Biology doesn’t have anything to do with family, and these anime father figures proved it.
Although there is a surprising lack of good fathers in anime and manga, it’s mostly balanced by amazing men who stepped up. From teachers who took care of their students like their own kids to adoptive fathers who never let their children feel abandoned - anime has a treasure trove of great father figures. Here are some of our favourite anime men who made sure the kids were taken care of.
Shoto Aizawa (My Hero Academia)
Shoto Aizawa is one of the central characters of the My Hero Academia series, and someone who is fiercely protective of his students. Although he’s the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A, Aizawa took Shinso under his wing when the boy was struggling with his unconventional quirk. He became a mentor and guardian to Eri, and took care of her like a father would. The series protagonist Deku and all his classmates look up to Aizawa as a strong hero and a great teacher. Along with All Might, Aizawa is also a father figure to Deku and Bakugo.
Shiro Fujimoto (Blue Exorcist)
Yukio and Rin’s adoptive father Shiro is a great example of a changed man. Initially, he was supposed to kill the twins as they are sons of Satan. However, Shiro couldn’t go through with it and decided to seal their powers and adopt them as his own. He has a playful personality and loves both his sons a lot. He is so dedicated to them in fact, that he was willing to sacrifice himself to save Rin. Although their relationship started on a sour note, Shiro was able to become one the best adoptive dads in anime.
Zagan (An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride)
Zagan is a sorcerer who fell into the role of a father by accident, and at the request of his beloved Nephy. Valefor, a young dragon, attacks Zagan’s resident to seek revenge for her father’s death from humans. Instead of punishing her, Zagan and Nephy start taking care of her and become parental figures. Despite his icy exterior, Zagan is actually a great girl dad who often lets Valefor get away with mischief. He also trains her in magic along with Nephy. Their relationship is a delight to watch as Valefor becomes part of Zagan’s growing family.
Iruka Umino (Naruto)
From Kakahi to Jiraiya, Naruto had many great teachers throughout his life. But Iruka always had a special place in his heart. This young academy instructor was one of the first people to see Naruto as a person and take him under his wing. Iruka loved Naruto unconditionally, even when things went wrong, and the protagonist was able to grow wonderfully thanks to him. It came as no surprise when Iruka took the place of Naruto’s father during his wedding.
Piccolo (Dragon Ball)
Despite being one of the most iconic heroes in all of anime, all of us can admit that Goku is not that great of a father to Gohan. Surprisingly, his discarded mantle is picked up by none other than the former villain Piccolo. Although reluctant, he starts training Gohan, his enemy’s son. He becomes a stern yet great mentor to the young Saiyan, who also respects his teacher in return. Gohan is one of the very first people to treat Piccolo as more than a demon, and he never forgot it. Over time, Piccolo became more of a father to Gohan than Goku and his overview of the world proves it.
Loid Forger (Spy x Family)
Loid Forger’s image might pop up in most people’s heads when they hear the phrase ‘anime dads’, and they won’t be wrong. Although he adopted Anya as a ruse to help him in his mission, he has slowly become one of the best fathers in anime history. He helps Anya with her schoolwork and saves her life on multiple occasions. He is quiet but insightful, and has a gentle side to him that often comes out when he’s dealing with Yor and Anya. The family may be fake, but Loid and Anya’s love for one another is genuine.
Satoru Gojo (Jujutsu Kaisen)
When we are talking about teachers who are also father figures, the list will be incomplete without Satoru Gojo. Yes, the prideful and strong sorcerer was a great source of inspiration for his students. But his fatherly side came out the most with Megumi, whom he basically adopted after Megumi's father, Toji, died. From a very young age, Megumi has been spoiled by the very rich Gojo, who tried his best to take on a parental role. Although Megumi is not very expressive, we see how much Gojo means to him throughout the anime and manga.
Rei and Kazuki (Buddy Daddies)
Kazuki, a skilled assassin, takes the young Miri under his care after he and his partner Rei assassinate her father. Rei is at first cold towards Miri as he’s not very good at human interaction. However, he later warms up to both her and Kazuki, and they become a loving family. Miri also loves her two papas and has the time of her life living with them. While Kazuki is an extroverted and involved parent, Rei shows his love through actions and by taking care of Miri when she’s sick. They’re also incredibly protective of her, risking their own lives to save Miri’s. Although it seems the two assassins are set up for failure when it comes to parenthood, Rei and Kazuki prove everyone wrong by being the best found family for Miri.
Byakuya Ishigami (Dr. Stone)
When it comes to adoptive fatherhood, Byakuya Ishigami deserves to be in the hall of fame. We don’t get much of a history on how he adopted Senku, but saw how much he doted on his genius son. As an astronaut, Byakuya had to stay away from Senku a lot, but supported him nonetheless. He even sold his car to fund one of Senku’s projects. He knew how much his son loved science, and did everything in his power to make sure he could pursue it. Although he passed away before the events of the anime, he left a coded message for Senku as he knew his son will be one of the first ones to de-petrify. Throughout the anime, we see how much Byakuya loved his son and how it helped shape Senku into the brilliant mind that leads the stone world into the 21st century.
Kazuma Sohma (Fruits Basket)
Kyo’s real father is a bitter, jealous, and abusive man who blamed him for his mother’s death and their family’s misfortune. But things changed when Kazuma adopted him. Unlike the rest of the Sohma clan, Kazuma doesn’t shame Kyo for being cursed by the Cat spirit, and welcomes him into his life with open arms. He loves Kyo unconditionally and protects him fiercely from the judging eye of others. He runs a dojo and trains several Sohma children, but Kyo always remained his favourite. He also loves Tohru as she helped Kyo become a happier and gentler person. But even throughout his rough phase, Kazuma never stopped loving or shielding his son, earning him a gold star for excellent fatherhood.
