Anime Parents who Absolutely Belong in Jail

While many anime series feature supportive guardians who nurture the next generation of heroes, there exists a dark subset of parental figures who commit heinous crimes against their own families. These characters engage in child endangerment, experimentation, and abuse that would result in lengthy prison sentences or worse in the real world. The actions taken by these individuals often serve as the catalyst for the protagonist’s trauma and subsequent character development. This list identifies twelve parents in anime history whose behavior crosses the line from bad parenting into actual criminal activity.

Shou Tucker – ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’ (2009)

Shou Tucker initially presents himself as a struggling State Alchemist under immense pressure to produce research results for the military government. He horrifies audiences by genetically splicing his young daughter Nina with her pet dog to create a chimera capable of human speech. This heinous act of biological experimentation results in the irreversible destruction of his child and leads to his eventual demise at the hands of a vigilante. His willingness to sacrifice his own flesh and blood for professional certification makes him one of the most infamous figures in the medium.

Bondrewd – ‘Made in Abyss’ (2017)

Bondrewd conducts unethical and lethal experiments on children to further his research into the curse of the Abyss. He creates cartridges from the severed remains of orphans to deflect the physical strains of ascension away from his own body. His manipulation of his adopted daughter Prushka culminates in her transformation into a portable curse-warding device during a battle. These scientific atrocities demonstrate a complete lack of empathy and a violation of all human rights standards regarding child welfare.

Ragyo Kiryuin – ‘Kill la Kill’ (2013)

Ragyo Kiryuin views her children solely as test subjects for her experiments with Life Fibers and her plans for world domination. She subjects her daughters Satsuki and Ryuko to severe physical abuse and psychological torture from the moment they are born. Her ultimate goal involves sacrificing humanity to an alien parasite race while discarding anyone who fails to meet her perfectionist standards. This matriarch embodies narcissism and cruelty through her repeated attempts to murder her own offspring for power.

Gendo Ikari – ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ (1995)

Gendo Ikari abandons his son Shinji only to summon him years later to pilot a dangerous bio-machine against extraterrestrial threats. He treats the boy as a disposable tool rather than a human being while prioritizing his own obsession with reuniting with his deceased wife. His cold manipulation pushes Shinji to the brink of mental collapse multiple times throughout the series as he withholds affection and praise. Gendo remains emotionally distant and ruthless in his pursuit of the Human Instrumentality Project regardless of the cost to his son.

Medusa Gorgon – ‘Soul Eater’ (2008)

Medusa Gorgon raises her child Crona in isolation while subjecting them to black blood experiments to create a powerful Kishin. She manipulates Crona through fear and demands absolute obedience to carry out her villainous schemes against the DWMA. Her parenting style involves starvation and psychological conditioning to strip away any sense of self-worth or independence from the child. Medusa sees her child merely as a weapon to be discarded or destroyed once it no longer serves her immediate purpose.

Gambino – ‘Berserk’ (1997)

Gambino adopts Guts reluctantly and subjects the boy to a harsh life on the battlefield as a child mercenary. He sells Guts to another soldier for a night of abuse and later attempts to murder the boy in a drunken rage. His resentment toward Guts stems from misplaced blame regarding the death of his partner Shisu years prior. This betrayal by a father figure instills a deep trauma that haunts the protagonist for the rest of his life and sets him on a path of violence.

Dario Brando – ‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’ (2012)

Dario Brando lives as an alcoholic thief who abuses his wife until her death and mistreats his son Dio. His squalid lifestyle and cruel behavior instill a deep hatred for humanity and the aristocracy within his young son. He attempts to steal from a nobleman which inadvertently sets up the central conflict of the generations that follow. Dario essentially nurtures the monster that Dio becomes through his own greed and lack of moral guidance.

Yujiro Hanma – ‘Baki the Grappler’ (2001)

Yujiro Hanma murders his wife in front of their son Baki and constantly seeks to assert physical dominance over the boy. He raises Baki simply to have a worthy opponent to fight and brutalizes him during their violent encounters. His destructive actions span across the globe as he ignores laws and governments to satisfy his lust for combat. This character prioritizes his title as the strongest creature on Earth over the safety or well-being of his family members.

Rasa – ‘Naruto’ (2002)

Rasa seals a volatile tailed beast inside his unborn son Gaara which results in the tragic death of his wife Karura. He subsequently isolates the boy from the village and orders multiple assassination attempts on his own child when the experiment proves unstable. The Fourth Kazekage views Gaara as a failed weapon and a danger to the village rather than a son in need of support. His cold pragmatism leads to years of suffering and instability for the young Jinchuriki until Gaara eventually finds his own path.

Enji Todoroki – ‘My Hero Academia’ (2016)

Enji Todoroki engages in a Quirk marriage solely to breed a successor capable of surpassing the number one hero All Might. His physical and emotional abuse drives his wife into a mental institution and scars his son Shoto permanently. He neglects his other children while subjecting Shoto to grueling training sessions that border on torture during his childhood. While he later seeks atonement for his behavior his past actions constitute severe domestic abuse and child endangerment.

Vinsmoke Judge – ‘One Piece’ (1999)

Vinsmoke Judge genetically modifies his sons to remove their emotions and enhance their physical strength for military conquest. He imprisons his son Sanji in a dungeon with an iron mask because the boy retains his humanity and kindness. Judge fakes Sanji’s death to erase the stain from the family reputation and disowns him completely before casting him out. He values power and military might far above the lives or happiness of his children.

Charles zi Britannia – ‘Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion’ (2006)

Charles zi Britannia exiles his children Lelouch and Nunnally to Japan as political hostages after the murder of their mother. He uses his children as pawns in a global game of conquest and expresses social Darwinist views that justify the oppression of the weak. His rewriting of memories and manipulation of the geass power demonstrate a total disregard for individual autonomy and truth. The Emperor cares only for his Ragnarök Connection plan and views familial bonds as trivial illusions to be discarded.

Let us know in the comments which anime parent you think committed the most unforgivable crimes.