History AFatherToHisMen / VideoGames

** The ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' series does this as well: he as a HundredPercentAdorationRating among his mooks, and ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' even has a mook point out that in Bowser's books, it is much less terrible to fail him and run away than it is to fail him and run away without making sure that your fellow mooks are all right first.

* Captain Brenner/O'Brian in ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars: Days of Ruin'', who indeed serves as an idealized counterbalance to the leader of the other Rubinelle/Laurentinian faction.

*** Also, one of Gaius' previously mentioned generals, Rhitahtyn sas Arvina. He is initially flanked by two Imperial {{mooks}} when you confront him, but he sends them away when he realizes they would just get killed if they tried to help him. These soldiers end up returning with the reinforcements and refuse to leave out of loyalty towards him. Patch 6.1 updated the fight so that Rhitatyn becomes enraged upon seeing his soldiers die, vowing to avenge his fallen comrades, after which he dishes out everything his got at the player.

** Alexstrazsa, the Red Dragon Queen, views all living creatures this way. One of the ways the orcs used to torture her was to smear yolk from her eggs on her face. Despite this, she doesn't hate orcs in any way.

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', Gaius van Baelsar. He acts as a ParentalSubstitute[=/=]TeamDad for two of his generals, promotes based on achievements and merit rather than social status, and is visibly upset when he learns the heroes killed one of them. Later expansions reveal that he had a habit of taking the war orphans he found under his wing, and raising them as his own. Many of these children would go on to join the imperial army and serve under him, wanting to repay his kindness. He even acted as a ParentalSubstitute to Cid Garlond after his father started to neglect him while working on the Meteor project.
*** Also, one of Gauis' previously mentioned generals, Rhitahtyn sas Arvina. He is initially flanked by two Imperial {{mooks}} when you confront him, but he sends them away when he realizes they would just get killed if they tried to help him. These soldiers end up returning with the reinforcements and refuse to leave out of loyalty towards him. Patch 6.1 updated the fight so that Rhitatyn becomes enraged upon seeing his soldiers die, using a LimitBreak to gain a second wind and even trying TakingYouWithMe by burning himself and the player alive, all the while vowing to avenge them.

*** Also, said general, Rhitahtyn sas Arvina. He is initially flanked by two Imperial {{mooks}} when you confront him, but he sends them away when he realizes they would just get killed if they tried to help him.

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', Gaius van Baelsar. He acts as a ParentalSubstitute[=/=]TeamDad for two of his generals, promotes based on achievements and merit rather than social status, and is visibly upset when he learns the heroes killed one of them.

* In ''Videogame/FateGrandOrder'' Goredolf Musik, despite initially coming off as a pompous blowhard, is shown to be a leader who puts the safety and well-being of the people around him above all else with Da Vinci even stating that he treats any danger towards them as a threat to himself. His seemingly-cowardly nature is borne out of a desire to keep the remainder of Chaldea away from unnecessary harm and is even willing to personally negotiate with an enemy Servant for their safety. Da Vinci speculates that he was likely given a harsh upbringing where he was taught to empathize and show concern for the lives of others.

** Speaking of which Leon himself in ''Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta'' had his own squad of troops that were killed in a bombing in D.C and which he was forced to kill again when they zombiefied. Traumatized, Leon falls into a drunken stupor similar to Chris in ''[=RE6=]'' and becomes apathetic to saving the world [[TheWorldIsAlwaysDoomed considering it futile]], thankfully Chris and Rebecca bring him to his senses.

* ''VideoGame/YggdraUnion'': Baldus is an antagonistic version of this.

** There's a scene earlier than the above-spoilered one that highlights [[UpToEleven just what extremes]] Lang takes this trope: He gives one of his men a birthday present. But it's not for the man he gave it to; It's for the man's younger brother's wife's younger brother.

** The Boss to her Cobra Unit in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater''. She was the one who trained Big Boss and seemed to think of him as her greatest student.

* King Varian Wrynn in ''VideoGame/WorldofWarcraft''. Rather than let his army be slaughtered by the Burning Legion he sent them all away and made a suicidal last stand. He's also this to most Alliance players. To Horde players, he is the ultimate WorthyOpponent. The game has a few other characters who fall into this as well, including some rare female examples.

* ''VideoGame/{{Shadowverse}}'': Rowen treats his comrades like if they were his family members, which is why he is well-liked and respected in his squad. This makes his fate as the LoneSurvivor tragic.

* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'':
** General Leo of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' is a classic video game example. In fact, his EstablishingCharacterMoment has him reminding one of his troops that he (said trooper) is a human being before he is a soldier. Made all the more apparent for the fact that he's ''immediately'' contrasted against [[OmnicidalManiac Omnicidal]] MonsterClown [[BigBad Kefka]], who takes over Leo's post when he's called away.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', Gaius van Baelsar. He acts as a ParentalSubstitute[=/=]TeamDad for two of his generals, promotes based on achievements and merit rather than social status, and is visibly upset when he learns the heroes killed one of them.
*** Also, said general, Rhitahtyn sas Arvina. He is initially flanked by two Imperial {{mooks}} when you confront him, but he sends them away when he realizes they would just get killed if they tried to help him.
* ''VideoGame/JudgmentRites'': Just as in the [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries original series]], Kirk cares a good deal about his crew. When accused by Ellis that he is a BadBoss who throws the lives of his men away, he says that each and every man lost haunts him and that he does his best to protect everyone - but space is a dangerous place, and people will die no matter what you do.
* ''VideoGame/LisaThePointlessScholarOfTheWilburSin'': Francis Gizmo Jr. to his partners, Wallaby and Kroger. If you damage one of them enough, he'll immediately shield them with his own body, and if you kill both, he'll berate himself over not being a good enough leader.
* ''VideoGame/MetalGear:''
** Big Boss in the series in general. The kids at Zanzibar Land called him their "One-Eyed Uncle", and there is a very good reason why his men are genuinely loyal to him instead of serving him out of fear.
*** He's also something of a deconstruction. When things go wrong and his soldiers die, Big Boss ''really'' has a tough time dealing with it. Eventually [[DespairEventHorizon he can't take it anymore]] and [[ProtagonistJourneyToVillain things]] [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope don't]] [[ForeverWar end]] [[CrapsackWorld well.]] Notably, during [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVGroundZeroes the destruction of Mother Base]], he's completely calm for almost the entire fight, until he sees a good number of his men cut down in front of him, at which point he goes into a rage and almost needs to be dragged back to the chopper.
** The Boss to her Cobra Unit in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater''. She was the one who trained Big Boss and seemed to think of him as her greatest student.
** Big Mama to the Paradise Lost Army in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots''; she even outright calls her men her "children."
** Amanda Valenciano Libre to the Sandinistas in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker'', although she herself is a deconstruction as while her men do have some respect for her, they tend to address her on a first-name basis instead of referring to her by her proper title of "Comandante". [[spoiler:At least until late into Chapter 4 after she, Miller, the Sandinistas, and the MSF [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome save Big Boss from Zadornov at literally the last possible moment.]]]]
* Commander Gore from ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'' gives off very strong vibes of this. [[spoiler: This only makes his death, however, temporary, a much harder PlayerPunch.]]
** And later on in the game, [[spoiler:he comes back, as an [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Ubergestalt]]. At first he appears to have done a FaceHeelTurn, but defeating a particular boss later brings him back to his senses and memories, and returns to the Red Sprite with final words of encouragement for the Strike Team. Depending on your personality, he'll either [[HopeSpot decide you're]] [[ThatOneBoss unworthy of your existence]] or assist you in destroying the Schwarzwelt and saving humanity.]]
* Although the ''VideoGame/{{Kirby}}'' series isn't exactly known for its deep characterization, what we see of Meta Knight's interactions with his endless army of FacelessGoons seems to indicate he plays this role for them; yet another one of the reasons he's the resident WorthyOpponent and HeroAntagonist. ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'''s "Revenge of Meta Knight" makes it a bit more explicit. He tells his crew to abandon ship before it crashes into the ocean while he distracts Kirby with a [[DuelBoss final duel]]. His crew likes him too much and they decide to [[MultiMookMelee fight Kirby first]]. He snaps at them for being so willing to throw away their lives, then apologizes under his breath for allowing things to get to the point that they would have to.

* Lt. Colonel Daitetsu (from ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'') actually mentions that he feels this way to his second in command, Tetsuya.

