Moms and Dads

TV Characters That Emit So Much Dad Energy

by Kevyn Gohu
February 12, 2022

Sometimes, we can pick up parenting lessons even from these TV characters especially ones that play awesome dads.

Parenting lessons can come from all sorts of places, even fictional TV shows. Most of the time, it’s moms who we look to for parenting and inspiration. But there are some characters that emit so much dad energy that fans have adopted them. Even our teens, young adults sometimes watch episodes of them repeatedly to feel that energy especially when they’re down or feel they have no one to confide in. Here are some TV characters that emit a lot of dad energy.

1. Uncle Iroh (from Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Our millennial kids know Uncle Iroh from Avatar: The Last Airbender as a man of wisdom, a tea connoisseur, a powerful fighter, and a great dad to Crown Prince Zuko. After he lost his son, Lu Ten, during the war, he turned to parenting his brother’s son, Zuko. He was there for Zuko’s ups and downs and was even responsible for the crown prince’s decision for self-redemption. His most famous and heartwarming moment was when he forgave Zuko instead of burning his face like the young man’s father. When Zuko asked how he couldn’t be angry with him, Iroh simply responded: “I was never angry with you. I was sad because I thought you had lost your way.”

Sadly, his voice actor passed away before he could complete the series but his memory still lives on through the episode: “Tales of Iroh”.

2. Captain Raymond Holt (from Brooklyn 99)

Everybody’s favorite stoic captain from the 99 emits so much dad energy that even Detective Jake Peralta sometimes slips up and calls him “dad”. With his husband Kevin, he parents all the detectives in the district. From listening to Rosa’s coming out as bisexual, to guiding Jake in growing up, and validating Terry’s fears as a black man and father to his three girls: twins Cagney and Lacey and their younger sister, Ava. Holt even shows that he’s capable of being a fun dad such as going with Jake Peralta’s insane cover stories even if he finds them silly.

3. Wolverine/ Logan (from X-Men)

Even in the animated series and the movie Logan, Wolverine showed more parenting despite his damaged self. Despite being designed to be a killing machine, he often served as a guiding voice to the more difficult students. In the movie Logan, he still tried his best to be a parent to Laura (AKA X-23) who was cloned from him without knowing. He even fought a clone of himself who was in his prime, buying Laura and her friends as much time as he could for them to escape.

4. Alfred Pennyworth (from Batman)

Although he’s just Bruce Wayne’s butler, he took charge of raising the Wayne heir. He disciplines Bruce even if he’s already a grown-up and reminds him to constantly look after himself. In the Dark Knight movies, he’s not afraid to scold Bruce for his recklessness and what he did wrong. Normally, butlers are just there to serve the heir’s every whim but Alfred Pennyworth has gone above duty to play both dad and butler.

5. Mr. Rogers (from Mr. Rogers Neighborhood)

Even after his death, Mr. Rogers continues to show us that empathy can be born from adversity. The truth behind his empathy came from his difficult childhood where he was not only sick but obese and shy. According to some interviews, his biggest issue was his loneliness which he slowly conquered with the help of his grandfather. In his show Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, he wanted to teach children how to be civil and accepting while developing critical ethical and moral reasoning.

6. Greg Universe (from Steven Universe)

He’s your average dad that got sucked into the world of aliens and super-powered gemstones. In Steven Universe, he shows all hardships he had to go through as Steven’s dad. After all, his son isn’t fully human and as he quotes in one episode, “I’m not sure how to do this either. I never glowed as a baby”. Despite the hardships, he still tries his best to be there for Steven and helps his son remember that although he has superpowers, he’s still human and learning.

7. Dr. Aaron Glassman (from The Good Doctor)

Besides being the president and surgeon of a hospital, he plays a father figure to Dr. Shaun Murphy. Every time Shaun has a hard time managing his emotions or is stuck in a rut, he’s there to calm down Shaun and is not above raising his voice. He also shows that sometimes, he can be suffocating but shows he let Shaun make his own mistakes. He also served as Shaun’s surrogate father when Shaun refused to go home to his parents who did not understand his autism.

8. Dr. Daniel Charles (from Chicago Med)

Head of the psychiatry department, Dr. Daniel Charles plays a fatherly role to many of the doctors in Chicago Med. One is being a dad to his daughter Dr. Robyn who began suffering psychosis and facilitated her leaving the show to “find herself beyond her disease”. He also plays dad to medical student Dr. Sarah Reese after she quits Pathology and joins the Psychiatry department. He also helps Dr. Reese realize that she’s more than her father who they both discovered had sociopathic tendencies.

He also breaks the stereotypical strong dad and admits to taking anti-depressants to help him cope with depression.

Learn about these TV dad characters from their shows

Truthfully, there’s a lot to learn from these TV dad characters especially when we watch the episodes they star in. Even though some of them are not dads themselves, it’s the act of parenting, guiding, disciplining, and understanding that made them reach the list. These are shows that you and your kids can bond over especially when the writing teaches not just parenting but other things as well.