History FreudianExcuse / VideoGames

* DiscussedTrope in ''VideoGame/Injustice2''. In one of his intro banters with ComicBook/TheJoker, Atrocitus wonders what ''exactly'' caused the MonsterClown to become a StrawNihilist in the first place. While the true reason remains unknown given his propensity for MultipleChoicePast, Joker sounded legitimately surprised when Atrocitus mentioned it.

** [[EvilPrince Prince]] [[AxCrazy Luca]] [[{{Sadist}} Blight]] from ''VideoGame/SuikodenII'' is one of the nastiest, evilest, and most badass villains ever conceived. He makes some pretty good attempts at subverting InfantImmortality, even. He also kills a unit of his own country's soldiers (The 'Youth Brigade', even - kinda' like heavily armed boyscouts), kills his father, usurps the throne, starts a war, and unleashes some SealedEvilInACan to depopulate a large city completely. However... [[spoiler: When he was 6, he watched his mother being raped by soldiers from the country he's invading in the present, while his father ran to hide in the capital. The kidnap-rape wasn't just a random act of malice by enemy soldiers, it was ordered done by the then mayor of Muse. Even though the Highlands and Jowston were indeed at war, they weren't invading anything, they were non-combatants. Luca's mother died nine months later, which was when his little sister was born. The little sister, who grew up to strongly resemble her mother and thus serve as a living reminder of the horror that he'd witnessed all those years ago. He was [[{{Revenge}} seeking revenge on both his father]], and the country he blames for the events.]]

* This is a key plot element in ''VideoGame/Persona5''. The treasure within each palace is the physical manifestation of one. By stealing it the Thieves remove its influence, causing HeelFaceBrainwashing in the process.
** The abusive Volleyball coach Kamoshida [[spoiler:cracked under the pressure of trying to live up to everyone's expectations as the Olympic athlete who won Japan the gold medal]].
** Madarame the famous artist [[spoiler:felt like a has been compared to his younger and more talented students, who were all far better painters then him.]]

* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' Meredith's FreudianExcuse for being an extreme KnightTemplar is revealed if you are supportive of the Templars throughout the game. Her younger sister was a mage, but Meredith's family hid her so that she wouldn't have to go to the Circle. Her sister lacked the strength and training to resist the demons of the Fade, and she became an abomination that killed the rest of Meredith's family before she was put down by the Templars. As far as Meredith is concerned, ''any'' leniency towards Mages could lead to similar tragedies.

* ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive'': Not a villain, but would you believe that [[BruceLeeClone Jann Lee]] [[spoiler:was once just a scrawny Chinese kid whose upbringing was marked by bullying and poverty? He turned to Bruce Lee films to escape the misery and eventually vowed to master Jeet Kune Do and never be picked on again.]] ArrogantKungFuGuy, to be sure, but he has every right to be that way.

** In ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'', N is perceived as a [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-intentioned extremist]] since he wants to separate humans and Pokémon because he thinks that humans treat the latter like tools. The reason for this is because Ghetsis, deliberately neglected him so that he would become what he is now. N was raised with abused Pokémon for a good portion of his life and believed that humans were evil (aside from his "subjects" in Team Plasma), setting Ghetsis' plan into motion so that he could make Pokémon illegal for everyone but himself so he could rule Unova. [[Hypocrite Ghetsis]] even tells N that he's 'a monster incapable [[MoralEventHorizon of understanding humans.]]'
** The sequel shows Team Plasma ([[spoiler: At least the ones run by Ghetsis]]) as being Hugh's BerserkButton. He seems to be laser-focused on making Team Plasma pay. You learn that Team Plasma stole his sister's Pokémon. [[spoiler: Who is now following the Shadow Triad.]]

** Lusamine from ''VideoGame/PokemonUltraSunAndUltraMoon'' is this, which is all because of her husband who went missing in the Ultra Wormhole. This is also the reason for her attitude towards [[spoiler: Lillie and Gladion]]

** In ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'', N is perceived as a [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-intentioned extremist]] since he wants to separate humans and Pokémon because he thinks that humans treat the latter like tools. The reason for this is because [[spoiler:his stepfather, Ghetsis, deliberately neglected him so that he would become what he is now. N was raised with abused Pokémon for a good portion of his life and believed that humans were evil (aside from his "subjects" in Team Plasma), setting Ghetsis' plan into motion so that he could make Pokémon illegal for everyone but himself so he could rule Unova. [[Hypocrite Ghetsis]] even tells N that he's 'a monster incapable [[MoralEventHorizon of understanding humans.]]'

