History Main / AmbiguouslyAbsentParent

* In ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'', Andy and Molly's father is never seen, and the characters never address this. There are several theories about his whereabouts, but nothing has been confirmed.
** This many have been enforced. Back when the movie was made, 3-D animation was not what it is today, and animating another human character would have been harder and more expensive.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'': We eventually find out Luffy's father is the revolutionary Dragon, and his grandfather is Vice-Admiral Garp. His mother and grandmother are never mentioned.

* In ''Anime/SailorMoon'', we don't know the identity of Sailor Mercury's mother. Even when she has to go to the airport to leave for America, her mother isn't there with her and nobody even comments on it.
** Averted in the manga, where Ami's mother is shown to be a doctor.

* ''VideoGame/{{Pokemon}}'': In most games the protagonist lives with their mother, but their father receives only vague mentions. ''VideoGames/PokemonRubyAndSapphire'' is an exception, where [[StaticRoleExchangeableCharacter Brendan/May's]] father Norman works as a Gym Leader and is fought halfway through the game.

** Neither of Misty's, Iris's or Cilan's parents are mentioned at all. Misty's parents are said to have abandoned Misty and her older sisters according to ''LightNovel/PocketMonstersTheAnimation''. Cilan and his brothers somehow run a gym by themselves despite being not that much older then Ash and Iris apparently has no blood relatives at all.

** Buck Dewey's father is the mayor of Beach City, but his mother remains unseen and unmentioned.

** While Hector's mother is a recurring character, his father is only mentioned to be a giant even larger than his son. Considering Hector is large enough to be seen from miles away, one assumes he doesn't (and probably can't) live in Elmore.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'':
** Tina's father is shown several times, but her mother is unmentioned.
** Billy is usually seen with his mother Fecility, but the one mention of his father makes it unclear whether his parents live together or share custody and Felicity was just dropping Billy off.
** While Hector's mother is a recurring character, his father is only mentioned to be a giant even larger than his son. Considering Hector is large enough to be seen from miles away, one assumes he doesn't (and probably can't) live in Elmore.
** Carrie's father [[spoiler:turns out to be the MonsterOfTheWeek in "The Mirror"]], but all that's known about her mother is that she's a ghost like Carrie. Whether she lives in Carrie's house (or in the world of the living at all) is unknown.

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}:

** No mention of Dawn or Serena's father has been made, Lana's father is similarly absent, but was mentioned by Lana. Clemont and Bonnie's mother isn't mentioned. Neither is Mallow's mother.
** Neither of Misty's, Iris or Cilan's parents are mentioned at all.

* ''Anime/PokemonIChooseYou'': Verity is the daughter of Cynthia, but her father is never seen nor mentioned.

->''"And by the way, they never do say what he died of, but by look of his incredibly deteriorating health, you know it just had to be broad-shoulder-itis. You know, the same that I'm sure took her mother that doesn't exist."''

->''And by the way, they never do say what he died of, but by look of his incredibly deteriorating health, you know it just had to be broad-shoulder-itis. You know, the same that I'm sure took her mother that doesn't exist.''
-->-- TheNostalgiaCritic, ''Film/JemAndTheHolograms'' review.

** Sadie Miller's [[MyBelovedSmother overbearing mother]] Barb has appeared, but her father has yet to appear or get any kind of mention. Barb is once called "Miss Miller", suggesting she is a single mother.

->"And by the way, [[DownplayedTrope they never do say what he died of]], but by look of his [[SarcasmMode incredibly deteriorating health]], you know it just had to be broad-shoulder-itis. [[DoubleSubversion You know, the same that I'm sure took her mother that doesn't exist]]."

* In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', Lars and Connie seem to be the only characters who explicitly have both parents.

* In ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', the two eponymous character are occasionally acknowledged to actually be stepbrothers. However, Phineas and Candace's biological father and Ferb's biological mother are never mentioned. All three of the Flynn-Fletcher siblings appear to be HappilyAdopted, with Candace and Phineas happily calling their stepfather "Dad". This is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in the ([[AlternateContinuity non-canon]]) two-part special ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerbStarWars''. After years of being a storm trooper, Candace reunites with Phineas, but she doesn't recognize Ferb. Phineas responds that he's their stepbrother, and this ensues:

* In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', Lars and Connie seem to be the only character who explicitly have both parents.

