Fanfic / Helluva Dad

Helluva Dad is an ongoing series of fanfics written by Ladyanaconda based on the web series Helluva Boss.

It takes place in an Alternate Universe in which Striker is a member of I.M.P and father of a nine-year-old Jake. The series follows the same storyline of the episodes released so far but adding Striker and Jake as main characters alongside Blitzo and company. Every now and then, original content exploring the characters' relationships and backgrounds.

The main theme in the series is the father-son relationship between Striker and Jake.

Works in this series:

Season 1

• Vol. 1: Murder Family: Striker takes his son Jake up to his first trip into the Living World for a job. Things do happen. Helluva Boss AU.

• Vol. 2: Loo Loo Land: Jake's first visit to Loo Loo Land raises some questions about his mother, and things do happen.

• Vol. 3: Nerd: Moxxie finds an angelic weapon in Striker's possession, and things do happen. Helluva Dad prequel.

• Vol. 4: Spring Broken: Striker makes a bet with Verosika Mayday, and things do happen.

• Vol. 5: Mom: Jake goes through his first hangover, and things do happen.

• Vol. 6: Jake: "Guess it'll be just you and me, pup. But don't worry, my little Jake. Daddy will always be there for you no matter what. I promise." Helluva Dad prequel.

• Vol. 7: C.H.E.R.U.B.: Striker is in charge of I.M.P. for a day and things do happen.

• Helluva Dad Drabbles: Short story and one-shot collection from the Helluva Dad au.

• Vol. 8: Pilot: Sometimes Striker wonders why in the seven rings he joined this messy company. Helluva Dad AU.

• Vol. 9: The Harvest Moon Festival: Millie reunites with an old flame, and things do happen.

• Vol. 10: Truth Seekers: Jake finally wields his father's angelic pistol, and things do happen.

• Vol. 11: The Blood Countess: I.M.P. must win a medieval fair, and things do happen.

• Vol. 12: Ozzie's: Striker has a night out, and things do happen.

• Intermission: Painful Truths: After the fiasco at Ozzie's, Striker and Blitzo open up to each other.

• Vol. 13: Howdy!: Moxxie is humiliated by a five-year-old, and things do happen. Helluva Dad prequel.

Season 2

• S2 Vol. 1: Jane: Striker and Jane meet for the first time and things sure did happen. And things might do happen.

• S2 Vol. 2: Seeing Stars: Jake has a first date—of sorts—and things do happen.

• S2 Vol. 3: Mortifera: Jake gets a new horse, and things do happen.

• S2 Vol. 4: Exes and Oohs: Jake meets his cousin, and things do happen.

• S2 Vol. 5: Western Energies: Striker hates mariachi, and things do happen.

• A Promessa: Crimson's consigliere makes a promise to his dying wife... and things do happen. Helluva Dad Spin-off about Alessio, Crimson's right-hand man.

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This series provides examples of:

• The Ace: Much like in canon, Striker's pretty good at almost anything.
• A Boy and His X:
  • Striker and his horse Bombproof. Both are very close and would risk their lives for the other.
  • From season 2 onwards, Jake and his own hellhorse Mortifera fall into this category, with Mortifera centering on how they first met and their growing friendship.

