History ParentalAbandonment / VisualNovels

* All three of ''[[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Fate/stay night]]'''s key human characters have parent issues. Shirou is an orphan, and the man who adopted him is also dead. Rin is living alone, her father having died in the previous Grail War; the man who's been her guardian since then [[spoiler:is in fact the BigBad, and her father's killer]]. Worst off by far is Sakura: [[spoiler:her parents gave her to a foster family years ago, and she's been suffering horrific abuse at their hands ever since.]]

* Happens with some of the characters in ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo''

* ''VisualNovel/MajiDeWatashiNiKoiShinasai'': Yamato's parents moved overseas because his father lost hope in Japan. Cap's dad is an adventurer who doesn't mind his son doing the same. [[spoiler: Wanko]] is ConvenientlyAnOrphan, [[spoiler: Miyako]] has a [[MissingMom not-particularly-missed Mom]]. Mayucchi's parents live in another province, and she stays at [[BoardingSchool the dormitory]].

* All three of ''[[VisualNovel/FateStayNight Fate/stay night]]'''s key human characters have parent issues. Shirou is an orphan, and the man who adopted him is also dead. Rin is living alone, her father having died in the previous Grail War; the man who's been her guardian since then [[spoiler:is in fact the BigBad, and her father's killer]]. Worst off by far is Sakura: [[spoiler:her parents gave her to a foster family years ago, and she's been suffering horrific abuse at their hands ever since.]]
** Inverted in the prequel, ''LightNovel/FateZero'' -- [[spoiler:Kiritsugu]] ([[spoiler:Shirou's adoptive father]], and protagonist) was forced to leave Illya, his daughter, knowing that he can't be reunited with her (although he attempted throughout the subsequent years to get her back), which is the reason for her strange relationship with Shirou in ''Fate/stay night''. In ''Fate/stay night'', Illya hates both Shirou and [[spoiler:Kiritsugu]] for this, believing that [[spoiler:Kiritsugu]] replaced her with Shirou due to the lies her grandfather told her about them, although she learns the truth from Taiga in the "Heaven's Feel" route and comes to forgive them.
*** Incidentally, [[spoiler:Kiritsugu himself [[SelfMadeOrphan killed his own father]], Noritaka, after his experiments led to the death of Shirley, Kiritsugu's friend and Noritaka's assistant, along with the slaughter of the village they'd been living in. He later shot down a plane with his mother-figure on it to prevent a zombie outbreak.]]
* It's also applicable to ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}''. Shiki's biological parents are dead. His foster father died before the start of the story and is the plot catalyst. Only passing mention of the mother, it's assumed she died. Arihiko has no family left except his sister. Ciel's parents are dead [[spoiler:because she killed them]]. Hisui and Kohaku don't even know their surnames let alone their parents. Most of the rest of the cast aren't people who actually ''would'' have families of any sort. An exception is made for Satsuki, who apparently has a healthy home life. Maybe that's why her route was removed?
* The parents of Kotomi in ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}'' don't seem to be very present in her life despite being famous scholars. [[spoiler: We later find out why when it's revealed that they died in a plane crash. And they loved her. A lot. Until the very end. But Kotomi herself was so traumatised by their deaths that she convinced herself they were in permanent travels and dedicated herself only to her studies]]. There is also Tomoya, who is estranged from his father; given the fact that said father was responsible for injuring his arm in a drunken fit and thus preventing Tomoya from ever fulfilling his dream of becoming a basketball player, it is not surprising that it should be so. [[spoiler:At one point Tomoya even leaves home to live with Nagisa and her family because of issues with his father; however, it is hinted that they are on their way to healthier relationship in the last episode of the anime, and in fact Tomoya's dad ''did'' try to raise him well at first but succumbed to depression at some point and became an alcoholic.]].
** The trope is subverted with Nagisa's parents, who shower her and each other with affection, but then again, [[spoiler:they did not pay much attention to her when she was a child due to their work and because of that Nagisa nearly died; one could say that it is a rare case of the trope evolving into a normal family situation]].
** Tomoya's relationship with [[spoiler: Ushio]]. Not only does Tomoya end up mirroring the relationship with his own father, but by [[spoiler: becoming a doting parent when Ushio is 5 years old, mirrors the relationship with Nagisa and her parents]].
* Ryo Sasaki from ''VisualNovel/CrescendoJP'' stands out -- not only did his biological parents put him up for adoption when he was little, his adoptive parents died in a car accident a few years before the events of the game. He's been living with his older stepsister ever since.