* A common staple of ''VideoGame/AceCombat''.
** [[RedBaron Yellow 13]] from ''VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies'' prided himself not on how many kills he got in battle but how he never lost a {{Wingman}} in combat.
** Commander Dietrich Kellerman, aka Silber One from ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'' was this.
** To a lesser extent, so was Victor Vochek and his successor, Ilya Pasternak to the rest of Strigon Team in ''VideoGame/AceCombat6FiresOfLiberation''.
** ''Ace Combat Zero'' also featured a female version, though in a minor unnamed and unseen character. In one mission you are ordered to destroy a Belkan base with a female commander who can be briefly heard through radio transmissions. Upon other transmissions from the soldiers in the base, it can be heard that they greatly admire her, for her beauty as well as her courage, and all see themselves as equivalent to her sons. At the end, despite a brutal defeat, she even reassures her troops and says they all fought well and with honor.
* [[VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles Selvaria Bles]] is arguably a female version of this trope according to the DLC. Taking the front lines alongside her soldiers, giving up her cot for exhausted subordinates, rewarding her troops for going above and beyond their normal duties
** Hell, there are hints of this even in the main story. More often than not, she'll issue the order "All Units Heal".
* Played with in reference to Dutch van der Linde in ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2''. He certainly fancies himself this and acts this way throughout the first half of the main story or so but drops it once his SanitySlippage kicks in. Whether he was EvilAllAlong is left open to the player's interpretation but if one sees it this way, he was never this but pretended to be for his own ends. If you take the interpretation that he did change throughout the game, he was once this but lost it once the TraumaCongaLine of the story kicks in. Some of the characters take the former stance (like Arthur and John who even believes this in the [[VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption first game]]) but some of them (like Sadie and Charles) take the latter. By the end of the story, he leaves [[spoiler: his "sons" John (twice!) and Arthur to die.]]
* Takeda Shingen from ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' cares deeply about his men, and in particular has a fatherly affection for his young ward Yukimura.
** Chosokabe Motochika is also a good example, though he's rather young so his crew see him as more of an older brother than a father.
** Tachibana Muneshige and Maeda Toshiie also claim that their soldiers are like family to them.
** One can't discuss ''Sengoku Basara'' without also mentioning Date Masamune, who doesn't give a second thought to waltzing into a trap while badly wounded to save a handful of his subordinates.
** Despite his ruthless demeanor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi cares a lot for his subordinates, which is why they're so fiercely loyal to him, especially [[VillainousFriendship Hanbe]] and [[PsychoSupporter Mitsunari]]. It's Hideyoshi's care for his men that makes him oppose Nobunaga in ''[=SB2=]''.
* Shi-Long Lang, the Interpol agent from ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations'' is intensely devoted to his men and is adored by them in return. This is both played for laughs (as when he insists that the 99 agents under his command should not count off from 1 to 99, but should all count off as '1' because they're all #1), and played totally straight [[spoiler: when he takes a bullet for one of his agents, even though she had been revealed as a spy in his unit ''and'' a wanted murderer not five minutes prior, on the grounds that she was ''still one of his agents'', and therefore it was his responsibility to keep her from harm.]]
** There's a scene earlier than the above-spoilered one that highlights [[UpToEleven just what extremes]] Lang takes this trope: He gives one of his men a birthday present. But it's not for the man he gave it to; It's for the man's younger brother's wife's younger brother.
** Yuri Cosmos, from ''Dual Destinies''. He may [[SmallNameBigEgo care a bit too much about himself]], but he definitely cares about his men, and will and has done anything in his power to save them during [[spoiler:the space center bombings]].
* The ''VideoGame/TotalWar'' games often have 'Uncle to his men' as a trait for Generals—it generally results in increased morale, though higher levels of the trait introduce penalties to discipline, reflected in shorter strategic-level marching distance. 'Social Drinker' also qualifies, as the description involves him having a flagon or two with his men.

* In ''Videogame/SabresOfInfinity'' Should you take the time to gain your men's trust and respect, you yourself can be this.
--> '''Sergeant Lanzerel:''' Begging your pardon sir, but we missed you. It'd be a fine honour to serve under your command again.
* ''VideoGame/SamuraiWarriors'':
** ''Samurai Warriors 2'' plays with this for magnificent, awesome and SugarWiki/{{Funny|Moments}} effect: Nene is a mother to her men - in that she warns them to be careful with their knees and elbows, tells the enemy to stop firing cannons so as not to wake the neighbors (and upon beating them, remarks: "Such weak enemies! Who's feeding them anyway?" with some concern on her face), and, in general, seems to be blissfully unaware of how a battle between two armies is supposed to work - made all the funnier by the fact that she's a very skilled warrior, and that the morale of the men who hear her motherly warnings increases.
** In a slightly more traditional bent, Ujiyasu Hojo from ''Samurai Warriors 3'' treats even the {{Mook}}iest of his soldiers like his own kin, taking the time to speak to them personally and address their worries, a bit like a rough old uncle or grandfather. Thanks to this treatment, his men are absolutely ''fanatical'' in their loyalty to him as a result.

* ''[[VideoGame/AirForceDelta Air Force Delta Strike]]'' has Holst Prendre being this to Brian.