** Lusamine from ''VideoGame/PokemonUltraSunAndUltraMoon'' is this, which is all because of her husband who went missing in the Ultra Wormhole. This is also the reason for her attitude towards ([[spoiler: Lillie and Gladion]]

* Spoofed in the ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' comic "Meet the Director." The Director attempts to pin some of these on the Heavy and the Sniper. They are bemused and unamused, and the Heavy insists on talking about his minigun instead.
-->'''The Director''': If you could pick one word to describe yourself, Mr. Mundy, what would it be?
-->'''The Sniper''': Er. Well...
-->'''The Director''': I'm going to answer that for you. ''Victim.'' Of the educational system. Of the role society has ''shackled'' you with as an Australian, of course. And let's not forget the current administration, which...
-->'''The Sniper''': Wait, back up. What'd these folks do to me again?
-->'''The Director''': Forced you to be a ''killer.''
-->'''The Sniper''': For the last time, mate, I'm a ''professional.''
-->'''The Director''': Exactly. A victimized professional killer.

** In ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'', N is perceived as a [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-intentioned extremist]] since he wants to separate humans and Pokémon because he thinks that humans treat the latter like tools. The reason for this is because [[spoiler:his stepfather, Ghetsis, deliberately neglected him so that he would become what he is now. N was raised with abused Pokémon for a good portion of his life and believed that humans were evil (aside from his "subjects" in Team Plasma), setting Ghetsis' plan into motion so that he could make Pokémon illegal for everyone but himself so he could rule Unova. [[Hypocrite Ghetsis]]even tells N that he's 'a monster incapable [[MoralEventHorizon of understanding humans.]]']]

** Lusamine from ''VideoGame/PokemonUltraSunAndUltraMoon'' became this, which is all because of her husband who went missing in the Ultra Wormhole. This is also the reason for her attitude towards ([[spoiler: Lillie and Gladion]]

** In ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'', N is perceived as a [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-intentioned extremist]] since he wants to separate humans and Pokémon because he thinks that humans treat the latter like tools. The reason for this is because [[spoiler:his father, Ghetsis, deliberately neglected him so that he would become what he is now. N was raised with abused Pokémon for a good portion of his life and believed that humans were evil (aside from his "subjects" in Team Plasma), setting Ghetsis' plan into motion so that he could make Pokémon illegal for everyone but himself so he could rule Unova. Ghetsis even tells N that he's 'a monster incapable [[MoralEventHorizon of understanding humans.]]']]
** The sequel shows Team Plasma ([[spoiler: At least the ones run by Ghetsis]]) as being Hugh's BerserkButton. He seems to be laser-focused on making Team Plasma pay. You learn that Team Plasma stole his sister's Pokémon. [[spoiler: Who is now following the Shadow Triad.]]

** Guzma of ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' wanted to be a trial captain as a child but failed and ran away from home [[AbusiveParents because of his abusive father]]. As a result he became bitter over the island challenge and wanted to fight back against Alolan tradition as well as assert his own strength as a Trainer, which caused him to start working for [[BigBad Lusamine]] [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe as he felt she was the only adult who recognized his strength]]. Team Skull as a whole is made up of people with similar motivations, as they're all outcasts who failed their island challenges and have to steal to support themselves.

* This is a key plot element in ''VideoGame/Persona5'', with the treasure within each palace being the physical manifestation of one. By stealing it the Thieves remove its influence, causing HeelFaceBrainwashing in the process.

* Arne Magnusson, from ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'', holds a grudge against the protagonist for [[VideoGame/HalfLife blowing up his microwave casserole back at Black Mesa.]]

** In ''VideoGame/SilentHill3'', Vincent blames Claudia's religious zeal on her [[spoiler:father abusing her]]. This apparently deeply affected Vincent as well, which raises a host of questions about just how early in life he was involved with the Order. ''Un''like the example from ''VideoGame/SilentHill4'' above, however, the player is less likely to be sympathetic towards Claudia, considering [[DroppedABridgeOnHim what she did to kick the plot off]]. And then there's the possibility of how she treated the children in the "care" of the Order...even though by the end of the game, she apologetically admits to failing in her mission to turn the world into [[InNameOnly "Paradise"]], too. [[MoralEventHorizon It's not enough by then]].

