Summary

  • Some anime show strong, supportive, and caring father-son relationships that shape characters' lives and the series' plots.
  • Characters like Whitebeard, Kazuma Sohma, and Thors exhibit fatherly qualities and provide guidance, love, and support.
  • Fathers like Shikaku Nara, Joichiro, and Byakuya Ishigami have strong bonds with their sons.

Anime has a way of tapping into fans’ emotions, and one of the most common ways it does this is through the complex relationships between fathers and sons. It is pretty uncommon to find anime characters with fathers who are present, and when they do have one, they are often not very caring, supportive, or dependable.

best isekai anime parent protagonists
7 Best Isekai Anime With Protagonists Who Are Parents, Ranked

It's uncommon for an isekai protagonist to become a parent after they arrive in a new world, but these anime do just that, and to great effect.

By 

Nevertheless, some of them are not lacking in fatherly qualities; they are kind and supportive. They are there when their sons need them. Their roles in the lives of their sons shape the kind of lives they lead and generally have an impact on the plot of the series.

10 Kazuma Sohma And Kyo Sohma

Fruits Basket

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Fruits Basket
Fruits Basket
Display card tags widget
Comedy
Supernatural
Romance
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget
Release Date
June 5, 2001
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Studio
Studio Deen
Creator
Natsuki Takaya
Number of Episodes
26
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll

In Fruits Basket, Kyo was rejected and hated by his biological father just because he had the cat zodiac curse. Fortunately for Kyo, Kazuma accepted him and took him in, and raised him as his own. He showed Kyo love and respect, giving him a real home where he felt accepted.

Because Kazuma knew from personal experience the loneliness the one with the cat zodiac curse goes through, he made Kyo grow generally as a person and was there for him. As such, their bond was as strong as a biological father-son relationship.

9 Whitebeard And His Sons

One Piece

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
0388694_poster_w780.jpg
One Piece
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget
Release Date
October 20, 1999
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Studio
Toei Animation
Creator
Eiichiro Oda
Number of Episodes
1122

Whitebeard was considered the “Strongest Man in the World” in the One Piece series, and he was the leader of the massive Whitebeard Pirates. He always wanted a large family because he was an orphan, so he picked up many pirates and treated them as his “sons.”

Whitebeard cared deeply for his sons, and he provided them guidance and wisdom. He cultivated their talents and created an environment for them to grow stronger. He also treated his sons equally, which in turn made them loyal to him.

8 Byakuya Ishigami And Senku

Dr. Stone

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
dr-stone-2019.jpg
Dr. Stone
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget
Release Date
July 5, 2019
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Studio
TMS Entertainment, 8PAN, Die4Studio
Creator
Riichiro Inagaki
Seasons
4

Byakuya Ishigami is a father who loves and supports his son, Senku, the main character from Dr. Stone. He even went through the struggle of selling his car so he could be able to buy the materials his son needed to become a good scientist.

Dr Stone Season 4 Featured
Dr. Stone: 11 Smartest Characters As Of Season 4, Ranked

Season 4 highlights how intellect, not just strength, determines survival in a world where science is the ultimate weapon.

By 

Byakuya completely believed in Senku and never doubted his skills. Even after he came back from space and found out that Earth had been turned to stone, he never doubted that Senku would be able to survive.

7 Shiro Fujimoto & Yukio Okumura

Blue Exorcist

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Blue Exorcist
Blue Exorcist
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget
Release Date
2011 - 2011-00-00
Directors
Tensai Okamura, Koichi Hatsumi, Daisuke Yoshida
Writers
Ryōta Yamaguchi
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Studio
A-1 Pictures, Studio VOLN
Creator
Kazue Kato
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Hulu

Shiro Fujimoto was the adoptive father to both Yukio and Rin. He was close to both, but he taught Yukio things because he was more responsible. Shiro was a priest and exorcist who was meant to kill Yukio and Rin for being the sons of Satan, but he could not do it, and he sealed their powers instead.

He loved the boys and wanted what was best for them. He even laid down his life for Rin after getting possessed by stabbing himself. Yukio is devastated by Shiro's death, but he gains a lot of knowledge from his father.

6 Kozuki Oden And Momonosuke

One Piece

Kozuki Oden was a bit of a wild character, but he did care about his family in his own special way. He showed his love for his family through his actions and sacrifices, and he did everything he could to protect them to the very end.

