Best video game dads

Video game dads have been enjoying a bit of a renaissance lately. Before the whole “sad dad” trope kicked off with The Last of Us, there was a distinct lack of positive father figures in gaming. Even more so than mothers, fathers had terrible representation and would either not exist at all or be villains with little in between. Even less common was the ability to play as a dad. Thankfully, games have realized how much potential there is to explore this unique relationship between a father and their child, whether it be through blood or a found family scenario. It’s so easy to make a dad a villain, but creating a dad you look up to in games is the real test.

I normally skip Father’s Day, but rather than just ignore it, I can now celebrate by highlighting some video game dads that helped shape me as a person. Dads are people, and even though we might not think so when we’re kids, they can and do make mistakes. The dads I’ve selected aren’t paragons of moral righteousness and infallible fonts of wisdom. They’re people just trying their best to give their kid a better life than they had. They will go to any length to protect, teach, and hopefully inspire their children to be better than they are. What more can you ask for from a dad?

1 John Marston

Redemption

John had a hard life. Essentially raised by outlaws, he lived a life of crime with his family of bandits until he was eventually betrayed and left for dead. He intended to leave that life behind and start a new one with his wife and son, Jack. He does everything as best he can to earn an honest living and set the right example for his son, but is eventually forced into violence once again. When he returns, his son is rightfully angry and distant. While it isn’t the focus of the game, we do get to spend a few hours with John and Jack rebuilding their bond and teaching one another. It’s a bittersweet conclusion that would leave you hopeful if not for the conclusion.

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2 Barret Wallace

Carry that weight

When we first meet Barret in Final Fantasy 7, and his daughter Marlene, we know there’s some backstory there. Still, his relationship with Marlene is pure and deep. He’s the kind of guy who will whip out twenty pictures of her in his wallet to show you if you even mention her name. It isn’t until you reach Mt. Corel and hear his backstory that you realize just how dedicated Barret is to his adopted daughter. Marlene isn’t his real daughter, of course, but his best friend Dyne’s, who he believed to have died in an explosion he was indirectly responsible for. He raises her as his own from that day on, only to later find Dyne survived. He was ready to reunite the two — wanting nothing more than to put things right — but Dyne wasn’t himself anymore. Marlene is Barret’s reason to keep on living — keep on fighting — in spite of everything.

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3 Lee Everett

A hard goodbye

I had no idea what to expect when playing The Walking Dead’s first season. I certainly didn’t think Lee, the main character who starts off in the back of a cop car, would end up forming a relationship with a lost little girl that would bring me to tears. And yet, that’s exactly what happened. What makes Lee such a great father to Clementine is the circumstances in which they formed a relationship. Zombies have overrun the world and this man decides to put himself in harm’s way by taking this little girl with him. He could have left her and been much better off, only he wouldn’t have been. She saves him just as much as he saves her. In the end, he makes the ultimate sacrifice for this young girl he just happened upon in the right place at the right time.

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4 Sojiro Sakura

More than he bargained for

Despite his initial coldness towards your character in Persona 5, you can tell there’s something deeper going on with Sojiro. After all, he is willing to be your guardian after you are forced to relocate to Tokyo. As that coldness thaws, you learn that you aren’t the only kid he’s taking care of. He also adopted the daughter of his deceased friend named Futaba. It takes you so long to learn this because Futaba shows many signs of being on the autism spectrum, including a fear of large groups of people and a deep focus on specific interests that keep her from even attending school. Sojiro wasn’t prepared to raise a child, let alone one with such unique needs, yet he took it all in stride. He doesn’t try to change her or force her into the traditional mold. He supports her to do things her way, but encourages her to push boundaries like everyone needs to.

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