History ParentalAbandonment / Videogames

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': Tifa's mom died when she was 8-years-old[[note]]Which led to an additional tragedy when, confused and upset, she wandered off to Mt. Nibel believing she could meet her mother if she crossed the mountains; there was an accident, Tifa got hurt, and Cloud (who'd been following to protect her) got blamed for it[[/note]], Cloud's dad is never mentioned, and both of their remaining parents (Cloud's mom and Tifa's dad) were killed by Sephiroth in the "Nibelheim Incident"[[note]] Sephiroth went insane, torched the town, then tried to release an EldritchAbomination from the Mt. Nibel Mako Reactor before disappearing (believed killed). Cloud's mother was killed in the fire. Tifa's father and a mob of survivors pursued Sephiroth into the mountains; she found them all butchered at the steps of the reactor[[/note]]. Aerith is not only an orphan, but the ''[[LastOfHisKind last of her race]].'' Barrett is raising a little girl, Marlene, the orphaned daughter of a former friend of his (his wife, and presumably the rest of his family, were killed it the Corel Massacre by Shinra troops. Sensing a pattern yet?). Red XIII's father was turned to stone by monsters. The two optional characters (Yuffie is understandable). Vincent's dad was killed in a materia experiment performed by the woman he loves. Yuffie hates her father (who was a disgraced warrior after Wutai lost a war with Shinra) and left to find a way to restore honor to her village (somehow this involves thievery).
*** [[BigBad Sephiroth]] was told that his mother, Jenova, died during childbirth. In truth, [[spoiler:he was taken away from his biological mother shortly after he was born. She then tried to commit suicide, but failed, and then sealed herself away in a crystal to atone for her misdeeds. His real father, [[MadScientist Hojo]], neglected to ever mention that he was his father.]]

*** In ''VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus'' Shalua and Shelke Rui's parents are dead years before the Compilation takes place.

*** Zack is an inversion: ''he'' abandoned his parents in order to join SOLDIER, without their knowledge. They still have no clue as to what happened to their son (as we assume that Cloud and company never bothered to fill them in).

* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
** Sora's mother gets two lines near the beginning of the first installment, Kairi mysteriously appeared and was apparently adopted by the mayor of the Destiny Islands (she is the only one whose close relative we actually see, her grandmother is shown telling her suspiciously plot relevant fables in a flashback), and Riku's parents are briefly mentioned, as the world crumbles around him. This is the '''only''' time anyone's parents are mentioned and it makes the proceedings very awkward if one is inclined to stop and think about it. Also, Roxas from the second game gets along amazingly well despite ''never having had parents''. [[spoiler:Since Roxas is Sora's Nobody, his parents would seem to be Sora's, who he's never met, due to Sora's parents being worlds away and not mentioned even once in the second game.]]
** This makes the first game sorta headscratchy, as Sora spends the whole game trying to find Riku and Kairi, yet doesn't even mention his family ONCE (though then again, the very beginning of the game has them planning to go off on a raft, so I guess he didn't think much of his family to begin with).
** This sort of thing hits ''Birth by Sleep'' even harder. None of the [=PCs=] mention any relatives -- Master Eraqus is the only father figure Terra has, and Ven was adopted by Eraqus, Terra, and Aqua after losing his memory. [[spoiler: After Xehanort murders Eraqus and tries to do the same to Aqua and Ven, Terra demands "Was my teacher -- no, my father not enough for you?!", suggesting he really doesn't have any other parental figures.]]
** Ienzo / Zexion became the ward of Ansem and his other apprentices after losing his parents. What happened to them isn't explained, but it's a rare case of this actually being addressed in a ''KH'' game.

** Vace's mother split when he was a baby and pretended he didn't exist, while his father died two years before the ''Heliopause'' passed through the wormhole. However, Vace doesn't miss his dad because he believed the latter was weak for [[AlcoholicParent drinking]], [[AbusiveDad knocking him around]], and then "[falling] down a buncha stairs" after getting into an unwinnable fight.

* ''VideoGame/IWasATeenageExocolonist'': While Tang and Dys's mom died from suicide, Dys states in his six-heart event that they never had a father, implying he was likely a GlorifiedSpermDonor.