* ''VisualNovel/MajiDeWatashiNiKoiShinasai'': Yamato's parents moved overseas because his father lost hope in Japan. Cap's dad is an adventurer who doesn't mind his son doing the same. [[spoiler: Wanko]] is ConvenientlyAnOrphan, [[spoiler: Miyako]] has a [[MissingMom not-particularly-missed Mom]]. Mayucchi's parents live in another province, and she stays at [[BoardingSchool the dormitory]].
* Happens with some of the characters in ''VisualNovel/KatawaShoujo''
** Emi [[spoiler:lost her father in the same car accident in which she lost her legs]].
** Hanako's parents died in the house fire in which she received her scars.
** Lilly's parents moved to Scotland, leaving her older sister Akira to take care of her.

* In ''VisualNovel/{{Nekopara}}'', Chocolat and Vanilla were found on the side of the road by Kashou and his sister when they were very young.
* Riki, the protagonist of ''VisualNovel/LittleBusters'', has been an orphan since he was only a child. This is relevant to the plot in three ways: firstly, he became such great friends with the Little Busters in the first place when Kyousuke was able to drag him out of his depression, secondly, because the only family he's shown to have is a guardian he clearly doesn't hold any real fondness for meaning he's even more dependent on Kyousuke and the other Little Busters than he otherwise would be, and thirdly, because Refrain shows that it was witnessing his parents' death that made Riki closed off from and scared of the world, unable to go out there himself on his own.
* ''VisualNovel/{{SOON}}'': In 1993, Atlas briefly wonders if talking to their dad before he left is a good idea or not, but soon discards the possibility because he was just that much of "a selfish jerk".
* [[spoiler: Nagito Komaeda]] from ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'', lost his parents in a plane crash when he was a child.

* Ryo Sasaki from ''VisualNovel/CrescendoEienDatoOmotteItaAnoKoro'' stands out -- not only did his biological parents put him up for adoption when he was little, his adoptive parents died in a car accident a few years before the events of the game. He's been living with his older stepsister ever since.

* [[spoiler: Nagito Komaeda]] from ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'', whose parents died in a plane crash when he was a child.

** Inverted in the prequel, ''LightNovel/FateZero'' -- [[spoiler:Kiritsugu]] ([[spoiler:Shirou's adoptive father]], and protagonist) left Ilya, his daughter, knowing that he can't be reunited with her, which is the reason for her strange relationship with Shirou in ''Fate/stay night''. Incidentally, [[spoiler:Kiritsugu himself [[SelfMadeOrphan killed his own father]], Noritaka, after his experiments led to the death of Shirley, Kiritsugu's friend and Noritaka's assistant, along with the slaughter of the village they'd been living in. He later shot down a plane with his mother-figure on it to prevent a zombie outbreak.]]

** Pearl Fey's father left the village due to Kurain Village's female-centered way of life, [[spoiler:and then Pearl's mother gets arrested for assisting in a murder so she's out both parents. Morgan Fey's first husband also left the village, taking Dahlia and Iris with him. Later, he abandoned Iris at the Hazakura Temple]].
** Apollo Justice's family is completely unknown. In the fourth case, [[spoiler: Thalassa Gramarye is revealed to be his mother, and he is actually Trucy's half-brother as she is Thalassa and her second husband's child.]] ''Spirit of Justice'' reveals that Apollo's father, [[spoiler:Jove Justice, was killed at the Kingdom of Khura’in during the assassination attempt of the previous queen Amara, which happened when Apollo was only one. The resulting chaos from Amara’s assassination also caused Thalassa and Apollo to be separated. Apollo was later raised by Dhurke.]]

