneaks in, getting the two out; Necro returns the favor in ''[[http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/arcade/a/sf3-3nec.htm Third Impact]]'', as he uses his RubberMan powers to save her from a fatal fall.
* ''VideoGame/SummertimeSaga'': Some of the relationships are built on this, getting the potential partner out of a blatantly abusive situation, who then fall in love with the MC. Liu the bank teller and her dictatorial husband Kim, and Consuela the maid who's getting harassed by Mayor Rump are prominent examples.
* Mario constantly going out of his way to rescue Peach, and her reaction whenever he does rescue her, is one of the main ways their romance is {{Ship Tease}}d in most ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' games.
* While it's never explicitly stated, ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'' certainly does suggest that [[WhiteMagicianGirl Mint]] develops romantic feelings for Cless after he rescues her from Mars' dungeon. At the end of the Tower of the 12 Zodiac Signs, the guardian Artemis, for his own amusement, tells [[CuteWitch Arche]] to kiss Cless. Just before Arche does kiss Cless, Mint pushes Arche out of the way. In the only romantic scene between the two, [[SnowMeansLove in a town with constant snowfall]], Mint tells Cless that, shortly after they escaped from the dungeon, she saw him holding onto a unicorn earring that belonged to Meryl, Mint's mother. She thanks Cless for not telling her then what happened because, had she known, she would have lost all hope, and then Mint starts crying.
* In ''VideoGame/TronBonne'' develops a (one-sided) crush on Mega Man after he saves her from a dog chasing her.
* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'': if you choose to use your blood to save Heather Poe, the young woman you meet as she's bleeding to death in the Santa Monica clinic near the start of the game, she'll eventually move in with you and become your Ghoul. However, it's never entirely possible to say how far this is due to her genuine gratitude and attraction towards the player, and how far it is a result of the Blood Bond controlling her actions.
----
* ''VideoGame/ArtOfFighting'': It's strongly implied that [[GenkiGirl Yuri]] fell for [[SharpDressedMan Robert]], after he and her brother, Ryo, saved her from [[TheDragon Mr. Big]] in the original game. The other reason being, that he's a looker and also happens to be [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan her kind of guy.]]
* In ''VideoGame/AsdivineHearts'', Uriel is convinced that Zack is the one who saved her from her burning village a year before the events of the game and joins the party to express her gratitude. This is despite the fact that he hadn't even left home at all at the time.
* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'':
** It's revealed in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'' (Through suppressed memories) that Ezio and Cristina started their relationship this way, Ezio saved her from an (Implied) AttemptedRape by [[TheRival Vieri de Pazzi]].
** ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'': Kaniehtí:io defies this trope; while Haytham Kenway does indeed rescue her and a number of her people from enslavement (or worse) at the hands of a British thug, she refuses to trust him until he accepts her as an equal and fights on her side.
* In ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt'', GV was supposed to assassinate an [[PsychicChildren Adept]] called the Muse, but when he learns that the Muse is merely an adolescent girl named Joule held prisoner her whole life, GV goes against his superior's orders and instead decides to free her. The two have started living together ever since, and Joule has been nursing a not-so-subtle crush on him.
* When meeting two of the three possible female romantic interests in ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII'', you end up rescuing them (twice, in the case of one of them...) the third? She was sent to help you.
* Hilariously played in the ''VideoGame/BattleForWesnoth'' campaign Elvish Dynasty RPG, in which the human empire has a law on the books that if a dragon who holds a princess captive is slain the princess and the dragonslayer are considered married. Even if the dragonslayer happens to be [[LesYay the queen of the elves]].
