How to Clear Parent Relationship in Blender

Clearing a parent relationship in Blender allows you to detach a child object from its parent so it can move, rotate, and scale independently again. This article explains the fastest keyboard shortcuts, menu options, and Outliner drag-and-drop methods to unparent objects, along with the differences between simply clearing a parent and keeping the object's current transform positions.

Method 1: The Alt + P Shortcut (Fastest)

  1. Select the child object (or multiple child objects) in the 3D Viewport.
  2. Press Alt + P (or Option + P on macOS) on your keyboard to open the Clear Parent menu.
  3. Select one of the following options based on your needs:
  • Clear Parent: Removes the parenting link. The child object will instantly revert to its original position, rotation, and scale prior to being parented.
  • Clear and Keep Transformation: Removes the parenting link while preserving the object's current position, rotation, and scale in world space. This is usually the option you want if you don't want the object to jump across the screen.
  • Clear Parent Inverse: Clears the parent inverse matrix, resetting the offset between the parent and child without breaking the parent link itself.

Method 2: Using the Object Menu

  1. Select the child object in the 3D Viewport.
  2. Click Object in the top-left menu bar of the 3D Viewport.
  3. Navigate to Parent > Clear Parent.
  4. Choose either Clear Parent or Clear and Keep Transformation.

Method 3: Using the Outliner Window

  1. Locate the Outliner panel (usually in the top-right corner of the default interface).
  2. Expand the parent object to reveal the nested child object.
  3. Left-click and hold the child object, then drag it directly into the main Scene Collection (or out from under the parent object).
  4. Alternatively, right-click the child object in the Outliner, hover over Parent, and click Clear Parent.

Method 4: Removing Parent via Object Properties

  1. Select the child object.
  2. Go to the Object Properties tab in the Properties editor (represented by an orange square icon).
  3. Scroll down to the Relations panel.
  4. Locate the Parent field and click the X icon next to the parent object's name to clear the link.