Get ready to be surprised by the abundance of dysfunctional families and the impact of neglectful parents in anime. It’s not limited to just the infamous parents in Yu-Gi-Oh! as bad parenting is a recurring theme in popular anime like My Hero Academia and Pokémon. This recurring trope is a captivating element of the world of animation.
The prevalence of bad parenting in anime is astonishing, ranging from parents pressuring their children to commit suicide for insurance money to transforming them into cannibalistic creatures against their will.
Not only is it an uncommon event, but it’s almost expected. We will now explore the realm of the most neglectful parents in anime, and pray that their destructive parenting tactics never become a reality. Beware, as we may reveal spoilers about the extent of their ineptitude, so please remain vigilant.
These individuals have all been black-listed from the Parent of the Year nominations. Behold the hall of shame, featuring parents that will make you wish you had Child Protection Services on speed dial.
10. Charles Zi Britannia (Code Geass)
Despite being the formidable antagonist in Code Geass, the Emperor of Britannia always commanded a powerful presence. His mere words could inspire troops and devastate entire countries. However, when it came to parenting, his approach was not as impressive.
Charles’ blatant disregard and lack of concern for his own children is a chilling display of his emotions. What makes it even more disturbing is his twisted endgame – the Ragnarok Connection – where he seeks to merge all human consciousness into one. He callously pushed his own children away in pursuit of this goal, despite his initial intentions to create a better world for them. It’s a distorted form of affection that led Lelouch to make the choices he did, and he cannot be blamed for them.
9. Grisha Yeager (Attack on Titan)
As we witnessed the pure elation on Grisha and Dina Yeager’s faces upon the arrival of their son Zeke, we were deceived into believing that they would be devoted and caring parents who would prioritize their child above all else. However, it became apparent that this misguided couple had ulterior motives, planning to manipulate and exploit Zeke as a tool to fulfill their own desires and benefit their community.
Despite being predictable, Zeke’s failure solidifies Grisha’s disappointment, which ultimately becomes a defining aspect of his personality. While Dina’s response is less harsh, she fails to intervene in her husband’s bouts of anger, making her equally responsible. As a result, Zeke’s eventual betrayal and turning in of his parents is not surprising. While Grisha may have been a better parent to his other son, Eren, his ultimate decision to inject him with Titan serum to fulfill his own goals ultimately leads to his demise. Ironically, this choice reduces Grisha to a mere meal for Eren.
8. Character Profile: Shouichi Makise (Steins; Gate)
The story is a heartbreaking one about a father who is unable to handle his child’s achievements. We are introduced to Shouichi Makise, also known as Dr. Nakabachi, the father of the incredibly talented Kurisu Makise. Kurisu writes a groundbreaking paper on time travel, a remarkable accomplishment that any parent would be proud of. However, instead of rejoicing in his daughter’s success, Shouichi tries to kill her in order to plagiarize her work and take credit for it himself. Sadly, his plan succeeds.
Nakabachi, using the name Shouichi, flees with Kirisu’s theories and embarks on his own time-traveling ventures. This ultimately results in a series of disasters and, eventually, leads to World War III. It is a complicated situation, to say the least. Way to go, Nakabachi. You should be proud. It’s certainly challenging to top that in terms of parenting.
Enji Todoroki: The Fiery Hero Endeavor in My Hero Academia
Endeavor, the evilest twin of living out one’s dreams through their children, strategically planned to have several offspring with his wife, Rei, who possesses an ice-quirk. His ultimate goal was to create children with superior quirks in hopes that one of them would fulfill his failed dream of surpassing All Might.
Endeavor has a history of being an abusive father and husband. He forced his son, Shoto Todoroki, to undergo intense training due to his unique possession of both his parents’ Quirks. Neglecting his other children, Endeavor relentlessly trained a young Todoroki to the point of causing him to vomit during their sessions. Furthermore, his abuse led to his wife’s mental breakdown, resulting in her pouring boiling water on Shoto’s left side. It is clear that Endeavor has a lot of atonement to do for his past actions as a father and husband.
Every Parent in Hunter x Hunter
Despite the anime’s main premise being a 12-year-old boy’s dangerous journey to find his father, who abandoned him to explore the world, the answer is clear. Ging Freecss is the father who left to buy milk and never returned. His absence has greatly affected Gon’s life, and Ging is determined to keep his distance from his son, convinced that he is not meant to be a father. His dismissive behavior towards Gon’s pursuit of finding him only solidifies this belief, intensifying the pain of his absence for Gon. It is evident that Ging is not suited to be a father figure.
Despite one parent being completely uninvolved in their son’s life, the other is overly involved. Kikyo’s obsessive behavior and attempts to control Killua’s life are far worse, as she aims to mold him into a brainwashed assassin at the young age of 12. Her failure to recognize the toxicity of her actions and view them as a form of “motherly affection”makes it challenging for her to change her ways.
