The 10 Best Dads in Sci-Fi and Fantasy TV, Part 2

Originally published June 21, 2026. This article highlights 10 of the best fathers and father figures in modern sci-fi and fantasy television.

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Happy Father’s Day to all who celebrate! If you recall, I wrote a list last year about the best dads in sci-fi and fantasy TV. Well, here’s Part 2! These dads are more of the best of the best in these genres and, while they’re not perfect, their love for their kids is evident. It shines through and truly fuels their respective motivations. They’re incredible examples of fatherhood, in all its complexities, in action.

So, without further ado, here are 10 more amazing fathers (and father figures) in genre TV.

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Ser Arlan of Pennytree, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Family doesn’t always mean blood. For Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall, his father figure is Ser Arlan of Pennytree, the hedge knight who took him in as a boy after his tumultuous formative years on the streets of Flea Bottom. Much of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 focuses on Dunk’s grief over Arlan’s passing while reckoning with his complex feelings about Arlan and what it truly means to be a knight.

Was Arlan the perfect dad? Absolutely not. Dunk learns to accept that Arlan was a flawed mentor and father figure, and that heroes aren’t infallible. Arlan is there for Dunk when he needs him, provides food and shelter, and, if anything, teaches Dunk the basic tenets of knighthood (and perhaps what not to do).

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Dr. M’Benga, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

The reveal in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1 about Dr. M’Benga’s daughter hits you where it hurts. If you recall, M’Benga keeps his young daughter, Rukiya, in stasis in the transport buffer after her terminal diagnosis of cygnokemia. Naturally, he wants to keep her alive for as long as possible, delaying the inevitable. This also gives him more time to search for a cure. Who better to cure an incurable disease than a doctor?

However, M’Benga learns to let Rukiya go after a sentient nebula cures her cygnokemia … by turning her into a being of pure energy. While one might view M’Benga’s decision to keep Rukiya in stasis as selfish, I believe it’s selfless. He fights tooth and nail to find a cure for his daughter. When we see him interact with her, he’s kind, empathetic, and loving. It’s abundantly clear that he loves Rukiya more than anything, so much so that he’s willing to set her free, even if it means he won’t see her again. He’s a good dad, through and through.

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Tam al’Thor, The Wheel of Time

We don’t see much of Tam al’Thor in Prime Video’s adaptation of The Wheel of Time, but you can tell instantly that he’s an exemplary father. For starters, he saves Rand al’Thor after his mother, Tigraine Mantear, gives birth to the latter at the end of the Aiel War. Tam raises Rand as his own child after his wife, Kari, dies not long after Tam returns from the war. Single dads, unite!

Tam raises Rand to be a gentle, curious, and selfless soul. The glimpse audiences get of their relationship at the start of season 1 is proof positive that Tam is an excellent parent. It takes a benevolent person to care for a child that’s not theirs, to put that child’s life before their own. That’s true sacrifice for the greater good.

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Admiral William Adama, Battlestar Galactica

There’s something deeply human about Admiral William Adama’s relationship with his son, Lee, in Battlestar Galactica. It’s far from perfect, to be sure. Initially, it’s a strained affair, stumbling under the weight of Zak Adama’s tragic death. Their dynamic at the start of the show is a meditation on how grief can fracture families. Slowly, they repair their relationship and rebuild trust, particularly on Lee’s side of things.

It’s important to see father/son relationships on TV that are messy and flawed. It makes them relatable on a profound level. The series depicts two people who clearly love each other, even when a seemingly insurmountable obstacle stands between them. It’s the journey of these two finding their way back to each other that’s compelling.

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John Winchester, Supernatural

John Winchester of Supernatural is another prime example of the imperfect father. After his wife Mary’s death at the hands of the demon Azazel, John raises his sons, Sam and Dean, to be hunters like him. Revenge fuels John’s choice to train his sons in his profession, as it were. Some might look at that choice and shake their heads. After all, John effectively puts his children in the middle of his quest for vengeance.