* Aveline Vallen in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' is the den mother to the Kirkwall guards once she becomes captain -- not that she ever coddles them, and she [[BerserkButton gets upset if anyone ever questions if she does]].
* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'':
** The Inquisitor can be played this way, at one point telling Leliana who is beating herself up over putting her people before the mission, that their people aren't tools to be thrown away. Cullen, the commander of the Inquisition military forces, also deeply cares for the men under his command and warns them not to put themselves in danger unless they absolutely have to.
** On the villainous side, Samson, the general of the Red Templars and one of the two possible [[TheDragon Dragons]] for the BigBad, acts as something of an EvilCounterpart to Cullen. He becomes enraged when the Inquisitor starts killing his men and inspires genuine loyalty from them, to the point that they are willing to throw their lives away in order to help him escape, something that saddens him when he learns of it.
** Grand Enchanter Fiona, the leader of the rebel mages, is another example. Everything she does, including entering a desperate alliance with the Venatori, she did so that her subordinates would not be exterminated by the Templars or the Chantry. In the quest "In Hushed Whispers," when she finds out that Magister Alexius only wanted her mages as CannonFodder for his army, and that he works for [[BigBad The Elder One]], she immediately objects.
* Kratos to his fellow Spartans. Even when he becomes the god of war in the second game he does not forget them and they become his most devoted and favored followers. In ''VideoGame/GodOfWarIII'' the Spartans stay loyal to Kratos even in death itself -- it is ''their'' strength he calls upon in this game, as opposed to the Olympians in the first game and the Titans in the second.
* Coronado De Cava lampshades this in ''VideoGame/TalesOfMonkeyIsland Chapter 3: Lair of the Leviathan'' when he tells Guybrush and Morgan about his crew members (Bugeye, Moose, Santino, and Noogie), "I may have been a stern leader, but I loved them like sons."
* King Volechek from ''VideoGame/GoldenSunDarkDawn'', who [[HeroicSacrifice gives his life]] to save his people from the ApocalypseHow that [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone he unleashed]].
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''
** In the series' backstory, this is said to have been the case for [[GodEmperor Tiber Septim]], [[FounderOfTheKingdom founder of the Third Cyrodiilic Empire]]. Following his posthumous [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence apotheosis]] as the [[DeityOfHumanOrigin deity Talos]], he ''[[RealityWarper warped reality]]'' to change Cyrodiil from a tropical jungle to a more temperate forest in order to please the [[BadassArmy Imperial Legions]] who served him as a mortal.
--> '''Talos:''' ''"You have suffered for me to win this throne, and I see how you hate jungle. Let me show you the power of Talos Stormcrown, born of the North, where my breath is long winter. I breathe now, in royalty, and reshape this land which is mine. I do this for you, Red Legions, for I love you."''
** The [[LongDeadBadass ancient]] [[FounderOfTheKingdom Nordic hero]] Ysgramor was one both in the figurative sense and, to a degree, in the literal sense. He's known as the father of the Nordic people and to a lesser extent, of all mankind (in Septim propaganda). Every Nordic king has claimed at least some ancestry with him.
** Vilena Donton, the Guildmaster of the Fighter's Guild in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]''. Bonus points since her son Viranus is part of the Guild. Unfortunately, [[DeconstructedTrope her doting and overprotective nature causes her to make mistakes]] [[spoiler:and she reacts very badly when Viranus is killed, blaming and kicking out the most competent members of her guild (including ''you'').]]

* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil''
** Surprisingly enough, [[BigBad Albert Wesker]], of all people, might be this to S.T.A.R.S., if his line upon TheReveal that [[spoiler:he's Umbrella's [[MoleInCharge mole within STARS]]]] is anything to go by (also doubles as an EvenEvilHasStandards). On the other hand, he could have been being sarcastic, and he is willing to [[spoiler:kill Marini, send the team on a suicide mission to collect combat data, blackmail Barry, and gloat about how easy Barry was to manipulate]].
-->'''Wesker:''' "The Tyrant virus leaked, polluting this whole place... and unfortunately, I had to give up my lovely members of S.T.A.R.S...."
** Played straight with Chris Redfield in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'' as he becomes a father figure to his [=BSSA=] team and when Ada [[spoiler: aka Clara]] burns them alive, Chris goes through HeroicBSOD and amnesia that takes Piers and dozen others to pull Chris out of. When recovered Chris wastes no time going on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge after Ada and is barely stopped by Leon.
** Speaking of which Leon himself in ''Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta'' had his own squad of troops that were killed in a bombing in D.C and which he was forced to kill again when they zombiefied. Traumatized, Leon falls into a drunken stupor similar to Chris in [=RE6=] and becomes apathetic to saving the world [[TheWorldIsAlwaysDoomed considering it futile]], thankfully Chris and Rebecca bring him to his senses.