* ''VideoGame/BlasterMasterZero'' leads Jason to an underground habitat to a CoolTank where he runs into an amnesiac Eve. Even after she recovers her memories and tells him he can go, Jason decides to stick with her anyway, and ends up [[spoiler:rescuing her again in the GoldenEnding]]. The next two games only strengthens their bond further as Jason tries to save Eve's life in some way, such as in ''VideoGame/BlasterMasterZeroII'' where [[spoiler: this is gender-inverted with Eve rescuing Jason in the Golden Ending]], and in ''VideoGame/BlasterMasterZeroIII'' where in the Golden Ending [[spoiler: Jason reunites with Eve and, following their implied {{Love Confession}}s from previous games, plus a direct one by her in this one, they end up HappilyMarried]].
* ''VideoGame/CaveStory'': It's open to interpretation whether there's any romance between the player character and Curly Brace, but if so, then Rescue Romance definitely applies. Aside from [[LetsYouAndHimFight a brief fight upon first meeting]], all their interactions involve rescuing each other (with the player doing the bulk of the rescuing) or [[BattleCouple fighting side-by-side]].
* ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'' invokes this; when Kaido asks you for advice on how to win Mari's heart, you advise him to help her out of a tight spot. [[ChekhovsGun This advice can later save the lives of multiple people]].
* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'':
** Aveline and Donnic's first on-screen meeting consists of Hawke & Co. showing up to rescue Donnic from thugs.
** Merrill's Rivalry path consists of trying to "rescue" her from her own self-destructive demon-summoning. Can be romantic or platonic, however, and there's plenty of debate on whether it comes off as controlling.
** There's also the nobleman's daughter who falls in love with Feynriel. He rescued her from being gang-raped by a group of bandits by [[DreamWeaver making them kill each other while they were still awake]], and she asks Hawke to help her find him so she can "thank him properly".
* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'':
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestI'': Princess Gwaelin had been kidnapped by one of Dracolord's minions and falls in love with the Hero the moment he comes in to save her. Eventually, he has no choice but to reciprocate (since the game does not allow you to turn her proposal down).
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV'': Psaro introduced himself to Rose by vaporizing a human thug threatening her.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI'': King Irwin was appointed to the head of Eleaonor's personal guard after he saved her from a monster attack. Things went from there and resulted in the birth of [[PlayerCharacter the Luminary]].
* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': Tifa Lockhart actually wants to invoke this [[ChildhoodFriendRomance with Cloud]], because she thinks it'd be cool. When they were younger, he told her he was planning to join [[SuperSoldier SOLDIER]], so [[ThePromise she made him promise]] to save her if she was ever in a pinch. Which becomes a recurring theme with them throughout ''"The Compilation"''.
*** In ''Anime/LastOrderFinalFantasyVII'', he keeps his word by coming to her rescue at the Mako 5 reactor (seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch9Ttxku30s at 0:40-1:18]]). But the moment is ruined, when Sephiroth recovers and comes looking for revenge against Cloud.
*** While in ''[[Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren Advent Children]]'', Cloud finds her unconscious after her fight with Loz. She regains consciousness long enough to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNIV3SH4E1c tell him he's late.]]
*** Just before their battle against Bahamut SIN, however, Cloud arrives in the nick of time to save her from being crushed by falling debris. When he apologizes for being late last time, she smiles and says it's fine (seen [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeyyJSmLW3w at 3:05-3:29).]]
*** While the events of ''[[VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy Dissidia 2]]'' are non-canon, the scene after Cloud saves Tifa from Sephiroth contains a CallBack to their promise and [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] the trope ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cport3zgHP0 seen at 1:55-2:08).]]
---->'''Tifa: (to Cloud)''' "Anyway... thanks again for saving my skin. [[BigDamnHeroes The way you showed up and fought that guy off...]] It was a pretty cool thing to watch. You were like a hero [[AlwaysSaveTheGirl charging in to save the girl."]]
*** Tifa also sorta manages to return the favor to Cloud during the original game itself. [[spoiler: When Cloud suffers an incredibly nasty AngstComa after being subjected to a TraumaCongaLine, Tifa stays behind to take care of him and, after they fall into TheLifestream, she helps him [[JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind put the pieces of his psyche together]].]]