5. Gendo Ikari
As the leader of NERV, Gendo is constantly occupied with plotting the fate of the world for his own selfish reasons. This leaves little time for him to spend with his son, Shinji, unless it is absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, Gendo often treats Shinji as a mere tool rather than his own flesh and blood. He verbally abuses Shinji, expressing his lack of desire for him, disappointment in him, and disinterest in seeing him. This emotional abuse is only magnified by Gendo’s complete indifference after throwing Shinji into battle against the angels.
Despite Gendo’s later admission that his treatment of Shinji stems from his own self-hatred, it does not justify his utter failure as a parent.
Ragyo Kiryuin (Kill la Kill)
Ragyo Kiryuin is the main antagonist in Kill la Kill. She is also an undeniably poor mother. Ragyo is an apparently immortal creature with a body made up of both human tissue and Life Fibers, extraterrestrial clothing. Her ultimate objective is to annihilate humanity and allow the Life Fibers to dominate the planet. To accomplish this, her older daughter Satsuki must feign allegiance until she can amass enough resources to defeat her. In the meantime, she must endure her mother’s constant violation.
Despite already being a supervillain, one would assume that Ragyo’s actions would be enough for her. However, she takes it a step further by showing a complete disregard for the lives of her own children. When she mistakenly believes that her second daughter, Ryuko, had died during Life Fiber experimentation, she disposes of the body without any signs of sorrow, seeing it as a mere failed experiment. She remains unfazed when faced with the possibility of killing both Satsuki and Ryuko for standing in her way and even demands that her third daughter, Nui, sacrifice her life. This goes against the expected nurturing nature of a mother, but it seems that Ragyo is simply wired differently.
3. The Role of Parents in Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket is known for its abundance of terrible parents, making it difficult to pinpoint just one. However, Ren Sohma undoubtedly takes the cake as the worst mother in the series. She harbored disdain for her daughter, driven by her fear of her husband’s love for another girl – who also happened to be their own child. On top of this, she forced Akito to live as a boy and even had a romantic relationship with the person Akito loved.
Despite all of this, there are other troubling family dynamics at play. Yuki’s mother, for example, used her son to gain favor with the family’s god. Kyo’s father also holds a negative view of his son, blaming him for his mother’s suicide. Similarly, Rin’s parents pretended to have a perfect family until they could no longer maintain the facade and abandoned her. Perhaps one of the most disturbing cases is Momiji’s mother, who went to the extreme of erasing her memories of her son’s existence due to her disgust with his curse.
Akemi Hinazuki: From Erased
Akemi Hinazuki’s behavior greatly affected her daughter, Kayo. She not only caused her daughter to suffer, but also physically abused her, using her as an outlet for her own frustrations. Kayo was so neglected that she broke down in tears when Satoru’s mother cooked her breakfast, a small act of kindness that she was not accustomed to. Instead of providing for her daughter’s needs, Akemi would usually leave a small sum of money for Kayo to purchase her own food, emphasizing her neglectful actions.
Despite her fear of returning home and enduring more abuse, Kayo would often spend hours alone at the park after school. Thankfully, when her grandmother took her in and Akemi’s parental rights were revoked, it marked a crucial turning point in breaking the cycle of trauma that had consumed Kayo’s life. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear just how deeply Akemi denied her daughter’s need for love and basic care. Her journey serves as a powerful reminder that failing to address and heal from trauma can lead to becoming the very person you feared and causing harm to those you love. This harmful cycle can continue for generations if not addressed promptly, highlighting the importance of timely intervention.
Shou Tucker – The Tragic Villain of Fullmetal Alchemist
There is no doubt that Shou Tucker is one of the most infamous parents in fictional history. What sets him apart from others, you may wonder? Well, brace yourself – in order to maintain his Alchemic License, Tucker fused his daughter and dog together to form a Chimera that could speak. And to make matters worse, he takes pride in his creation. As a horrified Edward uncovers, Tucker also used the same technique on his wife (whom he had falsely accused of leaving him and their daughter, Nina), which ultimately led to his success in his profession.
Despite Tucker’s attempts to justify his creation as an ethically produced chimera capable of speech, it was soon uncovered that he had acted immorally. As he awaited arrest for his heinous acts against both humans and animals, he attempted to gain sympathy from his mutated child by claiming he was misunderstood. The sheer audacity of Tucker’s actions, sacrificing his own child and beloved family pet for personal gain, is despicable and deserving of the harshest punishment. The reprimand he received from Edward was well warranted. Shou Tucker’s actions not only make him a terrible parent but also a reprehensible human being.
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