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'':

->"And by the way, they never do say what he died of, but by look of his incredibly deteriorating health, you know it just had to be broad-shoulder-itis. You know, the same that I'm sure took her mother that doesn't exist."

** Peedee and Ronaldo Fryman live with their father, but their mother is never seen nor mentioned.

->"And by the way, [[DownplayedTrope they never do say what he died of]], but by look of his [[SarcasmMode incredibly deteriorating health]], you know it just had to be broad-shoulder-itis. [[DoubleSubversion You know, the same that I'm sure took her mother that doesn't exist.]]"

--->'''Candace:''' Mom remarried? What happened to Dad?\\

** Sadie Miller's [[MyBelovedSmother overbearing mother]] Barb has appeared, but her father has yet to appear or get any kind of mention. She is once called "Miss Miller", suggesting she is a single mother.

* In ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', the two eponymous character are occasionally acknowledged to actually be stepbrothers. However, Phineas and Candace's biological father and Ferb's biological mother are never mentioned. All three of the Flynn-Fletcher siblings appear to be HappilyAdopted, with Candace and Phineas happily calling their stepfather "Dad".
** This is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] in the ([[AlternateContinuity non-canon]]) two-part special ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerbStarWars''. After years of being a storm trooper, Candace reunites with Phineas, but she doesn't recognize Ferb. Phineas responds that he's their stepbrother, and this ensues:

>'''Phineas:''' Funny story, he--\\
[Death Star blows up [[TheUnReveal before he can finish his sentence]]]

** Sadie Miller's [[MyBelovedSmother overbearing mother]] Barb has appeared, but her father has yet to appear or get any kind of mention. She is once called "Miss Miller", suggesting she is a single mother for one reason or another.

* In ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'', Metal Lee has one of these. His father is named Rock Lee, but his mother is unknown.
* ''Manga/OnePiece'': Luffy has a father named Dragon, and a grandpa named Garp. His mother and grandmother are never mentioned.

* ''VideoGame/{{Pokemon}}'': In most games the protagonist lives with their mother, but their father receives only vague mentions. ''VideoGames/PokemonRubyAndSapphire'' is an exception, where Brendan/May's father Norman works as a Gym Leader and is fought halfway through the game.

* In ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', the two eponymous character are occassionally acknowledged to actually be stepbrothers. However, Phineas and Candace's biological father and Ferb's biological mother are never mentioned. One fan theory said that Dr. Doofenshmirtz was Phineas and Candace's father, but WordOfGod stated that he wasn't. In any case, all three of the Flynn-Fletcher siblings appear to be HappilyAdopted, with Candace and Phineas happily calling their stepfather "Dad".

--->'''Candace:''' Mom remarried? What happened to Dad?
--->'''Phineas:''' Funny story, he--
--->[Death Star blows up [[TheUnReveal before he can finish his sentence]]]

** Same applies to Jenny and Kiki Pizza.
** Sadie Miller's [[MyBelovedSmother overbearing mother]], Barb, has appeared and is friends with Steven's father Greg, but her father has yet to appear or get any kind of mention.

** In ''Theatre/KingLear'', the mother of the the eponymous character's three daughters is never mentioned or seen.

-->--TheNostalgiaCritic, ''Film/JemAndTheHolograms'' review.

This is the ambiguously absent parent. This trope arises when a character has a DisappearedDad or MissingMom but the creator doesn't feel like explaining the specifics of their absence. It applies to parents who aren't mentioned or shown and their absence is notable because the other parent almost always exists and may have other romantic relationships. A sub-trope of ParentalAbandonment, this trope is occassionally addressed through WordOfGod, though in it's essence the trope means the characters won't explain it.

[[folder:Films-Animated]]

* In ''Series/StrangerThings'', Dustin is seen being raised by a single mother, but his father isn't mentioned. Given that the show is set during the eighties, when divorce rates were at an all-time high, it is safe to assume his parents are divorced.

** In ''Theatre/KingLear'', the mother the the eponymous character's three daughters is never mentioned or seen.

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': Peedee and Ronaldo Fryman live with their father, but their mother is never seen nor mentioned. Same applies to Jenny and Kiki Pizza.