• Act of True Love: Striker willingly takes a bullet from a blessed weapon meant for Jake in Western Energy, showing just how far his love for his son goes.
• Actor Allusion: in ''Seeing Stars' Striker is mistaken for an actor named Neerman Rodus, an Expy reference to his voice actor Norman Reedus.
• Adaptational Karma: During this version of "Exes and Oohs", Crimson is shot in the arm by Moxxie, compared to him being a Karma Houdini in canon.
• Affectionate Gesture to the Head: Jake often receives hair ruffling from his father and other characters.
• Affectionate Nickname:
  • Jake is called Jakey by Blitzo and Millie. Additionally, Striker has many nicknames for him, most notably kiddo, boy, and my boy. In Vol. 9, Travers calls Millie 'Milsie', a childhood nickname.
  • Millie and Blitzo sometimes call Striker Strikes.
• All for Nothing: Despite Jake's attempt at taking Octavia to see the meteor shower, the city smog pollution blocks the night sky and prevents them from seeing it.
• Alcohol-Induced Idiocy: In Vol. 4, Moxxie and Jake are so drunk that they don't realize the danger they're in when the monster fish swallows them up.
• Always Someone Better: Deathslinger is able to incapacitate Millie, who just wiped out Crimson's best goons singlehandedly, showing just how far out of her league he is.
  • Lampshaded by Striker to Jake in Western Energy when they go save Moxxie and Stolas from Travers. Justified, as Travers is far older and experienced than Jake.
    Striker: I don't doubt that ye're an ace when it comes to fightin' with yer bare fists, but we're talkin' about Travers Avarro. He's been knockin' people out and harvestin' his physical prowess for far longer than ye. Ye might get seriously hurt if ye try to engage him in a hand-to-hand fight.
• Ambiguously Absent Parent: Jake's mother. Striker mentions that she died of an illness shortly after Jake was born but it's implied that he's hiding the actual reason she passed away. It's then revealed that she died because Striker had to cut Jake out of her to save his life at her own request. Then it turns out that Jane's been reborn in Heaven as a Cherub because of her selfless sacrifice, much to her chagrin.
• Amicable Exes: Millie and Travers are shown to be this in The Harvest Moon Festival. At least until she finds him about to kill Stolas and holding Jake hostage. Regardless, Travers is shown to care for Millie in Western Energy, pushing her out of the way before a pillar falls on top of her.
• Annoying Younger Sibling: Jake is technically this towards Moxxie, making fun of and pranking him more often than Striker himself.
• Artistic License – Child Labor Laws: Thirteen-year-old Jake is considered a fully-fledged member of I.M.P. to the point he tags along on assassination jobs. He did not join the others on Earth until he was nine, though.
• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Striker and Moxxie might not always be on the best of terms, but they care about each other in their own way.
• The Baby of the Bunch: Jake, being the youngest member of I.M.P.
• Backstory: Nerd is a prequel chapter depicting Moxxie and Striker's confrontation over the blessed pistol going differently from canon.
  • Mom adds a bit more of the backstory regarding Jake's mother. Striker reveals that her name was Jane; she was his partner-in-crime and died shortly after Jake was born.
  • Jake takes place not long after Jake's birth and shows Striker coping with the recent death of his wife.
  • Truth Seekers reveals that Striker lost his mother to the Annual Cleanse when he was twelve, which resulted in him being sent to an orphanage in the city of Dis.
  • The Blood Countess, in particular, explores a great part of Striker's past, revealing that he used to work as a personal bodyguard and assassin for Countess Bathory and was sexually and emotionally abused by her.
  • Helluva Dad Drabbles shows some backstories of the characters, particularly Striker and Jake's.
  • Summarized version:
    • Striker was born to the snake imp Amelia Velkan, who was a caring, loving mother. During his childhood, he met his future wife Jane Brisont, daughter of a local landowner. Sadly, Amelia was killed by exterminators during the Annual Cleanse, which resulted in Striker being sent to an orphanage in Dis in the ring of Pride.
    • He met his horse Bombproof after saving him from being slaughtered in one of Dis's medieval faires. They've been together ever since.
    • When he turned 15, Striker caught the eye of Bathory, a local Overlord, and she had him brought to her castle to be trained in all forms of combat, weapons and skills so he could serve as her personal bodyguard. However, she also proceeded to emotionally and sexually abuse him. A decade later, he finally managed to purchase his freedom and left Dis with Bombproof.
    • Striker reunited with the now-adult Jane, and their old feelings for each other turned into love. They would meet in secret until it was announced that Jane would marry a man from another wealthy family. Striker stole her from the ceremony and they eloped to live their lives and love to the fullest.
    • Eventually, Jane got pregnant. While reluctant at first, Striker eventually embraced the idea of fatherhood. Tragically, Jane was mortally wounded during the Annual Cleanse during her third trimester, forcing Striker to cut out their unborn child from her womb to save his life, killing his beloved wife in the process.
• Batman Gambit: In Western Energy, Travers dares Jake to kill him when held at gunpoint. He knows Jake has never killed another Imp before and wouldn't have the courage to go through with it. This gives Wendigo enough time to knock the impling and disarm him.
• Berserk Button: Striker won't tolerate anyone threatening Jake seriously or not. The clearest example occurs in Spring Broken when he takes out his angelic pistol on the succubi when they bring up Jake, saying they want to eat him with kisses.
• Betrayal by Inaction: played with Travers, as he was the one who stabbed Moxxie in the first place, but he still was willing to let him bleed to death.
• Big Bad: So far, Travers is the only antagonist to be formally introduced to the series, but it's implied that Jake's maternal grandfather Gustav Brisont might become one later on. Crimson joins the group in Exes and Oohs.
• Big Brother Bully: Downplayed. Striker constantly teases and sometimes even hits Moxxie, but he does care about him. In Murder Family he loses patience over Moxxie's reluctance at killing a family and assertively tells him that he's got no other choice because it's their job to do so. While this seems mean on his part, Striker is trying to help Moxxie his own way.
• Big Damn Heroes: Right as Travers is about to mutilate Moxxie, Striker and Jake arrive to save him and Stolas.
• Bittersweet Ending: Stolas and Moxxie are saved, but Striker was grievously wounded in the process and Travers has escaped yet again.
• Bound and Gagged:
  • Striker does this to Blitzo after catching him trying to sneak into Jake's room in the early morning.
  • Striker himself goes through this after being knocked out by Travers.
• But We Used a Condom!: How Jane got pregnant with Jake, given that neither she nor Striker planned to have kids in the beginning.
• Bully Turned Buddy: Striker and Moxxie's first interactions were just like in canon. The difference is that Striker does join I.M.P. And while not very nice to Moxxie most of the time, Striker does show a bit of fondness towards Moxxie every now and then.
• Break the Cutie: Jake is understandably upset when Striker is shot with an angelic weapon. He's a hysterical mess by the time they manage to get him and Stolas to the hospital. His father almost died right in front of him to save his life because he couldn't pull the trigger. And he knows it.
• Breaking Speech: Travers delivers one to Stolas when he realizes physical torture isn't working, preying on his insecurities and emotional problems. It works.

  Travers: My, ye seem to be quite fond of Blitzo, considerin' that he's just left you to your own devices.

  Stolas: You don't know what you're saying. Blitzy will—

  Travers: What? Come to save yer fancy ass like a knight in shinin' armor? Don't make me laugh! We both know that he won't give ya his time of the day unless he needs to borrow your book. Do ye really think he cares about ya? Or are ye so desperate for love that you'd rather believe that 'Blitzy' sees you as somethin' more than his ticket to the livin' world?

