21 Best Anime Dads of All Time Ranked

Dads in anime are something like mythical creatures, as you’ll see in the best anime dads of all time ranked list below. Sometimes you see them having fun around, while most of the time their existence is close to zero. Nobody knows their whereabouts. Could they be at work? Or at prison? Like seriously where are they?

Which is why seeing an actual dad in anime feels like a unique achievement. Sadly not all of them are exactly good dads. Some of them are straight bad parents and do not deserve to have children. But among them all, there are some that are actually the good ones who love their children. 

Best Anime Dads of All Time Ranked

As you might have seen, today's article is going to talk about 21 best anime dads of all time. And it is certainly not easy to pick all these dads for this list. And honestly, them being a mythical creature made it worse because now I also need to eliminate some of the worse dads. 

Since some of the dads are not exactly our category as a “good dad”, I included some father figures into the list. Because why not? They do the exact job like a dad except they are not blood-related at all. It is still better than these bad dads who definitely have not managed into the list. 

And also, a disclaimer before we are jumping into the list, these dads are not going to be ranked. I mean, what kind of cruel human being ranks someone who tries their hardest to protect their family and make them happy? Not me obviously. 

So, without further ado, starting from number 1.

1. Inuzuka Kouhei (Amaama to Inazuma)

Opening the list by one of the most wholesome dad of them all. Kouhei absolutely tried his best to balance his life as a father and as a teacher. No matter what it takes, he always wants his daughter, Tsumugi, to be happy. 

This is the main reason for asking his student, Kotori, to help him teach some recipes for her daughter. This has become the highlight of every single episode of Amaama to Inazuma. 

And there is not much to talk about him to be honest. He is a great dad and those who have a plan to become one should see his determination in this anime. 

2. Uzumaki Naruto (Boruto: Next Generation)

If there is someone who says that he is a bad father because he stayed mostly in his office and even used his Shadow Clone to attend Himawari's birthday, just hear me out. It is not what you think. 

Naruto only does his dream job as a Hokage. He is being responsible since he absolutely respects that position. But it does not mean he abandons his family. Before becoming a Hokage, Naruto spent so much time with his family. 

And now, Naruto got involved more with Boruto and Himawari, and even Kawaki who is not actually his son. Naruto understands the feeling of not having a father figure since he was a child, which is why he tries his absolute best to always be there for his children, even though he is using the wrong method. 

3. Nara Shikaku (Naruto)

And now into the 2nd dad from the Naruto series. If there is one family who has the most realistic relationship in that series, it would be Shikamaru's family. Having a lazy son and a strict wife, Shikaku played the role of a lax but supportive dad. 

The interaction between Shikaku and Shikamaru is not shown quite often. But when it does, it kind of reminds us about our father because what Shikaku did is very humane and realistic. 

That one moment, even though it is a filler, where he asked Shikamaru to pour out his emotions instead of being strong and telling him to move on after Asuma's death was arguably one of his best moments as a father. 

4. Umino Iruka (Naruto)

Wait, Iruka is actually Naruto's teacher right? Yes. He is. But how he acts is more than just a “teacher”. I mean, what kind of teacher treats ramen every time they meet each other?

Some of you might argue that Jiraiya or Kakashi is more suitable as Naruto's father figure. But for me personally, Jiraiya is plotted to be his grandfather (a perverted one, to be exact), while Kakashi is his true teacher. 

Iruka however, personally took care of Naruto whenever he had a chance. We have seen many times early in the series where Iruka tried to protect Naruto directly or indirectly. Naruto even asked him to become his father during his wedding. And when Naruto became a Hokage, there is no one prouder than Iruka seeing his “son” achieve his dream. 

5. Namikaze Minato (Naruto) 

(The last person from the Naruto series, I promise) Minato is most definitely Naruto's role figure in becoming a good dad. Yes, he did not accompany Naruto's journey from the beginning. He also made Naruto suffer before he sealed Kurama inside his body. 

But we all have heard Minato's reasoning on why he did so. Besides, he always believes that Naruto will eventually master Kurama's chakra, for one main reason: Naruto is the 4th Hokage's son who should not be underestimated. 

Minato has also shown his kind and gentle nature, which might inspire Naruto to do the same with his children. And we all know the saying to not enrage the kindest people, because they are the most dangerous one when they get mad. Remember when Obito tried to kill Naruto? That one example is enough to prove that Minato is a great dad. 

6. Yagami Soichiro (Death Note)

Just like any other dads in the list, Soichiro is a dedicated father who does his job seriously. We have seen many examples throughout the Death Note series on how he rarely jokes around and always does everything seriously. 

