History AbusiveParents / WesternAnimation

** Inverted with Ned Flanders. Ned's neglectful {{beatnik}} parents used no discipline at all which was just as bad as playing this trope straight. Eventual {{Flanderization}} turned him into one of these to his sons by means of his {{overprotective|Dad}}ness and religious fundamentalism turning them into InnocentlyInsensitive yet overtly-sissy, apparently incestual and religiously bigoted.

* Pete on ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'' regularly insults, shames, and rejects his son when he fails to live up to unrealistic or [[{{Hypocrite}} hypocritical]] expectations, as well as repeatedly snubbing his wishes for affection and comparing him negatively to other people. While he hasn't physically attacked PJ he is prone to rough handling of him even at 11 years old. He manipulates him through guilt, lies, and faked affection, usually for selfish reasons but occasionally even [[ItAmusedMe because he thinks it's funny]]. He exploits PJ with long lists of chores in poor conditions for no reward. He's also very controlling of PJ, not as an OverprotectiveDad but as a [[TheBully narcissistic bully]], with arbitrary rules, threatening behaviour and one-sided tirades. Not only does PJ not trust his father, but the abuse is such that he has difficulty trusting others and making new friends, a very real symptom of DomesticAbuse in general. He has become a ShrinkingViolet who is counting down the days until he can escape the house on his 18th birthday. In ''WesternAnimation/AnExtremelyGoofyMovie'', he is [[EarnYourHappyEnding the most elated to get out]], while Pete is just as pleased to get rid of him (mockingly referring to it as the end of "free babysitting). The sad part of this appears to be that Pete thinks he's a ''great'' father because he is respected due to the fact that PJ will do whatever he tells him and doesn't argue if he can help it. As such, he would likely never acknowledge any faults on his part no matter their future interactions, or apologize for any of his behavior because he believes himself to be in the right. The line that solidifies this for most fans is in ''WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie'':

*** The reason Filbrick kicked Stanley out isn't even because he [[spoiler: ruined Ford’s opportunity to go to the prestigious college he wanted -- Filbrick tells Stan outright that it’s because Ford was the family’s potential MealTicket out of their “dump” of a New Jersey town, and Stanley’s actions cost them their chance]]. He then had the ''gall'' to hypocritically claim ''Stan'' was the one who was always riding [[spoiler: Ford’s ]] coattails, kicked him out without giving him a chance to explain himself, and refused to let him back unless [[spoiler: he made up for the money they lost.]] To make matters worse, he ''already had a bag packed for Stan'', which caused fans to believe that [[FridgeHorror he was already planning to kick Stan out at some point in time, and the accident just gave him a chance.]]

* While certainly not at the level of most on this page, Jimmy Pesto from ''WesternAnimation/BobsBurgers'' never displays much love for his three sons. He attempts to stop Jimmy Junior from dancing -- which is his passion -- leading Jimmy Junior to mention his resentment for his father multiple times. On top of that, Jimmy seems to want nothing to do with his twin sons Andy and Ollie, once even telling them that they had “one more chance to earn his love”, to which they respond “I love when you tell that joke!”, implying he says that frequently. If that weren’t enough, he once told his employee/only friend Trev that he is “the son I always wanted” -- right in front of his three ''actual sons''.

->'''Dale:''' Y'know, Hank, I saw Homer ''strangling his son'' on a poster.

** Abe Simpson would waver between being a decent parent that Homer liked and a distant and condescending jerk toward him.

** Alador and Odalia Blight establish themselves as [[HateSink deplorable people]] from their very first appearance in a flashback when they [[spoiler:blackmail their youngest daughter into cutting ties with her best friend ([[ABirthdayNotABreak during her birthday, no less]]).]]

** Homer himself started off with more paternal pride (even if he was too muddled to always do the right thing by his children) but became a complete jerk in the double digit seasons. The man went from being too blunt with his children ("Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand," said when his envy of an intelligent male substitute teacher his daughter Lisa was missing got her calling her father none other than "a baboon!") to barely caring whether they lived or died ("I have three kids and no money! Why can't I have no kids and three money?") The second comment was made right in front of Lisa and her older brother Bart. That all said, Homer's infamous habit of choking his son (pictured in the trope's main page) started very early on.

