8 anime fathers who make Ging from Hunter x Hunter look like a saint

While most of the anime fathers are seen as imperfect, tenaciously few can match the notoriety of Ging Freecss from Hunter x Hunter. Nevertheless, a significant number of anime fathers forsake emotional unavailability and commit unbelievable acts of abuse, manipulation, and cruelty.

Ging's absence almost seems like a blessing compared to those who perform experiments on their offspring or emotionally torture them. These characters redefine the meaning of terrible parenting, proving that the anime world holds far darker examples of fatherhood. In contrast, Ging’s distant pursuit of adventure is one of the least damaging paths a father can take.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.

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Shou Tucker, Yujiro Hanma, and 8 other anime fathers who make Ging from Hunter x Hunter look like a saint

1) Shou Tucker from Fullmetal Alchemist

Shou Tucker (Image via Bones)

Shou Tucker from Fullmetal Alchemist deserves to be singled out as one of the most despicable fathers in anime. In fact, his transgression is akin to no other when, in a quest to enhance his research, he transforms his daughter Nina and her dog into a chimera.

Using one's child as a guinea pig is an extreme form of perversion that makes a father's negligence look trivial. For Tucker, the decision to swap his daughter's humanity for the sake of his gain illustrates the degree to which scientific fixation can turn even the most fundamental parental relationships into grotesque travesties.

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2) Yujiro Hanma from Baki

Yujiro Hanma (Image via TMS Entertainment)

Yujiro Hanma from Baki represents toxic masculinity taken to its extreme. Unlike anime fathers who simply abandon their children, Yujiro actively traumatizes his son Baki through psychological warfare and physical dominance. He killed Baki's mother and continues to torture Baki, claiming it to be for his good. Yujiro treats his son as a weakling whom he abuses to supposedly build him up.

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3) Dario Brando from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Dario Brando (Image via David Production)

Dario Brando from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is not seen too much on screen, but his contribution to making one of the top villains in anime is essential. Dario's brutal treatment of the young Dio Brando with alcohol, violence, and neglect was what actually conditioned the young antagonist's twisted view of the world.

Dario, along with other anime fathers, shows that a parent who fails to do their job is the beginning of a cycle of evil done by future generations. His treatment of Dio demonstrates how toxic parenting can create monsters that plague future generations.

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4) Charles zi Britannia from Code Geass

Charles zi Britannia (Image via Sunrise)

Emperor Charles zi Britannia from Code Geass exemplifies how anime fathers can use their children as mere tools for political gain. His willingness to sacrifice his offspring for his grand designs, including erasing Nunnally's memories and treating Lelouch as expendable, showcases institutional cruelty on a massive scale.

Charles represents anime fathers who see their children not as individuals to nurture, but as resources to exploit for personal ambitions.

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5) Vinsmoke Judge from One Piece

Vinsmoke Judge (Image via Toei Animation)

Vinsmoke Judge from One Piece has gone to the lengths of manipulating a parental role to an experimental level by genetically modifying his children even before their birth, thus rendering them completely void of the human trait of empathy.

His awful treatment towards Sanji, whom he regards as a "failure" for being able to express human emotions, points to the fact that some anime fathers can dismiss their children for showing a touch of humanity. Judge's approach to parenting involves creating perfect soldiers rather than nurturing individuals, making him a unique entry among emotionally abusive anime fathers.

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6) Bondrewd from Made in Abyss

Bondrewd (Image via Kinema Citrus)

Bondrewd from Made in Abyss represents perhaps the most disturbing entry among anime fathers due to his clinical approach to child abuse. The chilling detachment that marks his scientific experiments on children, including the adopted daughter Prushka, makes Bondrewd's misdeeds even more horrible.

He is a demon sporting a smiling, caring facade who proclaims benevolence while doing despicable things to children; this is the example of anime fathers in whom the extremes of good and evil can exist.

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7) Gendo Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion

Gendo Ikari (Image via Gainax)

Gendo Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion epitomizes the high point of emotional abuse in anime fathers. The long-term psychological abuse he inflicts on his son Shinji, plus his manipulation of the boy's desperate need for approval, culminate in a sort of parental toxicity which is a masterpiece in itself.

Gendo's ability to weaponize his son's love against him while pursuing his obsessions with his deceased wife makes him particularly cruel among neglectful anime fathers.

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8) Gambino from Berserk

Gambino (Image via OLM)

Gambino from Berserk rounds out this list of terrible anime fathers with his treatment of Guts. In addition to that, Gambino's abuse takes the form of torturing Guts by making a deal involving selling him to a man for three silver coins.

He tries to kill Guts later because of the envy and resentment, and that is his ultimate failure as a parent. Among anime fathers, Gambino shows how adoption can become another avenue for exploitation and abuse.

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Conclusion

These eight fathers demonstrate that parental failure exists on a spectrum far more horrifying than simple abandonment. While Ging Freecss may be absent and emotionally unavailable, these characters actively harm their children through abuse, experimentation, and manipulation.

Their actions serve as dark reminders that in the world of anime fathers, neglect can sometimes be a mercy compared to active malevolence. These characters prove that while having a distant father like Ging is certainly damaging, there are far worse fates than being ignored by a parent pursuing their own dreams.

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