Top five worst fictional fathers.

[runespoor]

ganked from etrangere

1. Ozai (Avatar the Last Airbender)

Being the worst possible dad isn't a contest, but that man approached it as if he intended to make sure the competition would be destroyed for all times and never rise from the ashes of their humiliation.

Cases in point: back when they were at their happiest, Zuko was scared into thinking his father might kill him because his father ordered him to. This is Ozai at his best; from there, it all goes downhill into forcing his thirteen-year old son to duel him for speaking out of turn, permanently scarring him, kicking him out and on a wild goose chase. And Zuko got off easy. After all, at one point he does realize that his father is a horrible man and that, more importantly, he doesn't love Zuko.

And the worst part? Zuko is the one that got off easy. The favoured child, Azula, who was as intent as her brother on making daddy proud but more successful, got her reward in the shape of the title of "Fire Lord" that Ozai threw at her like scraps to a dog when he moved to "Pheonix King".

2. God (the Bible)

On the subject of distant fathers that demand sacrifices.

3. Chronos Ouranos (Greek mythology)

Eating one's children. That's pretty damn bad. Zeus gets a pass because I can't put the two of them on this list and Chronos Ouranos came first. That's okay, Zeus would probably be on the list of top five worst fictional husbands.

Edited because I am a moron and Etrangere was good enough to point out that I was sadly mythtaken.

4. David Cain (DC Comics)

Maybe it's just me, but I think the most terrible thing about Cain is that, unlike others on this list, he genuinely loves his daughter. She's the most precious thing in his life, or just about.

And he doesn't consider what he did to her abuse.

5. Slade Wilson (DC Comics)

Not sure about this one, but I'm suddenly out of convincing worst-fathers-ever (? how can it be, when the world of fiction is just made of worst-dads-ever?) and I was just telling etrangere how reallyreallyreally fucked up as a father Slade is.

He loves his children and he wants what's best for them, even if that involves joining the Titans, but he's never above using the hell out of them. He also did horrible things to them.

Bonus: Spencer Reid's father (Criminal Minds)

Leaving your wife because you can't take her mental illness is entirely within your rights. I respect your right to lead your own life, and I respect your right to get out if you're in a situation that is damaging to yourself.

Leaving your ten-year-old kid with someone you think can't take care of herself anymore?...

DIE MOTHERFUCKER.

Edited again because I had to add Hyuuga Hiashi (Naruto) on this list. I forgot him yesterday, but I don't know how I did it, as he's definitely one of the top five to me.

Hiashi is such a terrible father it pains me to have to select an adjective at the risk of sounding hyperbolic, and he in no way, shape, or form reaches redemption as far as Hinata is concerned.

Comments

I'm totally biased.

[runespoor7.livejournal.com]

As a reader I'm biased: I tend not to count how a character was shown on her/his first appearance as as important/'true' as how she/he solidifies later on. Like a pilot: things can change between the pilot and the rest of the series and it's pretty much forgotten or retconned (remember Jesse, Xander and Willow's friend, or Willow's clothes, or Xander's skateboard... or Batman using a gun before Robin was introduced). There are exceptions, like Cass' Character Establishing Moment.

So I mostly judge him by the confrontations between Bruce and him, and Cass and him. And he creeps me the hell out and I want to cry and tear my hair out.

When Cass tells him "stop!" he's so totally stunned by the fact she can speak; and he immediately seem to relate differently with her due to that. I think for that alone, he understands what he did as abuse.
I can't remember if that was ever touched upon later. :/

Re: I'm totally biased.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

Well, he is totally, totally creepy x_x

Re: I'm totally biased.

[q99.livejournal.com]

I think he still shows regret later on; he's rarely willing to raise a hand in his defense against her.

I think the regret is a large part of his character. It's not explicit, but it's a subtext to his depression.