** Turned in weird directions in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII''; Rinoa's interest in Squall is visible well before any rescue scenarios, but it takes Squall saving her several times before he really starts to warm up to ''her''.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX''. Zidane [[KidnappedByAnAlly stole Garnet from the castle]], and OneThingLedToAnother. It should also be noted that the romance between them only really begins to show through after Zidane (and Co.) save Garnet from the Alexandria Dungeon during Disc 2.
* In the ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series:
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden'':
*** In the remake, ''Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia'', Gray joins the mission to rescue Clair in hopes to help save her and score this with her (or at least, RescueSex). If both of them live to the end, they get married.
*** Tatiana and Zeke's relationship mixes this and FlorenceNightingaleEffect since she rescued him when he washed ashore and took care of him.
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar'':
*** Sigurd helps a girl named Deirdre who's harassed by a thug. She thanks him profusely, but flees, and Sigurd can't take her out of his mind, even when people say she's from [[HiddenElfVillage a hidden village]] and can't be with him. The next time they see each other, Deirdre asks to join his troupe since she's a [[SquishyWizard magic]] [[WhiteMagicianGirl user]] and confesses she's been crushing on him ever since he helped her. Sigurd says he feels the same and lets her come with the group, and they eventually become an OfficialCouple.
*** Another possibility in the same game (this one's optional, whereas Sigurd and Deirdre automatically become hitched) is the hook-up between Prince Jamke and [[WhiteMagicianGirl Lady Edain]]. She was kidnapped by Jamke's evil older brother who wanted to marry her, but Jamke let her go along with [[FragileSpeedster teenage thief Dew]]. When he returns, it's as an enemy; Edain recruits him for the good guys ''and'', through conversations, can make him fall in love with her.
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'':
*** An optional possibility is [[TheHero Eliwood of Pherae]] and [[MysticalWaif Ninian the Dancer]]. The ship falls into this trope too. In Lyn's tale, Eliwood helps Lyn and Nils save a kidnapped Ninian, but [[ConvenientComa she's unconscious that time]] and doesn't know Eliwood played a part in her rescue until their C support brings that up and she's able to say thanks.
*** Something similar happens with Rebecca the Archer and [[BigEater Lowen the Cavalier]]; their C support is about Rebecca glamourizing the time they met when Lowen rescued her from the bandits ransacking her village and recruited her for Eliwood's troupe.
** In ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones The Sacred Stones]]'', it is possible to form a strong Support bond between the Paladin Seth and Princess Eirika, where he confesses that he has feelings for her that were fanned when he had to evacuate her from Renais Castle. This changes the epilogue such that Seth eventually gets married to her.
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'':
*** Chrom and Robin, the female Avatar can have something like this as well: He's one of the two persons who find her in the field at the beginning and take her into the Shepherds (the other being Chrom's sister Lissa), and [[spoiler:when she's trapped by Grima in the final chapter, it's the sound of his voice that brings her back]]. In the case of a male Avatar and Lissa, the tie-in comics explain that [[spoiler:while she can't bring the Avatar back when trapped by Grima... she ''is'' the one who actually found the passed out Avatar in the fields (via [[CrashIntoHello tripping on them]]), then called Chrom over for help]].
*** If you get Chrom and Sumia hitched via Supports, they're a gender-flipped example since ''she'' saves him in Chapter 3 from the enemy on her Pegasus.
*** Maribelle can get hitched with Ricken (who helps her flee from Plegian soldiers), Libra (whom ''she'' rescues from a bunch of drunkards), and [[spoiler:Gaius (who once was forced to frame her father to save her from a corrupt nobleman who held her hostage, and still feels horrible because of that... despite also him having sent a letter that ultimately saved Maribelle's father from being unfairly executed.)]]
*** Subverted by Kellam and Sully. He ''does'' help her once during battle, but he's wounded and not only does she call him out on his lack of self-care, but returns the favor immediately via [[AfterActionPatchUp bandaging his injuries]].