  Stolas: Y-You're wrong—

  Travers: Am I? Unless my memory fails me, he didn't even take yer call, did he? Ye're lucky that someone answered the phone. Even so, Blitzy isn't going to leave everythin' and everyone he actually cares about every time ye want a dick. His world doesn't revolve around ya, 'yer highness.'

• Call-Back:
  • Stolas makes a call-back to The Harvest Moon Festival referring to Travers as 'the cowboy who beat you(Striker) at the Nightmare Derby', to Striker's chagrin.
  • Millie is shown to deal with trauma over facing Deathslinger and accidentally stabbing Moxxie in Exes and Oohs.
  • Travers taunts Striker over his time in Dis, to which Striker responds asking him if he'd to know why he was known as 'Csorgokígyo', alluding to The Blood Countess.
• Calling the Old Man Out: Striker evidently enjoys doing it to Gustav, constantly rubbing it in his face that he was a horrible father to Jane. Gustav does show signs of regret about it as well.
• Can't Get Away with Nuthin': Striker will punish Jake if he misbehaves or disobeys him.
• Character Development: Striker and Jake go through this the most.
  • Striker comes off as standoffish, somewhat of a jerk, and emotionally distant from people other than his son. As time goes on, he becomes more reliable and shows concern over his coworkers' wellbeing. From Truth Seekers onward, he's finally opened up to his friends after facing his personal demons to the point of revealing his real name: Clayton.
    • His relationship with Jake evolves over the course of the stories. Despite allowing Jake to accompany I.M.P. to Earth, Striker still has certain restrictions on him and treats him like the child he is. Starting from Truth Seekers, he starts acknowledging that Jake is growing up and starts giving him more free rein, especially during season 2 when Jake is going through puberty.
• Cheerful Child: In most of his appearances, Jake is easily excited and always curious. This trait diminished somewhat from season 2 onward after he turns thirteen.
• Chekhov's Gunman: Deathslinger first appeared as a minor character in Drabbles. In his next appearance, he's revealed to be often hired by Crimson as a hitman. In the climax, he incapacitated Millie on Crimson's orders.
• Chick Magnet: Striker's suave persona, charisma, and good looks are attractive to ladies. Blitzo asks him to use said quality to sweet-talk Verosika into giving back their parking spot.
• Childhood Friend Romance: Striker and Jane were childhood sweethearts.
• Commonality Connection:
  • After finding the angelic rifle, Moxxie and Striker end up bonding by their shared passion for weaponry.
  • in Helluva Dad Drabbles and Ozzie's they bond over their status as married men and their love for their respective wives.
• Comically Serious: Unlike the rest of I.M.P. Striker has rather mild reactions to funny or embarrassing scenarios.
• Constantly Curious: Jake is always seeking to explore new places or take a closer look at whatever he finds interesting. He spent most of Loo Loo Land running around the amusement park and trying out all its rides, having never been there before.
• Cover Innocent Eyes and Ears:
  • Striker and Millie do this to Jake whenever the topic of 'sex' is brought up. Later, Striker blindfolds Jake during Verosika's song to keep him from seeing the human orgy happening around them.
  • Discussed in ''Exes and Oohs' when Gustav does it to Alice after all of the decorations turn into dildos.
    Alice: Really, grandpa?
    Gustav: You're not supposed to see this until you're married, young lady!

• Cool Horse:
  • Bombproof. Not only is he seemingly sentient enough to understand what people say, but in Seeing Stars it's revealed that he can also shapeshift into a normal horse in the Living World, much like Loona and Stolas.
  • Then there's Jake's horse Mortifera. The additional eyes on her flank let her see behind her, and she's also a fierce, violent creature strong enough to drag four people around.

• Commonality Connection: Despite coming from different backgrounds, Jake and Octavia bond over their closeness to their respective fathers and little interaction with their mothers.

• Curb Stomp Cushion: Striker shows up and fights Deathslinger just as he's about to kill Millie.
• Critical Hesitation Blunder: Jake can't bring himself to shoot Travers, a fellow hellborn, dead with his angelic pistol. This gives Wendigo time to knock him down and for Travers to get a hold on the weapon, driving Striker to take the blesed bullet meant for his son. Summing it up, Jake's hesitation almost got his father killed.
• Cruel to Be Kind: Striker intimidates Moxxie into picking a target, threatening to throw him out of the window if he doesn't. He's actually trying to make Moxxie understand that his hesitation can lead to putting the rest of the team on harm's way. This proves to be correct later on after Moxxie makes Striker miss shooting Martha, which led to the whole team being captured by the cannibalistic family.
• Crush Blush: Jake blushes—and his tail rattles— whenever in physical touch with Octavia.

• Death Glare: Jake knows he's in deep shit when Striker gives him one of these.