* ''Franchise/MassEffect''

-->'''Kaidan:''' If one ass was enough to judge a whole race, [[HumansAreBastards I'd hate humans too]].

* The UsefulNotes/NintendoDS remake of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' gives this to Golbez. [[spoiler: His father was killed by the town for teaching magic, his mother died giving birth to [[TheHero his younger brother, Cecil.]] The hate he generated was enough for Zemus to manipulate him into stealing the crystals.]]
** According to [[WordOfGod Takashi Tokita]], this was originally written down in the script, but 3/4 of the script were removed in the Super Famicom version, and it wasn't until they made the DS remake that they could implement it in. In other words, the DS remake was actually more of a directors cut.

* ''Everything'' regarding AntiHero Squall's screwed-up mental state in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' can be traced back to [[spoiler:separation issues at a very young age when Ellone was taken away from him at the orphanage.]] Compounded by an apparent [[ThereAreNoTherapists complete lack of emotional support]] following [[spoiler:their separation, and by the fact that junctioning Guardian Forces during his training caused him to forget his childhood, making it impossible for him to re-evaluate his childhood trauma from a more mature perspective.]]

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''

* ''VideoGame/BioShock''

* Cait, the FightingIrish DarkActionGirl in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' had extremely AbusiveParents who kept her specifically so they could sell her into slavery on her 18th birthday to a group of raiders, with the obvious implication that she was used as a sex slave. After five years, she managed to save up enough caps to buy her own freedom, then returned home and [[SelfMadeOrphan killed her parents]]. Even if you tell her you think she was justified, she's still haunted by the deed and that more than the years of abuse is what drove her to become a [[PsychoSerum Psycho-addicted]] pit fighter [[spoiler: and implied DeathSeeker]].

* A great majority of villains in ''Franchise/SlyCooper'' games have one of these. Let's see...

* Zephiel was a kind and loving boy in ''[[FireEmblem Fire Emblem 7]]'', but his father Desmond hated him. This hatred, [[spoiler: ultimately resulting in Desmond attempting to kill Zephiel,]] was the only reason why Zephiel turned out to be a misanthropic tyrant in ''Fire Emblem 6''.

* ''[[VideoGame/AmnesiaOtome Amnesia: Memories]]'': The heroine has one for Spade World. Her father was a notorious cheater and playboy, often leaving her alone at home to go on dates with women, remarrying, divorcing, and then heading off to the next woman. This has caused her to hate playboy types, and why she disliked Ikki so much in the beginning. She only really warms up to Ikki upon realizing that he isn't as much of a playboy as he initially appears.

* Count Bleck, the BigBad of ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'', had a pretty understandable and sympathetic reason for causing the events of the game: [[spoiler: He was originally a man named Lord Blumiere, and he fell in love with a woman named Lady Timpani. However, his dad didn't agree to the relationship, and thus exiled her to several dimensions, causing him to kill his dad in grief and summon the void in an attempt to commit suicide. In other words, [[LoveMakesYouEvil love made him evil]], and it also acted as the very thing that turned him back to good and undo the Void once he found out that Timpani, AKA Tippi was alive.]]

** [[EvilPrince Prince]] [[AxCrazy Luca]] [[{{Sadist}} Blight]] from ''VideoGame/SuikodenII'' is one of the nastiest, evilest, and most badass villains ever conceived. He makes some pretty good attempts at subverting InfantImmortality, even. He also kills a unit of his own country's soldiers (The 'Youth Brigade', even - kinda' like heavily armed boyscouts), kills his father, usurps the throne, starts a war, and unleashes some SealedEvilInACan to depopulate a large city completely. However... [[spoiler: When he was 6, he watched his mother being raped by soldiers from the country he's invading in the present, while his father ran to hide in the capital. The kidnap-rape wasn't just a random act of malice by enemy soldiers, it was ordered done by the then mayor of Muse. Even though the Highlands and Jowston were indeed at war, they weren't invading anything, they were non-combatants. Luca's mother died nine months later, which was when his little sister was born. The little sister, who grew up to strongly resemble her mother and thus serve as a living reminder of the horror that he'd witnessed all those years ago. He was [[TheRevenge seeking revenge on both his father]], and the country he blames for the events.]]

