My 5 Favorite Fictional Fathers
Father’s Day is coming soon, so what else could I write about this week on my creative writing blog but the awesome dads in fiction? Fathers are among the most important family figures we know, and fathers in fiction can be just as influential to the other characters in their stories. There are plenty of well-known dads in literature, film, and television, but I finally managed to narrow this list down to a few of my favorites. They aren’t always perfect, but these lovable dads are still awesome parents!
So to celebrate this coming holiday, here’s a list of my five favorite fathers in fiction. Enjoy, and Happy Father’s Day!
1) Mufasa (The Lion King)
Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the Circle of Life. – Mufasa’s spirit to Simba
For those of us who grew up in the ’90s, the death of Mufasa in The Lion King was a defining moment in our childhoods. It was heartbreaking and tearjerking, not just because it was one of our first hard lessons about the tragedy and permanence of death, but because we witnessed a child lose his greatest mentor, role model, and friend.
Through his brief time on screen, Mufasa imparts much of his wisdom to Simba (and the audience), teaching valuable lessons about the circle of life, the responsibilities that come with power, and the difference between courage and recklessness. Even in spirit, this wise and powerful king guides his son through the most difficult time in his life and encourages him to become the leader he was born to be. This great lion may not have lived through his movie, but to all us lifelong Lion King fans, his lessons have stayed with us since childhood and contributed to our understanding of the world as adults. It’s no wonder Mufasa is everyone’s favorite Disney dad!
2) King Fergus of DunBroch (Brave)
Princess or not, learning to fight is essential. – Fergus disagreeing with Elinor on Merida’s use of weapons
If I see myself in Princess Merida and my mother in Queen Elinor, I definitely see my father in King Fergus. The Bear King of DunBroch in Pixar’s Brave, Fergus is essentially the opposite of his wife: loud, easygoing, and hot-tempered. This polarity explains why Merida clashes so often with her mother while getting along so well with her father, as the king passed much of his personality on to his daughter. His views on the princess’s future are even more progressive than the queen’s; while it takes Elinor the length of the film to let go of tradition, Fergus believes from the beginning that Merida should be free to live her own life and make her own choices (even if he’s too anxious for household peace to bring it up).
Fergus has a great sense of humor and loves a good brawl, and while he doesn’t handle every situation ideally, his training and other contributions to Merida’s upbringing prove invaluable throughout the film, as the courage and fighting skills she inherited from him help her save her mother and lift the curse from her kingdom. Clearly, Merida is a strong and fierce young woman thanks to her equally strong and fierce father!
3) Mr. Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)
An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do. – Mr. Bennet after Mrs. Bennet tries to force Elizabeth to marry Mr. Collins
While he may not be winning any Father of the Year awards given that he totally neglected to leave his five daughters a proper inheritance, Mr. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice is still a pretty cool dad where it counts. He’s witty and sarcastic, which explains much of Elizabeth’s intelligence (she definitely didn’t get it from her mother!), and he has a delightfully cynical sense of humor, to the point where he delivers some of the funniest lines in the book.
Unlike his wife, whose sole obsession in life is to marry her children off to wealthy gentlemen, Mr. Bennet is in no rush to see his girls get hitched, especially to people with whom they would clearly never be happy. After Jane, he’s the only other person Elizabeth can confide in for most of the novel, and if not the greatest role model for happiness, he at least has the sense to recognize his faults and warn the daughters who will listen not to make the same mistakes he did. Mr. Bennet isn’t nearly the greatest father in literature, but his cleverness and close relationship with Elizabeth make him awesome nonetheless!
4) Arthur Weasley (The Harry Potter series)
Yeah, Dad’s crazy about everything to do with Muggles; our shed’s full of Muggle stuff. He takes it apart, puts spells on it, and puts it back together again. If he raided our house he’d have to put himself under arrest. – Fred Weasley to Harry
There are dorky dads, and then there’s Arthur Weasley. The patriarch of the Weasley family in the Harry Potter series, Arthur works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office in the Ministry of Magic, but he’s so enthralled by Muggle objects that he spends much of his time breaking the very laws he’s supposed to uphold by studying and enchanting said objects (the most notable example being the flying car Harry and Ron use to get to Hogwarts in The Chamber of Secrets).
Aside from being eccentric, Mr. Weasley is a kind and laid-back wizard, a good father to seven children, and a strong advocate for Muggle protection. And while Harry does have a pretty cool godfather in Sirius Black, given all the time he spends with Ron’s family and all the hospitality they show him, Arthur is arguably the closest thing Harry has to a father figure throughout most of the series. He may be one of the dorkiest dads we knew growing up, but we Potter fans can’t help but love Arthur Weasley for his odd magical parenting skills and his heart of gold!
5) Marlin (Finding Nemo)
There, there, there. It’s okay, Daddy’s here. Daddy’s got you. I promise I will never let anything happen to you… Nemo. – Marlin to his only surviving egg
Yes, Toy Story is a classic and I do write a lot about Brave, but if you ask me what my favorite Pixar movie is, I’ll definitely say Finding Nemo. Maybe I’m biased as a marine biologist, but as visually stunning as this film is, I find it especially appealing for Marlin and Nemo’s story and its depiction of the lengths a parent will go to for the love of a child. Sure, Marlin is far from the perfect father; he’s neurotic and overprotective, and at one point even tells Nemo he can’t do anything by himself. But can you really blame the guy for being so afraid of the ocean after losing almost his entire family to it?
Despite his flaws, this lovable clownfish turns out to be a great father where it counts; when Nemo is taken by divers, Marlin instantly overcomes his crippling terror of the “Big Blue”, facing fear after fear as he crosses the ocean to bring his kidnapped son home. The best part is that his adventure, Dory’s optimism, and Nemo’s bravery all help shape him into a much more relaxed and encouraging parent by the end of the movie, which really takes the strain out of his relationship with his son. As far as Disney dads go, Marlin is certainly one of the most devoted of the bunch!
Who are your favorite fictional fathers? What other fathers in fiction would you add to this list?
Dedicated to my dad and all the other amazing fathers out there! Thank you for all your love, wisdom, and support! Happy Father’s Day!
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