• Deus Exit Machina: Striker and Bombproof are dragged into filming a horse snack commercial, preventing them from continuing their search for Jake and Octavia.
• Defiant Captive: Played with. At first, Stolas belittles Travers's attempts at torturing him by claiming Blitzo does better when they're having sex. Travers retaliates by throwing all of his insecurities to his face, which cracks Stolas's brief bravado.
• Disney Death: Downplayed. Jane is revealed to have been reborn as an angel for her selfless sacrifice of motherly love, but none of the main characters are aware of this.
• Double Standard: Violence, Child on Adult: Jake gets away with hitting Moxxie, but none of the adult characters lay a hand of him. Only Striker gives him occasional but mild smacks on the back of his head when he's misbehaving.
• Elopement: Jane ran away with Striker on the day of her unwilling wedding after he literally stole her in the middle of the ceremony.
• Establishing Character Moment:
  • In Exes and Oohs, Deathslinger is shown to be strictly professional as he enters Crimson's house after finishing a job. It's not until he delivers the victim's horns to Crimson and formally finishes the job that he finally greets Striker. Later, he doesn't lift a finger to stop Millie from butchering Crimson's men until Crimson formally hires him to kill Millie.
  • Gustav covers Alice's eyes as the dildos appear on the walls, insisting that she should not see such things until she's married, but then calls Striker out for doing the same thing with Jake, a 'man'. This makes his misogyny and double standards evident.
• Family Man: Striker, though his only direct family is Jake in this case.

