Highlights
- Some anime mothers have a rocky relationship with their daughters, often stemming from deep-rooted misunderstandings or long-standing hatred.
- Examples of strained mother-daughter relationships include Erza and Irene from Fairy Tail, Ren and Akito from Fruits Basket, and Big Mom and Chiffon from One Piece.
- These mothers exhibit cruelty, abuse, and manipulation towards their daughters, leading to resentment and grudges that shape their interactions throughout the series.
In anime, the mother character is one of the most wholesome characters to ever appear in any series. Often serving as the main character's mother, these women are known for bringing a hefty dose of positivity to the series and showing immense affection for their children.
However, for every caring mother in anime, there is another mother who has a less-than-ideal relationship with her children, especially her daughters. Whether it is a result of a severe misunderstanding or long-standing hatred, to say that these mothers have a rocky relationship with their daughters is quite an understatement, with these moms, in particular, standing out in the eyes of fans.
7 Erza Scarlet & Irene Belserion (Fairy Tail)
Throughout the Fairy Tail series, Erza had lived her whole life believing that her parents were dead, not knowing that her mother Irene was alive and a member of the Alvarez Empire's Spriggan 12. Eventually, with the Alvarez Empire's invasion of the kingdom of Fiore, Erza and Irene were able to meet for the first time, with Irene revealing major events about Erza's origins.
It is revealed that when Erza was born, Irene had attempted to enchant her own personality into her to obtain a human body. However, this failed and Irene subsequently abandoned her daughter as a result. Since then, Irene lost any loving sentiments toward Erza and did not hesitate to fight her upon their meeting.
6 Ren & Akito Sohma (Fruits Basket)
Since her birth, Ren has harbored a scathing hatred and jealousy towards her daughter Akito for supposedly stealing her husband Akira's affection from her. As a result, Ren has had no qualms mentally and verbally abusing Akito to the point of forcing her to adopt the appearance and mannerisms of a man out of sheer paranoia.
Akito's behavior toward Ren is no better, as she has no problems physically attacking her mother at even the slightest provocation, even going as far as to attempt to stab her during an altercation surrounding a box Akira had given to Akito. After this incident, however, Akito seems to have let go of her grudge against her mother, but the same cannot be said for Ren.
5 Big Mom & Charlotte Chiffon (One Piece)
The former Yonko Charlotte Linlin, better known by all as Big Mom, is infamous for how cruel she can be towards her children, but her interactions with her 22nd daughter Chiffon are where Big Mom is at her cruelest. In this case, Big Mom's cruelty stems from her anger at Chiffon's twin sister Lola for not going through with an arranged marriage.
Due to Chiffon's identical appearance to Lola, Big Mom took her anger out on Chiffon by physically and mentally abusing her despite Chiffon being completely innocent. It is this abuse that led Chiffon to denounce her mother as a monster and partake in her husband Capone Bege's plan to assassinate her.
4 Ragyo & Satsuki Kiryuin (Kill la Kill)
Due to her extremely strict personality and cold-hearted attitude towards the Hannoji Academy student body, one can be forgiven for thinking Satsuki was the main villain of Kill la Kill. However, it is later revealed that Satsuki is merely a product of her mother Ragyo's machinations, having groomed her into becoming a part of the Life Fiber-harnessing COVERS.
On the other hand, Satsuki was well aware of her mother's corruption and sought to turn against her. But despite Satsuki's martial prowess and ability to effectively don a Kamui, Ragyo still looked down on Satsuki for being a weakling and wasted no time in defeating her, solidifying the grudge Satsuki had against her.
3 Medusa Gorgon & Crona (Soul Eater)
Though many fans would disagree with labeling Crona a "daughter," that still does not change the fact that the relationship between them and their mother Medusa is highly volatile. Much like Big Mom and Chiffon, Medusa views Crona as nothing more than her own personal tool and has no qualms about abusing them if they do not comply with her demands.
It is mostly because of this upbringing that Crona has the timid personality that everyone is familiar with today. Even after escaping Medusa's grasp and allying themselves with Maka and her friends, Crona still finds themselves complying with their mother's orders, if only out of sheer terror.
2 Kayono & Her Mother (Digimon Ghost Game)
In many volatile mother-daughter relationships, the source of the tension can often be found in the mother's actions and behavior. But Digimon Ghost Game, the surprisingly dark sequel to the original Digimon proves that the opposite can be true through the actions of young Kayono Aramaki towards her mother.
With the help of her two Digimon, WaruMonzaemon and ExTyrannomon, Kayono begins turning everyone she doesn't like into dolls, including her father and many of her friends. The only person who initially tried to stop her was Kayono's mother, but she ended up getting mistreated by her daughter before ultimately getting turned into a doll herself.
1 Kagura & Shinzen Tennozu (Speed Grapher)
Shinzen Tennozu's horrid relationship with her daughter Kagura is definitely one that is marked by hostility and rage. In this case, Shinzen resents the fact that her husband seemingly abandoned her while she was pregnant, causing her to hold a grudge and take her frustration out on the innocent Kagura.
As if simply mistreating her wasn't enough, Shinzen also had no problem essentially forcing Kagura into becoming the star of the Roppongi fetish club despite Kagura merely being a teenager. When the photographer Tatsumi Saiga rescues Kagura from the Roppongi Club, Shinzen frantically demands her daughter's capture if only to make her the heir to her illustrious Tennozu Group.