21 Anime Characters With Big-Time Parent Issues

The Elric brothers show mommy issues. After losing their mother, they try to resurrect her with alchemy. The 2003 episode opens this.Fullmetal Alchemist Ed and Al try the ultimate taboo: bringing their mother back. Edward loses an arm and leg. Alphonse loses his body.

The series focuses on finding the Philosopher's Stone. This stone supposedly lets users break alchemy's rules. Edward wants his brother's body back. He doesn't want to wear armor. Later, their mother returns as a homunculus named Sloth, who works for King Bradley. The boys unknowingly created her trying to bring her back. Edward destroys her by turning her body into ethanol. Someone needs to get this kid counseling, fast.

Guts, the shout-happy, demon-slaying machine, is a mercenary leader. No one knows that fact better than Guts.BerserkRaised by an adopted father named Gambino.Gambino, a mercenary leader himself, forced Guts to learn the trade under cruel, loveless conditions.Gambino was a monster. He sold his adopted kid to a friend for one night of horror. Guts later killed his rapist, but that does not erase his trauma.

Gambino was a monster. He sold his adopted kid to a friend for one night of horror. Guts later killed his rapist, but that does not erase his trauma.

Man, oh man,Shinji IkarifromNeon Genesis EvangelionShinji Ikari had a hard time with his parents. At age three, Shinji saw his mother Yui die during the "contact experiment" with Eva-01. A year later, his father Gendo abandoned him, forcing Shinji to live with his teacher Misato.

Misato cares for Shinji. However, Shinji's personal issues follow him always. After age eleven, his father, now head of NERV, asks Shinji to pilot Eva-01 against the angels attacking Earth. Facing his father, who abandoned him as a baby, is not trauma.

Shoto Todoroki fromMy Hero AcademiaShoto Todoroki had a rough childhood. His father, Endeavor, is a top Pro Hero in Japan but could not beat All Might. Endeavor married Rei so their kids could have Fire and Ice quirks and become the No. 1 hero. Endeavor's obsession made him an abusive father and husband. He only cared about Shoto Todoroki, who had both quirks, ignoring his other children.

He trained Shoto relentlessly, forcing him to vomit during lessons. Shoto's mother tried to stop her husband's extreme methods, but she grew mentally unstable from fear. She snapped when she saw Shoto's left side, similar to Endeavor's, and poured boiling water on his face.

Endeavor sent her to a psychiatric ward, leaving Shoto unable to forgive his father for making his mother that way. Shoto refused to use his Fire quirk to defy his father until the Sports Festival at U.A.

Tohru HondaHer mother Kyoko's teachings shaped her life. Though she appears only in flashbacks, her talks with Tohru have a deep effect. Kyoko faced rejection from her parents early and was disowned after joining a school fight.

Rin Sohma thought her life with her parents was perfect until she asked if they were happy. That turned out to be a mistake.The stress of maintaining the facade eventually hurt them. They became abusive and neglectful, leading Rin to a panic disorder and hospitalization.The stress eventually took its toll. They treated Rin abusively and neglectfully until she was hospitalized with a panic disorder.

In Orange,Orange, Naho TakamiyaNaho Takamiya receives several letters from herself ten years in the future about a boy namedKakeru NaruseKakeru will soon transfer to her high school class. As the letter's events start happening, she knows the letters are real and follows their advice exactly.

In the first episode, Kakeru misses school for two weeks because his mother committed suicide. Kakeru tells Naho that much of his life outside school involved caring for her and meeting her moods and mental illness. Naho's letters later explain that in her future, Kakeru suffers depression and guilt for not protecting his mother, leading him to take his own life.

With friends, Naho helps Kakeru see that life has value, but he is still badly damaged. His guilt over his mother never leaves him.

In Yu-Gi-Oh!, Seto KaibaSeto Kaiba is raised by his adopted father, Gozaburo Kaiba, a powerful industry tycoon. Gozaburo forced Seto through an intense academic program, training him for an accelerated school schedule to prepare Seto for top business success.

Gozaburo becomes completely successful. By age sixteen, Seto seizes control of his adopted father’s company in a hostile takeover. This results in Gozaburo’s suicide in front of Seto.

If your father raped your mother and killed her, and is alsothe strongest man in the world that no one can fight,you might beBaki Hanma. The main character in Baki the GrapplerBaki fights his father issues his whole life. He tries to become strong enough to earn his father's respect by beating him up. Baki aims not to be the strongest, just to surpass his dad.

Baki’s father, Yujiro, calls himself "the strongest creature on earth." He spills blood for fun and uses the fact no one can touch him.

Haruka KotouraHaruka tried to be happy and easygoing. Things got hard because she reads minds and talks a lot. When her parents found out she could read minds (and saw their bad behavior), they left.

Haruka’s mother stayed long enough to drink heavily and verbally abuse her daughter. That is something.

This abandonment shapes Haruka’s whole attitude. She is shy and withdrawn. Once she makes a friend, she fears being alone again.

