Summary

• It's not blood that makes a dad, but love and dedication. These anime father figures are there when their kids need them most.
• From strict Piccolo to laid-back Regro, all these dads play a vital role in their children's lives, shaping their bright futures.
• Whether saving abandoned babies or training powerful mages, these dads may not be biological, but their love is unmatched.

Some of the best dads in anime aren't related to their kids at all. Instead of taking care of their wards out of obligation, these father figures take care of their kids because it's the right thing to do. Taking care of their newfound children isn't always easy either. While this list covers a wide range of father figures, they all have one thing in common: they're always there when their kids need them like a good dad should be.

Father figures like Piccolo are very strict, while characters like Regro Burnedead, Mash's dad, are much more laid back. No matter what type of dad these father figures are, they're filling a vital role in each of their kids' lives. Without them, these fatherless characters wouldn't have the same bright futures that they currently have.

10 Regro Burnedead - Mashle: Magic and Muscles

Mash's Dad Saved Him When He Was a Baby

Mash from Mashle: Magic and Muscles is a magic-less person in a world that values magic above all else. His adopted father, Regro Burnedead, found Mash when the boy was a baby. Mash was abandoned outside and would've died if it wasn't for his new father. Regro has taught Mash everything he knows and has protected him from their prejudiced society for all of Mash's life.

Thankfully, Mash is more than strong enough to handle himself when his dad isn't around. When he is around, however, he's probably trying to make sure Mash doesn't break anything with his absurd strength. He's also likely to cry just because Mash has good friends around him, another sign of a quality dad. Even if he isn't Mash's biological dad, there isn't another person in the powerhouse's world that cares for him as deeply as his father Regro does.

9 Askeladd - Vinland Saga

He Killed Thorfinn's Real Dad Only To Replace Him, in a Way

Askeladd and Thorfinn's relationship is complicated at its best. It started with Askeladd killing Thorfinn's actual father right in front of him. While that seems like the worst way to start a relationship between two people, Askeladd ends up taking care of Thorfinn as the young boy hones his skills in pursuit of his revenge. Askeladd isn't exactly a good man to Thorfinn, but offers him fatherly advice several times in the series.

Sure, he says incredibly mean and underhanded things to Thorfinn when they're dueling, but that's to show Thorfinn that his emotions get the better of him. Later in the series, when Thorfinn has finally given up the anger that made him who he is, he begins to look at Askeladd differently. Askeladd, too, was a man hellbent on taking revenge on the man that hurt his parent.

8 Heiter - frieren: Beyond Journey's End

The Drunk Priest Is a Great Dad

Heiter the drunk priest becoming a suitable father is not something any Frieren: Beyond Journey's End enjoyer would have expected. Heiter is self-serving, a terrible priest, and a man focused on getting booze where he can. As a father, however, he's doting, focused, and has the foresight to find a replacement for himself when he gets sick. He finds Fern after her parents ed away. He took the young girl in and raised her as his own, writing to Frieren to train her when the time was right.

Frieren and Fern are an inseparable pair now, and it wouldn't be this way without Heiter. If the drunk priest hadn't found Fern on the battlefield that day, she might not have been around anymore. Thankfully, he did, and she's taken her life back into her hands, becoming an incredibly powerful mage in the process.

7 Dr. Hiroshi Ochanomizu - Astro Boy, Pluto

He Saved Atom and Built Him Uran

Dr. Hiroshi Ochanomizu is the voice of reason in both Astro Boy and Pluto. In both series, he picks up Dr. Tenma's scraps and revives Atom. Without him, Atom would've been left as a heap of misfortune and broken dreams. He's since rebuilt Atom and gave the young robot a life of his own. Whenever Atom's in trouble, Dr. Ochanomizu is never too far behind. He also built Atom a sister in Uran so he wouldn't be alone.

When Atom is killed in Pluto, Dr. Ochanomizu is the first to start his revival before Dr. Tenma finishes it. Dr. Tenma leaves Atom with the worst emotions around, and it would've been a real issue had Dr. Ochanomizu not found Atom and helped him. With his help, Atom went on to defeat both Pluto and Bora and save the world.

6 Reigen Arataka - Mob Psycho 100

Mob's Sham Leader Is There When He's Needed

Reigen Arataka is an interesting edition to this list because his student and ward, Mob, does have a dad. Mob's dad isn't shown too often, but when he is, he seems like a decent enough father, but that doesn't take anything away from Reigen. Reigen is the only person Mob can rely on when it comes to his psychic abilities. While Reigen is a fake psychic himself, he's always there for Mob when Mob needs him most.