*** For such a [[TheSoCalledCoward so-called coward]], Yarne can score this with Nah as well, rescuing her from kidnappers.
*** Lon'qu can have this with Lissa after saving her from an assassin, and a variation with Miriel after he keeps her from falling to her death while she's completely absorbed in her studies.
*** More downplayed examples include the Female Avatar [[spoiler:and Walhart]] when he saves her from collapsing while reorganizing her books, Laurent and Cynthia when he saves her from being run over by a ballista during training (and [[GenreSavvy he]] lampshades the trope itself), and Gerome and Noire when he helps her when she's carrying a too-heavy crate and almost falls.
** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' doesn't lack examples, either.
*** [[WhiteMage Azama]] can potentially have this with two women: [[BodyguardCrush his lady-of-liege]] [[TomboyPrincess Princess Hinoka]] (whom he found badly injured in the mountains and nursed back to health, which is why he serves under her in the first place) and [[spoiler: [[GlacierWaif Effie]]]] in the third path (theirs is a mutual rescue since they met when she shielded him from an enemy attack, and [[AfterActionPatchUp he healed her injuries]] at least three times.)
*** [[MysteriousWaif Princess Azura's]] romantic supports often invoke the trope... but in several of them, ''she'' is the one to the rescue. On one hand, she helps Hinata to get away from a Nohrian spy that had tricked him before, [[FromDressToDressing patches up Saizo's wounds]] when he gets hurt helping her, exorcises a demon that was about to attack Silas, [[spoiler: helps Takumi to get free from a MoreThanMindControl spell]] on the ''Birthright'' route, and [[spoiler: stops Ryoma and Xander from what's about to be a DuelToTheDeath]] on the ''Revelation'' route; on the other, Subaki protects her from hitmen and [[spoiler:Arthur]] once rescued her from guards years ago. She also has a mutual rescue with the Male Avatar on ''Conquest''; he saves her from soldiers that had captured and were going to execute her, and she later repays the favor by protecting him from assassins in their support chain.
*** The above-mentioned Saizo is not only rescued by Azura but also by [[ShrinkingViolet Princess Sakura.]] He's very seriously injured in their C support and Sakura walks on him about to pass out from pain and blood loss, so she promptly heals his wounds and then helps him get away from the ones who attacked him. [[spoiler: And in the GoldenPath, she's one of the two persons (the other being his brother Kaze) who manages to stop him from committing MurderSuicide with the Avatar.]]
*** While [[WarriorPrince Prince Xander]] is not exactly a DistressedDude, in his A support with [[TheFakeCutie Charlotte]] he's taken by surprise by a Faceless [[DistressBall at a time when he doesn't have a weapon handy.]] Charlotte runs in, tears the Faceless off him, and ''beats it to death with her bare hands''.
*** If Kaze and a Female Avatar obtain an A support before Chapter 15 of ''Birthright'', he saves the two from falling down a huge cliff ([[spoiler:and if they ''don't'' have said A support, he pulls a HeroicSacrifice]]). If they get an S support ''after'' that, it can be easily seen as this trope.
*** On the ''Revelation'' route, Leo saves Sakura when Zola takes her hostage in Chapter 10, and the two can later hook up when he joins the party in Chapter 17. She's even one of his best options for a wife in gameplay given she provides excellent pair-up bonuses as an Onmyoji and passes him access to the class for access to Tomefaire, which gives a sizable boost to his damage output with his trademark tome Brynhildr.
** At the beginning of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'', PlayerCharacter Byleth saves Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude from a bandit attack, and they can romance them at the end of the game. It's played with a bit when you beat [[WhamEpisode Chapter 11]] and learn [[spoiler:Edelgard set the whole thing up to begin with, but Kostas' comments on the matter indicate he didn't know who hired him and she was in genuine danger of losing her life]].