** The only time Mia and Maya's father is mentioned is during Maya's introduction where Maya said her father died when she was young. The Fey sisters' mother went missing during the events that are the background of the first game, though [[spoiler: she reappears as Elise Deauxnim and is killed in the third game]].
** Pearl Fey's father left the village due to Kurain Village's female-centered way of life, [[spoiler:and then Pearl's mother gets arrested for assisting in a murder so she's out both parents. Morgan Fey's first husband also left the village, taking Dahlia and Iris with him. Later, he abandoned Iris at the mountain temple]],
** Apollo Justice's family is completely unknown. In the fourth case, [[spoiler: Thalassa Gramarye is revealed to be his mother, and he is actually Trucy's half-brother as she is Thalassa and her second husband's child. It is also revealed that Apollo's father died in a stage accident a year after Apollo's birth, which led to Thalassa abandoning him.]] ''Dual Destinies'' also implies that no one ever adopted Apollo after he was orphaned. [[spoiler:The scene that suggests this is when Apollo is trying to comfort his best friend, whose mother had recently died.]]

*** Katherine Hall is the adoptive daughter of Jeff Master, who himself is in prison on false charges stemming from the IS-7 Incident. She doesn't know who her real parents are.

** Mia and Maya's father are never mentioned, though the latter is implied to have left them due to Kurain Village's female-centered way of life. The Fey sisters' mother went missing during the events that are the background of the first game, though [[spoiler: she reappears as Elise Deauxnim and is killed in the third game]].
** Pearl Fey's father left the village for similar reasons, [[spoiler:and then Pearl's mother gets arrested for assisting in a murder so she's out both parents. Morgan Fey's first husband also left the village, taking Dahlia and Iris with him. Later, he abandoned Iris at the mountain temple]],

* Happens with some of the characters in KatawaShoujo

** Apollo Justice's family is completely unknown. In the fourth case, [[spoiler: Thalassa Gramarye is revealed to be his mother, and he is actually Trucy's half-brother as she is Thalassa and her first husband's child. It is also revealed that Apollo's father died in a stage accident a year after Apollo's birth.]] ''Dual Destinies'' also implies that no one ever adopted Apollo after he was orphaned. [[spoiler:The scene that suggests this is when Apollo is trying to comfort his best friend, whose mother had recently died.]]
** Trucy never knew her mother, and her father, Zak Gramarye, [[spoiler: abandoned her at age 8 to save himself from a guilty verdict. She never sees him again (as the only time he resurfaces following his disappearance saw him be murdered the very same night), while]] Phoenix takes her in as his adoptive daughter.

** The trope is heavily subverted with Nagisa's parents, who shower her and each other with affection, but then again, [[spoiler:they did not pay much attention to her when she was a child due to their work and because of that Nagisa nearly died; one could say that it is a rare case of the trope evolving into a normal family situation]].

* The ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney'' series adores this trope, especially when it can be used for a murder case. Phoenix Wright himself is one of the few main characters who ''doesn't'' seem to suffer from this, as his parents are never mentioned at all.

** Pearl Fey's father left the village for similar reasons, [[spoiler:and then Pearl's mother gets arrested for assisting in a murder so she's out both parents. Morgan Fey's first husband also left the village, taking Dahlia and Iris with him. Later, he abandoned Iris at the mountain temple]]

** In ''Investigations'' this happens [[spoiler: two cases in a row.]] Lauren Paups never knew her father since [[spoiler: he was arrested for murder when she was very young and then came to work at the same house as her under a false name. She never found out who he was until (once again) after his murder.]] The following case focuses on [[spoiler:the hunt the murderer of Kay Faraday's father, seven years before the rest of the game.]]. Kay's mother is never mentioned, so it can be assumed she's either dead or not living with Kay's father. [[spoiler:After her father's murder, Kay lives with her mother's relatives]].

