A villainous parent or a rebellious child is uninteresting if they are one-dimensional. Even the most toxic family members usually believe they are acting out of love or protection.

In this dynamic, a role reversal occurs where a child is forced to take on the emotional (or physical) responsibilities of a parent. This creates a character who is hyper-competent yet deeply resentful, often struggling to form healthy romantic relationships in adulthood because they are exhausted from "parenting" their partners.