* Arguably used in ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', where Alyx rescues Gordon from Civil Protection. "Arguably" because [[HeroicMime Gordon]] never confirms his feelings - in fact, Gordon isn't really supposed to have feelings separate from the player. But judging by the reaction of the majority of players to Alyx, it worked. This is also an example of a male rescuee.
** Played straight later on, as Gordon gets to rescue Alyx from a stalker that's trying to chew her face off after the train crashes.
** And at the end of the first game, Gordon invades the Citadel to rescue Alyx, after which we get the first overt sign of romantic affection from her.
* In Chapter Two of ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami'', [[PersonWithTheClothing the letterman-jacket wearing protagonist]], AKA "Jacket", saves a young woman who was seemingly held captive and abused by the level's bad guy. He lets her sleep on his sofa, and it's implied by her moving into the bed next to him that they've undergone a RelationshipUpgrade. She doesn't seem to mind that he's a killer (since that's how they met) and the girl is implied to have a positive effect on Jacket's life (shown by his messy apartment getting cleaner) [[spoiler:until she gets killed off in Chapter Twelve]].
* In ''VideoGame/ImmortalLove 6: Bitter Awakening'', Alison falls in love with Jacob after he saves her from a charging boar.
* The player's introduction to Dawn Star in ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'' is the player sending Gao packing when he tries to hit on her. Though this might not count, as it is definitely not the first time the characters meet, and Dawn Star was infatuated with a male character long before the incident.
* In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic''. Bastila Shan initially resents the player for rescuing her. If you want to finish the game still in a romance you have to do it ''again'' though this time it's more psychological.
** Used, even if one ''is'' a GayOption, with the female paths. Carth ''did'' pull the unconscious PlayerCharacter off the escape pod and nurse him/her back to health in the Taris apartment. Later, if you choose to rescue Juhani, she reveals that the PlayerCharacter rescued her ''twice.'' The second time was in the grove. The first time was [[spoiler: when Revan's forces marched on Taris and chased out the slavers]].
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
** A game designer once admitted it's mainly Link's job as a heroic figure to rescue the princess; Link has usually been either too young or the game's mood too light to do any sort of serious romantic subplot. To say nothing of Mario, who [[GoKartingWithBowser doesn't even take his ''villains'' seriously]]...
** This is actually portrayed very well in the various games: even in the few situations where Link ''is'' old enough to conceivably pursue a romance with Zelda, he's also far too intently focused on his duty instead of her. He never ignores her, or through ignorance or malice puts her in danger, but he's never shown even the slightest interest in a romantic relationship. In ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess Twilight Princess]]'', however, the initial reason you start your adventure is to go rescue [[DamselInDistress the mayor's daughter]] [[VictoriousChildhoodFriend who pretty clearly likes Link already]]. Link ''does'' meet Zelda and Midna, but he has almost no interaction with Zelda at all, nor do either he or Midna ever show explicit romantic feelings for each other.
** In the cartoon and early games it was played as romance. Later however they avert this, from ''A Link to the Past'' onwards, except for [[spoiler:that kiss at the end of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames'' linked game]].
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', Link ends the third dungeon by saving Princess Ruto from the dungeon's boss. Ruto, who had initially been standoffish towards Link, changes her tune and becomes quite taken with him. She gives him the Zora's Sapphire, but mentions that her mother told her to only give to her future husband...which means she and Link are now engaged! When Link meets Ruto in the adult era, she calls him out on making her wait but admits that saving Hyrule is more important than getting married.
** Played for laughs in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames Oracle of Ages]]''. At one point, Link goes back in time to rescue the female Maku Tree sprout from a pair of Veran's moblins who went back in time to kill it. The ''tree sprout'' falls in love with Link and vows to marry him when she grows up. When Link returns to the present, the restored Maku Tree (previously quite professional) is still in love with him, is miffed that he made her wait for centuries, and declares that they are married.