** Hank's kind of abusive towards Bobby, too; he's nowhere near as bad as most of the examples on the page in any way, but his entire relationship with Bobby is an attempt to make him a mini-Hank, and [[FantasyForbiddingFather he doesn't allow his son anything he doesn't agree with]]; ({{fantasy}} books, clouds on his wall, learning to bake, generally stuff that could make people see him as a {{nerd}}, a [[WantedAGenderConformingChild sissy]], or someone actually living in the present time period). In the GrandFinale, he finally accepts his son and shows joy in what he's doing... because [[BrokenAesop he's doing something Hank's been pressuring him to get into probably since he got into propane]].

** Nicole Watterson, despite being the OnlySaneMan in the family much of the time, can fall into this with episodes such as "The Fridge" and "The Hero". In "The Fridge" she abandons Gumball in the middle of the desert, and in "The Hero" throws cement cupcakes at Gumball and Darwin [[DisproportionateRetribution for not respecting Richard]], [[{{Hypocrite}} something she doesn't even do herself]], and outright refuses to provide for them ''at all'' until they apologize to their father. Her children are so scared of her that, in the episode "The Quest," Gumball and Darwin agree without hesitation that they'd rather face [[TheBully Tina]] [[EverythingsBetterWithDinosaurs Rex]] than incur Nicole's wrath.

* Pete on ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop'' regularly insults, shames, and rejects his son when he fails to live up to unrealistic or [[{{Hypocrite}} hypocritical]] expectations, as well as repeatedly snubbing his wishes for affection and comparing him negatively to other people. While he hasn't physically attacked PJ he is prone to rough handling of him even at 11 years old. He manipulates him through guilt, lies, and faked affection, usually for selfish reasons but occasionally even [[ItAmusedMe because he thinks it's funny]]. He exploits PJ with long lists of chores in poor conditions for no reward. He's also very controlling of PJ, not as an OverprotectiveDad but as a [[TheBully narcissistic bully]], with arbitrary rules, threatening behaviour and one-sided tirades. Not only does PJ not trust his father, but the abuse is such that he has difficulty trusting others and making new friends, a very real symptom of DomesticAbuse in general. He has become a ShrinkingViolet who is counting down the days until he can escape the house on his 18th birthday. In ''WesternAnimation/AnExtremelyGoofyMovie'', he is [[EarnYourHappyEnding the most elated to get out]], while Pete is just as pleased to get rid of him.

* The entire [[RoyallyScrewedUp Heinous line]] on ''WesternAnimation/JimmyTwoShoes'' is like this to the next generation. A {{flashback}} shows Lucius VI denying Lucius VII cake on his birthday for no other reason than ForTheEvulz. In another episode, Lucius VII notes he keeps Beezy "nice and miserable". In-series, he has given him the necktie variant of BuriedAlive and forced him into a ShotgunWedding.

* ''WesternAnimation/FIsForFamily'' has William "Big Bill" Murphy, who spent years mentally, verbally and physically abusing his son, Frank and [[{{Gaslighting}} then basically denied it ever happened]]. His abuse is part of the reason why Frank struggles so much to be a good father to his own children. Luckily, Big Bill eventually realizes how terrible a father he was, and he works to rebuild his relationship with Frank and tries to be better as a grandfather than he was as a father.

** ComicBook/TheJoker, being [[MultipleChoicePast The Joker]], keeps his past a mystery but during a group therapy session at Arkham being asked about his family was enough to [[BerserkButton make him murder the psychologist]] working there before Harley. When Harley questions him on this, he steals Ivy's maid story above but replaces her plant with a ferret (much to Harley's annoyance after discovering this in the present day, as she had bought him ferret paraphernalia for years).

