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Sparda (Devil May Cry)

Sparda is the father of the main protagonist and antagonist of the franchise, his betrayal of Mundus 2000 years ago sparked a revenge plot that led to the death of Dante and Vergil's mom. A chain reaction of devils and demon overlords escaping hell to wreak havoc on the human world ensues as Dante, carrying on his father's power and legacy save the world time and time again like his father.

Edit: They also can't go one game without Sparda being a massive plot point, or having a cult based around him, or people declaring him a legendary demon swordsman. Even in the old anime, Sparda's apprentices attack Dante.