** [[EvilPrince Prince]] [[AxCrazy Luca]] [[{{Sadist}} Blight]] from ''VideoGame/SuikodenII'' is one of the nastiest, evilest, and most badass villains ever conceived. He makes some pretty good attempts at subverting InfantImmortality, even. He also kills a unit of his own country's soldiers (The 'Youth Brigade', even - kinda' like heavily armed boyscouts), kills his father, usurps the throne, starts a war, and unleashes some SealedEvilInACan to depopulate a large city completely. However... [[spoiler: When he was 6, he watched his mother being raped by soldiers from the country he's invading in the present, while his father ran to hide in the capital. The kidnap-rape wasn't just a random act of malice by enemy soldiers, it was ordered done by the then mayor of Muse. Even though the Highlands and Jowston were indeed at war, they weren't invading anything, they were non-combatants. Luca's mother died nine months later, which was when his little sister was born. The little sister, who grew up to strongly resemble her mother and thus serve as a living reminder of the horror that he'd witnessed all those years ago. He was seeking revenge on both his father, and the country he blames for the events.]]

* The UsefulNotes/NintendoDS remake of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' gives this to Golbez. [[spoiler: His father was killed by the town for teaching magic, his mother died giving birth to [[TheHero his younger brother, Cecil.]] The hate he generated was enough for Zemus to manipulate him into stealing the crystals.]]
** According to [[WordOfGod Takashi Tokita]], this was originally written down in the script, but 3/4 of the script were removed in the Super Famicom version, and it wasn't until they made the DS remake that they could implement it in. In other words, the DS remake was actually more of a directors cut.

* One was given to the recurring villain of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', [[spoiler: Seymour Guado]]. In a nutshell, [[spoiler: Non-human dad marries human mum, but his species' xenophobic civilization doesn't like that their leader married a human, so she and Seymour are exiled to a long-abandoned temple. Mum decides that Seymour will need to be powerful to be accepted, so she undergoes a procedure that will allow him to call on her as a powerful summon beast but will also turn her into a statue while young Seymour is crying for her not to, effectively meaning he's been abandoned by both parents. Summon Beast Mummy [[http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Anima_(Summon) looks like this]].]] Even worse is that after this Seymour was expected to use said beast to destroy the monster Sin, which would make him famous throughout the land... and also kill him.

* Cait, the FightingIrish DarkActionGirl in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' had extremely AbusiveParents who kept her specifically so they could sell her into slavery on her 18th birthday to a group of raiders, with the obvious implication that she was used as a sex slave. After five years, she managed to save up enough caps to buy her own freedom, then returned home and [[SelfMadeOrphan killed her parents]]. Even if you tell her you think she was justified, she's still haunted by the deed and that more than the years of abuse is what drove her to become a [[PsychoSerum Psycho-addicted]] pit fighter [[spoiler: and implied DeathSeeker]].
* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', there's the cruel Doman despot Yotsuyu [[spoiler:who was left with her aunt after her mother died when she was young. Her aunt had no love for her and insulted her by constantly referring to her as a weak child. She was given away to an drunken old man to be married, who'd beat her constantly. When he died, she was forced to work in a pleasure house to work off his debts. When the Garlean Empire came knocking in Doma, she grabbed hold of the chance to take revenge, first becoming a spy, then becoming the ''de facto'' ruler, using her power to crush the spirits of the Doman people in revenge for her treatment.]]

* InThe1stDegree has artist James Tobin charged with first-degree murder and grand theft. The interrogation tape of Yvonne Barnes suggests that Tobin ended up doing these things because his wife Helen divorced him. However, she did that because she apparently got fed up with his ways. This would indicate that Tobin may or may not have much of an excuse for what he did.

* It's hard to find a fan of ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' who feels sorry for Handsome Jack, a selfish EntitledBastard with emphasis on the "bastard" part, but he still fits. His father died when he was young and his mother left him in the 'care' of her mother, Jack's grandmother, who was (at a minimum) physically abusive towards her grandson. The emotional trauma from these events was strong enough that, as an adult Jack her murdered, an act that no doubt contributed towards his own decline into madness.

* Cait, the FightingIrish DarkActionGirl in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'' had extremely AbusiveParents who kept her specifically so they could sell her into slavery on her 18th birthday to a group of raiders, with the obvious implication that she was used as a sex slave. After five years, she managed to save up enough caps to buy her own freedom, then returned home and [[SelfMadeOrphan killed her parents]]. Even if you tell her you think she was justified, she's still haunted by the deed and that more than the years of abuse is what drove her to become a [[PsychoSerum Psycho-addicted]] pit fighter [[spoiler: and implied DeathSeeker]].