* ''VideoGame/MenOfValor'': Lieutenant Zook. [[spoiler:So much that when he died, [[PlayerCharacter Dean]] remarked that "things aren't the same anymore"]]. And Captain Van Bao.
* ''VideoGame/GodsWillBeWatching'': Sergeant Burden tries his best to keep his entire team well even through some ridiculous hardships, and the team looks up to him for it.
* ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'':
** Pit cares more about the [[RedShirtArmy Centurions']] well-being than he does his own, and the feeling is entirely mutual.
** Viridi outright refers to the members of the Forces of Nature as her children.
* ''VideoGame/{{Shadowverse}}'': Rowen treats his comrades like if they were his family members, which is why he is well-liked and respected in his squad. This makes his fate as the LoneSurvivor tragic.
* ''VideoGame/TheWitcher2'': The intro proved, beyond a doubt, that for all King Foltest's many and colourful flaws he cares about his men and they love him.
--> Foltest: You there! Soldier! What's your name?... Wait... Norman Sador, right?! You fought for me at the Battle of Brenna [nearly eight years earlier]! Still an arbalist?
--> Norman Sador: Yes, Sire. Fate has not been kind to me.
--> Foltest: Hah! Arbalist Sador, for your many years of loyal service to the Crown, I appoint you decurion of the arbalists!
* While not at all important in the gameplay, Swain in ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' is said to be in the lore an incredible strategist and commander, with soldiers who survive serving under him becoming fanatically loyal while superiors request demotions just to join his unit.
* General Horace Warfield from ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'' definitely gives off this vibe, especially considering that [[spoiler:when he was laying on the ground impaled by a steel girder, having just lost a horrific battle against the Zerg and facing down Kerrigan, the lord and master of said Zerg, his primary concern was that she spare the retreating transports filled with his wounded men.]]
* The Boss from ''VideoGame/SaintsRow''. Even at their most depraved, loyalty to their men is one of their constants, and they will repay any wrong done to the Saints a thousand times over. Just ask Jessica, who thought she could subject one of the Saints to a CruelAndUnusualDeath. She got paid in full for that.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Infernal}}'', the commander of the ''HMS Liberty'' seems to care deeply that Lennox has killed some of his crew. It's the villainous version of this trope since the casualties in question were incurred when Lennox was breaking out of a torture room.
* One of the first clues that [[ScaryBlackWoman Nadine Ross]] in ''VideoGame/Uncharted4AThiefsEnd'' is not just a [[AmoralAfrikaner stereotypical evil South African]] is the fact that she deeply cares for the men in Shoreline, her army of PrivateMilitaryContractors. As shown by her dialogue towards Nate, a main reason she's so vindictive in her battles with him- [[CurbStompBattle if you can call them "battles"]]- is because of [[WhatMeasureIsAMook all her men he's killed]] on the way to finding Libertalia. [[spoiler:Sadly, Nadine's men don't care for her as much as she cares for them, because Rafe Adler is able to [[OnlyInItForTheMoney bribe them into betraying her]].]] A lot of Nadine's protectiveness seems to transfer to her new treasure-hunting teammate [[AwesomeAussie Chloe Frazer]] in ''VideoGame/UnchartedTheLostLegacy'', since she comes across as a worrywort over Chloe's impulsiveness.
* William Cabot, leader of The Crew in ''Videogame/{{Evolve}}''. On several occasions, he's shown to care for the members of his team, such as offering to use his connections with Hub to allow Abe to see his father again or reassuring Jack that the others will stop ribbing him once they get a chance to work with him.
* Emperor Doviculous of ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'' is ''literally'' a father to his men ([[AbusiveParents an abusive one]]). Every single one of them is his own offspring. ''That's how you make more when you play as him in multiplayer''. What do you expect from a demon king dressed in BDSM gear and voiced by Creator/TimCurry?
* Graven Ashe, the Archon of War in ''VideoGame/{{Tyranny}}'', is this to [[EliteArmy The Disfavoured]]. The Disfavoured motto and main greeting is "Graven Ashe Protects", which is NotHyperbole -- his Archon power is literally to feel and heal the wounds that his soldiers receive in battle. It's eventually revealed that it was his abilities as an inspiring leader that led to him becoming an Archon due to their belief in him manifesting into a protective aegis, which the Disfavoured refer to as "Graven Ashe's Love". [[spoiler:Later in the game it's revealed that not only is Graven Ashe healing his soldiers through his Aegis, he's actually [[EmpathicHealer transferring their wounds onto himself]] [[TheMenFirst to relieve them of their pain]]. As the Conquest of the Tiers progresses, Ashe grows steadily weaker from taking on wounds faster than he can heal them.]]
* [[TheHero Rean Schwarzer]] in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel III'' is this towards his students, enough that some fans refer to him as the dad of the group. Never mind that he's only 6 years older than the youngest member in his class.
* King Varian Wrynn in ''VideoGame/WorldofWarcraft''. Rather than let his army be slaughtered by the Burning Legion he sent them all away and made a suicidal last stand. He's also this to most Alliance players. To Horde players, he is the ultimate WorthyOpponent. The game has a few other characters who fall into this as well, including some rare female examples.
** Tyrande Whisperwind is a very literal example because she actually adopted the leader of the Night Elf Sentinels as her daughter. When her people are slaughtered at the Burning of Teldrassil Tyrande does this super awesome and also kind of creepy ritual that makes her an avatar of her goddess. She and her husband Malfurion then conduct a campaign of terrorism to drive the Horde forces out of their territory.
** All three of the Windrunner sisters are described this way by those they command: but outsiders don't necessarily see it.
** The game also has Turalyon, commander of the Army of the Light (and Alleria Windrunner's husband, incidentally). **On a statue in the game, Anduin Lothar is described as this and there is an organization called the Sons of Lothar dedicated to avenging his death (they aren't literally his children).
** Lord Uther is described this way on his tombstone. Although quite prejudiced and dogmatic, he could be considered an example of the harsh father figure.
** Tirion Fordring is regarded this way by the Argent Crusade, and a not inconsiderable number of both Alliance and Horde players for that matter.
** Alexstrazsa, the Red Dragon Queen, views all living creatures this way. One of the ways the orcs used to torture her was to smear yolk from her eggs on her face. Despite this, she doesn't hate orcs in any way.
** Grom Hellscream was this in the Warlords of Draenor expansion, and some would argue in the original timeline as well (though, he's really controversial). Although he was one of the antagonists, Grom's actions were all dictated by what was best for most of the orcs who lived on the planet Draenor. Grommash Hold, the building in Orgrimmar where the Horde's leaders meet, is named for him.
** Jaina Proudmoore was this to the citizens of Theramore, and the destruction of the city was her BerserkButton in the Mists of Pandaria expansion.
** Cairne Bloodhoof to the Tauren. He unified the Tauren tribes of Kalimdor and built the city of Thunder Bluff. He was also a founder of the Second Horde, and negotiated the peace deal that allowed Horde and Alliance to defeat the Burning Legion at Mount Hyjal. When he was murdered dishonorably by Magatha Grimtotem, the other normally very peaceful Tauren tribes nearly exterminated the Grimtotem.
* Giovanni from the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' series is hinted to be one. Whilst he isn't shown doing anything particularly noteworthy for his grunts on-screen, his reasons for disbanding Team Rocket are due to being unable to face his followers, with the remakes specifically having him say he betrayed their trust. His speech to [[spoiler: his son]] in the Celebi event in the ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' remakes has him stressing the importance of using the potential of an organization and how he failed to do that. Tellingly, Neo Team Rocket's true goal in ''Gold and Silver'' is to call Giovanni to return to lead them.
* Fontana from ''VideoGame/DeadRising4'' actually cares quite a lot for the troops under her command, in stark contrast to every other military leader in the series thus far, being unwilling to put her troops at unnecessary risk. [[spoiler:She goes so far as to order them to ''not'' come to her aid, knowing that they would just be slaughtered by Calder, and opts instead to [[HeroicSacrifice kill herself to try and take it down instead]]]]. Even Frank is taken back by this, remarking how it's odd to see a mercenary who actually cares about her troops.
--> '''Fontana:''' Wolves take care of their pack, Frank.