** Apollo Justice's family is completely unknown. In the fourth case, [[spoiler: Thalassa Gramarye is revealed to be his mother, and he is actually Trucy's half-brother as she is Thalassa and her first husband's child. It is also revealed that Apollo's father died in a stage accident a year after Apollo's birth.]] Trucy never knew her mother, and her father, Zak Gramarye, [[spoiler: abandoned her at age 8 to save himself from a guilty verdict. She never sees him again (as the only time he resurfaces following his disappearance saw him be murdered the very same night), while]] Phoenix takes her in as his adoptive daughter.
*** ''Dual Destinies'' also implies that no one ever adopted Apollo after he was orphaned. [[spoiler:The scene that suggests this is when Apollo is trying to comfort his best friend, whose mother had recently died.]]

** Edgeworth's father [[spoiler: was killed by Manfred von Karma 15 years ago]], which the fourth case of the first game is centered around, and since Miles was adopted by von Karma it can be assumed his mother is dead as well.

** In ''Investigations'' this happens [[spoiler: two cases in a row.]] Lauren Paups never knew her father since [[spoiler: he was arrested for murder when she was very young and then came to work at the same house as her under a false name. She never found out who he was until (once again) after his murder.]] In the next case we have [[spoiler: the hunt for Kay Faraday's father's murdererer, seven years before the rest of the game.]]. Kay's mother is never mentioned, so it can be assumed she's either dead or not living with Kay's father. [[spoiler:After her father's murder, Kay lives with her mother's relatives]].

** Apollo Justice's family is completely unknown. In the fourth case, [[spoiler: Thalassa Gramarye is revealed to be his mother, and he is actually Trucy's half-brother as she is Thalassa and her first husband's child. It is also revealed that Apollo's father died in a stage accident a year after Apollo's birth.]] Trucy never knew her mother, and her father, Zak Gramarye, [[spoiler: abandoned her at age 8 to save himself from a guilty verdict. She never sees him again, while]] Phoenix takes her in as his adoptive daughter.
** In ''Investigations'' this happens [[spoiler: two cases in a row.]] Lauren Paups never knew her father since [[spoiler: he was arrested for murder when she was very young and then came to work at the same house as her under a false name. She never found out who he was until (once again) after his murder.]] In the next case we have [[spoiler: the hunt for Kay Faraday's father's murderer, seven years before the rest of the game.]]. Kay's mother is never mentioned, so it can be assumed she's either dead or not living with Kay's father. [[spoiler:After her father's murder, Kay lives with her mother's relatives]].

** Yuuya was forcibly evicted from his family when his mother remarried [[JerkAss Mr. Le Bel]]. [[spoiler: "Bad Boys Love" reveals that he crushed the egg Le Bel fathered to replace it with his brother Sakuya, [[BigBrotherInstinct to ensure the latter would have a family]].]]

** Apollo Justice's family is completely unknown. In the fourth case, [[spoiler: Thalassa Gramarye is revealed to be his mother, and he is actually Trucy's half-brother as she is Thalassa and her second husband's child]]. Trucy never knew her mother, and her father, Zak Gramarye, [[spoiler: abandoned her at age 9 to save himself from a guilty verdict. She never sees him again, while]] Phoenix takes her in as his adoptive daughter.

** Apollo Justice's family is completely unknown. In the fourth case, [[spoiler: Thalassa Gramarye is revealed to be his mother, and he is actually Trucy's half-brother as she is Thalassa and her second husban's child]]. Trucy never knew her mother, and her father, Zak Gramarye, [[spoiler: abandoned her at age 9 to save himself from a guilty verdict. She never sees him again, while]] Phoenix takes her in as his adoptive daughter.