Summary
Family relations are often complicated. Even family members who love each other can end up in nasty altercations. The list below should at least let people know they are not alone in dealing with strife within the family tree. These examples are often a little extreme compared to real-life circumstances, but they all make for some good drama and plot twists.
Some of the characters are larger than life and exist in fantasy worlds, while others deal with more grounded drama and themes that relate to real life. Adopted parents count for this list, but not creators if they are scientists or omnipotent being who created the hero.
The debutMetal Geargame and its sequel,Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, both end with ashowdown between protagonist Solid Snake and Big Boss. The third game in the series,Metal Gear Solid,sheds more light on the two characters' relationship. Solid Snake is actually Big Boss’s cloned son.
He is one of three triplets along with Liquid and Solidus Snake. Big Boss was thought to be dead for good until he came back at the end ofMetal Gear Solid 4to wrap up the story and connect all the hanging plot threads.
Solid Snake is not the only one to fight a paternal figure. Raiden fights Solidus Snake inMetal Gear Solid 2.The two have a distorted, dysfunctional father-son relationship.
Kratos became a thoughtful father who tried to learn from his past mistakes in the newerGod of Wargames that started in 2018. Prior to that, he was an aggressive beast fueled by revenge who destroyed nearly theentire pantheon of Greek gods, including his father Zeus. Kratos only learns this at the end ofGod of War 2from Athena’s dying words.
The third entry in the game sees him attack Mount Olympus, culminating in him beating his father. Ironically, Zeus hid this fact because he killed his own father, but concealing the truth did not save him from patricide.
The debutBayonettaquickly became a cult classic thanks to its silky smooth gameplay that builds off the lineage ofDevil May Cry. The titular character’s unique personality also helped endear the series to many players. Bayonetta treats the mythical threats and world-ending steaks with an admirable nonchalance.
It is especially impressive considering the first game culminates in her fighting her father, Balder. It helps that she does not find this out until later in the game. It is also probably a little easier to fight your father when they are trying to alter reality.
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus’spoignant narrativereveals more details about the protagonist’s backstory. B.J. Blazkowicz’s mother was Jewish and his father was abusive to both his son and wife.
The game opens with a powerful flashback showcasing the father’s anti-semitism and harsh treatment of his BJ, including forcing him to shoot the family dog. In the game’s present BJ Blazkowicz visits his family home and his father is waiting for him. He gave his wife up to the Nazis and is ready to kill his son.
Blazkowicz, with a shotgun pointed at his forehead, states how he no longer feels fear or anything about his father before brushing the shotgun away before the trigger is pulled. Immediately afterward, he kills his father with an ax.
This influential roguelike plays like an endlessclassicLegend of Zeldadungeon. The story presented to gamers says that the titular character’s mother is convinced by a voice that her son is overly corrupted by sin and must be expunged from the world to be saved.
One of the bosses is literally his mom and is the first final boss of the adventure before additional chapters become available. Considering its roguelike structure and somewhat extreme premise, it is difficult to know what inThe Binding of Isaacis supposed to be taken literally and what is in the character’s imagination. It is definitely a part of the game’s charming and lasting appeal, however.
The player character inSekiro: Shadows Die Twicegoes by the name Wolf but is eventually renamed Sekiro. He is an orphan who was adopted by a Shinobi named Wolf and eventually entrusted with protecting Kuro. Unfortunately, at a point later in the game Owl is revealed to be seeking the power of Immortality Kuro has for himself.
At this point, players can decide whether to side with Owl or go against their adopted father and fight him to the death. Siding with him ends the game after an additional boss fight, but going against his orders continues the game.In classic FromSoftware fashion,the decision and its impact are irreversible and its consequences are unclear at first.
Symphony of the Nightputs a small spinon the generational Dracula-hunting story by putting characters in the shoes of Dracula’s son, Alucard. This makes the adventure just a little more personal, not that the Belmonts did not already have a reasonable bone to pick with the prince of darkness.
It is easy to sympathize with Dracula’s hatred for mankind since his thirst for revenge is fueled by his lover, Lisa, being executed after being branded a witch. However, Alucard ultimately decides to side with humanity since his mother and Dracula’s true love did not want the vampire to hate or enact vengeance on mankind.