** Meanwhile, the relationship between Marisa and Mima may be one of the biggest mysteries in Touhou. In the UsefulNotes/PC98 games, Marisa referred to Mima by ''[[UsefulNotes/JapaneseHonorifics the extremely respectful -sama honorific]]''. One the one hand, this was [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness her first]] [[CharacterizationMarchesOn and second appearances.]] On the other hand, ''this is the most respect Marisa has shown to anyone ever.'' Fans generally have them as teacher and student, often crossing over into [[ChildrenRaiseYou a pseudo-familial relationship]], which becomes ParentalAbandonment for Marisa when Mima is PutOnABus. Finally, Mima's leitmotif is given a description in ''Dolls in Pseudo Paradise'' which has been taken to be about Marisa and her mother.

** Emma: Parents never mentioned, raised by grandparent.

*** Lloyd: Mother killed, adopted by a dwarf. [[spoiler:Finds out later that his father [[MercyKill killed his mother to save him]], is still alive, and [[OedipusComplex is the right-hand man of the Big Bad.]]]]

* [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank Ratchet]] was raised by himself. His [[DisappearedDad father]] was dead since Ratchet was a baby, and nothing is known of his {{m|issingMom}}other except that she was there at some time. So he grew up without knowing his parents on a [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything backwater]] [[Franchise/StarWars desert planet]]... not that he [[AngstWhatAngst cares in]] [[BadassNormal the slightest.]]

** ''VideoGame/StarFox'': Fox's father is mentioned in the intro, assumed to be killed by Andross. His mother is only mentioned in the comics, though. Other than that, direct relatives are scarce in the VideoGame/StarFox setting, though. Slippy has a father that isn't [[AllThereInTheManual canonically]] mentioned until ''Assault'', Peppy eventually becomes a father (the wife is only mentioned in one ending in ''Command''), but that's about it.

** Liara never knew her [[HasTwoMommies "father"]] and her mother [[spoiler: was brainwashed into joining the BigBad of ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'']]. The "Lair of the Shadow Broker" {{DLC}} for the second game reveals Liara's dad's identity ([[spoiler:Matriarch Aethyta, the bartender at Eternity on Illium]]). In the third game, you can encourage Liara to talk to her.

** In ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'', Flonne's parents are never mentioned. Etna is an orphan, and the closest thing she had to a father figure, the Overlord and Laharl's dad, died two years ago. Laharl's mother died before the game began [[spoiler:when she sacrificed herself to cure him of an incurable disease]] and his father, the Overlord, died choking on a black pretzel [[spoiler:which is just a rumor and actually died after sealing away Baal. Both his parents, however, do return to watch over him...though his mother is a Prinny and his father is TheDandy GoldfishPoopGang]]. Jennifer was orphaned, and her adopted father is TheDragon. Flonne's parents are met in [[NoExportForYou the Japan only]] [[LightNovel/DisgaeaNovels novels.]]

* {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994''. Ness's parents are alive and present throughout the adventure, apparently pleased that their son is engaging in a potentially lethal quest to save the world. However, his father is never seen for the entirety of the game, only talking to Ness through phone conversations to save the game.
** It's the same situation for Ninten in ''[[VideoGame/MOTHER1 Earthbound Zero]]'' game. Although there was a (ultimately abandoned) SequelHook that seemed to imply his father would be more involved.

** Part of the reason people want to see [[BrotherChuck Mima and Shinki from the PC-98 games return]] is because they ''[[EpilepticTrees may]]'' have this relationship to Marisa and Alice respectively. In Alice's case, she was first fought in Makai, and [[PhysicalGod Shinki claimed to be the creator of and the creator of everything in Makai, which would presumably include Alice]]. However, the Windows series describes Alice as a human-turned-youkai and not a demon, which calls such a relationship into question. A common fan interpretation is that a rift formed between Alice and Shinki after Mystic Square, which caused Alice to leave for Gensokyo. Others however, show a more closer relationship with Alice simply trying to strike out on her own.

** In [[VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet Pokémon Scarlet and Violet,]] [[spoiler: Professors Sada and Turo are actually Arven’s parents and, depending on which version you’re playing, one of them left the family shortly after his birth (Turo in Scarlet, and Sada in Violet). The other presumably abandoned him later in order to pursue their research, but it’s later revealed that [[DeadAllAlong they were killed]] by a rampaging Koraidon/Miraidon, and the Professor that has been in the game is actually an AI [[VirtualGhost programmed to carry on their memories and research should they abruptly pass away]].]]

