Family is not something that goes hand in hand with iconic video game franchises. There are games made for the whole family to enjoy as an "audience," but the concept of family isn't typically the focus in games themselves. That is to say there aren’t many video game characters with broad lineages that stretch over multiple sequels in any meaningful way.
However, the concept is not entirely foreign to video games either. There are plenty of examples to choose from and these ten are among the best. This list will analyze both the strength of said family along with the most powerful individual in each family tree. Some of these may be obvious while others will be a bit more obscure, but equally as relevant.
10 The Pac-Man Family
This is a fun introduction to this list, diving into one of the founding fathers of the video game industry: Pac-Man. This arcade classic was so popular, it spawned a sequel starring Ms. Pac-Man, and Jr. Pac-Man. Of these three ghost slaying heroes, who is the strongest? The most popular of course, Ms. Pac-Man. That bow must give her an edge.
9 The Super Mario Bros.
The most obvious super family is arguably one of the firsts, Mario and Luigi. Even their baby forms are strong. Their power levels vary from game to game and who among them is stronger is also up for debate. For example, Luigi can jump higher in one game, but then be a coward, afraid of ghosts in another. Let’s call this a tie.
8 Isaac (Golden Sun)
Issac is the main character from the Golden Sun series. He does not have a last name, which is why this entry just refers to him as such.
Anyway, what makes this family dynamic great is that the third game features his son, Matthew, as he seemingly passes on the torch. It was a cool idea, but that said, Issac, even in old age, remains the stronger hero.
7 Big Boss (Metal Gear)
Solid, Liquid, and Solidus are all great clones brought forth from the legendary Big Boss in the Metal Gear series. Like many other families on this list, the last name is kept secret. Now, as great as Big Boss and his “sons” were, there were complications too. One, Big Boss eventually became a villain so that’s no good. Two, the cloning technology made it so his kin would age more rapidly than most.
6 Lucina (Fire Emblem Awakening)
Fire Emblem Awakening is all about family. Lucina is the daughter of Chrom who is basically a time baby. Depending on who players pair up with, between male and female heroes, they can produce a child which will then warp into the present day. Among the families and time babies present, Lucina, Princess of Ylisse, is the strongest.
5 Ramza Beoulve (Final Fantasy Tactics)
Ramza is part of House Beoulve even though his blood, and his sister Alma’s, is mixed. That doesn’t get them treated any differently. His two brothers, Zalbaag and Dycedarg, are also quite strong. Still, the journey Ramza takes in Final Fantasy Tactics makes him the most powerful Beoulve yet even if history eventually forgets he ever existed.
4 Mark Bergson (Children Of Morta)
There are six playable characters in the Bergson family from Children of Morta: John, Linda, Kevin, Mark, Lucy, and Joey. Mark, who is a fist wielding monk, or Linda, an archer, are the two most adept warriors in the game. More so than the other games though, this actually is about an entire family struggling together in order to save the world. It is what inspired this list even though it isn’t number one.
3 The Luminary (Dragon Quest XI)
The hero in Dragon Quest XI does not have a proper first, or last name. He is the typical chosen one in these games, but he does have family to make it count on this list. Rab is his grandfather and a powerful mage at that. Jade isn’t related by blood, but she is more less like a sister to him and a strong warrior to boot. Compared to those two, the Luminary’s powers know no ends. He might even be the strongest main hero in the franchise.
2 The Roguesons (Rogue Legacy)
This is another cheat of the names because the family in Rogue Legacy does not have a name. It absolutely counts on this list though. Players take on the role of a new heir to the family who is cursed with defeating the evil found within a castle.
This family cannot stop until said castle is vanquished no matter how many kin must be slain in the process. It was a unique twist for the genre and along with the risk reward system and gameplay, cemented it as one of the best modern roguelikes.
1 Trevor Belmont (Castlevania III)
The absolute most powerful and classic monster slaying family in video games is also one of the oldest: The Belmonts. Like Rogue Legacy, this family has been cursed to fight evil. In this case it usually revolves around defeating Dracula. Of the many heroes, none come close to Trevor who was first introduced in Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. He’s actually one of the original vanquishers until Lament of Innocence went even further back in time and introduced Leon. Still, Trevor is still the boss. Plus he has that Netflix show.