* King Varian Wrynn in ''VideoGame/WorldofWarcraft''. Rather than let his army be slaughtered by the Burning Legion he sent them all away and made a suicidal last stand. He's also this to most Alliance players. To Horde players, he is the ultimate WorthyOpponent. The game has a few other characters who fall into this as well, including some rare female examples. Tyrande Whisperwind is a very literal example because she actually adopted the leader of the Night Elf Sentinels as her daughter. When her people are slaughtered at the Burning of Teldrassil Tyrande does this super awesome and also kind of creepy ritual that makes her an avatar of her goddess. She and her husband Malfurion then conduct a campaign of terrorism to drive the Horde forces out of their territory. All three of the Windrunner sisters are described this way by those they command: but outsiders don't necessarily see it. The game also has Turalyon, commander of the Army of the Light (and Alleria Windrunner's husband, incidentally). On a statue in the game, Anduin Lothar is described as this and there is an organization called the Sons of Lothar dedicated to avenging his death (they aren't literally his children). Lord Uther is described this way on his tombstone, but it's not completely true: he was quite prejudiced and dogmatic. Tirion Fordring is regarded this way by the Argent Crusade, and a not inconsiderable number of both Alliance and Horde players for that matter. Alexstrazsa, the Red Dragon Queen, views all living creatures this way. One of the ways the orcs used to torture her was to smear yolk from her eggs on her face. Despite this, she doesn't hate orcs in any way. Grom Hellscream was this in the Warlords of Draenor expansion, and some would argue in the original timeline as well (though, he's really controversial). Although he was one of the antagonists, Grom's actions were all dictated by what was best for most of the orcs who lived on the planet Draenor. Jaina Proudmoore was this to the citizens of Theramore, and the destruction of the city was her BerserkButton in the Mists of Pandaria expansion.

