This is one of those ideas that quickly took on a life of its own. What started out as a spontaneous question via Instagram Stories soon ballooned into a full-on, tournament-style bracket. You could say it got quite animated. (I can hear you groaning.) When you think about cartoon dads, both on TV and in movies, who is the first one to come to mind? And the more you think about the topic, who are the best or most iconic cartoon dads of all time?
That’s what this mostly arbitrary ranking is all about. I posed a series of polls via my Instagram Stories, pitting these cartoon dads head-to-head in a single-elimination tournament. My main criterion was that the character had to play a (relatively) big role on the show or in the movie. He can’t be a side character who isn’t really involved in the main plot. You’ll also notice that several of these characters technically aren’t cartoon dads, but I felt it fitting to include some father figures too.
Based on these criteria, I selected 16 cartoon dads (and father figures) that came to mind. So, how did you vote? Let’s take a look.
Want more? Check out the top TV sitcom dads from the 1990s.
First Round Eliminations
If I had taken some time to consider the “seeding” of these animated father figures, the results may have been different. The matchups surely made a difference. Among the 16 original entrants, these 8 cartoon dads fell to their opponents in the first round of the tournament.
- 16. Scrooge McDuck (DuckTales) – The shrewd, money-savvy guardian of Huey, Dewey and Louie, plus Webby, teaches them to work smarter, not harder.
- 15. Pete’s Dad (Pete the Cat) – He may not have a name on the show, but he was voiced by Elvis Costello in season one. Groovy, man.
- 14. Daddy Pig (Peppa Pig) – Father to Peppa and George, Daddy Pig also doesn’t have a name, but he’ll gladly stomp in a mud puddle with the kids.
- 13. Peter Griffin (Family Guy) – If you’re looking for a role model among TV dads, Peter should be on your list for what not to do. Shut up, Meg.
- 12. Stu Pickles (Rugrats) – It’s perhaps due to Stu’s remarkable unremarkableness that he’s become a meme in recent years.
- 11. George Jetson (The Jetsons) – Dad to Judy and Elroy, does George Jetson represent the future of parenting? Maybe not.
- 10. Mister Geppetto (Pinocchio) – In all ways but in the strictest of biological definitions, Geppetto is Pinochio’s dad. And he can be a real boy.
- 9. Marlin (Finding Nemo) – You’ve got to say that Nemo’s dad is strangely relatable, like every other dad who’s lost their kid at the playground.
Second Round Knockouts
Moving right along to the top 8, here are the cartoon dads who couldn’t make it out of the second round of elimination matches.
8. Bandit (Bluey)
I have a confession to make. We have never watched a single episode of Bluey. Friends have informed me, however, that Bluey’s dad (another one of these characters that doesn’t have a name aside from a reference to being the main character’s dad) is a solid role model as far as cartoon dads go.
7. Hank Hill (King of the Hill)
You may not be terribly interested in propane and propane accessories. And he may not always understand what Bobby is doing or why he’s doing it. But, I tell you what, Hank Hill comes across as a stand-up guy with a positive attitude toward fatherhood. Yep.
6. Splinter (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
Hamato Yoshi certainly made the best of a sticky situation. (Get it? It’s a pun on the mutagen ooze. These dad jokes practically write themselves!) Or maybe it was a hairy situation (since he turned into an anthropomorphic rat). Either way, Splinter was more than a martial arts teacher and mentor. He very much acted as a father figure to Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello. He treated those ninja turtles as if he were they own. Imagine living with four teenagers!
5. Fred Flintstone (The Flintstones)
We have to remember that the original run of The Flintstones was back in the 1960s. So, it’s not surprising that the way we see Fred Flintstone is through the lens of that era. You can see a bit of Ralph Kramden (The Honeymooners, 1955-56) and Archie Bunker (All in the Family, 1971-79) in there. He’s rough and tumble, as far as cartoon dads go, but you can tell he adores his infant daughter Pebbles.
Final Four Cartoon Dads
The semifinals of our bracket really started to get heated, particularly in one of the matchups.
4. Dad Tiger (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood)
This whole idea of comparing and ranking cartoon dads started, in my mind, with Dad Tiger from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. Fun fact: His actual name is Daniel Striped Tiger and he is the “Daniel Tiger” puppet character we saw in the original Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. He grows up to have a family of his own, being a great dad to son Daniel and daughter Margaret. Ugga mugga!
3. Sulley (Monsters, Inc.)
James P. Sullivan, who you likely know better simply as Sulley, takes a unique path to an arguably old trope. He “suddenly” becomes a “dad” to Boo in Monsters, Inc. and he has no idea what he’s doing. Yup, it’s the bumbling and clueless dad again. Except, he’s literally a monster. The bond he forms with Boo really tugs at those old heartstrings, though!
2. Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)
Honestly, when I decided to set up this cartoon dad competition as a single-elimination bracket, I figured Homer J. Simpson had to be a shoo-in to win. Again, he perpetuates the narrative of the bumbling, clueless dad. But, his heart is (usually) in the right place and he cares about his children deeply. Homer got Lisa a saxophone, even if he hates that infernal racket. The “do it for her” sign confirms his devotion to Maggie. And Bart…. okay, maybe let’s not talk about Bart.
1. Bob Parr (The Incredibles)
I would have never guessed that Robert “Bob” Parr from The Incredibles movies would make his way clear through this bracket and come out on top. We also have to remember that we’re talking about the dad Bob Parr here, and not the superhero “Mr. Incredible.” Maybe it’s thanks to his eerily relatable and almost realistic (as realistically as a family of superpowered humans can be) depiction of the modern stay-at-home dad in The Incredibles 2.
Either way, Bob Parr is your winner. How about that?
Which Cartoon Dads Are Your Favorite?
As I said at the top, it was a little arbitrary how I chose which cartoon dads to include and exclude from this ranking. Maybe I should have included Goofy, for example, for demonstrating what it’s like to be a single dad to his son Max in Goof Troop, You might argue that Mufasa from The Lion King should be in here, or King Triton from The Little Mermaid. Maybe. But, as it stands, Bob Parr from The Incredibles is who you selected as the best of the cartoon dads.
Are there any other glaring omissions you would have included? How would you feel about a similar bracket featuring TV dads from 1990s sitcoms? I might have to run another bracket soon! Make sure you follow me on Instagram so you can have your say!
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