Top 10 Most Powerful Anime Parents (ft. Todd Haberkorn)

“Gintama” (2006-18)
His strength is unparalleled throughout the cosmos, with the blood of the Yato allowing him to punch his way through any enemy that squares up to him. While he certainly managed to pass down his killer instinct, his fear of losing his edge prevented him from acting as a true father to either Kamui or Kagura, a choice that would later come back to bite him when his son developed an obsession with killing him with his own hands. How’s the price of power working out for you?

“Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks?” (2019)
It can’t be easy having a mother who is leagues above you in what’s supposed to be a self-fulfilling fantasy adventure. Trapped in virtual reality with mommy dearest, Masato can only watch in horror as Mamako instantaneously becomes the most OP character in the whole game, while also having to deal with how her never-ending purity has made her beloved by all. It may be frustrating, but at least she’s got your back, bud!

“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” (2019)
He’s the alpha demon who can read your every thought, turn bystanders into monsters with just a scratch, and will kill you without a second though unless you dedicate your entire being to his sadist and self-imposed godly persona. He’s also got an adorable girl who has no idea her papa is a shapeshifting demon with a really bad attitude. Acting as his camouflage, Muzan’s human family might seem authentic at first glance, but then you see him slaughter his own soldiers, and you’re reminded that this guy is evil right down to the marrow.

“Bleach” (2004-12)
While we never got to see the true extent of his Shinigami abilities, anyone who can send Aizen flying by just flicking him on the head has got to have some serious skills. While thought to just be a goofy widower, in truth Ichigo’s Dad was a veteran member of the Gotei 13, strong enough to not only slice apart something like Grand Fisher with absolute ease, but also make the lord of Hueco Mundo work up a sweat himself during the final battle at Karakura. Might have been managed to clean stuff up faster if he had just activated that damn Bankai of his.

“Hunter x Hunter” (2011-14)
Well, if you’re going into the assassin profession, you couldn’t ask for a better role model. Like the rest of his clan, Silva puts the sake of the mission above all else, willing to kill anyone in order to ensure the Zoldyck reputation remains top notch. Oh sure, he had a nice bonding moment or two with Killua about friendship and all that….but this is still the same guy who crushes Chimera Ants like melons and is more than happy to teach children deadly killing techniques. He’s more of a careerman.

“JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” (2012-)
Turns out that in-between his resurrection and his climatic battle with the Joestars in Egypt, the vampiric Lord decided to take a little visit to Italy, met a young beauty, and ended up creating the next generation of JoJo in the process thanks to his new stolen body. While absent from Giorno’s childhood given how he was trying to take over humanity and all that, there’s no denying the gang-star has quite a pedigree, since for all his narcissism, Dio is no pushover – as anyone who contended with the time-stopping power of The World well knows.

“My Hero Academia” (2016-)
He’s on the cusp of standing as the world’s greatest hero following on from All Might’s retirement, a symbol for all to look up to, a defender of the downtrodden who can call upon hellish flames to smite all evildoers. He’s also the worst excuse for a father you’re likely to meet. His marriage, his children - all tools to be used to secure his position and prove his superiority over All Might, so much so that abuse was just par for the course at the Todoroki household. It remains to see if he’ll burn brightly now that his time in the spotlight has come way earlier than expected.

“One Piece” (1999-)
Two things you need to know about Linlin Charlotte – she has a lot of kids and she has zero mercy. As one of the Four Emperors, this colossal spinster spends her days expanding her influence, arranging tea parties, devouring innumerable amounts of sweets, and ripping the souls out of people who piss her off, only to then create sentient weapons and servants out of them that she can use to crush everyone else. Throw in the fact all her offspring are powerful in their own right, and all of a sudden staying on Mama’s good side becomes less about politeness and more about staying alive.

“Boruto: Naruto Next Generations” (2017-)
Much like wine, these two just got better with age…at least from a jutsu standpoint. With their volatile adolescence far behind them, these former frenemies not only got themselves hitched and had plenty of ninja kids of their own, but also went onto become the two most powerful shinobi of the new era. Between Naruto’s newfound mastery over his personal Tailed Beast and Sasuke duel wielding the Sharingan and the Rinnegan, not even pale mini-gods stood much of a chance. They’re at least a tad better than Orochimaru in the fatherhood department!

Before we reveal our number one pick, here are a few honourable mentions.
Ragyo Kiryuin
“Kill la Kill” (2013-14)

Thors
“Vinland Saga” (2019)

Hohenheim
“Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” (2009-10)

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)
While his parental accomplishments can be debated, even when compared to someone like Vegeta, this Saiyan has at the very least saved billions of other children ten times over from the threats beyond the stars. Whether he’s facing off against intergalactic tyrants, competing against gods or trying to prevent the universe from being erased, Goku’s legendary strength has proved time and time again to be more than enough to decimate all who would impose their destructive will against his planet. Now that’s a papi you can be proud of.