• Fan Verse: Instead of a multi-chapter fic, the chapters are published separately as one-shots, but all are connected with one another.
• Fatal Flaw: Millie's Blinded by Rage, which Deathslinger takes advantage of to break her arm and leg, this rendering her immobile and helpless.
• Father's Quest: Striker's main priority is to keep Jake safe from harm.
• Flirting Under Fire: Striker and Jane did this on a constant basis, as do Millie and Moxxie.
• Friendly Rivalry: Blitzo and Striker often make bets as to who can shoot more people, as shown in Loo Loo Land and Truth Seekers.
• Friendship Moment: Octavia and Jake get one in Seeing Stars.
• Foil:
  • Blitzo and Striker. Both are unusually tall, physically strong and talented imp assassins with kids– Loona for Blitzo and Jake for Striker. However, there's several differences between the two.
    • Blitzo is (presumably) from Lust, while Striker was born in Wrath.
    • Blitzo has a twin sister, while Striker is a single child.
    • Striker is far more professional and treats clients cordially, while Blitzo acts more casually.
    • Blitzo has never been married, while Striker is a widower.
  • Their relationships with their respective children contrast as well.
    • Loona was adopted by Blitzo, while Jake is Striker's biological son.
    • Striker has a close relationship with his son, while Blitzo's adopted daughter acts–at best–like a moody teenager towards him.
    • Blitzo coddles and babies Loona while Striker treats his son more like his age.
    • Blitzo adopted Loona when she was practically an adult, so he didn't really need to take too much care of her. Striker, on the other hand, had to raise Jake on his own his whole life.
    • Striker is respected by Jake while Blitzo isn't even referred to as 'dad' by Loona.
  • Stolas and Bathory, both high-ranking demons who acted as benefactors for Blitzo and Striker respectively.
    • Stolas is a Hellborn demon price while Bathory is an Overlord sinner who was once human.
    • While Stolas has a more-or-less positive relationship with Blitzo, Bathory was emotionally and sexually abusive towards Striker.
    • Stolas is an owl (animal) while Bathory is a vampire (human-like).
    • Stolas can travel through the 7 Rings of Hell and even access the Living World, while Bathory, as a sinner, is confined to the Pride Ring.
• Foreshadowing: Striker mentions in Vol. 4 that no demon has ever been to Heaven before. Later it's revealed that Jane is the first demon to ascend to Heaven.
• Foe Romance Subtext: One-sided. While fighting Millie, Travers makes numerous callbacks to their past relationship and nights of sex, even stealing some kisses from her. Millie is pissed but, but at the same time enjoyed it, even if she won't admit it.
• Get Out!: In Mom, Striker ängrily kicks Blitzo out of his house when he sees him holding a photo of his late wife, which he'd hidden away in a photo album.
  Striker: Get out.
  Blitzo: Wait, what?
  Striker: Get yer shitty ass out of my house!
• Gratuitous Mariachi Band: Striker tries asking a mariachi band—the same from the canon episode—for directions, but they only respond in song verses, to Striker's frustration. It's not until Jake asks them that they reveal the location of Travers's lair without singing.
• Greater Need Than Mine: Despite his injuries, Stolas somewhat heals Striker's blessed weapon-influ}icted bullet wound, giving him enough time to be taken to the hospital.
• Grew a Spine: Moxxie's love for Millie gives him the strength to attack Crimson as he's about to kill her. Even Crimson himself is stunned.
• The Gadfly: Striker and Jake just love messing with Moxxie.
• The Gift:
  • Striker gives Jake his late wife's blessed revolver after witnessing him fight against the humans at D.H.O.R.K.S., telling him that he's ready to wield it.
  • Striker's own guitar was a birthday present from Jane.
• Good Parents: Striker is depicted as a surprisingly decent father. He has a stern but loving attitude towards Jake and prioritizes his wellbeing over his own. He's even willing to take a blessed bullet meant for Jake knowing it might kill him.
• Happily Married: Moxxie and Millie. Also, Striker and Alessio had a loving relationship with their late wives Jane and Bianca respectively.
• Hellish Horse: Bombproof, Wendigo, Snowfire, and Mortifera.
• Hidden Depths: In C.H.E.R.U.B. it's shown that despite his young age, Jake is smart and more than capable of facing off against cherubs, but also improvise new ways to kill a target by himself. Further proven in Truth Seekers as he singlehandedly takes down an entire squad of fully-armed humans with only a knife and pistol, and later when he fights alongside the rest of I.M.P. against the agents of D.H.O.R.K.S..
• Holy Hand Grenade:
  • Striker's trademark weapons are an angelic rifle and pistol, though it's mentioned he seldom uses them. He is very attached to said weapons to the point he goes further into the fish monster's interior to retrieve his rifle.
  • In Nerd, he mentions the rifle used to belong to someone he cared deeply about: His late wife Jane.
  • Striker gifts the pistol to Jake in Truth Seekers.
• Homeschooled Kids: Jake doesn't seem to go to school. Instead, he accompanies his father to work at I.M.P.
• Honorary Uncle: Blitzo considers himself this towards Jake and loves to baby him whenever he can. Even calls himself 'Uncle Blitz' in Murder Family when Jake accompanies them to Earth for the first time.
• Human Disguise: Somewhat played with in Seeing Stars. Much like Blitzo, Striker has to go into a costume shop to get a disguise and is mistaken for a celebrity.
• Hypocritical Heartwarming: Striker just loves messing with Moxxie in a Big Brother Bully manner, but he does see him as a friend though he'd never admit it. Particularly shown in Ozzie's.
• How Dad Met Mom: Striker tells Jake how he met Jane in Helluva Dad Drabbles. When they were kids, Striker tried defending her from bullies, and she ended up defending him. Said event is shown in Jane.
• I Gave My Word:
  • When they're being held captive by Martha's children, Striker angrily tells Moxxie he'll pummel him when the whole thing is over. Once they save Millie, Jake and Blitzo, Striker is true to his word and punches Moxxie.
• In Spite of a Nail:
  • Although Octavia's time on the surface goes much smoother due to Jake's presence, she still ends up depressed over being unable to see the stars.
  • Exes and Oohs has the most changes out of all previous works in the series, but the gang still manages to escape from Crimson in the end.
  • Moxxie is captured alongside Stolas in Western Energy, so Striker and Jake are the ones who fight Travers, with Millie joining the fight later on. In the end, though, the bad guy escapes and the party end up at the hospital.
• Interpretative Character:
  • While Striker is still a Jerkass most of the time, it's visibly downplayed. Additionally, he's portrayed as a strict but loving father and a loyal –though sometimes mean– friend.
• Intoxication Ensues: Moxxie and Jake get drunk after being thrown into a beer barrel by humans.
• Is That Cute Kid Yours?: Played with. Verosika angrily asks if Jake is Striker's kid after Jake accidentally throws up on her face.
• It Was a Gift: It's revealed in Helluva Dad Drabbles that Striker's guitar was a birthday present from Jane.