Parents do not play a daily role for the cyborgs at the Special Welfare Agency. However, parents affected several main characters, the heroes on the team in "Gunslinger Girl"."Gunslinger Girl"

Henrietta was taken after her whole family was killed. Rico’s parents gave her to a government agency because she had severe birth defects. Claes learned to love books from her professor father. Angelica’s dad tried to get rid of her to collect insurance money.

The list continues.

As far back asthe 1960 mangaAstro Boy’s origin story stays mostly the same. After losing his son in a terrible accident (retellings vary in violence and budget), Dr. Tenma builds a robot based on his son to fix the void in his soul. Tenma learns you cannot replace a kid with a high-tech toy only later.

He attacks Geppetto and verbally abuses Astro Boy repeatedly before selling him to a circus. Some versions show Tenma later repenting and apologizing for his actions, but this does not change Astro Boy’s dark start in the world.

Ranma’s 16-year-old life is tough in "Ranma 1/2".Ranma 1/2, especially since he turns into a red-headed girl after anyone splashes him with cold water. The young martial artist would not face this problem without his father, Genma, who charged into a sacred Chinese dojo, despite not speaking Chinese, and forced him and his son into pools with drowned spirits.

People expect the man who forced him to live as both a girl and a boy to quit after that. Genma also tries to marry his "daughter" for extra money.

Ranma gets annoyed by his father's antics all series. Still, he owes the man his skill and his pride.

First things first:Sailor Moon Sailor Moon characters often love offing their parents two at a time through crashes. Tuxedo Mask's parents died in a car crash when he was young. Sailor Jupiter’s parents died in a plane crash, also when she was a child.

Sailor Moon's dad seems nice. He constantly looks at Sailor Moon pictures but cannot grasp simple math. On the cosmos, Queen Serenity acts as both the galaxy's savior (at least the first time) and the person who sends her daughter and the Soldiers into action.

Sanemi appears loud, brassy, and rude. Discovering his long-term parental issues makes those traits make sense. Growing up with an abusive father made Sanemi angry at the world. His mother protected him, and his younger siblings were those he looked after.

Things went bad when his mother turned into a demon. She attacked and killed almost all his younger siblings. Sanemi had to kill her to stop her from hurting anyone else. Ending his mother's life to save his brother—who then resented him—makes him callous toward people.

Don't let the cute look fool you: A large number of characters inShadow Star characters have messed up relationships with Mom and Dad. Among many problems, Akira Sakura faces sexual abuse from her father. Main character Shiina Tamai once had an older sister who predicted her death by her parents, saying things would be easier if she was gone.

Shiina's relationship with her dad is complex because he constantly gets attacked by dragons.

The protagonist ofOutlaw Star, Gene Starwind witnessed his father’s death at age 15 aftera band of mercenaries led by Ron MacDougall attacked his home.He escaped just before his father killed him savagely. This scene crippled the future hero for five years until he finally acted.

After that, the memory of his father's killing pushed Gene Starwind forward. The terrible experience shaped him into a noble protector.

The star ofxxxHolic, Kimihiro Watanukivisions of spirits plague Kimihiro, affecting his social skills. This is not Kimihiro's main issue. He struggles with not remembering his parents and assumes their deaths were his fault.

His memory loss is more sinister, but Kimihiro's guilt and loss drive his actions.

The core relationship in Bunny DropBunny Drop shows weird family issues.is between the outcast aunt and nephew of the Kawachi family. Rin, the aunt, is a small child and the illegitimate daughter of the family’s patriarch. Her nephew, Daikichi, is an aimless 30-something.This is an aimless thirty-something.is the only person in the family willing to take her in.

Rin’s relationship with and the rejection from the majority of her biological family set the tone for her shy character and the adventures they share.

In every incarnation of Tenchi MuyoTenchi Muyo appears., Tenchi’s mom, Achika, is dead before the story starts. In every story featuring her, Achika's actions affect Tenchi’s choices, whether she saves the day or Tenchi succumbs to loyalty.Tenchi MuyoAchika has an indelible impact on Tenchi’s actions.

Her presence always helps Tenchi, providing heirlooms or tangible life-saving aid.

In BarakamonBarakamon features Seishu's dad exiling him to a small island., Handa SeishuHanda Seishu faces his dad exiling him to a small island.Seishu, a master calligrapher, loses his temper and punches a museum curator after the latter insults his work. His father exiles him to the Goto island.

Seishu feels upset about the exile and does not want to go. He also feels shame for himself and his family. Overcoming this shame and guilt drives his character growth, and he ends up realizing his father made the right choice sending him to Goto.

Parents of a five-year-old jackanapes named Shin mean well, but that fact remains.Both parents are totally cracked..

Shin’s dad is a good guy who acts like an adult. He works in the city daily, gives his money weekly, provides an allowance, and makes him do chores.

Shin’s mom is a crazy, hypocritical, and vicious abuser. She loves child abuse, using a move to pop her kids on top of their heads. Her son constantly mocks her, so it is understandable he gets a slap.