Top 10 Father Reveal Plot Twists in Movies

“Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare” (1991)

In the sixth “Nightmare on Elm Street” film, Dr. Maggie Borroughs tries to help kids who are being terrorized by Freddy Krueger. During her investigation, she realizes the terrifying villain has a daughter. A series of hints make Maggie question if her birth father might just be Freddy. After looking at her suspiciously blank adoption papers, she has an inventive and terrifying nightmare. Freddy suddenly appears and reveals that he’s indeed her dad. Finding out that this unforgivable villain fathered a child was a crazy and interesting twist at this point in the series. Fortunately, Maggie wasn't eager to follow in her father's footsteps and made sure he never haunted anyone again.

“Big Hero 6” (2014)


Hiro watches a video where a failed experiment with transportation technology causes a pilot named Abigail to disappear. He immediately assumes that the masked villain who’s been trying to steal the transportation tech is the businessman who created it, Alistair Krei. But Hiro soon discovers that his brother’s old professor named Robert Callaghan is under the mask. The mystery of why an educator would steal tech becomes clear when we see another video. It's revealed that the pilot that went missing was Callaghan's daughter. While this fantastic twist turned the movie on its head, it also made the villainous Callaghan more sympathetic.

“Mr. Deeds” (2002)

When a rich man named Preston Blake suddenly passes away, his long-lost nephew Longfellow Deeds inherits lots of money, the Blake Media company and a full staff. One of the people that used to serve the deceased billionaire was an orphaned butler named Emilio Lopez. Not only was he loyal to Blake for three decades, but they had a close father-son relationship. Their bond comes back when Blake media is in danger of being dissolved at the end of the movie. A reporter named Babe suddenly reveals that Emilio Lopez was the secret son of Preson Blake. The former Butler celebrates the news of his sudden inheritance by saving the company. This last-minute paternity reveal gave this Sandler comedy a happy ending.

“Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2” (2017)

One of the biggest mysteries of the first “Guardians” film was the identity of Peter's father. We finally get an answer at the beginning of the sequel. When the Guardians are taking fire from a barrage of ships, they’re suddenly saved by a mysterious man. A few scenes later, the being who saved the heroes reveals he's named Ego and that he's Peter's father. Knowing that the physically ordinary Star-Lord was related to an insanely powerful character was a nice twist. Audiences were immediately invested in why such a strong being like Ego would need Peter and why he would appear now. By revealing Star Lord's father so early on, the movie kicked off a great mystery that we couldn't wait to dive into.

“Back To The Future” (1985)


After Marty McFly unintentionally travels 30 years into the past, he tries to get his bearings at a diner. Just as he takes a seat next to another customer, he hears someone call out his last name. A confused Marty quickly realizes that he’s sitting next to his father George McFly. This leads to one of the most hilarious sequences in the film. Instead of crying out to his father immediately, Marty is rendered speechless and stares blankly until George gets annoyed and calls him out. Unlike many other reveals, the dad has no clue he’s talking to his son. It’s hilarious to watch Marty try not to let the truth slip while he’s stuck in the past.

“Wanted” (2008)


The life of a normal office worker named Wesley is forever changed when he learns that his father was assassinated by a man named Cross. Wesley agrees to train as a deadly assassin to help avenge his dad. After he gains some serious skills, he finally confronts and shoots Cross. Just before the villain takes his last breath, he reveals that he's Wesley's actual father. This horrifying truth is confirmed by a woman named Fox. Knowing that Cross wouldn't kill his own child, Wesley was trained specifically to take the assassin down. This tragic turn of events completely changes our notion of who the heroes and villains of the movie are. It also pushes Wesley to get revenge for his father in the final act.

“The Boondock Saints” (1999)

Twin brothers Connor and Murphy become local heroes after they start targeting criminals. After they get on the wrong side of a crime family, a hitman named Il Duce is sent after the siblings. The brothers barely survived the first encounter with this formidable assassin. But when Il Duce sees them again, Connor and Murphy are praying for a recently deceased friend. The hitman surprises them by finishing their prayer and revealing that he is their long lost father. This late game reveal instantly ends the bad blood between the two sides. And thanks to this sudden twist, we get to see the brothers and Il Duce deliver some awesome vigilante justice together.

“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” (2017)

A young Carina was left at an orphanage with Gaileo’s diary in her possession. She carried this special book on her journey across the seas to find the trident of Poseidon. Shortly after Carina meets the legendary pirate Barbossa, he appears to recognize the book. After stepping away from her, he quietly confirms that he’s her true father. The reveal that Barbossa left Carina behind because he thought a pirate would be a bad father adds a sad and complex layer to his character. Their relationship comes to a tragic ending when he sacrifices himself to save his daughter just as she learns the truth. Carina later honors her father’s last act by taking on his last name.

“Coco” (2017)

Shortly after arriving in the Land of the Dead, the young Miguel realizes he needs to find his great-great-grandfather Ernesto De La Cruz. At the same time, a deceased man named Hector needs someone in the living world to remember him so he doesn't disappear. He makes an alliance with Miguel to help find his great-great-grandfather. The two adventure together before realizing the shocking truth. Hector is the long-lost father of Miguel's great grandmother Coco. Seeing these two guys realize they're related leads to one of the most emotional scenes in any Pixar film. Not only did Miguel find the relative he was truly looking for, but Hector found someone who will never forget him.


Before our top dad makes a shocking reveal, here are a few honorable mentions.

Lewis Finds Out He'll Be a Father in the Future, “Meet the Robinsons” (2007)
He Discovers the Boy He Time Traveled With Was His Son All Along


Aladdin Discovers His Father Is Alive, “Aladdin and the King of Thieves” (1996)
The Head of the Forty Thieves Is the Dad He Thought Was Lost


Magneto is Quicksilver’s Mysterious Dad, “X-Men: Apocalypse” (2014)
After Being Heavily Hinted in “Days of Future Past”, It Was Confirmed in the Sequel


The New Mutant Laura Is Wolverine’s Daughter, “Logan” (2017)
She Was Secretly Created From His DNA

“Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back” (1980)

There is no paternity reveal more legendary than that of Darth Vader in “The Empire Strikes Back”. After Luke fails to defeat the villain, he angrily screams at the sith lord for striking his father down. Darth Vader decides this is the perfect time to tell the young Jedi who his dad really is. This twist has stunned generations of “Star Wars” fans. And it was so important to the filmmakers, that most of the cast didn't even know until they saw the film themselves. Vader's revelation is so iconic in pop culture that it’s been parodied in everything from TV shows to “Toy Story 2”. (*xref) No matter how many times we see this moment, it will never stop being a fantastic reveal.