• It's Personal: The reason Striker, Jake, and Millie are ready to take Travers on themselves is because the three of them have scores to settle with him from The Harvest Moon Festival.
• Jerkass: Subverted with Striker, as it's still one of his main traits, but is toned down with Pet the Dog moments.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Striker has a standoffish, no-nonsense personality and keeps his canon passion for killing and messing with Moxxie. However, he's a loving, if somewhat strict, father towards Jake and genuinely cares about his co-workers at I.M.P.
• Kids Raiding the Wine Cabinet: Subverted. Jake didn't mean to drink, he was thrown into the beer barrel with Moxxie.
• Kid Sidekick: Jake, the youngest member of I.M.P.
• The Load:
  • Played with Jake. His young age often requires Striker or someone else to get him out of trouble, sometimes compromising the job. Averted in Truth Seekers as he's shown to be quite a capable fighter by himself.
  • Averted from season 2 onwards as he becomes older and is given more responsibility.
• Like Father, Like Son: Jake has a striking physical resemblance to Striker and also some of his traits. Lampshaded by Moxxie in Nerd regarding the 'awful character'.
• Lies to Children: Striker has never told Jake what happened to his mother. When he finally has no other choice but to tell him in Mom, he doesn't tell Jake the actual reason for his mother's death.
• Like Father, Like Son: Jake has lots of things in common with his father.
  • Both are headstrong and have grit.
  • Both love teasing Moxxie.
  • Both are skilled at shooting.
  • Both enjoy living in the countryside and doing country stuff.
• Lost Lenore: Jane, Striker's late wife and mother of his son Jake. Though she's been long dead by the start of the series, she still has an important role in Striker and Jake's lives.
• Love Triangle: Subverted with Moxxie, Millie, and Travers, as Millie is already wedded to Moxxie and clearly loves him.
• Lying to Protect Your Feelings:
  • Rather, Striker was trying to protect Moxxie and Millie's unborn child—as well as Millie herself—by telling her he'd join Blitzo in the hospital to help him with Loona when in reality he was going to save Moxxie and Stolas from Travers.
  • So far, Jake believes his mother died of sickness after he was born. Striker couldn't bring himself to tell him that he was cut out of her womb, which killed her in the process.
• Mama Bear: Jane sacrificed her life so that Jake could be born.
• Missing Mom:
  • Jake's mother, Jane, In Mom, it's revealed that she died from illness shortly after Jake was born. It's implied that Striker didn't tell Jake the whole truth, however.
  • Striker reveals the truth to Blitzo in Painful Truths: Jane was mortally wounded by an Exterminator when she was heavily pregnant, and he had to cut their unborn child out of her womb to save his life, killing Jane in the process.
• The Missus and the Ex: The Harvest Moon Festival involves Travers, Millie's ex-boyfriend, and Moxxie meeting each other. Exes and Oohs introduces Chaz, who dated both Millie and Moxxie.
• Mouthy Kid: Jake often taunts and teases Moxxie.
• Most Definitely Not Accompanying Us:
  • Averted, given that Jake always accompanies I.M.P. on their assassination missions to the living world. In Murder Family he's put in harm's way alongside Millie and Blitzo because of this.
  • Actually happens in Spring Broken when Striker blindfolds Jake and tells him to stay on the table to keep him from seeing the humans having sex all around them.
• My Parents Are Dead: In Jake, Pietro, and Giulia's case, it's only their respective mothers.
• The Mourning After: Striker hasn't had sex in thirteen years because he cannot bring himself to touch another woman ever since Jane died.
• Murder, Inc.: The Deadly Court—of whom Striker part of—is a ten-member group consisting of dangerous high-profile assassins, infamous for killing Overlords and demon royalty.
• No-Nonsense Nemesis: Played for laughs with Striker. As the most serious and level-headed member of I.M.P. he often has to deal with everyone else's shenanigans that don't amuse him in the least.
• Noodle Incident: Jake looks far older than the last time she saw him, but Octavia points out it hasn't been that long. Jake begins explaining that he and the gang 'spent three years on an island that turned out to be Cancún' before being interrupted by a hobo. Blitzo also alludes to it in Exes and Oohs.
• Not Growing Up Sucks:
  • Despite being a child, Jake hates to be treated like one. In Spring Broken he can't understand why he's not allowed to listen to Verosika Mayday's music or why Striker blindfolded him and ordered him to stay on the table.
  • Later averted, as from season 2 onwards, he's a 13-year-old teenager.
• Not So Invincible After All: For the first time ever, Millie has met her match—or rather, her better—in Deathslinger. He uses her Unstoppable Rage and love for Moxxie against her and breaks her arm and leg to render her helpless. Good thing that Striker showed up before he could kill her.
• Number Two: Striker can be considered Blitzo's unofficial second in command, given that he tends to take charge when Blitzo is unavailable or distracted by something. Confirmed in ''C.H.E.R.U.B. when he's put in charge of I.M.P. for a day while Blitzo is absent.
• Off with His Head!: Narrowly averted for Moxxie. While Millie is fighting Travers, her ax slips off her hands and flies right toward the rock Moxxie's tied to. It just barely misses. This triggers Millie's Trauma Button.
• Oh, Crap!:
  • Jake pulls this one in Spring Broken when he accidentally reveals he's skipped through Striker's porno magazines. Later on, Striker reacts like this when he finds Jake is drunk.
  • Blitzo shows a minor example in Mom when Striker snatches Jane's photo away from him.
• Only Sane Employee: Moxxie and Striker are the most level-headed, reasonable members of I.M.P.
• Outlaw Couple: Striker and Jane used to be this before the latter got pregnant with Jake. Afterward, they had to settle down temporally.
• One Degree of Separation: Gustav and Deathsligner, two of Crimson's guests, happen to be Striker's father-in-law and colleague from the Deadly Court respectively.
• Papa Wolf:
  • Striker is very protective of his son, so messing with him even figuratively is a very bad idea, as Verosika's gang learned the hard way.
  • Further proven in The Blood Countess. Striker spends most of the first chapter being wary and utterly terrified of Bathory, the demon Overlord who abused him in his youth. But the moment he finds her staring down at Jake right in his bed with seemingly bad intentions, he pulls out his angelic pistol on her and speaks to her on equal terms, threatening to shoot her if she dares to touch a single hair on his son's head. Striker's love for his son is just that big that he's willing to point a weapon at the woman that he's feared for nearly all of his life, something which is lampshaded and even congratulated by Bathory herself.
  • In Western Energy he pushes his injured body to the limit, somehow managing to pull a katana pinning him to the ground by the shoulder out, and rushes to shield Jake from a blessed bullet that might have killed him.

