HOME | DD

Description

All right, now on to the positive list: the fictional males who earn their title of "father" with ample interest.

From the top:

1. Fa Zhou from Mulan. It's no wonder Mulan risks her own life for his sake, and considering their kind of society, Fa Zhou is admirably open-minded...for the most part.

I like how he's not perfect by any means, but when Mulan comes home safe and sound, her father's pride in her is by far the greatest trophy she can claim.

2. The Great Prince from Bambi. One of the reasons I consider Bambi 2 the very best Disney sequel/mid-quel is that Bambi's dad is fleshed out quite nicely. I love stories about the bond between parents and children, about parents who learn to be parents even after their child has grown considerably, about people who start out a bit cold and mean but they're nice and warm at the end.

Plus, this stag has a truly striking design, especially with those antlers, and you can never go wrong with the regal voice of Patrick Stewart.

3. Mufasa from The Lion King. This is one aspect of the TLK franchise that I cannot criticize at all. Mufasa is truly awesome, even if he didn't have the inherently awesome voice of James Earl Jones coming out of his mouth, and I'm genuinely affected by his tragic death (the 1994 version, you understand).

The best thing about Mufasa is that, as much as he adores his son, he's no pushover parent and he will discipline the youngster when necessary. When Simba goes behind his back and lands in far more trouble than two little cubs and one hornbill can handle, Mufasa's fury and disappointment on the scene can't be more evident. I can still feel that withering glare he shoots at Zazu, the big lion's whole body is visibly tense on the awkward walk home, and he doesn't need to look at Simba when he calls for him after they're alone.

Even so, after taking the time to let his son know his behavior was completely unacceptable, he still takes the time to show affection and even frolic a bit in the tall grass under the night sky.

Yeah, like I said, nothing for me to criticize here.

4. Geppetto from Pinocchio. Regardless of his age and mild eccentricity, he's an incredibly sweet man whom even the Blue Fairy agrees is more than deserving of a wish for "a real boy." His reunion with Pinocchio in Monstro's belly is just beautiful (and he still accepts his "little wooden head" after discovering the shameful donkey ears and tail) while his grief over Pinocchio's (temporary) death still touches my heart.

It was a really, really tough decision to have Geppetto (spoiler alert) pass on in my Guardian fanfic, and to have Terence take up the mantle of father/big brother.

Too bad the real Christian Rub wasn't that nice of a man for real. He was a Nazi sympathizer, so things between him and the other guys at Disney were...a bit tense. When they were animating Geppetto pulling in the fish when Monstro wakes up, with the way the boat rocks so hard and everything, the Disney officials got a little revenge on Christian Rub by giving him "the ride of his life." They "went overboard" on purpose.

5. Rapunzel's father in Tangled. Though we don't see much of him in the first movie, what we do see is a thing of beauty. He doesn't have any dialogue, but we can tell from his actions and facial language that he's a caring husband, a devoted father, a truly honorable king, and just a downright nice guy.

He's the one to visibly shed a tear when he and his wife are still mourning their daughter's disappearance, despite how long it's been by then, and when (spoiler) at long last their daughter comes back to them, now a fine young woman, he melts into the family embrace like an ice cream cone.

Man, just thinking about it is giving me the warm fuzzies something fierce.

6. King Triton from The Little Mermaid. A slightly more controversial choice, yes; I totally get it.

When I was very little, Triton actually scared me more than Ursula did, and I still have a hard time stomaching his angry scenes...to say nothing of his wanton destruction of Ariel's beloved grotto. The way Ariel screams at him to stop is frighteningly reminiscent of an abused child begging her father to cease his physical blows, and while I know Ariel is plenty foolish in her own way, I can't judge her too harshly, either.

Despite Triton's harsh actions, I believe he redeems himself well enough. Even when he's at his worst, there's still an understandable reason (not justifiable, but understandable) why he's that way; no one can say he's mean for the sake of being mean.

And the way he embraces Ariel on her wedding day, along with the way he and his new son-in-law smile at each other and bow to each other, is enough to bring a little lump to my throat.

I based my own King Nero almost entirely on King Triton, and proudly so.

7. Mr. Flaversham from The Great Mouse Detective. A true sweetheart who's forced into a truly awful position.

He doesn't care a single jot about his own safety, but his terror for his daughter's safety (his only child, and he's a widow) is all too real. I'm glad everybody was able to see that, including Queen Mousetoria.

8. The Sultan from Aladdin. Like Triton, his relationship with his daughter has a great many ups and downs (sometimes more downs than ups) but there's no question he loves Jasmine, no shred of doubt his heart is in the right place.

What really endears Sultan to me is his genuine respect for Aladdin, the "street rat" that everybody else considers absolute scum. This powerful monarch recognizes all of this humble urchin's good qualities and quite happily takes him under his wing, going so far as to call him "my boy" most of the time. He is truly the father Aladdin never had...and his adorable quirks don't hurt, either.

