Anime and father figures are two things that blend really well because this medium is always known for tackling mature stories that are emotionally involved. There are several amazing dads across the whole spectrum of anime, irrespective of genre or age.
Today, we shall be taking a look at a few of them in the following list and deciding who all gets the moniker of best father figures in anime.
Anime With The Best Father Figures
Piccolo (Dragon Ball Z)
Piccolo may not be the literal blood-related father to some of the characters in the Dragon Ball franchise, but he definitely deserves to be brought up when discussing the best father figures in all of anime.
Despite being Goku’s rival and the offspring of the demon king who once wanted to rule over the world, Piccolo had a change of heart, which led to some impressive character development. He has pretty much been a mentor and father figure to almost all the half-saiyans on earth.
Even in the recent developments of the Dragon Ball Super storyline, Piccolo is seen raising the next generation of young Saiyans as Gohan’s daughter, Pan, trains under him.
Maes Hughes (Full Metal Alchemist)
Full Metal Alchemist is a fantasy shounen anime that has some dark undertones, because it is always the center of jokes for a particular character who is known to have done horrifying things to his own family.
Despite that, Maes Hughes is a character from the show who shines bright as one of the best father figures in all of anime. He is someone who won’t stop talking about his wife and daughter, because he absolutely loves them.
This hits even harder when his love for them actually leads to his own demise, as he is unable to think straight and defend himself.
Bartholomew Kuma (One Piece)
If we had to pick the best dad of all of anime, who made the most sacrifices in order to ensure their child’s safety, then just leaving it at that would not be doing justice to Bartholomew Kuma’s character from One Piece.
Kuma is a character who had a very painful life as he saw both his parents die as slaves. But instead of the painful experience molding him into a deplorable villain, it made him one of the most caring characters in all of the show.
This is why he was able to sacrifice his own conscience just so that his daughter, Bonney, could have a chance at life.
Minato Namikaze (Naruto)
Naruto would not have been the beloved character he is today if not for his father, Minato Namikaze. Aside from being one of the strongest Ninjas in all of Leaf Village and a capable Hokage, his life was unfortunately short-lived.
Minato, along with his wife, sacrificed their own lives in order to seal the nine-tailed fox away so that Naruto could live out the rest of his life. Our biggest reward for following Naruto finally came in the anime when Naruto was able to meet both his parents, and they could finally share the much-awaited moment of bonding.
Loid Forger (Spy x Family)
The world of Spy x Family is a pretty fun one with a cast of wonderful characters. But our main point of interest in the show is centered around a fake family. So newcomers might wonder why we have Loid in a list about the best fathers if he is just faking the part.
Well, that’s the thing, everyone thought that Loid would be faking his part as the father in the family, but it turns out that he actually grows closer to her adopted daughter.
He genuinely cares for both Anya and Yor, because we see Loid taking part in various activities with his family, while covering his Spy activities from the shadows.
Rei and Kazuki (Buddy Daddies)
What is there to say about Buddy Daddies other than the fact that it is literally the kind of show that has ready-made character for this particular discussion? This anime is also special for the fact that it does not just give us one but two amazing father figures.
The premise for this show is very similar to Spy x Family, but instead of spies, our main characters, Kazuki Kurusu and Rei Suwa, are assassins living under the same roof. Circumstances lead them to become the guardians of Miri.
Both the main characters are cold-blooded killers, but also absolutely incredible dads to the girl, and would risk their own lives in order to protect her.
Isshin Kurosaki (Bleach)
We did not grasp the fact of how important Ichigo’s dad’s role was in molding him into the character he is, or his sisters are, until way later in the show. Isshin Kurosaki may look like an unimportant character at first glance, but he is one of the best fathers in all of anime.
We do not get to see single dads in anime much, but when we do, they are always a gem, and Isshin is an example of that. He left behind him his history as a shinigami captain so that he could focus on raising his children with love after his wife’s passing.
Akio Furukawa (Clannad)
Akio Furukawa may look like an airheaded character at first, but there is a reason for that. He selflessly loves his own family more than anything in the world. This is reflected in the anime when we find him turning over rocks to make sure his daughter’s happiness is prioritized.
Clannad, as a show, is already a tearjerker of an anime where we see characters go through losses. So a dad character like Akio Furukawa popping up in the show felt like a dim light still trying to glow brighter in the vast darkness.
Edward Newgate (One Piece)
We can’t just leave this list at one father figure from One Piece because that show has countless other characters who are great dads. Take Edward Newgate, for example, or, as most call him, White Beard. He is one of the important emperor-class pirates in the show.
A status that belongs only to the most terrifying figures, but underneath all of that, he is one of the best father figures to countless other crew members. This is further realized when we see him declaring war at Marineford with his fleet on the line, just to rescue Portgas D Ace.
Tetsuo Tosu (My Home Hero)
My Home Hero is an anime that not many would have heard of, but it is important for the list at hand, because this show introduces us to a parental figure who would actually go far beyond to protect their child.
So far, we have been talking about father figures who demonstrate love for their family and children through regular reactions. Tetsuo Tosu shows us the complete opposite spectrum of this love as he ends up murdering the lover of his daughter to protect her, after he finds out that he is a serial killer.
