Friend to All Children
Describing a character as being fond of and having a soft spot for children is an automatic Pet the Dog since Children Are Innocent with bonus points if the kids like the character back. (Double bonus points if the character is normally a hard-ass around adults) Characters who don't like kids are usually villains or anti-heroic. Note that this trope doesn't apply if it is a disguise put on to avoid suspicion for something else entirely...
This is mainly a trait of the Gentle Giant, the Emotional Bruiser, All-Loving Hero, and a requirement for Purity Personifiednote unless Pure Is Not Good is in play, and a redeeming trait for many antihe...read more