Andrew McMahon
Most of the character’s on this list are the complete opposite of the orphan trope though, as a majority of them still have fathers into adulthood. The catch? They are terrible dads.
Find out more in our list of the top 10 worst anime fathers below!
Worst Anime Fathers
Enji “Endeavor” Todoroki
As the number two hero in My Hero Academia, Endeavor is obsessed with being the best. It isn’t just himself that he expects this of though, as he is ruthless towards his family as well. Enji is so enamored with his goal of having a Todoroki in the top spot, that he marries a woman simply for the purpose of produce an heir. As his son, Shoto, grows, Endeavor abuses him constantly, stating he does so in order to teach his son to stand up to villains. His abuse toward his wife also caused her to have a mental breakdown, burning Shoto in the process. When he finds out she burned him, Endeavor beats her to the point of hospitalization for damaging the potential top hero.
Gendo Ikari
The death of a loved one is never easy to get over. Finding solace with other family members is always helpful though. Instead, Evangelion’s Gendo Ikari blamed his son, Shinji, for killing his mother during childbirth. Gendo refused to raise Shinji, abandoning him for his own selfish desires of “saving mankind”. All the while, his son strives to earn Gendo’s acceptance, doing so by piloting the Eva. If there is any saving grace for Gendo, it’s that part of his mindset was that he thought his son would be better off away from him.
Van Hohenheim
Like a lot of characters on this list, Full Metal Alchemist’s Van Hohenheim isn’t necessarily a bad person, he’s just a terrible father. While his motives were pure, the father of Edward and Alphonse Elric abandoned his sons at a young age. Even after their mother dies, Van Hohenheim doesn’t reunite with the two until much later in life. At this point, both have suffered considerable loss and grief, all without a true parent to turn to.
Ging Freecss
Gon Freecss is one of the most likable, carefree characters in Hunter X Hunter, as he travels the land in the hopes of finding his father Ging, a man he has never met. Very little is known about Gon’s father, other than that he is one of the best Hunters in the world. As the anime goes on though, we learn that Ging is considerably selfish, mainly doing things for the sake of them being fun. While he may not be the monster some dad’s on this list are, he is still a selfish, arrogant excuse for a dad.
Son Goku
The star of Dragon Ball Z is known for his tremendous resolve and skill. Unfortunately, he is a poor parent. Goku starts training his son, Gohan, at four years old, putting a tremendous physical and mental strain on the boy’s body. Multiple times throughout the series, Goku puts a young Gohan in harm’s way for the purpose of having him grow stronger and learning to love fighting. He even gives the strongest being alive, Cell, a restorative senzu bean so that it’ll be a fair fight when he faces Gohan. Let’s face facts, Piccolo is a better father to Gohan than Goku.
Charles Zi Britannia
Code Geass follows Lelouch zi Britannia, as he leads a cold and calculated rebellion in order to recover the independence of Japan. But while the anime’s protagonist may be a corrupt character, it’s got a lot to do with the environment he was raised in. His father, Charles zi Britannia loved pitting his offspring against each other, viewing them as part of a collective to entertain him. A collective he wanted to destroy. He attitude toward his children is just one of the many political atrocities the head of the Zi Britannia has committed over the years.
Rasa of the Sand
As soon as his son, Gaara, was born, Rasa of the Sand placed a demon inside of him to secure the village’s power, making him a Jinchūriki. Before Gaara was even in his teens, his father had already attempted to have him killed multiple times. The last straw came when he sent the only person left alive that Gaara loved to kill him, Gaara’s uncle and caretaker, Yashamaru. In order to test his son’s resolve, Rasa ordered Yashamaru to tell him that neither he or Gaara’s mother ever loved him.
Dario Brando
When the first thing you do upon your introduction into a show is mock and attempt to rob the dead, chances are you aren’t a good person. While he may only be a minor character, Dario Brando is responsible for shaping the life of the main antagonist of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, his son Dio. The father’s abuse and alcoholism created the monster that Dio became in the series.
Shou Tucker
Edward and Alphonse Elric meet a lot of helpful people throughout Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, ones they come to love and care for. The Tuckers are among the first they meet, as the fellow alchemist allows the brothers to live with him and his daughter, Nina, while they prepare for their exam. While Shou does start off as a quiet, kind man, it turns out he is one of the most vial characters in the entire series. The Sewing-Life Alchemist ends up creating a hybrid species known as a chimera, using Nina and his dog to create it.
Gambino
Gambino adopted the main protagonist of Berserk, Guts, at a young age, training him to fight. That is the only relatively kind thing Guts’ adoptive dad ever did. While many characters on this list are bad father’s, Gambino is downright evil. Alongside being quick the mercenary band leader showed no love for Guts, using him as he saw fit. One night, Gambino sold Guts as a child prostitute. After the death of a comrade, the father even tries to kill his adopted son. Needless to say, Gambino easily wins the award for worst father of the year.