• Parents as People: Despite being a devoted father, Striker still has his defects, such as taking out his frustration on Jake over Blitzo finding Jane's photo or keeping secrets—most notably everything about his mother—from him.
• Parental Substitute: Millie acts as a maternal figure of sorts towards Jake.
• Precocious Crush: Jake, a nine—later thirteen—year old impling, has a crush on Octavia, a seventeen-year-old teenager.
• Pregnant Badass: Millie's pregnancy doesn't stop her from fighting Travers.
• Pinned to the Wall: In Western Energy, Travers pins Striker to the ground with a katana to incapacitate him.
• The Power of Love: Moxxie, who's been terrified of his father his whole life and isn't physically strong, gets free from his bindings, steals a gun from Alessio and shoots Crimson in order to protect Millie.
• Pyrrhic Victory: Stolas and Moxxie are saved, but Striker nearly died saving Jake. He only survived because Stolas—in spite of his injuries—removed the blessed energy from the wound. If that hadn't been the case, Jake would've become an orphan.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Striker is a strict but loving father towards Jake. While proud of his son and trying his best to provide for him, Striker knows when to draw a line and say 'no'.
• Secret-Keeper: Jake, Blitzo and the others didn't know that Striker was a member of the Deadly Court until Exes and Oohs. Striker somewhat justifies himself by saying he doesn't like bragging about it.
• Someone to Remember Him By: Jake sometimes reminds Striker of his late wife Jane. His eyes, in particular, have the same fire Jane had when she'd made up her mind.
• Shooting Lessons From Your Parents: Jake is skilled at shooting, undoubtedly learned from his father.
• Spared by the Adaptation: Chaz survives his introduction as he actually has worth to Crimson due to being the heir to the Thurman fortune as well as their angelic weapon business.
• Stereotypical Nerd: In Nerd, Striker starts calling Moxxie a nerd after pointing out he fits the stereotype, to Moxxie's chagrin.
  Moxxie: Who're you calling a nerd?!
  Striker: Bowtie, fragile arms, pushover, you're afraid of a mere rooster. Should I continue?
  Moxxie: For your information, I'm not afraid of the rooster! I simply don't like the idea of getting infected with the avian flu, thank you very much.
  Striker: Nerd.
• Strong Family Resemblance: Jake and Pietro look like a younger version of their respective fathers, while Giulia is a younger version of her mother.
• The Stations of the Canon: Exes and Oohs follows the same canon plot line, but with key differences:
  • Three more characters make their proper debut alongside Chaz: Gustav, Striker's father-in-law and Jake's grandfather; Deathslinger, a veteran assassin who's a member of the Deadly Court alongside Striker; and Alice, Jake's cousin.
  • Striker joins Blitzo in searching Chaz's car, and ends up locked up in the trunk as well.
  • Jake and Alice join Millie in searching for Blitzo and Striker, and the former kills one of the goons about to ambush them.
  • Striker drives Chaz's car to crash into the garden, but changes the Loo Loo Land song at Blitzo's request.
    • However, they crash a few minutes too late, as the priest gets to marry Moxxie and Chaz before the interruption.
  • Millie massacres all of Crimson's men, but doesn't get to save Moxxie as Deathslinger quickly dispatches her before Striker comes to her aid. Moxxie saves Millie, breaking through his bonds and shooting Crimson before he can kill her.
  • Chaz survives and is now part of the Family, as the 'millions' he came into are real in the form of his father's inheritance.
• Taking the Bullet: Striker literally goes through this in Western Energy to save Jake's life. Thankfully, he survived.
• Tranquil Fury: Rather than lashing out or yelling, Striker narrows his eyes, speaks in a stoic voice, and rattles his tail when he's pissed.
  • This is averted in Mom when he openly yells at Jake at Blitzo after the latter finds a photo of Jane.
• Team Dad: Striker is this figuratively to I.M.P. and literally to Jake, contrasting Moxxie's Team Mom.
• Tell Me About My Father:
  • Jake inquires about his mother after Millie casually brings up the topic. Striker pretends to have drifted into sleep to avoid having to answer.
  • He finally gets an answer in Mom, with Striker telling him about Jane. From that point onwards, Striker begins sharing more stories about his wife to his son.
• Tough Love: Striker isn't openly affectionate towards his son and can be strict at times, but he cherishes Jake deeply, as shown in Mom.
• Trauma Button: While fighting Travers, Millie's ax slips off her hands and almost decapitates Moxxie. This triggers a panic attack on Millie as she flashes back to her fight with Deathslinger and her unintentional stabbing of Moxxie.
• Uncanny Family Resemblance: Jake is like a miniature version of Striker. The only difference is his slightly darker skin color.
• Unflappable Guardian: Striker puts Jake first and everything else last. He won't hesitate to put bullets in skulls to protect his son.
• Villain Has a Point: While he was just adding salt to Stolas's wounds, Travers isn't completely wrong when he points out to Stolas that Blitzo's world doesn't revolve around him. He's got his own family and friends to worry about and has no obligation to be at Stolas's beck and call. As shown in the canon episode, no matter how much he cares about Stolas, to Blitzo his daughter comes first.
• Villain: Exit, Stage Left: Travers once again escapes in Western Energy, leaving Stolas and Striker in bad shape.
• Vitriolic Best Buds:
  • Moxxie and Striker. Despite their seemingly antagonistic relationship, they care about one another.
  • Though he was pissed that Moxxie fucked up the killing shot, Striker later acknowledges Moxxie's wit when Moxxie manages to free himself from his bindings. This doesn't save Moxxie from a pummeling, though.
  • Striker briefly opens up to Moxxie about his past in Nerd and is genuinely impressed about Moxxie's vast knowledge of weapons, though he still proceeds to tease him by calling him a nerd.
• You Are Grounded!: Striker will pull this on Jake when he misbehaves or disobeys him.

