Villains who are Parents; any villain with children or offspring belongs in this category. Adoptive parents, foster parents, step-parents and legal guardians can qualify as well (e.g. Thanos, Bill Foster and Chakal), as can creator deities or scientists who raise new life-forms (such as Frankenstein) This also counts for villains who have lost their spouse.

Many are showcased as abusers and/or disciplinarians as they may hurt their children psychologically, physically, or even sexually because they do not obey or through sadism. However, not all villainous parents mistreat their children, as they might corrupt them and/or destroy their innocence, thus shifting them towards villainy with some becoming tragic and forced to carry out their legacies should they fail and/or die (e.g. Whiplash, Aria, Bowser and Kamek).

Being a parent can stand as a redeeming quality because some reform to protect, take care of or save their children from Big Bads and/or Bigger Bads or because they realize their wrongdoings (e.g. Darth Vader, Michael De Santa, Theodore Bagwell, Zeta, Mandarin and Hawk Moth). In other cases they may not reform but deep down it is implied that they indeed care for their children (e.g. Max Shreck, Mr. Boss and Warren Vandergeld).

There are also characters unaware of being parents or simply not caring, though the latter counts as being neglectful (e.g. Irene Belserion, Harry Wormwood, Bernice Krupp and Mr. and Mrs. Doofenshmirtz). It is also possible that some are tragic themselves and became evil because they lost their children (e.g. Yokai, Martha Wayne, President Alma Coin, Martin Walker, Lionel Canter, and Dragon (Damsel)).

Some villainous parents may even meet the criteria of Pure Evil and in some cases desire their children to be evil too which they sometimes succeed in. In some other cases however, their children may meet the criteria of Pure Good and refuse to do anything bad regardless of what their villainous parents tell them to do (e.g. Vexus).