Reigen was at his best at the end of Mob Psycho 100. Mob was flipping out and causing a ton of destruction unintentionally. Through all the mayhem, Reigen sped to his disciple and successfully talked him down. After Mob was rejected by his crush, Reigen was also there to give the young boy a shoulder to cry on.

5 All Might - My Hero Academia

The Symbol of Peace Looks Out for Young Midoriya

Midoriya from My Hero Academia has seen All Might as a father figure way before the pair ever met. Since then, All Might has been everything Deku could've hoped for. All Might ed his One-For-All quirk onto Midoriya, giving him a lot of responsibility. He doesn't let Deku deal with it alone though, as he's always by his side giving him advice where he can.

One of the most touching moments in the series happens when Midoriya's mom tells her son and All Might that she doesn't want him going to U.A. anymore, citing the beatings her son has been receiving. All Might apologizes for the dangerous path Deku is set to face and begs his mom to let him continue. Midoriya's mom relents when she sees how dedicated the Symbol of Peace is to her son.

4 Kagaya Ubuyashiki - Demon Slayer

The Father of the Demon Slayer Corps

Kagaya Ubuyashiki is the proverbial father of the Demon Slayer corps in Demon Slayer. While he has his own biological children, that's not who we're referring to. The Hashira of the Demon Slayers, the pillars of the organization and its strongest warriors, all consider Ubuyashiki to be like a dad to them. He even personally saved the life of Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima before Gyomei was executed.

He sacrificed his and his family's lives to give the Demon Slayers a chance of beating Muzan. In one of the greatest explosions in anime, Ubuyashiki lured his nemesis into his home before detonating a massive amount of explosives. He then gave Gyomei and the rest of the Hashira a chance to surround Muzan before they were all teleported into the Infinity Castle. His life and death were dedicated to his Demon Slayers, and when Muzan dies, he'll have played a major part in it.

3 Jiraiya - Naruto

Naruto's Mentor Put Him on the Path to Greatness

Naruto has had a lot of father figures growing up, each playing a different role in his life. Hiruzen was like a grandfather, watching Naruto from a distance. Kakashi was like an older brother, watching Naruto a little closer. Jiraiya is the fun uncle of the group, never too far from a good time. When Sasuke defeats Naruto, Jiraiya takes the future Hokage with him on a three-year training mission. Jiraiya gets close with Naruto, giving him advice about the battlefield and life as well.

Eventually, Jiraiya sacrifices himself trying to get intel on the enemy. He dies in battle, but not before sending vital information back to Konoha. Without him, Naruto would be a lot weaker, but he'd also be missing a key figure in his life. Jiraiya has taught Naruto how to counter Genjutsu and what it means to be a good man at the same time.

2 Piccolo - Dragon Ball

Training Your Enemy's Son While He's Dead

Piccolo might be the most reluctant father figure, as he never would have considered himself for the role until he was forced into it. When Goku died the first time, Piccolo was tasked with training his young son Gohan so that they'd be prepared for the Saiyans' arrival. He did so begrudgingly at first, warming up to young Gohan over time. Gohan did a lot for Piccolo as well. He was the first person to see the Namekian as more than a demon, opening Piccolo up to the world for the first time.

Since then, Piccolo has been a better father to Gohan than Goku has. He's always there for him and the first person to keep Gohan in line when he's acting out. He also helped Gohan achieve his unreal Gohan Beast Form when they fought Cell Max together.

1 Iruka Umino - Naruto

Naruto's First Father Figure

Iruka Umino is one of the best father figures in anime. While Jiraiya and Kakashi normally get all the credit for raising Naruto, Iruka-sensei did all the heavy lifting. He helped Naruto when nobody would. Before Naruto was closer to a god than his fellow shinobi, Iruka was there to discipline him. He was the first person to scold Naruto, and in doing so became the first person to actually care about the Jinchuuriki.

Iruka also deserves more credit than Kakashi and Jiraiya because he isn't as strong as them. He can't teach Naruto how to master Sage Jutsu nor can he really help on the battlefield. Instead, he shows Naruto the mature sides of life by being a good man himself. He's an example for Naruto to follow, as he was a former delinquent himself. Now, as an adult, he was the man who walked Naruto down the aisle, playing the role of Naruto's dad one more time.