Is there a main hero that isn't an orphan?

[Yeung Gor]

It appears that almost all of the main heroes are orphans in one way or another. What's the deal with that? Is there some kind of written rule that heroes has to be orphans? I mean just look at the lists:

YG, GJ, ZWJ, XF, LHC, on.. and on.... that's just in wuxia. In foreign genre, we see the same thing.

Spiderman, Hulk, Superman, Batman, Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker, Eragon, on and on... are all orphans...

This is particularly true with genres that deals with supernatural powers. Are there any main heroes that aren't orphans?

[Ken Cheng]

In wuxia:

Deun Yu's parents were alive for most of DGSD, and his biological father even survived the story.

If you count adoptive parents, Kiu Fung had his adoptive parents until he was in his thirties. Cheung Mo Gei had Tse Tsun all through HSDS.

Gwok Jing had his mother around until he was an adult.

Wai Siu Bo's mother lived throughout DOMD.

In comics:

In current continuity, both of Superman's adoptive parents (Jonathan and Martha Kent) are still alive and kicking.

Wonder Woman's mother (Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons) is alive; being an Amazon, Wonder Woman doesn't have a father.

The Silver Age Flash (Barry Allen) and first Modern Age Flash (Wally West) had both biological parents alive through their careers as the Flash.

Jade actually died while her father (the Golden Age Green Lantern) and brother (Obsidian) are still living.

And of course, the Incredibles are a complete family unit.

[K2Grey]

There seem to be problems with writing the family contact, I guess.

Plus in wuxia for the main hero's parents to be alive and publicly known must inevitably be followed by them being kidnapped or the friends of someone the main hero killed murder his parents in revenge or something like that.

[Yeung Gor]

By orphans I mean if they lost their parents at a young age or they are not raised by their biological parents. Adopted parents don't count.

[flyingfox2002]

It's easier to have adventures when you don't have family to worry about. Since having a family is inconvient for the writer in that the family usually doesn't fit the plot, so it saves time and energy just to say they weren't present for one reason or another.

[minutemanwayne]

Xiao Feng wasn't an orphan. In fact his father outlived Xiao Feng himself

[Dennis Chen]

Not only that, Xiao Feng was adopted and raised knowing them as his true parents.

[Candide]

It's easier to have adventures when you don't have family to worry about. Since having a family is inconvient for the writer in that the family usually doesn't fit the plot, so it saves time and energy just to say they weren't present for one reason or another.

That is why Jin Yong had to go for the quick kill for ZCS and YSS, despite both being very interesting and well-developed characters, as soon as ZWJ got old enough to start his own adventures.

Also, the classic "hero's journey" theme has no space for the hero's family.

[flyingfox2002]

I think what we can gleam from the typical wuxia plot is that the protagonist's family doesn't necessarily have to be deceased, but the family has to be out of the way until their presence/involvement is integral to advancing the plot in some way.

[Felix]

It appears that almost all of the main heroes are orphans in one way or another. What's the deal with that? Is there some kind of written rule that heroes has to be orphans? I mean just look at the lists:

YG, GJ, ZWJ, XF, LHC, on.. and on.... that's just in wuxia. In foreign genre, we see the same thing.

Not only that, it seems none of the mentioned 5 love interests had both their parents either.

Little Dragon Girl - orphan
Huang Rong - lost her mother
CM - lost her mother
Ah Zhu - was not raised with either mother or father
RYY - lost her mother

Wei Xiao Bao - no father

His wives:
Ah Or - wasn't raised by either mother or father
Feng Yi - orphan
Mu girl - lost her parents
the Princess - lost her father (became a monk)
Shuang Er - orphan
the Dragon Cult wife - no parents (though perhaps her parents died when she was a grownup)
The unnamed girl - I believe she was an orphan as well

[Felix]

Is it even worse in Gu Long novels?

[Yeung Gor]

Xiao Feng wasn't an orphan. In fact his father outlived Xiao Feng himself

um.. XF is an orphan, he lost his mother and his father left him.

The definition of an orphan is a child who lost one or both of his/her parents.

[Suet Seung]

um.. XF is an orphan, he lost his mother and his father left him.

The definition of an orphan is a child who lost one or both of his/her parents.

Actually....YG

The definition of an orphan is this: a child who has lost both parents through death, or, less commonly, one parent.

[Yeung Gor]

Actually....YG

The definition of an orphan is this: a child who has lost both parents through death, or, less commonly, one parent.

death was hinted of course when I use the term "lost"

[Suet Seung]

death was hinted of course when I use the term "lost"

But you argued that XF is an orphan, when all during the time of the novel, his father was alive, not dead. His father leaving him does not mean death does it?

[Yeung Gor]

But you argued that XF is an orphan, when all during the time of the novel, his father was alive, not dead. His father leaving him does not mean death does it?

Did you miss the part where I said "he lost his mother"? His mother is dead.

[sarakoth]

I think the orphan thing is to make the characters chase after the killer of the parents

[WuxiaGem]

To make readers sympathize with the protagonist more. Also, orphans have to oversome adversity, which makes them work harder at learning martial arts.

Also, most disciples end up with their masters because their famly died or met hardships and could not take care of them.

[Ken Cheng]

Jin Yong's preoccupation with orphans might reflect his Dickensian influences. Like Dickens, Jin Yong didn't just use orphans as the setup for his characters; becoming orphaned almost seems to be an important motif of his work, as it was for Dickens.