** And later on in the game, [[spoiler:he comes back, as an [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Ubergestalt]]. At first he appears to have done a FaceHeelTurn, but defeating a particular boss later brings him back to his senses and memories, and returns to the Red Sprite with final words of encouragement for the Strike Team. Depending on your CharacterAlignment, he'll either [[HopeSpot decide you're]] [[ThatOneBoss unworthy of your existence]] or assist you in destroying the Schwarzwelt and saving humanity.]]

** Despite his ruthless demeanor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi cares a lot for his subordinates, which is why they're so fiercely loyal to him, especially [[VillainousFriendship Hanbe]] and [[PsychoSupporter Mitsunari]]. It's Hideyoshi's care for his men that makes him oppose [[ZeroPercentApprovalRating Nobunaga]] in ''[=SB2=]''.

* General Leo of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' is a classic video game example. In fact, his EstablishingCharacterMoment has him reminding one of his troops that he (said trooper) is a human being before he is a soldier. Made all the more apparent for the fact that he's ''immediately'' contrasted against [[OmnicidalManiac Omnicidal]] MonsterClown [[BigBad Kefka]], who takes over Leo's post when he's called away.
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', Gaius van Baelsar. He acts as a ParentalSubstitute[=/=]TeamDad for two of his generals, promotes based on achievements and merit rather than social status, and is visibly upset when he learns the heroes killed one of them.
** Also, said general, Rhitahtyn sas Arvina. He is initially flanked by two Imperial {{mooks}} when you confront him, but he sends them away when he realises they would just get killed if they tried to help him.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', Gaius van Baelsar. He acts as a ParentalSubstitute[=/=]TeamDad for two of his generals, promotes based on achievements and merit rather than social status and is visibly upset when he learns the heroes killed one of them.

* ''VideoGame/JudgmentRites'': Just as in the [[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries original series]], Kirk cares a good deal about his crew. When accused by Ellis that he is a BadBoss who throws the lives of his men away, he says that each and every man lost haunts him, and that he does his best to protect everyone - but space is a dangerous place, and people will die no matter what you do.

** And later on in the game, [[spoiler:he comes back, as an [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Ubergestalt]]. At first he appears to have done a FaceHeelTurn, but defeating a particular boss later brings him back to his senses and memories, and returns to the Red Sprite with final words of encouragement for the Strike Team. Depending on your CharacterAlignment, he'll either [[HopeSpot decide you're]] [[ThatOneBoss unworthy of your existence]], or assist you in destroying the Schwarzwelt and saving humanity.]]

** The yellow Prinnies of Toto Bunny are charged with assisting the Overlord in helping keep the peace, and are duly respected by the royal family. Their loyalty and competence is equal to that of Valvatorez' Prinnies, to the point [[spoiler:one such Prinny steals a plate of curry from Seraphina's pocket Netherworld, annihilates several of Seraphina's Prinnies and endures beatings from the rebel army and the Lost just to aid her young master and thinks nothing of it]].

** [[RedBaron Yellow 13]] from ''VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies'' prided himself not on how many kills in got in battle but how he never lost a {{Wingman}} in combat.

** ''Ace Combat Zero'' also featured a female version, though in a minor unnamed and unseen character. In one mission you are ordered to destroy a Belkan base with a female commander who can be briefly heard through radio transmissions. Upon other transmissions from the soldiers in the base, it can be heard that they greatly admire her, for her beauty as well as her courage, and all see themselves as equivalent to her sons. At the end despite a brutal defeat she even reassures her troops and says they all fought well and with honor.

** There's a scene earlier than the above spoilered one that highlights [[UpToEleven just what extremes]] Lang takes this trope: He gives one of his men a birthday present. But it's not for the man he gave it to; It's for the man's younger brother's wife's younger brother.

** Within the RPG spinoffs, Bowser is shown to be this to his minions, as his minions follow him of out of respect and adoration for him, not fear, despite his numerous losses. It's worth noting that Bowser is also an actual father, and there's never been any sign of turmoil between him and Junior, to the point that within ''VideoGame/FortuneStreet'', Bowser Jr. is the only character Bowser would never insult should he and his son compete against each other on the same board as [=NPCs=], even while losing to him.

** In ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'': Following another defeat at the hands of the Mario Bros, instead of blaming it on his minions, he tells them that they did rather well and instead pins it on Antasma. This is despite the fact that said minions had gotten curb stomped by Mario and Luigi.