9. Maurice from Beauty and the Beast. He may be an oddball, but he's harmless (even the shady asylum master admits it) and Belle is his entire world, and vice versa.

The scene in the dungeon, where the Beast callously wrenches Maurice and Belle apart, is truly heartbreaking, and the way Maurice sets out to rescue his daughter later, with or without the (imbecilic) townsfolk's aid, takes no small amount of guts.

Even better, he willingly accompanies Belle to rescue the Beast at the end when he has no obligation to do so. It matters to him just because it matters that much to her.

10. Amphitryon from Hercules. He's really Hercules's stepfather, but this old, humble farmer's got all the makings of a good dad if anybody does. It's thanks to him and his wife that Hercules is not only saved but ends up in good hands, and I love how they kept his name on his gold medallion.

"Amphitryon, for so many years, we prayed to the gods to bless us with a child. Perhaps they've answered our prayers."

"Perhaps they have. Hercules..."

"Now, Hercules, this time, please, just--"

"I know, I know. Stay by the cart."

"That's my boy!"

And, in the beautiful style of Tarzan and Brother Bear, Hercules still considers Amphitryon ("Pop") and Alcmene his family after learning his true origins, to the point where he embraces them along with the rest when he decides to make Earth his permanent home.

Well, that was a lovely list! I look forward to the next one with the mothers.

Honorable mentions:

Héctor Rivera from Coco

Jethro from The Prince of Egypt

Arthur Weasley from Harry Potter

James Potter from Harry Potter

Marlin from Finding Nemo

Iroh from Avatar: The Last Airbender

Hakoda from Avatar: The Last Airbender

Old Zuko from The Legend of Korra

Tonraq from The Legend of Korra

Tenzin from The Legend of Korra

Gru from Despicable Me

Dean from The Iron Giant

Pacha from The Emperor's New Groove

James from The Princess and the Frog

Big Daddy from The Princess and the Frog

Bob Parr from The Incredibles

King Fergus from Brave

Mr. Andersen from Inside Out

Stu Pickles from Rugrats

Chaz Finster from Rugrats

Dr. David Dave from As Told By Ginger

Goliath from Gargoyles

Goofy from Mickey Mouse

Jean Valjean from Les Miserables

Professor Utonium from The Powerpuff Girls

Littlefoot's maternal grandfather from The Land Before Time

Template courtesy of HorrorExplorer : Top 10 Best Fathers Template

All images property of their respective owners.

Description

All right, now on to the positive list: the fictional males who earn their title of "father" with ample interest.

From the top:

1. Fa Zhou from Mulan. It's no wonder Mulan risks her own life for his sake, and considering their kind of society, Fa Zhou is admirably open-minded...for the most part.

I like how he's not perfect by any means, but when Mulan comes home safe and sound, her father's pride in her is by far the greatest trophy she can claim.

2. The Great Prince from Bambi. One of the reasons I consider Bambi 2 the very best Disney sequel/mid-quel is that Bambi's dad is fleshed out quite nicely. I love stories about the bond between parents and children, about parents who learn to be parents even after their child has grown considerably, about people who start out a bit cold and mean but they're nice and warm at the end.

Plus, this stag has a truly striking design, especially with those antlers, and you can never go wrong with the regal voice of Patrick Stewart.

3. Mufasa from The Lion King. This is one aspect of the TLK franchise that I cannot criticize at all. Mufasa is truly awesome, even if he didn't have the inherently awesome voice of James Earl Jones coming out of his mouth, and I'm genuinely affected by his tragic death (the 1994 version, you understand).

The best thing about Mufasa is that, as much as he adores his son, he's no pushover parent and he will discipline the youngster when necessary. When Simba goes behind his back and lands in far more trouble than two little cubs and one hornbill can handle, Mufasa's fury and disappointment on the scene can't be more evident. I can still feel that withering glare he shoots at Zazu, the big lion's whole body is visibly tense on the awkward walk home, and he doesn't need to look at Simba when he calls for him after they're alone.

Even so, after taking the time to let his son know his behavior was completely unacceptable, he still takes the time to show affection and even frolic a bit in the tall grass under the night sky.

Yeah, like I said, nothing for me to criticize here.

4. Geppetto from Pinocchio. Regardless of his age and mild eccentricity, he's an incredibly sweet man whom even the Blue Fairy agrees is more than deserving of a wish for "a real boy." His reunion with Pinocchio in Monstro's belly is just beautiful (and he still accepts his "little wooden head" after discovering the shameful donkey ears and tail) while his grief over Pinocchio's (temporary) death still touches my heart.

It was a really, really tough decision to have Geppetto (spoiler alert) pass on in my Guardian fanfic, and to have Terence take up the mantle of father/big brother.

