There are quite a number of close-knit groups in gaming. RPGs specialize in throwing several characters into a ragtag unit tasked with defeating some great evil plaguing the world. However, some of these alliances end up evolving into families of their own.

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The found family is a trope that usually takes a back seat to families that are bound by blood. Whereas the latter can create interesting narratives of succession and lineage, found families are beautiful in their own way, showing the capacity for characters to create a place for themselves in a world that often rejects them. These are some standout found families from across the gaming landscape.

8 Avalanche – Final Fantasy 7

final fantasy 7 remake ending scene

The various members of Final Fantasy 7’s main party come from all kinds of places, and barely even got along initially (especially Cloud and Barrett), but through the grueling events of the game, they grew into being quite the close-knit group.

Tifa is a big reason for this, as she connected her childhood friend Cloud to the group to begin with. Even before his arrival though, Tifa and Barrett already lived in a very close-knit community and Barrett had an adopted daughter of his own.

7 The Shepherds – Fire Emblem Awakening

Promo art featuring characters in Fire Emblem-Awakening

When the player character (Robin) in Fire Emblem Awakening wakes up without their memories, they are greeted by Chrom and Lissa, members of the militia known as the Shepherds.

Chrom and Lissa are brother and sister themselves but have built an even larger family with their comrades in the group. Members like Fredrick have known the siblings for years and act like family already, and Robin is allowed to grow just as close with them. As the game progresses, several marital bonds can also spawn among the group, further bonding the unit together.

6 Team Skull – Pokemon Sun And Moon

Guzma and Team Skull from Pokemon Sun and Moon

Some of the best examples of the found family are groups made up of societal outcasts and misfits, and Team Skull is just that. As the resident troublemakers of the Alola region, they harass and demean the player all throughout the 7th generation Pokemon games. However, they always end up being quite incompetent in their villainy.

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When players meet the group’s leaders Guzma and Plumeria, the picture becomes clearer. The two are essentially the big brother and sister of the team and are very protective of their grunts. This relationship helps set the team apart from all the other evil teams in Pokemon.

5 Sol’s Family – Guilty Gear

Elphelt, Sin and Ramlethal in Guilty Gear Xrd Sign

Of all the families on this list, this one easily has the most actual blood relation to one another. As of Guilty Gear Strive, the family includes Sol, Jack’O, Kye, Dizzy, Elphelt, Sin, and Ramlethal. The girls all happen to be gears that are related to Sol’s old girlfriend, Aria, whose genetic material has been used for all manner of experiments.

Despite this thin relationship, it’s the bonds formed between them that truly make them a family, especially since Ramlethal and Elphelt started off as enemies, and were lucky enough to be taken into the fold and taught the wonders of life.

4 The Phantom Thieves – Persona 5

persona 5 royal phantom thieves group

Just like Team Skull, the Phantom Thieves are a group formed from their mutual distaste of society. Particularly, they formed in order to use their powers to punish the worst members of society, many of whom directly mistreated them.

The strongest familial bond in the group is between Futaba and Joker, who become like siblings after the group helps Futaba overcome her trauma. Sojiro is a man who took both Joker and Futaba under his care, so he also functions as a father to both of them, despite being unrelated.

3 The Wright Anything Agency – Ace Attorney

Phoenix Wright and Maya Fey

Through the bonds of a master-apprentice relationship, Phoenix Wright has been able to form close relationships with his own master Mia Fey, and students of his like Athena Cykes and Apollo Justice. This is to the point where his agency has become a little family of its own.

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The familial nature of Pheonix’s bonds is most obvious with Trucy, whom he adopted as his own daughter, as well as Maya, who has been like a sister to him since before his master Mia passed away.

2 Ellie And Joel – The Last Of Us

Ellie and Joel from The Last of Us

There are quite a lot of games in recent years which focus on the relationship between an adult and a child, usually a dad and his child. The Last of Us can be considered one of the biggest successes in this trend.

After the loss of his biological daughter at the start of the game, Joel hardens his heart, making him quite cold to Ellie when the two first meet. By the end of the game, however, she becomes someone so important to him that he’s willing to risk humanity’s future to protect her.

1 The Wayfinder Trio – Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep

Best Friends Terra Aqua and Ventus in Kingdom Hearts 3

Kingdom Hearts is a series that emphasizes the importance of bonds, so there are quite a few close ties within the series. However, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus aren’t just friends; they’re like siblings.

It helps a great deal that they were all raised under the same roof by their master, Eraqus, giving them more than enough time to develop the familial relationship they now share. Seeing them be ripped apart is what makes Birth By Sleep one of the most emotional games in the series, and seeing them reunited at last help make Kingdom Hearts 3 a satisfying pay-off for fans.

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