One of gaming’s most prevalent themes in the last decade or so is father figures. The industry is jam-packed with gaming dads, running the gamut from sad dad to weird-dinosaur dad to adopted zombie-killing dad - although all three of these dads are basically Joel.
We’re here to highlight the best of the best, the ones who taught us invaluable lessons, protected us from harm, made us laugh, and stuck by our sides the whole time. On the day our Editor-in-Chief - and definitely not our dad - Kirk McKeand leaves, we’ve put together a list of the best dads in gaming.
Corvo Attano - Dishonored
Starting off with Daddy’s, I mean… Kirk’s favourite game, Corvo is a father figure deeply unappreciated in a deeply unappreciated game that goes unappreciated from a deeply unappreciated studio.
All Arkane love aside, Dishonored’s Corvo Attano is actually a pretty great father figure to Emily, murdering (or playing pacifist, we don’t judge) his way back to her in the original game, and then becoming her murder sensei in the second game.
What matters most is that Dishonored is great. Go play it and see a real gaming dad in action.
Ethan Mars - Heavy Rain
Ethan Mars may have one of the most forgettable faces, voices, names, and… well I guess he’s pretty forgettable all around really.
What was I on about? Oh right, dads. If you’re looking for a gaming dad, Ethan Mars is a pretty good pick because that’s basically his whole schtick. Every single thing in the game can be tied to Ethan just trying his best to be a good dad. Yes, even the awkward intimacy with Madison is him being top father material. That’s why she wants him to give her a child, after all.
Even that bloody “Jaaaaaaaason” meme all boils down to him trying to be a good dad and stop someone from leaving. Moral of the story here - don’t leave your sons, father figures. You hear that Kirk?
Augustus Aquato - Psychonauts
You can’t have a list of father figures in gaming without mentioning Psychonauts at least once, right? What do you mean ‘you can’? Look, it’s my list and my dad’s leaving so I’m doing it my way.
Augustus may only appear towards the end of Psychonauts, but he makes quite an impact in that time. It’s revealed that he’s actually traumatized Raz quite a bit through his distrust of Psychonauts. Imagine bullying your son over liking Psychonauts, Kirk? Wait, sorry, over being a Psychonaut.
Thankfully, the two manage to mend their relationship, leading to it being much more encouraging and healthier in the sequel. Augustus even starts to embrace his own Psychic abilities. All he needs is his own pair of goggles.
Papa Nier - I mean… Nier, obviously.
As much as we all love Teenage Nier, Papa Nier is a prime example of a good gaming dad, and pretty much one of the best things about the original release of the game.
Not only is Papa Nier a great dad, but he’s a great wordsmith too. Words are literally magic to him and his flying book companion, Grimoire Weiss. There aren’t many others on this list that can claim to be just as good with words and they are at being dads. Have you ever read Kirk’s little cry over not being able to make a door? Exactly.
Kazuma Kiryu - Yakuza
Kazuma Kiryu is a dad who prefers to speak with his fists, but he’s one of gaming’s best nonetheless.
Although many would point to Kiryu’s relationship with Haruto in Yakuza 6, his best father figure moments actually come in Yakuza 3, where Kiryu becomes a dad to a bunch of orphans.
Throughout the rest of the Yakuza games, we get to see Kiryu lead and raise this ragtag bunch of characters, guiding them through life before he leaves them for greener, less punchy pastures.
Despite leaving and causing a whole bunch of tears, Kiryu’s time as a dad won’t be forgotten anytime soon. Hang on a minute...
Lee Everett - The Walking Dead
If there were ever a father figure on this list to make you cry, it’s Lee Everett.
Through Telltale’s The Walking Dead, Lee acts as a father figure and mentor to Clementine, a child he’d stumbled upon by accident and took under his wing. Throughout their short adventure together, Lee teaches Clem many skills and tricks of the trade, ones that she’d take with her for the rest of her tenure in gaming. By which we mean the other Walking Dead games, of course. We’re not crying, you are. Remember how this one ends, Kirk? Watch your back now, eh?
Bowser
For a big spiky turtle demon thing, Bowser is actually a pretty wholesome dad.
Sure, he spends most of his time trying to kill a plumber and kidnapping a girl, but when it comes to his son he’s got nothing but time for the little devil. He can yell at him sometimes, but he’s got nothing but love for his protege.
They also seemingly play games together, which is the show of a true bond. Father figures that game are the real ones.
Kratos- God of War
Despite his bloody past as a lapdancing club manager or something, Kratos manages to make up for it in the latest God of War by being an older, balder, humbler man than we’ve previously seen him. He leads his staff...sorry, that’s his son, through thick and thin and manages to make a man out of them in the time that they’re together. He may insult the boy a lot, but we know it’s out of love.
When the chips are down and Kratos has to fight face-to-face with Thor in Ragnarok, we know he’s going to stand by Atreus’ side and protect him. There’s no way this bald gaming dad would ditch his son.
Joel Miller- The Last of Us
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Joel’s journey through The Last of Us is one that sees him starting as a dad and ending as a father figure, and it’s arguably one of the best in gaming.
Look, we’re not saying we agree with all of the murdering and doctor-stabbing that would eventually get analysed in the sequel, but Joel Miller’s moral sacrifices are a central part of his character, and it’s all proof that he would absolutely never leave Ellie. What father figure would? Now, where did I put my golf club...
You - TheGamer.com… I mean, Fallout 4
That’s right - you’re a great father figure! Unlike this whole list, which definitely wasn’t a desperate roll of the dice to get daddy to stay, this entry is actually aimed at you. We’re talking directly to you with this one, you wonderful dad, you.
Whilst Fallout 3 had you chasing after your dad, Fallout 4 mixed things up by having you play as a dad looking for their son. That brief synopsis isn’t even the half of it, as eventually, you’ll find your son has aged and is basically your dad now. Someone at Bethesda had some Oedpius issues to figure out, we reckon.
Now all the next Fallout has to do is have you playing as the dad who never loses their son at all, because they stay with him forever.
Kirk McKeand - TheGamer.com, for real this time
If there’s one father figure in gaming that’s worth celebrating today, it’s our own Editor-In-Chief Kirk McKeand.
You may be moving on from the site, but the impact you’ve had on it and on the whole team won’t be forgotten. Really, there’s a bit of every gaming dad on this list in you, from Bowser’s fits of rage to Augustus’ absolute admiration of Psychonauts. Oh, there’s also Kratos’ baldness.
Cheers for everything you’ve done for the site and for all of us. We’ll be wearing the goggles with pride today.