Everyone should have seen this coming, we had our Mother’s Day list, and now here are the fathers. As a reminder, all you have to do to be a father and qualify for this list is to do the things any father should do and possess the traits of a father. Being protective, affectionate, encouraging with words of wisdom, and above all else, have a love for your children.

So without further ado, here are my top 10 fiction fathers.

10. Master Splinter (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

We start our list with a single father of four. Master Splinter, depending on the continuity, started life either as Hamato Yoshi or Yoshi’s pet rat. He was covered in the same mutagen as four baby turtles and mutated into an anthropomorphic rat.

Splinter serves as both father and sensei for the quartet of turtles, offering them wisdom and guidance. Though fairly militant sometimes, he cares deeply for his sons and his always there to encourage them and help foster their talents.

9. Lt. Colonel Maes Hughes (Fullmetal Alchemist)

Hughes is one of Fullmetal Alchemist’s most popular and important characters for the role he plays in the series. Hughes is usually seen taking any opportunity to brag about his family and bombarding people with photos of his daughter Elicia. He is also deeply in love with his wife Gracia.

Hughes is a cool character and also deeply understanding of others, which earns him affection from the Elric brothers and their friend Winry Rockbell.

8. Goofy Goof (Goof Troop)

Another single father, Goofy is bumbling and silly, but he has a good heart and loves his son Max. The Goofy Movie also shows one of the rare instances of a father feeling empty nest syndrome.

Goofy goes to lengths to support Max, even at his own expense, and is a model of a single father in fiction.

7. Hank Hill (King of the Hill)

Hank Hill might surprise some people for his inclusion on this list, but I think he deserves a mention. Hank grew up with an emotionally abusive father and as such, Hank finds it difficult to express his feelings.

Hank can be stern and might not fully understand the things Bobby enjoys (cue “that boy ain’t right” comments), but Hank still cares for Bobby.

6. Eddard “Ned” Stark (Game of Thrones)

Ned is usually seen as the paragon in a world full of renegades. Ned is always spoken of fondly be other characters throughout the series and the books, especially by those that loved him most, his children.

Ned showed his sons how to be honorable, he was able to recognize Arya’s disinterest in traditional “girly” things and got her a sword instructor.

Ned’s obvious detriments come from his rigid sense of honor and naïveté in many situations, but it can be said, that above all else that Ned Stark loved his children.

5. Uncle Phil (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)

Our first uncle of the list. Uncle Phil can be strict, but for good reasons. He always tries to give his children a better life than what he had. He was also loving and supportive of Will, even though he had to put up with Will’s shenanigans from time to time.

Easily the best moment is when Phil embraces Will after Will’s father walks out on him again. It shows Uncle Phil was the father that Will always wanted and need.

4. Gomez Addams (The Addams Family)

Are Gomez and Morticia the best parents ever in fiction? Probably. Just as his wife made the Mothers Day list, so to does Gomez make this list.

Gomez is ardently devoted to his wife, he was also extremely happy of his children and listened to them, while supporting their interest.

3. Uncle Ben (Spider-Man)

Another uncle for the list. Ben Parker is the most important father figure on the list, that also doesn’t have a prominent role in the story. Uncle Ben is the most notable post-humous character in comics.

Uncle Ben’s words of wisdom and the way he raised his nephew Peter ultimately lead to Spider-Man’s crimefighting career. Fun fact by the way, most sources attribute the phrase “with great power, comes great responsibility” to Uncle Ben, but it was never actually said by him in his debut issue of Amazing Fantasy #15, instead the phrase was contained within a text box.

Of course, the phrase was eventually retconned later into being uttered by Ben himself.

Ben took in his orphaned nephew along with his wife May, and taught the boy the life lessons that Peter would continue to follow well into his crimefighting career.

2. Captain Benjamin Sisko (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Sisko is actually my favorite Star Trek captain and is from my favorite series too. Unlike previous captains (and honestly captains since), Sisko is a widower and a single father to his son Jake. Now Sisko has a lot on his plate, being placed in charge of a space station to oversee the recovery of planet Bajor following its occupation by the Cardassian Union, while also dealing with the founding of a staple wormhole.

Sisko balances his workload with raising his son, and no episode of the series shows how important these two are to each than the season four episode “The Visitor”. The Visitor is one of my favorite episodes of Star Trek and still makes me teary-eyed to this day.

1. Uncle Iroh (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

In my mind, no one can be number one other than Uncle Iroh.

Iroh was once a great general and was the first born to Fire Lord Azulon, but following the death of his son Lu Ten, he retreated from state affairs.

Iroh accompanied his nephew Prince Zuko throughout the later’s quest to capture the Avatar. Always providing him with words of wisdom and encouragement, while serving as the boy’s moral compass.

Iroh ultimate sees Zuko as his own and wants the best for him, a feeling no doubt born out of the loss of his own song (by the way, I can’t help but get teary-eyed at “Leaves from the Vine”).

So that is the list. These are some of the best fathers in fiction and I think serve as excellent models for the pillars of fatherhood.