"Family unit" can feel similar a fraught word. For every kid fortunate to exist brought up in a loving, compassionate environment, there'southward another kid raised in an abusive or neglectful home. It's no surprise that more than and more than people are embracing the concept of chosen family, peculiarly when blood relatives act like no kind of family at all.

When it comes to storytelling, family drama will ever be a major driving force behind characters' decisions. While many stories fixate on saving a sibling or parent, more oftentimes than non, anime protagonists take significant scores to settle with a terrible parent or two. These characters, right or wrong, have good reason to betray those that failed to cherish them.

Trigger Alarm: This article includes references to kid corruption and suicide.

10 Lelouch Is A Jerk, But So Is His Dad (Code Geass)

Lawmaking Geassisn't a series known for subtlety. Rather the opposite, this rebel revenge epic is every bit blatant with embracing its tropes equally it is with its product placement. In true anime fashion, it's not surprising that Lelouch Vi Britania has a massive score to settle with his terrible begetter, Emperor Charles zi Britania.

As the fallen prince of the Holy Britanian empire, Lelouch blames his father for his female parent'south death and his sister'southward traumatic injuries and becomes determined to overthrow the entire family line and the empire itself for good measure.

9 Gendo's Reputation Precedes Him (Neon Genesis Evangelion)

At this indicate, Gendo Ikari's reputation as "worst dad ever" is an anime establishment. Cosplayers dressed as Gendo, carrying "Male parent of the Yr" mugs take become a convention staple, and it'due south articulate as day that Gendo isn't concerned most the happiness of his son, Shinji Ikari.

Gendo is an uncaring, cold presence in Shinji's life, constantly endangering his son, forcing him to pilot an EVA despite his protests and rapidly accelerated low. Nonetheless even though Shinji despises his begetter, he tin't help simply long for Gendo's approval. Their human relationship is equally doomed as it is ugly, and Gendo'southward more than than earned his bad name.

viii Killua Had Every Reason To Run Away From Home (Hunter X Hunter)

Born into the prestigious Zoldyck family unit, poor Killua was doomed to a violent childhood. Instead of toys, young Killua was given assassin training. Instead of kindness, he was tortured with barbarous electricity. A needle was implanted in his head in the hopes of making him more ruthless, all in the hopes he'd become the best assassinator of all time.

Is it whatsoever wonder that Killua runs away from home? When he meets Gon, he finally gets to exist a kid, admitting a very deadly 1. Killua couldn't care less most living upwards to the sinister family legacy.

7 Yukio Encourages His Parents' Suicides (Bleach)

Yukio Hans Vorarlberna isn't a major character inBleach, and he's far from the but character coping with family drama. Still, Yukio'due south story is worth mentioning considering it seems especially dark, even as villainous origin stories go.

Yukio inherited his family unit's lucrative business, but not through traditional means. Yukio was a tranquility, disaffected kid. Disappointed in Yukio and his spoken language impairment, his parents locked him in an empty room and neglected him. Eventually, Yukio robbed his parents and ran away, and his parents, their lives in ruins, committed suicide presently thereafter.

6 What If Your Parents Are State Terrorists? (Mawaru Penguindrum)

It'south fair to say thatMawaru Penguindrumis a zany show, a strange sojourn into the weird mind of creator Kunihiko Ikuhara. Ostensibly about the antics of three siblings, one of whom is being kept alive by a strange penguin-shaped chapeau, the show initially feels random to a mistake. But there'due south more to the story than initially meets the centre, and the Takakura siblings have some dark secrets.

In a testify full of whimsy, the darker moments experience especially poignant. The audience learns that the Takakuras have been orphaned because their parents were terrorists who attacked the Japanese subway system, killing a dozen innocent people in an incident parallel to the real-world Sarin Subway assail of 1995. These children are living in a state of disillusionment that makes it hard for whatsoever of them to function, uncertain how to cope with the reality of who their parents were.