** Played rather straight in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]''. The Link of the time period meets the Zelda of the time period after the plot's started rolling, and the two grow affectionate during Link's quest to restore her to mortality. It's not done completely straight, though, as they spend more time working together as partners than they do as hero and distressed damsel.
** Would be played straight in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]'' if it wasn't for the fact that the two have known each other for years and are pretty clearly crushing on each other before the game starts. Neither of them has declared their feelings by the time the plot starts, though.
** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', it's implied that after Link rescues Zelda from a trio of attacking Yiga ninjas, she starts to warm up to him and possibly even develop feelings for him. Mipha's diary in the "Champions' Ballad" DLC also shows that [[ChildhoodFriendRomance she fell in love with Link]] after he protected her from a [[BossInMookClothing Lynel]].
* The E3 [[http://www.mediamolecule.com/littlebigplanet/ trailer]] for ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet'' inexplicably subverts this.
* Due to the very nature of the games (and Creator/BioWare's known love for RecruitmentByRescue), many {{Romance Sidequest}}s in the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series have elements of this:
** Ashley is rescued by Shepard (and Kaidan) on Eden Prime from overwhelming geth forces.
** Liara is saved from a trap in the Prothean ruins as part of the main plot.
** Although Tali first becomes romanceable in the sequel, she is recruited in the first game (and in the second one, for that matter) in a situation of much distress and will actually invoke this trope if you pursue her RomanceSidequest:
--> '''Tali:''' What could I possibly be suggesting? I mean, a young woman gets saved by a dashing commander who lets her join his crew and then goes off to save the galaxy? How could she possibly develop any kind of interest in him?
** Garrus, while introduced in the first game, is first romanceable in the second, where he first has to be rescued from an entire horde of mercenaries after his head.
*** In the second and third game, it's heavily implied that Dr. Chloe Michel, the doctor that Garrus saves when Shepard recruits him, develops quite a crush on him. Garrus in this case is ObliviousToLove.
** Jacob probably would have survived the assault on the Project Lazarus lab without Shepard, but Shep still proved a lot of help.
** Jack's recruitment mission in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' effectively boils down to you rescuing her from the ''Purgatory'' PrisonShip (which she got put into in the first place by being [[TokenEvilTeammate a ridiculously dangerous criminal]]). And, of course, she's romanceable.
** [[{{Revision}} It took two games to come into play]], but it's hinted that Kaidan's feelings for [[GayOption MaleShep]] really kicked into gear when he was saved on Virmire.
** The usual pattern is actually inverted with Miranda, who rescued Shepard rather than the other way around, and put a ton more effort into it than Shepard usually does - Shepard's rescues typically take at most an hour including any boss fight, maybe half a day if you factor in transportation, while Miranda spent ''two years'' and a ton of the Illusive Man's money putting Shepard back together.
** For a pairing that doesn't involve Shepard, the Shadow Broker [=DLC=] is built around Liara's attempt to rescue her friend Feron. If she was romanced, she confirms they're JustFriends. If not, she's ambiguous about her own feelings but states it wouldn't be ethical so soon after Feron's imprisonment (and torture).
* Possibly played with in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'': In Ground Zeroes [[spoiler:Chico goes to Camp Omega with the intention of rescuing Paz, who he has feelings for, but ends up getting himself caught. Nevertheless, Paz is extremely happy that he came to her rescue and gives him a kiss at one point]].
* ''VideoGame/MitsumeteKnight'' likes this trope. No less than [[spoiler:''three'']] conquerable girls can be saved from pinches, and will kickstart or considerably strengthen bonds with them: [[spoiler:Sophia, Laury, and Priscilla]]. The first [[spoiler:two]] are even saved [[spoiler:''twice'']]; the last one's Rescue Romance is doubled up with [[spoiler:SaveThePrincess]].
* The player's relationship with Aribeth in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'' Hordes of the Underdark is at least partially based on this trope.
** The player's first meeting with Tiera in the fan module Shadowlords arc has him getting her out of some trouble with the local police.
