Dragon Ball is pretty clear-cut when it comes to morals, but it can be hard to understand the different father figures and whether or not they’re a quintessential ‘good dad.’ Still, I did my best to figure out what makes a good dad, and who the best dad in the series would be. Some embrace the challenge, some fill the role out of obligation, and others step in when the other father figure is out of the picture.
Father’s Day just came and went, and if you agree with my breakdown of the different Dragon Ball dads, then you might owe Piccolo a Father’s Day card and a new set of grill tools. You may have tried to get Goku one already, but he wasn’t there for his own party…
What Makes A Good Dad
Before jumping into the different characters in the series, we all need to go into this with an understanding of what makes a good dad. Everyone has their own perspectives on what it takes to be a ‘good father,’ but there are some aspects I feel are inarguable:
Letting your children be themselves instead of forcing your own ideas onto them.
Modeling healthy behaviors like patience and taking accountability.
Providing them with the space and encouragement they need to be their best selves.
Meeting their basic needs.
Actively being there and present in their lives.
Are the different Dragon Ball dads effective at giving their children what they need to grow up in the best way possible?
Who Are Some Bad Dads?
To start, we need to look at who the bad dads in Dragon Ball are. You may have guessed this already, but most of the bad dads are villains from the series. Taken to their extreme, Paragus, Dr. Gero, and Bibidi/Babidi are the worst.
Broly’s father Paragus is one of those bad dads you can kind of feel for, but not much. Yes, Broly is hard to control, but that just means you have to control him with mind control and shock collars so he can take revenge for you. He still ‘loves’ his son, but it seems to come second to revenge. That’s a bad dad move.
Bibidi/Babidi are a little confusing because they’re technically the same person, but regardless of how you look at that, they are a HORRIBLE father to Buu. These characters are actually evil and use Buu’s power to take control over the entire universe. To them, Buu is not a child or even a person - it’s just a tool.
Who Are Some Good Dads?
It can be easy to pinpoint people who are bad dads, but what about the ‘good’ dads, the fathers who aren’t great, but perhaps have some good intentions? Dr. Brief, for example, loves his daughter Bulma, at least I think so. They seem to have an okay relationship as he’s always in the background, tinkering away or helping her with projects. Dr. Brief may have imparted genetic intelligence to Bulma, but outside of that, he’s just kind of there. Good, but not great.
King Vegeta and King Cold are kind of the same way, at least to the extent that we know. Vegeta seems to remember his father fondly, but their relationship was ultimately cut short. It’s a little harder to tell with King Cold and Frieza, with the main note being that King Cold cared enough about Frieza to find and repair him after blowing up Namek. The two have a positive relationship, but Frieza’s brother Cooler has stated he was neglected while King Cold spoiled Frieza.
Who Are Some Great Dads?
Now it’s time for the best of the best when it comes to Dragon Ball dads. Unfortunately, a lot of the ‘great’ dads are either dead or just in the background of the series. Bardock and Gohan Senior both loved Goku and, had they spent more time with him, would have helped shape Goku’s morality further (and maybe even help improve his maturity and intelligence too).
Ox-King, Chi-Chi’s dad, has always been there for Chi-Chi, even after his wife and her mother passed away. After Gohan is born, he’s always there to take care of his family, constantly bringing them presents and watching over them. Mr. Satan is the same in that, at least in the modern Dragon Ball era, he’s always there giving gifts and spending time with Videl, Pan, and Buu.
Gohan is one of the best dads in the series, and it’s not arguable. There’s no question that he loves his wife, Videl, and his daughter, Pan, but why isn’t he the best dad? He doesn’t spend as much time away training like Goku, but he does spend a lot of time with his head down in his work instead of with Pan.
A lot like Gohan, Krillin has mostly turned his time and attention toward his family. He retired from fighting to settle down and take care of his daughter, Marron, alongside his wife, Android 18. They all love each other and seem to get along well enough, but the main thing stopping him from being the best dad is that he named her after his ex, Maron.
Vegeta - Great Dad?
One of the hardest characters to judge as a father is Vegeta. Yes, Vegeta had a horrible upbringing for his emotional development. His father hoisted incredible expectations onto him, and it was made even worse as Frieza abused him and left him as one of the last remaining Saiyans. For the longest time, he felt as if he had to be ruthless, that if not for Frieza, he could have been kinder, more merciful.
It wasn’t instant, but over time, he did become this person. He had a lot of internal resentment for giving up his goal to become the strongest in the universe, but inside, he still loved his family. After a lot of struggle with expectations and the ‘evil’ inside of himself, he sacrificed himself against Majin Buu, finally becoming the person and father he was meant to be. Someone who isn’t just proud of his son - and soon to be daughter, but someone who genuinely loves them.
How Is Goku as a Dad?
There’s no question that Goku loves his wife and his children. He’s one of the most encouraging characters in the entire series, but that’s to a fault. Yes, he’s always Gohan’s biggest cheerleader, telling him that he can fight and beat Cell, but Gohan doesn’t want this encouragement - he doesn’t want to fight Cell - he just wants his dad.
While there are so many moments where Goku is a great dad, like spending time with Gohan before the Cell game, Goku doesn’t care to understand what Gohan actually needs. Belief in your son’s potential doesn't mean a lot when you choose to spend time training in the afterlife with strange aliens instead of actually with your family.
I think this point is taken to the next level when you remember Goku has another son, Goten, and Goku is almost completely absent from his life. In the main story, after finally spending some time with his family, Goku randomly leaves to train this new kid, Uub, giving his family and friends two sentences before he’s gone. Thankfully, when Goku dips out, Piccolo steps in.
Piccolo Is the GOAT Father
Piccolo doesn’t have any actual children, but it doesn’t matter. He’s a father figure for almost everyone in the series, stepping in to raise them when their actual dads are out of the picture.
From the nameless Namekian to Demon King Piccolo, to Piccolo Jr., to fusing with Nail and back with Kami, Piccolo has gone through a lot of evolution in Dragon Ball before becoming the meditative father figure he is today.
Goku gave Piccolo mercy and a rival, and Gohan gave him a friend. Piccolo took on the job of teaching Gohan how to fight out of obligation, but it turned into something special for Piccolo, and he’s been picking up every other dad’s slack through the rest of the series.
Piccolo was a great teacher/mentor/FATHER FIGURE for almost every main character in the series, and he even takes on the role of nanny for Gohan’s child Pan, picking her up from school and playing peek-a-boo with her.
He goes so far as to tell Gohan he should be acting more as a family man than keeping up with his training. At one point, Piccolo tells Goku that he won’t spar with him because he needs to pick Pan up from Kindergarten, and Goku responds, “Who’s Pan?”
It doesn’t take a lot of mental mathematics to understand that Piccolo is not a stepfather or father figure - he’s the father that stepped up. When you need someone who models positive behaviors, encourages those around him, and is actually there, you’re going to go to Piccolo before you reach out to anyone else.
