Summary
Deceased parents are a common trope in fiction, ranging from comic books to films and evenanime. Their passing can often trigger a chain of events that drive our favorite heroes and villains into starting their journey. Other times, a character doesn’t lose their parents right away, but they become another casualty in their journey to change the world.
Ultimately, losing their parents is either something they need to move past or a mystery that needs to be solved. So, who are these Bruce Waynes of the anime world? These are ten anime protagonists who had to deal with losing their parents.
Be warned, there are slight spoilers for some of the series in this list.
10Attack On Titan
Eren Yaeger
Eren Yaeger from the Attack on Titan series is one of the most vengeful characters in anime history. He watches his mother, Carla Yaeger, get eaten by a Titan while he is helpless to stop it. This prompts him on a quest to destroy all the Titans.
Later in the series, it is revealed that he also ate his own father to gainthe ability to turn into a Titanafter many years of assuming he was missing. These losses would fuel Eren’s hatred towards Titans and humans beyond the sea.
9Naruto
Naruto Uzumaki
Naruto grew up without his parents. This solitary childhood led him to become mischievous in an attempt to get more attention from his fellow villagers. However, as the series progressed and Naruto’s powers as a ninja increased, he learned of his heritage and why his parents died in the first place.
When the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked, Naruto’s parents, Minato and Kushina, sacrificed themselves to seal the fox’s power away within their son. Luckily, this would prove useful later, as Naruto wouldbe able to tap into its power.
8Full Metal Alchemist
The Elric Brothers
When their mother Trisha dies from an illness,Edward and Alphonse Elrictry to do the unthinkable. They try to bring their mother back from the dead through Alchemy. This cost Edward an arm and a leg. It also cost Alphonse his entire body.
Edward manages to save his brother’s soul by bonding it to a suit of armor. From there, their journey kicks off as they try to uncover the secrets of Alchemy and learn how to restore their bodies back to normal.
7CyberPunk Edgerunners
David
Cyberpunk made a comeback from being disliked to being one of the greatest games in the past decade. To help boost its popularity, Cyberpunk Edgerunners was released on Netflix, allowing new fans to enter the Cyberpunk community.
In the dystopian and corporate future, David is constantly walking the thin line between having a successful career and being a criminal. After his mother, Gloria, is caught in the crossfire of a turf war, David witnesses how little care is given to those in the underbelly of Night City. This leads him to take his future into his own hands.
6FairyTail
Natsu Dragneel
Natsu Dragneel is the fire-breathing mage from the Fairy Tail Guild. The overall core of the Fairy Tail story focuses on found family and friendships. Natsu’s parent’s deaths were looked into later in the series, but most notable is his relationship with Igneel, the dragon who adopted him.
This would lead to him having the ability to absorb fire to make himself stronger. However, even his adoptive father would pass away, giving his soul to imbue his own son with unspeakable power.
5Demon Slayer
Tanjiro Kamado
Tanjiro Kamado lost everyone he ever loved to demons. This included most of his siblings and his parents. The only family member he has left is Nezuko, his sister, who is now part demon.
This prompts him on a journey to become a demon slayer and use his newfound skills to find a cure for his sister. He is also very empathetic to those who have turned into demons, even if he must fight them.
4Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure
Jonathan Joestar
Jonathan Joestar was the only child of Jorge Joestar. When his mother is killed in a carriage accident, he and his father are both saved by the wretched Dario Brando. This leads to George adopting Dio Brando, Dario’s son, into the Joestar family after Dario’s death.
Dio makes Jonathan’s life a living hell, even killing his dog, Danny. Eventually, Dio poisons and murders Jonathan’s father in hopes of stealing the family fortune. When his plans fail, Dio puts on an ancient stone mask, and events only get even more bizarre.
3Fruit Basket
Tohru Honda
Tohru Honda has a tragic backstory. Her father died of Pneumonia early on in her life. This led the rest of her family to openly accuse her of being the child of an affair. While this would put plenty of weight on her shoulders, it would get worse when her mother was killed on her way to work.
This leads to Tohru living in a tent to not be a burden to anyone else. Luckily, Tohru manages to find a home and a found family with the Sohma family, who all have curses of their own.
2Black Butler
Ciel Phantomhive
Ciel Phantomhive may seem like the average kid aristocrat; however, he has a terrifying secret. After his parents die in a fire, Ciel makes a pact with a demon to enact revenge on the one responsible.
This demon takes the form of his new butler, Sebastian, who helps him uncover the secret behind his parent’s death as well as solve various mysteries in the area. This service is not free though. Once the contract is fulfilled, Sebastian is owed the right to eat Ciel’s soul.
1Fire Force
Shinra Kusakabe
Mari Kusakabe gave birth to both Sho and Shinra, having conceived them without a father. Despite her surprise motherhood, she would take care of both of them and encourage Shinra’s goal of becoming a hero.
Unfortunately, Mari would meet an unfortunate end that would remain repressed within Shinra’s mind. The reality of the situation was that Sho’s powers manifested on the same night of his mother’s death. This Adolla Burst would transform their mother into a horned demon. She would die soon after this horrific transformation.