And that also applies when he is with his family. At his home,Soichiro might ease up a bit, but never too relaxed so that he lowers his alertness. 

the 2 moments that define Soichiro the best are how he is willing to sacrifice himself to save his daughter (just like any other dads, obviously) and how he trusts Light, who has stated many times by L that he is actually Kira. It sounds dumb, but when your parents love you so much, they tend to be blinded with true facts. 

7. Ishigami Byakuya (Dr. Stone)

The duo of Senku and Byakuya is quite amusing to see. Byakuya always supported Senku like a true dad even though Senku is his adopted son. He even believed that Senku would be the one who would free the rest of the world from petrification. 

Senku however, since he is smarter than Byakuya, always finds a way to tease him. Senku can read Byakuya like an open book. And Byakuya could not do anything if that happens. 

Regardless of this unique relationship, it should be known already for the anime watcher or manga reader that Byakuya's love for Senku is beyond space and time. Quite literally. 

8. Shirogane’s Father (Kaguya-sama: Love Is War)

Yes our sugar daddy (I mean he literally called himself that, so why are we not calling him the same) has made it into the list. Papa Shirogane is your typical dads who like to tease their children and never look serious at all. 

But behind that, he is a hard worker and always tries to make them happy. To Miyuki especially, since Papa Shirogane sees his old self in him.

Of course he would not admit that he cares about his children. And not because he is a tsundere just like his son, but it is more of a dad's pride, who always wants to look strong and stoic regardless of the situation. 

9. Mouri Kogoro (Detective Conan)

Some Detective Conan fans will most definitely question his existence in the list. But Kogoro is someone who is, at the very least, responsible for doing his job as a dad.

Of course it is not perfect. No one in this list is actually a perfect father. Kogoro himself has bad habits of drinking and gambling, and it is certainly not a good start for making a good impression.

But Kogoro truly cares for his daughter, Ran. His fatherly act is truly shown whenever Ran is involved in some sort of danger. Even when she does not, he still gets easily worried about her, especially about her relationship (for me personally this is the pinnacle of dad act). Overall, Kogoro is not that bad of a father.

10. Maes Hughes (Fullmetal Alchemist)

If there is one character who can become your guide to become a great dad, it would be Maes Hughes. We have seen his action as a dad early in the series. 

That is why we were devastated by his death after Envy killed him. It got even sadder when his daughter, Elicia, asked about his death. She was only 3 years old and had not gotten an understanding about this cruel world. 

And not only to his daughter, Maes also really loved his wife Gracia. Losing such an amazing husband and loving father must be difficult for her. 

11. Van Hohenheim (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Questionable? Perhaps. Since he has left his family even before Edward and Alphonse understand a thing about literally anything. He is never there for his sons, including when his wife Trisha died. No wonder Ed despised him so much. 

But his journey is definitely for the sake of his family. He never liked to abandon his family. On the contrary, he felt guilty because of it. His inability to express emotions only made it even worse since even though he does feel guilty, he cannot show it. 

Hohenheim deeply cares about his children. He even felt happy when Ed finally called him “dad.” He died peacefully knowing his family would be safe from the homunculus. 

12. Naofumi Iwatani (The Rising of The Shield Hero)

Arguably the youngest “father” in the list. You might have known this already but Naofumi does not have any children. But he is considered a dad because of his “daughters”, Raphtalia and Filo. 

Naofumi did an amazing job to be a parental figure to those 2 girls. He deeply cares about them despite not showing it that often (yes, he is a male tsundere and it is amazing). 

He even unlocked his cursed shield series because he got enraged after he thought Filo got eaten by a dragon. Naofumi is ready to protect his “daughters” anytime it needs to and he is also prepared to die for them in the process. 

13. Thors (Vinland Saga)

Thors was literally the strongest of the strongest Jomsvikings, respected by his allies and feared by his enemies. But after the birth of his first daughter, Ylva, Thors softened up. 

He left his squads and lived a peaceful life with his family, even having his 2nd child, Thorfinn. Sadly, his peaceful life does not last long, and long story short, he died because he got assassinated by a dirty scheme of his old colleague. 

His death is witnessed by Thorfinn. Thors never wanted Thorfinn to take revenge, and hoped that Thorfinn could stay alive. And that piece of story shows how great father Thors is, and how the Vinland Saga started, and became one of the most amazing manga of all time. 

14. Askeladd (Vinland Saga)

After Thors died in the battle, Thorfinn decided to follow Askeladd for revenge. But without realizing, Askeladd has somewhat become Thorfinn's guardian and a father figure. Well, he did that because he respected Thors as a fighter, but it is what it is. 