* If Obsidian had kept Neeshka's romance arc in ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2'', her relationship with the hero would count. Safiya's first meeting with the player in Mask of the Betrayer might also qualify.
* ''VideoGame/PathfinderKingmaker'': A common theme in most of the romances:
** The PlayerCharacter first meets the enslaved Octavia and Regongar when attacking a Technic League encampment, and freeing them will immediately ingratiate the couple to you, to the point a [[AThreesomeIsHot a casual threesome is easily achieved]] and the player can pursue a romance with both or either of them.
** Tristian romance can often start with a female PlayerCharacter rescuing him against a wild Owlbear. More importantly, his romance arc has the player [[spoiler:rescue him from his bondage to [[BigBad Nyrissa]] and his own spiritual despair.]]
** The secret romance with [[spoiler:Nyrissa]] also has the PlayerCharacter [[spoiler:redeem her and ultimately rescue her from the Lantern King's curse by giving her back her stolen heart, convince her to genuinely atone and turn back into the kind-hearted and idealistic nymph she used to be. In this case, she ends up as the player character's queen and fully redeems herself.]]
** The romance with the twin tiefling sisters, Kalikke and Kanerah. They are immediately attracted to the PlayerCharacter after he helps them having their TwinSwitch partly fixed. The confident and straightforward Kanerah desires a physical relationship immediately after finding the magic mirror. Kalikke is more uncertain about opening her heart and losing someone else she has feelings for, but fully gives in once problems with the [[SinsOfOurFathers Forefather]] are heroically resolved.
* Played with in the web game ''VideoGame/{{Phoenotopia}}'' where the heroine Gale saves a prince. She is [[FriendToAllChildren friends with a lot of children]] who think that she is going to fall in love with the Prince because she rescued him and one even urges her to "confess her feelings."
* {{Downplayed|Trope}} in ''VideoGame/PokemonColosseum''. Rui is clearly grateful to Wes for rescuing her from Cipher and [[RecruitmentByRescue joins him because of it]], and other characters refer to them as a couple, but there's no official RelationshipUpgrade.
* In ''VideoGame/PrincessMaker2'', one of the main ways that your daughter can end up developing feelings for [[BattleButler Cube]] is if she is often defeated by monsters and/or bandits while out on trips since Cube is the one who rescues her and brings her home.
* This is how Cornet's infatuation with Prince Ferdinand gets kick-started in ''VideoGame/RhapsodyAMusicalAdventure.'' She dreams of him saving her from a scary, nondescript monster, and then it happens for real when she goes off to the forest to retrieve some red Inotium and gets attacked by Myao and her hench-cats. And ''then'' she has to play it straight for him, as the BigBad gets Ferdinand TakenForGranite and Cornet has to undo the spell...
* During the penultimate chapter in ''VideoGame/Sly3HonorAmongThieves'', Bentley organizes a caper to save Penelope from Captain [=LeFwee=], and she falls for him after spending most of the game crushing on Sly. [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/SlyCooperThievesInTime This proved to]] [[{{Yandere}} be]] [[GoldDigger his]] [[EvilAllAlong biggest]] [[GreenEyedMonster mistake]].]]
* ''VideoGame/StarFox'': Fox falls in love with Krystal when he sees her trapped in a crystal. After he rescues her at the end of the game, the two become a couple.
* The semi-sequel, ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', has an interesting play with this trope. [[TheChessmaster The Sith Inquisitor]] decides he wants Ashara Zavros as his apprentice. Instead of going about it [[BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil the usual way]], he can decide that turning her will be much easier if she likes him. [[BatmanGambit So he hires a bunch of assassins, sends them after her, then "heroically" swoops in at the last minute and saves her from them]]. Not long afterwards, [[JustAsPlanned she joins him]] and he can start her RomanceSidequest.
** Male Jedi Knights have a more straightforward example with Kira--the option to first start her RomanceSidequest comes after you rescue her from a bunch of Sith holding her captive.