Too bad the real Christian Rub wasn't that nice of a man for real. He was a Nazi sympathizer, so things between him and the other guys at Disney were...a bit tense. When they were animating Geppetto pulling in the fish when Monstro wakes up, with the way the boat rocks so hard and everything, the Disney officials got a little revenge on Christian Rub by giving him "the ride of his life." They "went overboard" on purpose.

5. Rapunzel's father in Tangled. Though we don't see much of him in the first movie, what we do see is a thing of beauty. He doesn't have any dialogue, but we can tell from his actions and facial language that he's a caring husband, a devoted father, a truly honorable king, and just a downright nice guy.

He's the one to visibly shed a tear when he and his wife are still mourning their daughter's disappearance, despite how long it's been by then, and when (spoiler) at long last their daughter comes back to them, now a fine young woman, he melts into the family embrace like an ice cream cone.

Man, just thinking about it is giving me the warm fuzzies something fierce.

6. King Triton from The Little Mermaid. A slightly more controversial choice, yes; I totally get it.

When I was very little, Triton actually scared me more than Ursula did, and I still have a hard time stomaching his angry scenes...to say nothing of his wanton destruction of Ariel's beloved grotto. The way Ariel screams at him to stop is frighteningly reminiscent of an abused child begging her father to cease his physical blows, and while I know Ariel is plenty foolish in her own way, I can't judge her too harshly, either.

Despite Triton's harsh actions, I believe he redeems himself well enough. Even when he's at his worst, there's still an understandable reason (not justifiable, but understandable) why he's that way; no one can say he's mean for the sake of being mean.

And the way he embraces Ariel on her wedding day, along with the way he and his new son-in-law smile at each other and bow to each other, is enough to bring a little lump to my throat.

I based my own King Nero almost entirely on King Triton, and proudly so.

7. Mr. Flaversham from The Great Mouse Detective. A true sweetheart who's forced into a truly awful position.

He doesn't care a single jot about his own safety, but his terror for his daughter's safety (his only child, and he's a widow) is all too real. I'm glad everybody was able to see that, including Queen Mousetoria.

8. The Sultan from Aladdin. Like Triton, his relationship with his daughter has a great many ups and downs (sometimes more downs than ups) but there's no question he loves Jasmine, no shred of doubt his heart is in the right place.

What really endears Sultan to me is his genuine respect for Aladdin, the "street rat" that everybody else considers absolute scum. This powerful monarch recognizes all of this humble urchin's good qualities and quite happily takes him under his wing, going so far as to call him "my boy" most of the time. He is truly the father Aladdin never had...and his adorable quirks don't hurt, either.

9. Maurice from Beauty and the Beast. He may be an oddball, but he's harmless (even the shady asylum master admits it) and Belle is his entire world, and vice versa.

The scene in the dungeon, where the Beast callously wrenches Maurice and Belle apart, is truly heartbreaking, and the way Maurice sets out to rescue his daughter later, with or without the (imbecilic) townsfolk's aid, takes no small amount of guts.

Even better, he willingly accompanies Belle to rescue the Beast at the end when he has no obligation to do so. It matters to him just because it matters that much to her.

10. Amphitryon from Hercules. He's really Hercules's stepfather, but this old, humble farmer's got all the makings of a good dad if anybody does. It's thanks to him and his wife that Hercules is not only saved but ends up in good hands, and I love how they kept his name on his gold medallion.

"Amphitryon, for so many years, we prayed to the gods to bless us with a child. Perhaps they've answered our prayers."

"Perhaps they have. Hercules..."

"Now, Hercules, this time, please, just--"

"I know, I know. Stay by the cart."

"That's my boy!"

And, in the beautiful style of Tarzan and Brother Bear, Hercules still considers Amphitryon ("Pop") and Alcmene his family after learning his true origins, to the point where he embraces them along with the rest when he decides to make Earth his permanent home.

Well, that was a lovely list! I look forward to the next one with the mothers.

Honorable mentions:

Héctor Rivera from Coco

Jethro from The Prince of Egypt

Arthur Weasley from Harry Potter

James Potter from Harry Potter

Marlin from Finding Nemo

Iroh from Avatar: The Last Airbender

Hakoda from Avatar: The Last Airbender

Old Zuko from The Legend of Korra

Tonraq from The Legend of Korra

Tenzin from The Legend of Korra

Gru from Despicable Me

Dean from The Iron Giant

Pacha from The Emperor's New Groove

James from The Princess and the Frog

Big Daddy from The Princess and the Frog

Bob Parr from The Incredibles

King Fergus from Brave

Mr. Andersen from Inside Out

Stu Pickles from Rugrats

Chaz Finster from Rugrats

Dr. David Dave from As Told By Ginger

Goliath from Gargoyles

Goofy from Mickey Mouse

Jean Valjean from Les Miserables

Professor Utonium from The Powerpuff Girls

Littlefoot's maternal grandfather from The Land Before Time

Template courtesy of HorrorExplorer : Top 10 Best Fathers Template

All images property of their respective owners.