Yes he is not what you would call a good one exactly. He made fun of Thorfinn, teased him, and did not even pay attention to his whereabouts and sometimes prepared to leave him if the situation forced him to. 

But Askeladd did constantly keep an eye on Thorfinn. It has been proven at his final moment where he gave Thorfinn a piece of advice for not seeking revenge. Askeladd sees his old self in Thorfinn, and wishes Thorfinn to not become just like him.

15. Krillin (Dragon Ball)

Dragon Ball introduced us to some of the worst fathers in anime. But luckily, Krillin does not belong to one of them. In fact, he is arguably one of the most normal fathers in Dragon Ball. 

Let us start by how Krillin does not really care about his wife being a literal android. Krillin loves 18 so much and willing to marry her regardless of her not being a human. 

They have a daughter named Pan, and live as, again, arguably the most normal family. Sure they got involved in some battles, but compared to Vegeta and Goku's family, Krillin's family seems to be the most casual one. And it is an achievement since they live in the Dragon Ball universe. 

16. Yaga Masamichi (Jujutsu Kaisen)

The principal of Jujutsu High is known as a father of one. Not technically a father, but more like a father figure because his children are… Dolls. 

Yaga's curse technique allows him to create a living corpse resembling a doll. Besides the one we have seen early in the series that punched Itadori and was extremely durable, one other creation of him is… Panda. 

It is an overlooked detail but Yaga and Panda are extremely close with each other. Their relationship resembles a father-son relationship and it is wholesome. It is currently not shown much, but you will understand their true relationship as the series goes on. 

17. Inuyashiki Ichiro (Inuyashiki)

Remember the anime Inuyashiki? You know, a story between two men who fight with their mechanical bodies and weapons. Remember that old man Inuyashiki? Some people might not realize that he is actually a father of two despite his age. 

In the story, Inuyashiki did not have a close relationship with his family. In fact, they sort of ostracized (as a non-native English speaker, the existence of that word surprised me) him from the family. 

However, this does not make Inuyashiki hate his family. With his new power, he even sacrificed himself for his family's safety. And those who have watched the series know exactly how heroic that scene actually is. 

18. Ubuyashiki Kagaya (Demon Slayer)

In spite of having his own children, 3 of them to be exact, Ubuyashiki is more known as the Demon Slayer Corps' father figure. As the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, he treated the swordsmen not as his underlings, but more like his children. 

Whenever he appeared on screen, he always referred to them as “my children”, and even called him by the first name. (Spoiler alert for those who have not read the manga) Ubuyashiki remembered all of the Demon Slayer who have entered the corps and those who have died in battle. 

Towards his “real” family, he is actually pretty strict towards his children. But that is because he wants to ensure the corps' future, hence training their children to be able to lead the Ubuyashiki family when his time has come to leave this world. 

19. Natsuki Kenichi (Re:Zero)

Having a minor role in the 2nd season of Re:Zero, Kenichi had stolen the show for showing how amazing he actually is as a dad. I still remembered how fans wished to have him as their father because of how supportive Kenichi is towards Subaru. 

As you may have known, Subaru is a shut-in who avoided going outside. He even left his school because of it. But never once Kenichi got mad at Subaru. He tried to understand Subaru's circumstances and will support him no matter what. 

That fatherly conversation at the park has made a lot of people (including me, obviously) cry because they realize not every parent will have that much patience towards their children. Natsuki Kenichi is a great dad. 

20. Puck (Re:Zero) 

“Are animals allowed to be on the list?” Well, as long as he does his job as a father figure, why not? “Is Puck even a male?” He actually is a male. He sounds like a female because of his small stature. You should have heard his voice after he turned into a giant tiger. 

Enough debating, because Puck is actually a great father figure to Emilia. Just like a real dad, he listens to his daughter's stories, plays with her, and even prepares to turn himself into a serial killer if Emilia gets hurt. 

And whenever Puck is not with Emilia, it is for her sake. It is already calculated by him. In conclusion, we should not judge on how an animal can be a parental figure, because it is not about the appearance, it is all about the good intention. 

21. Nohara Hiroshi (Crayon Shinchan)

We are closing the list by having another wholesome dad in anime. Those who followed Crayon Shinchan (if you have not, it is extremely funny and heartwarming) knows Hiroshi's value. 

Yes he is a perverted husband whenever he has a chance. But he deeply cared about his family. There are many, many occasions where he shows how much he loves his family. 

Buying them air conditioners, stop smoking after his wife is pregnant for his 2nd child, taking them to vacation despite being low on budget. These are all some of Hiroshi's way to be an example to every dads out there on how to treat your family well.