I really don't know why this cliche is so mainstream. I understand the argument that making a character an orphan creates some potential for internal conflict, but not all characters have to be this way. Giving any character living parents in a series creates another type of motivation for the character, which is protecting their family from harm. Also, the argument that adding parents will derail the plot is completely farce. Just look at the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which had Buffy's mother alive for most of the series. Adding her character didn't derail the plot at all and instead made Buffy's internal struggle with being a vampire slayer the more interesting.
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A Hundred Cliches That Really Need To Die
RandomEver watched or read something, and felt annoying that a certain plot device was used for the thousandth time? Well, I certainly have. Here are a hundred of some of the worst cliche's ever, which hopefully none of you will use any time soon in you...