Kozuki Oden was a good father to his son, Momonosuke. He fought so his son could have a future free from oppression. He taught him how to be brave and strong. Even though Momonosuke lacked confidence at times, his father's legacy pushed him to become stronger.

5 Dai Might & Might Guy

Naruto

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Naruto
Naruto
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget
Release Date
October 2, 2002
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Studio
Pierrot
Creator
Masashi Kishimoto
Number of Episodes
220
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix, YouTube

Might Guy is one of Konoha’s strongest ninjas, and he would not have been able to achieve that without the help of his father, Dai Might. He was a very strong and devoted father, even though he was a low-ranking Genin.

Kaguya's Dojutsu Abilities Naruto
Naruto: Kaguya Otsutsuki's Dojutsu, Explained

Kaguya Otsutuski has access to several dojutsu, with some capable of breaking the Naruto universe. Here's a closer look at these godly powers.

He taught his son how to be hardworking and dedicated, and that became essential in Might Guy's training because he wasn't a very gifted ninja. In the ninja world, Dai might not have been a big deal, but as a father, he was truly amazing.

4 Thors & Thorfinn

Vinland Saga

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
vinland-saga-poster-4.jpg
Vinland Saga
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget
Release Date
2019 - 2023
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Studio
Wit Studio, MAPPA
Creator
Makoto Yukimura
Number of Episodes
48
Streaming Service(s)
Netflix, Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video

Thors and Thorfinn’s relationship is a bittersweet depiction of a father's unconditional love. Thors used to be a warrior, but he abandoned the life of war to raise his son, Thorfinn, and be with his family in peace. His selfless decision to do that is a portrayal of Thors’ love for Thorfinn.

Thorfinn watched his father sacrifice his life for him at a very young age, so he has a deep understanding of the sacrifices his father made for him. Some interpret this as him being grateful for the love and protection his father provided.

3 Soma & Joichiro

Food Wars!

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma (2015)
Food Wars!: Shokugeki No Soma
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget
Release Date
2015 - 2020
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Studio
J.C.Staff
Creator
Yūto Tsukuda
Number of Episodes
86
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Hulu

Joichiro and Soma Yukihira is an example of a more typical father-son relationship. Joichiro is an important character in Food Wars, and he is also a great role model for Soma. They both own and run Yukihira Diner together. One of the things that makes Joichiro such a good father is his excellent cooking skills. He is a well-known chef, and his skills are unrivaled. This makes Soma very determined to be as great a chef as his father.

Joichiro never questions his son's potential, even in the face of difficulties. He gives him enough direction to make him succeed in the culinary world.

2 Shikaku & Shikamaru Nara

Naruto

Shikamaru’s dad, Shikaku Nara, is another good example of a great father from the Naruto series. Unlike many other fathers in Naruto, Shikaku was very involved in his son Shikamaru's life. He understood his strengths and his weaknesses and guided him accordingly.

shikamaru-shikaku-shogi-game-naruto
Naruto: Shikamaru’s Anguish and Revenge

Naruto has many iconic moments, and Asuma's death and Shikamaru's grief and revenge for his sensei rank as one of the best in the series.

He spent quality time with Shikamaru, playing shogi with him, and was always there to talk to and advise him, and he prepared him to become a leader. He was there for his son when he was grieving and helped him process his mentor’s loss.

1 Isshin Kurosaki And Ichigo

Bleach

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
0315082_poster_w780.jpg
Bleach
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget
Release Date
2004 - 2012-00-00
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start Display card media widget end
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Studio
Pierrot
Creator
Tite Kubo
Number of Episodes
366
Streaming Service(s)
Hulu

Despite not having the typical father-son relationship, Ichigo and Isshin maintained a close bond. They lived together in the same house alongside Ichigo’s sisters. Isshin sincerely cares about his son, but he constantly disturbs and annoys him. Ichigo loves and depends on his father a lot, even though he appears to annoy him.

Isshin was once a shinigami, so when Ichigo became a shinigami, Isshin helped train him to become stronger. They have a deep love for one another, but they don't necessarily show it all the time in the generic way; rather, they prefer boxing it out, jokingly.

best anime for kids, pokemon
Best Anime For Kids

Most anime are for teenagers or older viewers, but some all-time great series and movies are perfect for children and their parents.

1