Fighting games are no stranger when it comes to having characters who are also fathers. Usually, it’s the next step for some characters and a welcome change of pace outside countless tournaments. Being a father in a fighting game can be a unique challenge of balancing their fighting careers and family life, but the following characters are up to it.
From dads who enter tournaments to provide a better future for their families, to those who want to set a good example for their kids by proving their fighting style is the best, here are the best fathers in fighting games.
8 Lau Chan: Virtua Fighter
Lau Chan is the estranged father of Pai in the Virtua Fighter games. He is the master of the Koen-ken, also known as the Tiger Swallow Fist, which he showcases with ferocity and grace against opponents unfortunate enough to face him.
Since learning that he has an undisclosed terminal illness, Lau has sought out Pai to reconnect with her in the succeeding tournaments. Pai, in turn, reciprocated her father’s wish to make up for his absence when she was growing up. She thwarted Lei-Fei’s attempt at Lau’s life, establishing their father-daughter bond even more as a result.
7 Raphael Sorel: Soul Calibur
A former protagonist-turned-villain, Raphael Sorel is the infamous fencer in the Soul Calibur games. He is a vampire whose goal is to transform the world and everyone in it as vampires, thus creating a twisted utopia in his image.
Raphael does what he thinks is the best for his adopted daughter, Amy. He seeks Soul Calibur to achieve his goal of a maligned world that he feels Amy would enjoy. Amy, however, always tries to stop Raphael’s plans because she sees that her father figure has seemingly lost his way, and she still believes there is still some good inside him, somewhere.
6 Bass Armstrong: Dead Or Alive
Known as Mr. Strong in the Dead or Alive games, Bass Armstrong uses professional wrestling as his fighting style against his competition. He usually towers over his opponents and can handily throw them around the ring with impressive and high-impact wrestling moves.
For all his bravado, Bass is a doting father to Tina Armstrong. He sees Tina as his little girl, even though she has grown into a strong-willed woman. This has led to Bass often messing with Tina’s affairs. She wants to make it on her own as a celebrity, while Bass wants her to continue the Pro Wrestling legacy. He might seem overbearing, but he always wants what’s best for Tina.
5 Marshall Law: Tekken
A renowned Jeet Kune Do master and close friend of Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law mixes both strength and speed with his fighting style. He has been in most Tekken games, except for Tekken 3 and Tekken Tag Tournament where his son, Forest Law, took his place.
Marshall Law owns a dojo and restaurant which he runs to provide for his family. He taught Forest how to fight using Jeet Kune Do which he took to fairly quickly. Following a motorcycle accident that led to Forest being hospitalized, Marshall entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5 to shoulder the hospital bills for his son.
4 Ky Kiske: Guilty Gear
Ky Kiske is a man whose devotion to God and resolve to uphold justice and order are unshakable. He is the polar opposite of Sol Badguy, his friend and rival, and strikes with deadly precision and lightning-fast strikes with lightning-based attacks.
Following the events of the Guilty Gear games, Kiske married Dizzy and has a son named Sin. Knowing that society vehemently shuns Gears and Half-Gears, which Dizzy and Sin are, Ky initially hid their identities to protect them from persecution and even asked Sol Badguy to train Sin so that he could have both disciplines of his father and Sol to utilize if he needs to fight.
3 Kim Kaphwan: Fatal Fury & King Of Fighters
Kim Kaphwan is the resident Taekwondo fighter in the Fatal Fury and King of Fighters games. He strives for excellence whether he’s fighting in tournaments or providing for his family. Always siding with righteousness and justice, Kim can sense whether the opponent he is fighting is inherently evil. He uses this to determine how much effort he would exert to overcome opponents.
As a family man, Kim ensures he gives his wife and kids a loving and secure environment. Kim trains his sons, Kim Dong Hwan and Kim Jae Hoon, to be capable and disciplined Taekwondo practitioners. When they were young, Kim would often bring his sons and wife to the tournaments he competed in so that he could keep them safe and train them some more.
2 Johnny Cage: Mortal Kombat
Johnny Cage is the arrogant yet highly skilled action star in the Mortal Kombat games who married Sonya Blade and had a daughter, Cassie Cage. Prior to becoming a father, Johnny Cage is a flamboyant fighter who likes to show off his martial arts against opponents and whoever is watching his fights.
In later Mortal Kombat games, Johnny Cage has transitioned into a more caring husband and father to Sonya and Cassie. He can still kick some serious butt, but he prioritizes the safety of his two girls first: he even taught Cassie his signature Nut Punch move, which she has improved upon to put the hurt on her opponents even more.
1 Ken Masters: Street Fighter
Ryu’s best friend and rival, Ken Masters is the flashier shotokan character in the Street Fighter games. Ken adopts a more aggressive, unpredictable, and reckless style compared to Ryu’s stoic and disciplined approach, even if they were both trained by the same Master, Gouken. Ken has also trained apprentices, with Sean being a standout student in Street Fighter Alpha 3.
Outside of fighting, Ken is a loving husband to Eliza and a protective father to their son Mel. During the events of Street Fighter 4, Ken was about to pull out of the tournament because he was concerned about Eliza, who is about to give birth. He still pushed through the tournament, but would call Eliza every chance he could to remind her to take all necessary safety measures.