A Promessa provides examples of:

• Affectionate Nickname: Alessio often calls his son Pietro figlio and his daughter Giulia bambina, which means 'son' and 'baby girl' in Italian, respectively.
• Amplifier Artifact: The pink shawls worn by Dolkrils. They allow said demons to turn into pink dolphins when entering the water. Without them, they're unable to speak and will eventually die.
• Big Brother Instinct: Pietro is fiercely protective over his little sister and clearly enjoys doting on her as much as their father does. Likewise, Alessio is very protective of his younger sister Cecilia.
• Black Sheep:
  • Briefly discussed by Pietro and Alessio when the former asks why Giulia can't eat solid food and feeds on milk instead: since Giulia is a dolphin rather than a shark, she needs different food and care.
  • Despite her loving father and brother, Giulia sometimes feels out of place in a family of sharks.

• Cute Mute: Giulia can't talk, but she's still adorable.
• Daddy's Girl: Giulia. She's particularly close to her father Alessio, who dotes on her a bit more because of her strong resemblance to his late wife.
• Defrosting Ice King: Alessio's main trait is his seemingly-perpetual poker face and no-nonsense attitude when on the job. His wife and children are the only ones that can get him to smile.
• Deliberately Cute Child: Special mention to Giulia, but both she and Pietro are cute in their own way.
• Family Man: Alessio.
• Father's Quest: Alessio's priority is to keep his children safe from harm after he promised it his dying wife, but his job in the Mafia can make this difficult sometimes, especially since they're not aware of it.
• Fan-Created Offspring: Pietro and Giula, Alessio's children.
• Good Parents: In contrast to Crimson, Alessio is depicted as a loving, devoted father.
• The Gift: Alessio gives his daughter a seashell flute that belonged to his wife Bianca.
• Honorary Uncle: Crimson might be seen as this for Pietro and Giulia, even if Alessio has kept them away from him for a good part of their lives because of his promise to Bianca. It's not hard to blame him for this, considering Crimson let Pietro handle a rifle when he was only two years old.
• How Dad Met Mom: Alessio tells Giulia how he met her mother in one of the chapters; He saw her perform at the Ópera and felt instantly attracted to her angelic voice.
• I Gave My Word: Alessio promised Bianca just before she died that he'd keep their children safe and away from the Mafia. He takes this promise very seriously.
• Interpretative Character: The spin-off explores a different facet of Alessio, Crimson's right-hand man, as he struggles to separate his work in the Mafia from his family life.
• Interspecies Romance: Alessio, a shark, fell in love with Bianca, a dolphin.
• Last of His Kind: Giulia is the last Dolkril.
• Like Father, Like Son: Pietro, Alessio's older son, is like a miniature version of his father.
• Lies to Children: Alessio keeps his Mafioso occupation a secret from his children for their own safety, and because he promised Bianca in her deathbed that he'd keep them away from such a dangerous life.
• Locked into Strangeness: In her final days, Bianca's dark hair turned white, showing how wounds influcted by angelic weaponry took their toll on her. This is actually a general trait in Dolkrils. The sicker they are, the whiter their hair becomes.
• Lost Lenore: Bianca to Alessio.
• Missing Mom: Bianca, Pietro and Giulia's mother, died from blessed weaponry-inflicted wounds during a botched attempt from a Yakuza Clan at kidnapping her when the latter was three months old, leaving her husband Alessio to raise them on his own.

• Nerves of Steel: No matter what happens, Alessio never loses his composure. Unless his children are involved, that is.
• Nice Girl: Bianca is depicted as a kind and caring soul, a trait she passed on to her daughter.
• Number Two: Alessio acts as Crimson's consigliere and right-hand man. The trust between the two is such that Alessio occasionally speaks to his boss on equal terms.
• Papa Wolf: There's no one Alessio won't stand up against to protect his children. He kills a rival mob boss who held him captive when he threatens to lay his hands on them. He even stops Crimson's hand right before he tries to hit Giulia for breaking a vase and warns him to never lay a hand on his daughter.
• Parents as People: The spin-off depicts Alessio's struggles to keep his involvement in the Mafia a secret from his children to keep them safe.
• Parental Substitute: Alessio's younger sister Cecilia acts as a motherly figure to Giulia, who was just a baby when Bianca died and thus has no memories of her.
• Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Bianca and her daughter Giulia have dark hair and pale pink skin.
• The Speechless: At six years old, Giulia is seemingly mute.
• Secret-Keeper:
  • Alessio keeps his children in the dark about his Mafioso lifestyle to protect them. He also kept it a secret from Bianca for a long time, both to keep her safe and because he feared she'd leave him due to her dislike of the Mafia.
  • Bianca herself didn't tell Alessio that she was a dolkril until she transformed in front of him to save his life.
  • Giulia is seemingly unaware of her dolkril heritage. Alessio keeps her shawl locked away in a chest to keep her safe from the Yakuza who killed her mother. Unfortunately, he's unaware that this also deprives her from her voice.
• Someone to Remember Him By: Though he cherishes both of his children as Bianca's legacy, Alessio dotes on Giulia a bit more because of her striking resemblance to her late mother.
• Shapeshifting Lover: Alessio's wife Bianca was a Dolkril, a rare demon species that turns into a dolphin when they enter the water. Their daughter Giulia is a Dolkril as well, but she's not aware of it as Alessio has kept her dolkril shawl hidden from her.
• Uncanny Family Resemblance: Pietro and Giulia are miniature versions of Alessio and Bianca respectively.
• Unflappable Guardian: Crimson might be the Don, but Alessio is the one that keeps the organization in order. While Ale isn't as ruthless as the boss, the subordinates find him even scarier than Crimson, especially when his instructions aren't followed.
• Water-Triggered Change: A Dolkril's shawl allows them to turn into dolphins when they come into contact with water.
• We Are Not Going Through That Again: Played for Drama. Having lost his dolkril wife to the Yakuza, Alessio has been keeping his daughter's dolkril heritage (and shawl) a secret from her for her own safety, not wanting to lose her as he lost her mother.