Today might not be Father's Day, but it's always a fine time to give credit to the best fathers and foster fathers in all of anime. Many Shonen protagonists have a tragic family life, and many more are missing one or both of their parents. Even if the protagonist's parents are alive, they might be one of the villains!
Being anime characters, these dads aren't the stay-at-home type. In fact, they might go on more adventures than their children. Regardless, some of them are true heroes and may step in to help their son or daughter when needed. All in all, these gentlemen are heroic.
Updated on June 12th, 2022 by Sarah Martin: Since this list was published in 2019, we've updated it with a few more outstanding anime fathers. Even though most of anime's beloved heroes don't have the best home lives, these father figures are important to many series. Some of them are biological while others are foster parents of sorts.
13 Byakuya Ishigami Always Supported Senku (Dr. Stone)
Byakuya always supported Senku in Dr. Stone, no matter the cost. He'd do anything to help him pursue his interest in science and wanted to help Senku pursue his promising future. Byakuya always kept things light-hearted, using his good sense of humor to keep him afloat during times of great sorrow and loss.
Byakuya believed there was no point in living if people couldn't have a little fun. He was a natural leader who believed compassion, hope, curiosity, and humor were the backbones of humanity.
12 Kazuma Sohma Was The First One To Accept Kyo (Fruits Basket)
Kyo's biological father was an abusive and terrible role model. Luckily, Kazuma took Kyo under his wing and was the first person who tried to accept him – true form and all. Kazuma took Kyo in after his mother committed suicide and his biological father pretty much disowned him. In fact, Kazuma was the first person in all of Fruits Basket Kyo truly respected.
Since Kazuma saw the isolation and loneliness his father was subjected to as the former Zodiac cat, he did everything in his power to keep Kyo from enduring the same fate.
11 Shiro Fujimoto Was Rin & Yukio's Adoptive Father (Blue Exorcist)
Even though they're the sons of Satan, Blue Exorcist's Shiro took Rin and Yukio in and loved them unconditionally. Rin even said that he only recognizes Shiro as his dad instead of Satan. He always encouraged the two boys and would do anything to protect them.
Shiro was one of the few people Rin respected, and by extension, the only person who could calm his temper. Shiro loved his sons so much that he allowed Satan to kill him so they could make it to safety.
10 Loid Forger Is A Makeshift Family Man (Spy X Family)
Even though he only adopted Anya to execute his mission successfully, Loid learned fatherhood isn't that simple. Raising a child is a big responsibility, and Loid cares a lot about both Anya and Yor, despite theirs being a makeshift family.
Loid has come close to compromising his identity during Spy X Family's undercover missions to protect Anya, showing he'd do anything for her. Even though he created this family for the sake of a task, it's evident Loid is more attached to Anya and Yor than he ever expected.
9 Soun Tendo Doesn't Let Loss Dampen His Spirits (Ranma 1/2)
Mr. Tendo is one of the first characters to appear in Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma 1/2, and what a fine dad he is. He is arguably even better than his longtime friend, Genma Saotome. Mr. Tendo is a widower, but he remembers his wife fondly and doesn't let that loss dampen his spirits.
Mr. Tendo runs and defends the Tendo family dojo all by himself, and he's a proud father of three wonderful daughters: Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane. He's also very protective and won't let anyone lay a finger on them.
8 Isshin Kurosaki Practices Tough Love (Bleach)
Lots of the best anime dad are the action hero type, and they typically practice some tough love. When it comes to his son Ichigo, Bleach's Isshin is a little tough, but he means well. Mr. Kurosaki is also a widower, and like Mr. Tendo he runs a happy household and remembers his wife fondly.
Isshin dotes endlessly on his daughters, Yuzu and Karin – the former of which looks up to him while the latter just rolls her eyes at his pranks. Still, Isshin is a tough Soul Reaper and former Captain, and he helps engineer the downfall of Sosuke Aizen alongside his son and Kisuke Urahara.
7 Soken Ishida Taught Ryuken Well (Bleach)
Soken only appears in Bleach in Uryu's memories, and he's a grandfather as well as a father. Soken must have taught his son Ryuken well because Ryuken is a smart and responsible man. He's also an incredible shot with the Quincy bow and arrow.
