Summary
- Solid Snake fights his family, including his cloned father, Big Boss.
- Kratos kills his father Zeus and most Greek gods before redemption.
- Bayonetta fights her father in a series known for its unique personality.
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.
8 Best Found Families In Gaming
Although these characters aren't bound by blood, their relationships resemble a family.
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.
7 Solid Snake
He Fights Almost The Whole Family Tree
Metal Gear
- Released
- July 13, 1987
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e 10+ // Mild Violence, Tobacco Reference
- Developer(s)
- Konami
- Platform(s)
- PC, Commodore 64, Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo GameCube, MS-DOS, MSX2
- Genre(s)
- Action, Stealth
The debut Metal Gear game and its sequel, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, both end with a showdown 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 of Metal Gear Solid 4 to 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 in Metal Gear Solid 2. The two have a distorted, dysfunctional father-son relationship.
6 Kratos
Kills His Father Along With Most Of The Greek Gods
God of War III
- Released
- March 16, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
Kratos became a thoughtful father who tried to learn from his past mistakes in the newer God of War games that started in 2018. Prior to that, he was an aggressive beast fueled by revenge who destroyed nearly the entire pantheon of Greek gods, including his father Zeus. Kratos only learns this at the end of God of War 2 from Athena's dying words.
God Of War: Kratos' Biggest Regrets
In the God of War franchise, Kratos rarely ever gives his actions a second thought. Still, he's had a few regrets over the centuries.
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.
5 Bayonetta
Her Father Is The Villain Of The Series' Debut Entry
Bayonetta
- Released
- October 29, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Platinum Games
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Genre(s)
- Action
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The debut Bayonetta quickly became a cult classic thanks to its silky smooth gameplay that builds off the lineage of Devil 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.
4 B.J. Blazkowicz
Standing Up To An Abusive Piece Of Trash
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
- Released
- October 27, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- MachineGames
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus's poignant narrative reveals 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.
3 Isaac
Does He Really Fight His Mom Or Was It All In His Mind
The Binding of Isaac
- Released
- September 28, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Edmund McMillen, Florian Himsl
- Publisher(s)
- Edmund McMillen
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
This influential roguelike plays like an endless classic Legend of Zelda dungeon. 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 in The Binding of Isaac is 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.
2 Wolf/Sekiro
Fights His Father To Defend His Master
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
- Released
- March 22, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The player character in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice goes 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.
13 Soulslike Games More Like Sekiro Than Dark Souls
Although the Dark Souls franchise is a common source of inspiration, Sekiro has inspired many Soulslikes as well.
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.
1 Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
Alucard Is Dracula Backwards. Get It?
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
- Released
- October 2, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
Symphony of the Night puts a small spin on 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.