The Worst Fathers in Capcom Games

Highlights

• In Capcom games, fathers often fall into the tropes of absentee parenting or outright villainy, leaving their children to suffer emotionally.
• Fathers like Jon Talbain’s absent werewolf dad, Jet Black’s antagonist role to his son, and Vergil’s power-hungry nature stand out as the worst.
• Characters like Zak Graymarye and Jack Baker also showcase terrible fatherhood, abandoning their children or resorting to violence and manipulation.

Families in games can often be a sensitive topic and, more often than not, they are used for emotional impact within the story. When it comes specifically to fathers, they will either suffer from the age-old trope of the mentor dying and leaving their student to fend for themselves, or be an outright villain.

Capcom doesn’t shy away from including full families in their games, creating a whole host of troubled child and father bonds, but there are definitely fathers that are far from being the perfect role model. Among the memorable dads in the company’s history, there are a few that stand out as the worst fathers in Capcom games.

6 Baraba (Darkstalkers)

Absentee Father

Capcom’s action fighting game Darkstalkers was home to many supernatural creatures, such as the game’s mascot succubus Morrigan and the werewolf Jon Talbain, likely a play on the name Larry Talbot from the classic werewolf movie.

Jon was the son of a human mother and a werewolf father, with his mother dying during childbirth and his father nowhere to be found. He was not present for any of Jon’s life and certainly not his upbringing, marking him as an absentee dad. Though being a deadbeat is not the worst crime a Capcom dad has ever committed, it still makes him one of the worst Capcom fathers, as Jon certainly could have used the support and nurturing of his biological father following the death of his mother.

5 Jet Black (Viewtiful Joe 2)

Fights His Own Son

In the world of Viewtiful Joe, the titular character was born to parents Junko and Jet, with his father aiding Captain Blue in getting his movies into the theaters, just one of the acts of kindness he performed. His ideals became twisted and warped following the death of his wife in a car accident, following an obsession to secure the Seven Rainbow Oscars and become the ultimate hero.

In a twist of irony, Jet Black became the main antagonist of the game, becoming the final boss rather than the hero. He trades blows with his own son, which is not something a good father would ever do.

4 Zak Graymarye (Ace Attorney)

Abandoned His Daughter

The Ace Attorney series certainly is no stranger to bad father figures, but Zak Graymarye may have all of them beat with his antics that are borderline evil. A traveling performer as part of a troupe, he may seem charismatic at first, but Zak, or Shadi Enigmar as he goes by in the troupe, is anything but charming to those who know him.

He landed his lawyer in hot water by withholding a piece of evidence connected to a crime, knowing the one he had in his possession was a forgery, and abandoned his daughter for years, leaving her without a parental figure to help her in life. Leaving his daughter, while still a heinous act, was probably the kindest thing he ever did for his daughter, as he was an unpleasant person to be around, to put it mildly.

3 Vergil (Devil May Cry 5)

Cared Only About Power

One of the sons of the good demon Sparda, Vergil couldn’t be any more different than his brother Dante. Dante is a cocky, confident jokester who embraced his humanity, while Vergil is more silent and stoic. He chose to reject his humanity and instead fully embrace his demonic heritage, marking himself as one of the series’ main antagonists.

The fact that Vergil ever became a father in the first place is a mystery, as he certainly doesn’t seem like the type to entertain a woman’s affections or the notions of fatherhood, the latter of which he certainly rejects. Vergil remains an absent mystery for most of Nero’s life, and even when he does show up, it is as a villain. This is made especially present in Devil May Cry 5, in which Vergil tears Devil Bringer from Nero’s arm to fuel his own strength, as he cared only for gaining power, even at the expense of his own flesh and blood.

2 Jack Baker (Resident Evil 7)

Terrorizes His Own Children

Once, the Bakers were a caring family that took pity on lone, washed-up Evelyn, but their kindness was repaid with her ‘gift’ that twisted them into deranged and deadly monsters with only thoughts of violence on their mind. Though Ethan bears the brunt of Jack’s brutality, Lucas and Zoe weren’t spared either.

During one of the opening scenes, Jack Baker saws his own son’s hands off at the dinner table and, judging from Lucas’s dialogues, this was not the first time he had done this. In fact, shortly after Evelyn’s gift took over, he relentlessly hunted his daughter Zoe through the halls of their home. These actions will certainly ensure Jack isn’t winning father of the year anytime soon.

1 Willaim Birkin (Resident Evil 2)

Jeopardized the Life of his Daughter

Many children have probably proclaimed their parents are monsters with a touch of irony, but Sherry Birkin is one of the unfortunate few that can say that and be honest. Along with her callous and distant mother, Sherry was also saddled with William Birkin for a father, neither of whom were ideal parents.

As a brilliant scientist with an important mission in Resident Evil 2, he prioritized his work over every aspect of his life, even his own daughter, leaving her alone during a dangerous outbreak. What’s even worse is that, after his transformation, he sought out Sherry as a host for his parasitic larvae, to make her change into a monster for him. The fact that he was successful only makes it all the worse, firmly reinforcing the idea that William Birkin was a terrible father.