5 Todoroki Hates Endeavor, But Dabi Hates Him More than (My Hero Academia)

The Todoroki family unit is a hot mess, pun intended. Enji Todoroki, known as Endeavor, is the 2d most successful pro-hero of all fourth dimension, but beingness 2nd-best has never been good enough for him. Determined to dethrone All Might as the number one hero, Endeavor agrees to an arranged spousal relationship with Rei Himura, whose family is renowned for their Ice Quirk.

Endeavor is an abusive father and married man. He has children with Rei solely as a means of surpassing All Might, adamant to raise an all-powerful child. His children are tools used to fuel his obsession, and it's no wonder his married woman falls prey to a psychotic break and pours boiling water on the face of her youngest son, Todoroki. The eldest son, Toya, nearly kills himself trying to live upwardly to his father'south expectations. Who tin blame Todoroki for refusing to cater to his male parent, denouncing his father in every possible way?

4 Everyone Has Reasons To Despise Being A Sohma (Fruits Basket)

There are few families who demand therapy more than the Sohmas ofFruits Basket. The Sohmas endure a fate worse than nearly shojo characters, despite how sweet the story might seem from the outside. A expletive dictates that fourteen family unit members are vessels of the zodiac and transform into animals when embraced by members of the opposite sexual practice.

While this may sound like fun, the Sohma family exists in a perpetual cycle of abuse, incest, and neglect so cruel that it beggars conventionalities. Kyo Sohma is banished by the family because he houses the unwelcome true cat zodiac, while Akito, the heartless Sohma head, traps Yuki Sohma within and physically and mentally tortures him throughout childhood. There's non a single Sohma who isn't traumatized.

3 Itachi Was Forced To Massacre His Entire Clan (Naruto)

Narutofans have had decades to come to terms with Itachi Uchiha's tragic circumstances, but information technology seems like an incommunicable thing to enquire. Itachi was defenseless between a stone and a hard place, forced to choose betwixt the fate of his village and the fate of his own clan. In the stop, he chose to massacre his ain people for the sake of Konoha when the Uchihas' ambitions threatened to destroy innocent lives.

Tragically, Itachi's brother, Sasuke, the sole Uchiha survivor, doesn't empathise why his brother went rogue and so loathes him with every fiber of his being.

ii Hyakkimaru'southward Father Took Everything From Him (Dororo)

In Tezuka's Dororo ,Hyakkimaru'due south fate is sealed the very instant he is born. In an attempt to brand his lands prosperous, Hyakkimaru'southward male parent Kagemitsu Daigo makes a deal with demons on the eve of his wife giving nascency. Daigo gets his wish, and demons devour Hyakkimaru'southward infant body. Equally a result, Hyakkimaru is born without limbs, eyes, or several of his organs, deaf, mute, and deformed in the name of his father's greed.

Though Daigo sends Hyakkimaru away to dice, he survives and gradually reclaims his stolen body parts. When retribution comes to Daigo, information technology will exist entirely justified and entirely not enough to undo his cruelty.

one Ragyo's Abuse Is Beyond Heinous (Kill La Kill)

It's hard to recollect of a single more abusive parent in all of anime than Ragyo Kiryuin of Kill La Kill. Plenty of anime villains are monstrous and vehement, but few are guilty of sexual abuse, permit alone against their own children. And yet Ragyo's cruelty knows no bounds, and she regularly molested her daughter, Satsuki, throughout her youth. Ragyo used her other daughter, Ryuko, as an experimental guinea pig before dumping her in the garbage. Past the time the daughters finally muster the skill to wreak revenge on her, Ragyo's demise could not come before long enough.

Next: 10 Anime Characters Who Always Put Their Family Starting time

Next My Hero Academia: 10 Pro Hero Vocalization Actors And Where Yous've Heard Them Before

Nearly The Writer

Leah Thomas (139 Manufactures Published)

Leah Thomas is a young developed author currently living in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her books take received critical acclamation; her showtime volume, Considering You'll Never Meet Me, was a Morris Award finalist, and her fourth novel, Wild and Crooked, was nominated for an Edgar Laurels. Leah has too been a guest at San Diego Comic Con and, as an avid cosplayer, loves cypher more than geek culture. Find her on Instagram (@fellowhermit).

More From Leah Thomas