* Professor Membrane from ''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'', he rarely looks out for Dib and Gaz and primary focuses on science. Let's not forget he blamed Dib for using his technology when he is supposed to be responsible for his stuff in "Halloween Spectacular of Spooky Doom". And when he starts observing Gaz as the pig-girl in "Gaz, Taster of Pork", it started a merchandise of her, meaning he is using his own daughter as his cash cow! Experiment tours, plush dolls, story books, and even a ''theatrical film!'' Best Nickelodeon father? '''[[WesternAnimation/InvaderZimEnterTheFlorpus NOT SCIENTIFICALLY POSSIBLE!]]'''

** Belos manages to be even worse than the Blights. [[spoiler:While he's [[ChildSoldiers Hunter's]] uncle, he's still the boy's guardian and treats him only as a tool, constantly holding the threat of replacement over him and using emotional and implied physical abuse to keep him in line. It's then revealed any care he seemed to have for Hunter was just another part of his carefully calculated manipulation to control him, and Hunter is really a [[ArtificialHuman Grimwalker clone]], part of a long line Belos keeps killing off for betraying him. When Hunter questions him over the atrocities the emperor has committed, Belos doesn't even hesitate to try killing him.]]

** Alador and Odalia Blight from ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' establish themselves as [[HateSink deplorable people]] from their very first appearance in a flashback when they [[spoiler:blackmail their youngest daughter into cutting ties with her best friend ([[ABirthdayNotABreak during her birthday, no less]]).]]

** Belos manages to be even worse than the Blights. [[spoiler:While he's Hunter's uncle, he's still the boy's guardian and treats him only as a tool, constantly holding the threat of replacement over him and using emotional and implied physical abuse to keep him in line. It's then revealed any care he seemed to have for Hunter was just another part of his carefully calculated manipulation to control him, and Hunter is really a [[ArtificialHuman Grimwalker clone]], part of a long line Belos keeps killing off for betraying him. When Hunter questions him over the atrocities the emperor has committed, Belos doesn't even hesitate to try killing him.]]

** Belos manages to be even worse than the Blights. While he's Hunter's uncle, he's still the boy's guardian and treats him only as a tool, constantly holding the threat of replacement over him and using emotional and implied physical abuse to keep him in line. It's then revealed any care he seemed to have for Hunter was just another part of his carefully calculated manipulation to control him, and Hunter is really a [[ArtificialHuman Grimwalker clone]], part of a long line Belos keeps killing off for betraying him. When Hunter questions him over the atrocities the emperor has committed, Belos doesn't even hesitate to try killing him.

* Alador and Odalia Blight from ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' establish themselves as [[HateSink deplorable people]] from their very first appearance in a flashback when they [[spoiler:blackmail their youngest daughter into cutting ties with her best friend ([[ABirthdayNotABreak during her birthday, no less]]).]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}: King Aldrich Leviathan. As shown in the episode “The Core And The King”, Aldrich verbally, emotionally, and psychologically abused his son, Andrais while trying to corrupt and manipulate him into invading earth and ravage humanity to claim Earth’s resources. Aldrich went as far as to ruin the friendship Andrais had with Leif and Barrell because he believed that once Andrais became king, they would only serve as a distraction for him and take advantage of him. Even after dying, Aldrich continued to manipulate and abuse Andrais for over a thousand year through becoming one with a machine called The Core, saying at one point that he is “almost proud” of Andrais when Andrais prepares for invasion and doing what his father wanted him to do.

** [[WesternAnimation/OperationZERO Grandfather]]. He's ''why'' [[BigBad Father]] is the way he is. Notably, Father's childhood [[TheUnfavorite was so bad]], that even when it's clear he might be ''stronger'' than Grandfather, he [[NegatedMomentOfAwesome gives up]] and walks off to go binge on ice cream rather than deal with him due to his lack of self-esteem and general emotional exhaustion.

*** In a subversion, Roger treats both children terribly, and the fact that he usually acts as a baby sitter or substitute guardian for them furthers the shock. He usually acts calm, but only if he is portraying himself, and acts completely different depending on his persona.