** In ''Shadow of Revan'', if you've been following his RomanceSidequest, then the PlayerCharacter gets his/her RelationshipUpgrade with [[spoiler:Theron]] after busting him out of a Revanite prison. …[[BadassInDistress Sorta.]]
* In ''VideoGame/StardewValley'' several of the possible romances have elements of this:
** Penny lives with her {{Jerkass}} alcoholic mother Pam in a little trailer by the river, spending her time between being a SchoolMarm to the local kids and tending to chores in her dim, stuffy home. If your character marries her, she moves in with you as a farmer's wife, alleviating the problem and giving Penny her own space to flourish.
** Shane is a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold prickly but likeable]] alcoholic who wrestles with depression while working a soul-sucking job at the local Walmart {{Expy}}. To make things worse, if the Community Centre is finished and Jojamart is run out of town, then Shane loses his job and cannot support his family on a Saturday job at Pierre's - his depression and suicidal thoughts exacerbate. Unlike Penny, simply meeting a lover and going to live on a farm doesn't alleviate years of poor mental health, the mess in his room suggests his struggles are ongoing.
** Sebastian is a troubled loner who lives in his parents' basement. He doesn't get along with his stepfather Demetrius or his half-sister Maru. He smokes heavily and seems to have depression and social anxiety. If he moves in with the Farmer, he goes a good way to kicking his habit and his relationship with his mother Robin improves, though he is still estranged from Demetrius and Maru.
* ''VideoGame/StoryOfSeasonsPioneersOfOliveTown'': Laura's first heart event consists of her rescuing the PlayerCharacter after they almost drown while trying to find a wallet Jacopo accidentally threw in the sea after absent-mindedly getting it mixed up with an item he wanted to discard.
* In ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'', [[RubberMan Necro]] and [[PerkyGoth Effie]] rescue each other. In [[http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/arcade/d/sf3nec.htm the first game]] and ''[[http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/arcade/a/sf3-2nec.htm Second Impact]]'', Effie finds out that Gill has locked Necro up in a building that's about to explode and sneaks in, getting the two out; Necro returns the favor in ''[[http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/arcade/a/sf3-3nec.htm Third Impact]]'', as he uses his RubberMan powers to save her from a fatal fall.
* ''VideoGame/SummertimeSaga'': Some of the relationships are built on this, getting the potential partner out of a blatantly abusive situation, who then fall in love with the MC. Liu the bank teller and her dictatorial husband Kim, and Consuela the maid who's getting harassed by Mayor Rump are prominent examples.
* Mario constantly going out of his way to rescue Peach, and her reaction whenever he does rescue her, is one of the main ways their romance is {{Ship Tease}}d in most ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' games.
* While it's never explicitly stated, ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'' certainly does suggest that [[WhiteMagicianGirl Mint]] develops romantic feelings for Cless after he rescues her from Mars' dungeon. At the end of the Tower of the 12 Zodiac Signs, the guardian Artemis, for his own amusement, tells [[CuteWitch Arche]] to kiss Cless. Just before Arche does kiss Cless, Mint pushes Arche out of the way. In the only romantic scene between the two, [[SnowMeansLove in a town with constant snowfall]], Mint tells Cless that, shortly after they escaped from the dungeon, she saw him holding onto a unicorn earring that belonged to Meryl, Mint's mother. She thanks Cless for not telling her then what happened because, had she known, she would have lost all hope, and then Mint starts crying.
* In ''VideoGame/TronBonne'' develops a (one-sided) crush on Mega Man after he saves her from a dog chasing her.
* [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] in ''VideoGame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines'': if you choose to use your blood to save Heather Poe, the young woman you meet as she's bleeding to death in the Santa Monica clinic near the start of the game, she'll eventually move in with you and become your Ghoul. However, it's never entirely possible to say how far this is due to her genuine gratitude and attraction towards the player, and how far it is a result of the Blood Bond controlling her actions.
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