Soken then trained the next generation, doting on his grandson Uryu and unlocking his Quincy powers. It seems like Uryu saw Soken more as a father than he did Ryuken, and Uryu was devastated when Soken lost his life.
6 Soichiro Yagami Deserved Better (Death Note)
The grim and grisly crime thriller series Death Note is home to many cold-blooded killers and ruthless schemers, from Kira to Mello to Higuchi and Teru Mikami, but not Soichiro Yagami. He's an upstanding detective, a proud family man, and a beacon against the darkness surrounding him.
Soichiro has never been tempted to try underhanded or lethal means to bring a criminal to justice, and he tirelessly championed Light as an innocent teenager. Mr. Yagami put himself into confinement as a sort of protest against Light's confinement, and he gave Mello the Death Note to secure his daughter's release in part two.
5 Joichiro Yukihira Is A Master Chef (Food Wars!)
Joichiro Yukihira is handsome, charming, and a master chef. As a result, he traveled the world to explore new cooking ideas, recipes, and ingredients. This dedication, coupled with his sheer talent, makes Joichiro a master chef that everyone in Food Wars, especially his son Soma, looks up to
The girls of Polaris Dorm were beside themselves with joy when the gentleman chef Joichiro paid them a visit, and they eagerly hoped Soma would grow up to be just like his old man. Joichiro expertly ran the family restaurant and taught Soma everything he needed to know as a chef.
4 Joseph Joestar May Be A Cheater, But He Was A Good Father To Holly (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)
To be fair, Joseph's cheating on Suzie Q and fathering Josuke in the early 1980s is a strike against him. However, in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, old man Joseph proves he's a wonderful father and grandfather. Like some other dads on this list, he dotes on his daughter.
Holly Joestar moved to Japan and had her son, Jotaro Kujo, while she was there. Joseph is quick to defend Holly, whether it's from Jotaro's very rude language towards her or DIO's influence. In fact, Joseph trekked all the way to Egypt with Jotaro, Avdol, and Kakyoin (and later Polnareff and Iggy) to slay DIO and save his daughter's life.
3 Maes Hughes Is A Ray Of Light In A Dark World (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Like Soichiro Yagami, Mae Hughes is a ray of light in a dark world. His biggest love is not an ambitious career or deadly alchemy skills, but his family. Mae adores his wife and young daughter. Even in the middle of Fullmetal Alchemist's horrific Ishval Civil War, they're all he can think about. He graciously invited Winry and others to his household, demonstrating his unceasing hospitality. Mae's death at Envy's hands was a major blow to everyone who knew him.
2 Minato Namikaze Is No Ordinary Family Man (Naruto)
Naruto's Minato Namikaze became the Fourth Hokage of the Leaf Village, and his wife was none other than Kushina Uzumaki, the host of the dreaded Nine-Tailed Fox. This meant having a son together came with serious complications, and Minato arranged for Naruto's birth outside the village while surrounded by guards and seals.
When Tobi tried to seize the Nine-Tailed Fox for himself and Minato ended up in a duel for the ages against him, Minato won the day. However, he had a demon fox on the loose and little time to spare. So, Minato and his wife made some hard decisions and sealed half of the Nine-Tailed Fox in their newborn son. In a later vision, Minato expressed his deep pride and joy for how his son turned out.
1 Naofumi Iwatani Is A Foster Parent Of Sorts (The Rising Of The Shield Hero)
Naofumi is not technically a parent, but he's an excellent foster father of sorts to Raphtalia in The Rising of the Shield Hero. As a Shield Hero teleported into a fantasy world, Naofumi had to deal with a lot – something made worse with unfounded accusations made against him that resulted in his exile. On the lonely road, Naofumi bought Raphtalia from a slave trader and took her in as a companion.
Naofumi cared for Raphtalia greatly – far better than any other slave owner would – and he watched her rapidly grow into a young woman. They became inseparable, and Naofumi helped bring new hope to Raphtalia's widely abused race of demi-humans. When the adorable bird-girl Filo is born, Naofumi is a total dad to her too.