* In the ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' series, your character is raised by a foster father, and never knew who his or her mother was (the series, in fact, gives two conflicting descriptions of who she was; both might be true). As for your blood father, well, better you didn't know: [[spoiler:the freaking god of murder]].
** While we're on the subject, we also have your half-brother [[spoiler: Sarevok and your half-sister, Imoen.]] And there are companions such as Valygar Corthala, who [[SelfMadeOrphan killed his own parents]] [[WhatHappenedToMommy when they turned into ghouls.]] And Viconia [=deVir=], whose mother was killed by her brother for trying to kill her. And Aerie, who was kidnapped from her home by slavers and raised by a gnomish carny. And Anomen Delryn, whose mother is dead and whose father is [[WellDoneSonGuy abusive]] and drunk. And Nalia de'Arnise, whose mother is long dead and whose father is killed by trolls during the course of the game. And Lord Keldorn Firecam doesn't spend enough time at home with ''his'' kids. And Cernd doesn't even know that he ''has'' a kid.

** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'': Most of the possible Wardens have bad stuff happen to their families -- in fact, the only origin where they're both present puts them through DeathByOriginStory almost immediately. Zevran is the son of a brothel worker who suffered DeathByChildbirth. Alistair couldn't be acknowledged by his parents due to him [[spoiler: being a Royal Bastard]], and his substitute father figure sent him to a monastery after marrying. Leliana's mother had her out of wedlock and died young. Morrigan never knew her father and her mother is... a whole other kettle of fish. Circle mages get this both ways; not only are they allowed little to no contact with their families, but any children they have in the Circle are taken from them almost at once. In Wynne's case, she never knew her real parents at all -- her earliest memory is of hiding in a hayloft to keep warm. The farmer's family took her in until her powers manifested. She herself is a MissingMom to the son who was taken from her in the Circle. The Qunari simply practice NoBloodTies, so Sten has never known his parents.

** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'': ParentalAbandonment plays a big role in Theodor's transformation into Golbez and Cecil's adoption by the King of Baron. On the same day, Kluya died at the hands of angry humans and his wife Cecilia [[DeathByChildbirth died giving birth to Cecil]]. In addition, Rydia's mother is inadvertently killed by Cecil's hands near the start of the game. [[spoiler:She later finds a new family of sorts in the Land of Summoned Monsters.]] Kain's mother is never mentioned, and it's AllThereInTheManual that his father died when Kain was a child. Edge's parents [[spoiler:are turned into monsters by Dr. Lugae, and commit suicide upon realising what they have become.]] Edward's parents are both killed in the assault on Damcyan and are never seen by the player. Rosa's father is dead, but remarkably, her mother is still alive.
*** Also inverted, since Anna dies before her father, Tellah, [[spoiler:albeit not by very long.]]

*** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2'' doesn't use dead parents as the main plot point, but it's still there. Luso's parents aren't mentioned at all except for one scene where it's revealed that both of his parents died while he was young, leaving him in the care of his aunt. Adelle's parents also died while she was young because [[spoiler: her entire village came down with a plague and she was the sole survivor.]]

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/LunarTheSilverStar'', one of the rare {{RPG}}s to do so. The main character, Alex, not only has both parents intact, they manage to survive to the end, despite being abducted halfway through the game.

** ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce'': Geo Stelar-his mom is alive but his dad is missing.
*** ''Star Force'' also takes it one step further with Sonia Strumm, as her mom died 3 months before the main story and Pat Sprigs, who like Roll Caskett, Vent and Aile has both parents missing.