However, like the other dads on this list, John clearly loves his kids. The series explores Dean and Sam’s respective relationships with their late father. John did the best he could under the circumstances. He even sacrifices himself to save Dean. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.

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Hermes Conrad, Futurama

If there’s anyone who takes pride in his work as a bureaucrat, it’s Hermes Conrad of Futurama. One might argue that he prioritizes bureaucracy over his wife and son, but it’s clear that Hermes loves them unconditionally. Hermes even tries to bond with his teenage son, Dwight, which is no easy task if you’ve ever met (or remember being) a teenager.

The show’s goofy tone often masks these very human stories. Parent/child relationships are riddled with shades of gray. In addition to Hermes’ love of paperwork, his family is a crucial aspect of his character. Hermes exhibits patience and abundant love with his son, and even Dwight reciprocates on occasion. Dwight uses his genetically inherited limbo skills to save his dad during an Old West shootout, proving that his love eclipses whatever frustrations he has with Hermes.

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Rory Williams, Doctor Who

Well, he’s probably more known as “Rory Pond,” because, let’s face it, Amy is in charge in that relationship (and Rory wouldn’t have it any other way). Rory is the father of Melody Pond, also known as River Song. We see his unconditional love for Amy in action when he becomes the Last Centurion in Doctor Who.

While the relationship between Rory, Amy, and River is complicated, to say the least – especially when she marries the Doctor – it’s undeniable that they all love each other. River meets her parents at different stages in their lives, but that unspoken, unbreakable familial bond is ever-present. Rory would do anything for his daughter, just as he would for Amy. It’s an inherent connection between them.

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King Viserys Targaryen, House of the Dragon

Okay, Viserys is not a great father to his children with Queen Alicent Hightower on House of the Dragon, but I’m specifically focusing on his relationship with his first child, Rhaenyra Targaryen. Strong, healthy father/daughter relationships seldom exist in Westeros. Scratch that; strong, healthy relationships seldom exist in Westeros, period. Losing Aemma, Rhaenyra’s mother and Viserys’ first wife, cracks them both open. However, Viserys is eventually honest about his grief, something we rarely see from men in period pieces.

Their relationship hits some turbulence during Rhaenyra’s teenage years, and we see Viserys balance being king of an entire realm while raising a willful daughter. But it cools down significantly once Rhaenyra hits adulthood. That deep, unbreakable bond is the emotional core of season 1. On Viserys’ last day alive, he hauls himself to the Iron Throne, looking like a walking skeleton, to remind his family that Rhaenyra is his heir, and his feelings on that haven’t changed in the decades since he chose her to succeed him. That’s true love.

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The Doctor, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

The Doctor has already experienced having a family in Star Trek: Voyager, but this is about his new kin in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Initially, he brushes off SAM at the beginning of season 1 as an annoying “fangirl.”

However, later in the season, the Doctor fights for SAM’s life and, after she’s essentially “reborn,” raises her as his daughter on Kasq. Naturally, this brings up feelings about his former daughter from Voyager, now long gone, but he channels that love into raising SAM. When they return to Starfleet Academy, it’s abundantly clear that they share a sweet bond. The Doctor loves SAM so very much, and vice versa. His sacrifice is evidence of that.

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Vision, WandaVision

If the end of WandaVision didn’t break you in half, you might be a robot. In Wanda Maximoff’s Westview hex, she and Vision (a recreation from Chaos Magic) raise their two sons, Billy and Tommy Maximoff. Throughout the decades-spanning sitcom homages, you see Vision as your typical affable, caring, and kind dad.

Even after learning the truth about the hex, he chooses to withhold the information about Billy and Tommy’s inevitable deletion to protect them. Sure, Wanda creates this fictional world from her immense grief over losing Vision in the real world, but this version of Vision still loves his family deeply. He loves his sons. That love plays out multiple times on the show (and will return in the upcoming VisionQuest TV series), and it’s a thing of beauty.

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Who are your favorite dads in sci-fi and fantasy TV?

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