* Coronado De Cava lampshades this in ''VideoGame/TalesOfMonkeyIsland Chapter 3: Lair of the Leviathan'' when he tells Guybrush and Morgan about his crew members (Bugeye, Moose, Santino and Noogie), "I may have been a stern leader, but I loved them like sons."

** The [[LongDeadBadass ancient]] [[FounderOfTheKingdom Nordic hero]] Ysgramor was one both in the figurative sense, and, to a degree, in the literal sense. He's known as the father of the Nordic people and to a lesser extent, of all mankind (in Septim propaganda). Every Nordic king has claimed at least some ancestry with him.

** Surprisingly enough, [[BigBad Albert Wesker]], of all people, might be this to S.T.A.R.S., if his line upon TheReveal that [[spoiler:he's Umbrella's [[MoleInCharge mole within STARS]]]] is anything to go by (also doubles as an EvenEvilHasStandards). On the other hand, he could have been being sarcastic, and he is willing to [[spoiler:kill Marini, send the team on a suicide mission to collect combat data, blackmail Barry and gloat about how easy Barry was to manipulate]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{Infernal}}'', the commander of the ''HMS Liberty'' seems to care deeply that Lennox has killed some of his crew. It's the villainous version of this trope, since the casualties in question were incurred when Lennox was breaking out of a torture room.
* William Cabot, leader of The Crew in ''Videogame/{{Evolve}}''. On several occasions he's shown to care for the members of his team, such as offering to use his connections with Hub to allow Abe to see his father again or reassuring Jack that the others will stop ribbing him once they get a chance to work with him.

* King Varian Wrynn in ''VideoGame/WorldofWarcraft''. Rather than let his army be slaughtered by the Burning Legion he sent them all away and made a suicidal last stand. He's also this to most Alliance players. to Horde players he is the ultimate WorthyOpponent. The game has a few other characters who fall into this as well, including some rare female examples. Tyrande Whisperwind is a very literal example, because she actually adopted the leader of the Night Elf Sentinels as her daughter. When her people are slaughtered at the Burning of Teldrassil Tyrande does this super awesome and also kind of creepy ritual that makes her an avatar of her goddess. She and her husband Malfurion then conduct a campaign of terrorism to drive the Horde forces out of their territory. All three of the Windrunner sisters are described this way by those they command: but outsiders don't necessarily see it. The game also has Turalyon, commander of the Army of the Light (and Alleria Windrunner's husband, incidentally). On a statue in the game, Anduin Lothar is described as this and there is an organization called the Sons of Lothar dedicated to avenging his death (they aren't literally his children). Lord Uther is described this way on his tombstone, but it's not completely true: he was quite prejudiced and dogmatic. Tirion Fordring is regarded this way by the Argent Crusade, and a not inconsiderable number of both Alliance and Horde players for that matter. Alexstrazsa, the Red Dragon Queen, views all living creatures this way. One of the ways the orcs used to torture her was to smear yolk from her eggs on her face. Despite this, she doesn't hate orcs in any way. Grom Hellscream was this in the Warlords of Draenor expansion, and some would argue in the original timeline as well (though, he's really controversial). Although he was one of the antagonists, Grom's actions were all dictated by what was best for most of the orcs who lived on the planet Draenor. Jaina Proudmoore was this to the citizens of Theramore, and the destruction of the city was her BerserkButton in the Mists of Pandaria expansion.

** Speaking of which Leon himself in ''Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta'' had his own squad of troops that killed in a bombing in D.C and which he was forced to kill again when they zombiefied. Traumatized, Leon falls into a drunken stupor similar to Chris in [=RE6=] and becomes apathetic to saving the world [[TheWorldIsAlwaysDoomed considering it futile]], thankfully Chris and Rebecca bring him to his senses.

** Speaking of which Leon himself in ''Anime/ResidentEvilVendetta'' had his own squad of troops that killed in a bombing in D.C and which he was forced to kill again when they zombiefied. Traumatised Leon falls into drunken stupor similar to Chris in [=RE6=] and becomes apathetic to saving the world [[TheWorldIsAlwaysDoomed considering it futile]], thankfully Chris and Rebecca bring him to his senses.

* Surprisingly enough, [[Franchise/ResidentEvil Albert Wesker]], of all people, might be this to S.T.A.R.S., if his line upon TheReveal that [[spoiler:he's Umbrella's [[MoleInCharge mole within STARS]]]] is anything to go by (also doubles as an EvenEvilHasStandards). On the other hand, he could have been being sarcastic, and he is willing to [[spoiler:kill Marini, send the team on a suicide mission to collect combat data, blackmail Barry and gloat about how easy Barry was to manipulate]].