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Let’s look at the ten most problematic anime families of all time and explore their toxic dynamics in detail.
We have all sorts of family dynamics in anime. Let’s talk about the problematic ones and discuss how they were put under this category. We have ranked them from what we feel is the least problematic to the most.
In this article, our focus is mainly on families, so don’t be disappointed not to see the name of Shou Tucker. We know what he did was the most forbidden and gruesome crime anyone could commit in the history of anime. More problematic anime families have not made the list (for now). So, let’s dig in!
1. Nakiri Family (Shokugeki no Soma)
To begin the list, first, we have the Nakiri family from Shokugeki no Soma. In this series, we see a big plot twist when Azami Nakiri enters and takes power over Totsuki Academy. His being a villain in the school was not enough—he also psychologically scarred his daughter, Erina.
Imagine a child freezing up at the sight of her father; being that frightened is not healthy. He never showed affection and tore the letters that her cousin had sent her.
2. Soma Family (Fruit Basket)
The Soma family was led by people who were not willing to leave old belief systems and customs. As a very influential and wealthy family, they were obsessed with customs and hierarchy. Akito abused her power just because she had faced trauma, and everyone else kept quiet and let her. Yuki Soma suffered the most. They feared her just because of the hierarchy. Physical and verbal abuse was inflicted on those who had lesser influence, and even the maids turned a blind eye.
Akito took control over all Zodiac members’ freedom, restricting them from meeting the opposite gender or making their own choices. People called Kyo Soma, who was the “Cat,” a traitor just because of the traditional relationship between the Zodiac and God, making Kyo feel like an outsider. Every child from this family has suffered emotionally, physically, or psychologically.
3. Vinsmoke Family (One Piece)
This is one of the royal bloodline families in One Piece. Let us look past the fact that they were the second antagonist during the Whole Cake Arc and talk about the children’s past.
Vinsmoke Judge is the patriarch who is very partial to his children. He has one daughter and four sons, whom he chose to genetically modify so that he could turn them into weapons. If that wasn’t bad enough, when it came to Sanji, others saw him as different and often bullied him due to the competitive behaviors Judge had instilled in them. Not once did they defend the child.
When Sanji was too much of a failure, according to him, because he wanted to follow in his late mother’s footsteps, Judge Vinsmoke neglected him, imprisoned him, and eventually banished him from the family.
4. Todoroki Family (My Hero Academia)
In terms of family dynamics, the Todorokis have a similar father to Judge Vinsmoke—he, too, only cares about strength and wants to modify his offspring to have the perfect superpower. He even married his wife because she had the opposite power, hoping for the perfect child.
He was overpowering and did not let anyone in his family have a say, which led to everyone developing trauma. Even his wife threw boiling water on Todoroki because his fire ability reminded her of Endeavor.
Let’s also talk about Dabi. Both parents failed him completely. They thought their child was dead and abandoned him. He was just trying his best to earn his parents’ love and approval, pushing himself beyond his limits. After everything happened, no one did anything for the longest time to resolve the issue.
5. Daigo Family (Dororo)
Kagemitsu Daigo was the family head and the Lord of Ishikawa. From the start, he never deserved to be a father, as he had already offered demons a piece of his unborn son’s body in exchange for power. Hyakkimaru was born, and they abandoned his body, letting it float away, not realizing he was still alive.
The child had to learn how to survive and fight demons to regain his body parts. He didn’t even know why it was happening to him. When his father went on to have another son and later discovered that Hyakkimaru was alive, Kagemitsu Daigo became his worst enemy and set out to kill him. Power meant more to him than his own child. The mother had no say and was portrayed as a fragile woman, incapable of making decisions.
Hyakkimaru, in turn, goes on a quest to kill his father. Even that sentence alone tells us how problematic the family was.
6. Satou Family (Kotaro Lives Alone)
This is one of the saddest cases on the list of problematic anime families. Kotaro is a child who lives by himself and acts mature beyond his age. This is not a compliment—his family abandoned him.
His father was abusive toward his mother, and he had to live alone in foster care. Even there, his father tracked him down and demanded to see him. We could see how frightened Kotaro was. His mother also neglected him—she wore gloves whenever she had to touch or feed him.
In one panel, Kotaro is so used to starvation that he eats tissues when hungry. The family’s neglect and abandonment forced a little boy to fend for himself.
7. Zenin Clan (Jujutsu Kaisen)
This clan only cared about power and strong individuals from their bloodline. The weak were disregarded. They rejected family members who did not meet the criteria of being able to use powerful cursed techniques.
They forced Todo to leave the family and drop his surname, even though he was incredibly strong but couldn’t use cursed techniques. Similarly, the way they treated Maki pushed her to leave the clan and become a sorcerer out of spite.
They even placed a hit on Fushiguro Megumi because they didn’t want someone who wasn’t a pure Zenin to become their leader. Ultimately, Maki wiped out the entire clan, securing its place on this list of problematic anime families.
8. Uchiha Clan (Naruto)
The Uchiha Clan belongs on this list too—so much so that their entire bloodline had to be wiped out. The Uchiha were known for their rivalry with other clans. They gained their Sharingan power through strong emotions like hate and loss.
They were a powerful clan, and they knew it. But their desire for domination led to a child being manipulated into ensuring none of them survived. Itachi carried this burden, leaving only Sasuke alive because he was too dear to kill.
But imagine Sasuke—still very young, seeing his parents die, losing everything he ever knew, growing bitter throughout the series, and then finally seeking redemption.
9. Zoldyck Family (Hunter x Hunter)
Similar to other problematic anime families, the Zoldyck family cared only about power. They valued their reputation above all else and ensured nothing tarnished their name. They locked away their child, Alluka, because she did not kill according to the family’s expectations and was too powerful. Killua was constantly manipulated by Illumi to stay in check. They trained their children to be assassins from a young age, prioritizing power and reputation over family bonds.
10. Tsuji’s Family (Junji Ito’s Work)
Souichi was the most problematic child in the family, pulling life-threatening and traumatizing pranks. The reason why the entire family is on this list is that they did nothing about it. Despite his actions, life went on. His pranks targeted even them, yet they barely punished him. They enabled his behavior, allowing him to continue tormenting everyone around him.
The efforts they put in to reinforce him were not enough. They needed to put this child behind the bars. Yet Souichi’s shenanigans continued and the family kept on suffering.
Conclusion
Anime has a strong hold on giving us a variety of troupes. As an audience, we need to understand their role in the series without being inspired by them. Their compelling portrayal evokes irritation, a testament to strong storytelling and character writing. Art reflects reality, and these families may serve as a message—urging audiences to sympathize with victims and call out toxic behaviors.
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