** In ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'', Flonne's parents are never mentioned. Etna is an orphan, and the closest thing she had to a father figure, the Overlord and Laharl's dad, died two years ago. Laharl's mother died before the game began [[spoiler:when she sacrificed herself to cure him of an incurable disease]] and his father, the Overlord, died choking on a black pretzel [[spoiler:which is just a rumor and actually died after sealing away Baal. Both his parents, however, do return to watch over him...though his mother is a Prinny and his father is TheDandy GoldfishPoopGang]]. Jennifer was orphaned, and her adopted father is TheDragon.
*** Flonne's parents are met in [[NoExportForYou the Japan only]] [[LightNovel/DisgaeaNovels novels.]]
** In ''VideoGame/PhantomBrave'', both of Marona's parents die in the opening cutscene. Ash's parents are never mentioned. Walnut [[spoiler:was adopted and then later left his adoptive parents so that he wouldn't burden them and his sister, Castille.]]
*** In the UpdatedRerelease, you have Carona, [[spoiler:a Marona from an AlternateUniverse who loses her parents ''and'' Ash.]]

*** In Sapphire's case, I think it's only her mother who is dead.

* VideoGame/ProfessorLayton's adopted daughter, Flora Reinhold, suffers from this trope. [[spoiler: When Flora was little, her mother died. Her father had a village built and populated by {{Ridiculously Human Robot}}s. After her father's death, Flora was RaisedByRobots (and the human caretaker) until Professor Layton came to the village.]]

* ''VideoGame/RuneFactory3'' nearly takes this up to eleven. ''No one'' has two parents, and most of the cast has none whatsoever, and there is absolutely no explanation. The missing relatives are as follows: Raven, Gaius, Pia, Kuruna, Oromis, Zaid, Daria, Shara, Monica, and Marion have no parents. Sakuya and Karina have no father. Sofia, Evelyn, Colette, and Rusk have no mother. To the best of my knowledge, the only character who actually acknowledges the fact that she has no living family is Raven. [[spoiler: The hero's father gets one line of dialogue in a flashback, and the hero calls for his mother in the same flashback, but otherwise they never appear.]]
** Blaise (Colette and Rusk's father) does occasionally mention his "dear wife's cooking", so she may have existed at some point.

* Averted in ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia:'' Not only are both of Vyse's parents alive, he's on good terms with them, and they encourage him to go out adventuring.
** Played straight with his friend Aika however, who lost both her parents before the game began. However, save one cutscene, she never really angsts over it.

*** Meanwhile, the relationship between Marisa and Mima may be one of the biggest mysteries in Touhou. In the UsefulNotes/PC98 games, Marisa referred to Mima by ''[[UsefulNotes/JapaneseHonorifics the extremely respectful -sama honorific]]''. One the one hand, this was [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness her first]] [[CharacterizationMarchesOn and second appearances.]] On the other hand, ''this is the most respect Marisa has shown to anyone ever.'' Fans generally have them as teacher and student, often crossing over into [[ChildrenRaiseYou a pseudo-familial relationship]], which becomes ParentalAbandonment for Marisa when Mima is PutOnABus. Finally, Mima's leitmotif is given a description in ''Dolls in Pseudo Paradise'' which has been taken to be about Marisa and her mother.

** In [[VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet Pokémon Scarlet and Violet]] [[spoiler: Professors Sada and Turo are actually Arven’s parents and, depending on which version you’re playing, one of them left the family shortly after his birth (Turo in Scarlet, and Sada in Violet). The other presumably abandoned him later in order to pursue their research, but it’s later revealed that [[DeadAllAlong they were killed]] by a rampaging Koraidon/Miraidon, and the Professor that has been in the game is actually an AI [[VirtualGhost programmed to carry on their memories and research should they abruptly pass away]].]]

** In [[VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet Pokémon Scarlet and Violet]] [[spoiler: Professors Sada and Turo are actually Arven’s parents and, depending on which version you’re playing, one of them left the family shortly after his birth. The other presumably abandoned him later in order to pursue their research, but it’s later revealed that [[DeadAllAlong they were killed]] by a rampaging Koraidon/Miraidon, and the Professor that has been in the game is actually an AI [[VirtualGhost programmed to carry on their memories and research should they abruptly pass away]].]]

** In [[VideoGame/PokemonScarletAndViolet Pokémon Scarlet and Violet]] [[spoiler: Professors Sada and Turo are actually Arven’s parents and, depending on which version you’re playing, one of them left the family shortly after his birth. The other presumably abandoned him later in order to pursue their research, but it’s later revealed that [[DeadAllAlong they were killed]] by a rampaging Koraidon/Miraidon, and the Professor that has been in the game is actually an AI [[VirtualGhost programmed to carry on their memories and research should the abruptly pass away]].]]