Good Parents

"We didn't give up on our dreams! We changed our dreams into your dream! That's what parents do! That's what family does!" —Akio Furukawa, Clannad

In television, parents are either dorky, busy, abusive, embarrassing, evil, overbearing, overprotective, neglectful, only human, absent or dead, squicky, lost, or just plain useless.

But what about parents who get things right? The parents who are always there. The ones who support their children no matter what they do and attend all their events. They tell them how proud they are of them. They give out useful advice and help them on their homework. They keep their children safe without being overprotective. They punish them when they're bad and award them when they're good. But they will always love them. Through good times and bad, these parents are always there for their kids. They will sacrifice just about anything for their children, even their own lives.

These parents can be the Mama Bear or the Papa Wolf, and can even be the Action Mom or Battle Couple. They are often found in a Nuclear Family so will often consist of a Happily Married couple. They can even be a part of a Badass Family. They are also not against using Tough Love when necessary. They can also turn out to be an Open-Minded Parent.

And they can be a real pain to write about, since the story conflict has to be one that the parents can not fix for the children, and, if necessary, enough to cause a problem for the combined forces of children and parents.

When the Good Parents aren't the actual parents of the character, it's Parental Substitute. When the Good Parents are the adoptive parents, it's Happily Adopted. If they were good parents at one time, but forcefully removed from this realm of existence, then they are Deceased Parents Are the Best. When the Good Parents aren't against doing illegal or morally questionable acts to protect their children, they are the Knight Templar Parents.

Examples of Good Parents include:

Anime & Manga

• Trisha Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist was a kind and loving mother who praised her two children for their alchemy — in fact they became alchemists purely because their mother was so proud of them. Their father Hohenheim seems to fail them by abandoning them, but then we learn he left to help save the country, and now that he's back in their lives he's a good, loving father who's also proud of his kids. He even glared at a Eldritch Abomination to warn him to never mock his sons.
  • Anime Trisha was also good. Rather protective, and extremely supportive. Anime Hohenheim, however, despite his good heart... gets so many negative points you're like to cry. He cares very much, sure, but he abandoned them because he was ashamed of his rotting stolen body, and the Big Bad having the power to be a Big Bad is at least a third his fault anyway, and when he tries to do the right thing he is incredibly useless. And loving his last son so much gave us... Envy. He. Cannot. Win.
  • Maes Hughes, people. While he may have elements of Overprotective Dad, you really can't claim that he wasn't a damn good father to Elysia,when he was alive.
• Sanae and Akio of Clannad. Just about the best parents ever, if a little eccentric sometimes. In their backstory, though, they were neglectful of Nagisa when she was little... until she almost fell victim to her Ill Girl condition. And later, they're the best grandparents to Ushio when Tomoya goes Disappeared Dad after Nagisa's Death by Childbirth, but it's strongly implied that they're also Stepford Smilers that love Ushio genuinely, but don't allow themselves to grieve for Nagisa in order to raise her child well and lovingly.
• Just as loving and at least as eccentric: Meimi's parents in Kaitou Saint Tail.
• Shibuya 'Uma-chan' Shouma and his wife Shibuya 'Hamano Jennifer' Miko from Kyo Kara Maoh! are pretty awesome parents. Miko-san is a bit of a Cloudcuckoolander and dressed her younger son as a girl until he got old enough to object (he was cute as hell, too), and Shouma is busy, but they're extremely devoted and have a home that radiates security.
  • One of the more fun subtle angles of the show is that as it progresses you see more and more what the lead gets from each of his parents--it's not ham-handed replication or anything either; it's as psychologically sound as you can get in a series where the hero develops a form of Incorruptible Pure Pureness. Bonus points for the fact that Miko and Shouma annoy Yuuri considerably most of the time. Without doing anything in the realm of Amazingly Embarrassing Parents. Except that one time with the photo album, I guess...and that other time with the statue...when they followed him halfway around the world....
• Lindy Harlaown of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, which is a good thing since Fate, her adopted daughter, came from an abusive household and needed all the proper parental love she could get to recover from her psychological scars. Even when her children have all grown up, she's still there, willing to help them with any trouble they have as they become parents themselves.
  • And Nanoha's parents, Shiro and Momoko, as well. Subaru and Ginga's adoptive parents too.
    • Fate and Nanoha themselves count for this trope as well.
• Ouran High School Host Club has Fujioka "Ranka" Ryouji, Haruhi's father. Although he's a Wholesome Crossdresser, he cares very much for his only child. After the death of his wife Kotoko, he made sure he did everything he could for Haruhi, often working long hours to support them. He's always there to give advice if she needs it, and goes to every school function he can (even if Haruhi tries to keep him from doing so in order for him to rest after long days at work).
  • Tamaki's Missing Mom Anne fits this. In flashbacks she's always shown as a kind, loving woman who cares very much for her son, despite being ill often. Around chapter 56 or 57 Kyouya finds Anne in France on a class field trip. We see that Anne is very much the loving person she is portrayed as in flashbacks, and has some of the same naivete as Tamaki. Also in flashbacks we see that she feels regret every day for giving Tamaki up to his paternal grandmother in exchange for the Suou family to help her family's business get back on its feet. Tamaki, however, harbors no resentful feelings toward her decision, understanding that it was for the best, and only wants to see her stay healthy in hopes of them reuniting.
• Usagi's parents in Sailor Moon don't have a big role, but they are portrayed as a loving, typical nuclear family. Even if Kenji is a bit of an Overprotective Dad and Ikuko is an Education Mama.
  • Word of God says Minako's parents are this way as well. Even if Mom might be the nagging type, which makes Minako kinda bitter.
• The Digimon Tamers have some pretty good parents, all things considered. Special mention goes to Jenrya's dad, Ruki's grandma and Takato's parents.
  • OTOH Ruki's Hot Mom, Juri's dad and stepmom and Ryo's dad are more of Parents as People. They do love their kids, but it takes them a LOT to connect with them.
    • Okay; so Mr. Lee is a good dad most of the time. Then there's his Parents as People moment: deliberately not telling his son that defeating the D-Reaper would forcibly send ALL of the Digimon back to the Digital World, without any foreseeable way to return which results in a very angry Jenrya and several crying kids including little (seven year old) Shaochung...Mr. Lee's daughter. Not a shining moment of parenting.
• Koiwai from Yotsuba&! is something of a bachelor slacker but also definitely a good dad for his adoptive daughter.
• Cardcaptor Sakura: Sakura's father. Her mother Nadeshiko too, though she tends not to be around very often, being dead and all.
  • Fujitaka is a mix of this and Parents as People, actually. We get to see him around and be a good dad, but we also see him working so hard that he can't spend as much time with them as the three need. He also knows it and sometimes kicks himself for this, apologizing to Touya for giving him a partial Promotion to Parent and pretty much having to run from work in the Sick Episode when Sakura is bedridden.
• Although Naruto has a good few abusive parents, there are some mums and dads who do get it right. Of the living parents, Choza Akimichi and Shikaku Nara are probably the two who have the best relationships with their kids — although they've both had moments of being angry with their sons, they're still shown to be very close to them. Ino and Inoichi Yamanaka also appear to be close, although their relationship is not given as much screentime.
  • Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki manage to be a loving father and mother towards Naruto from beyond the grave, and Naruto is greatly comforted when he finds out just how far his parents were willing to go for him.
  • Sasuke more or less had reasonably good parents. His mother Mikoto seemed to be very loving, and while Sasuke did tend to feel that he was The Unfavorite in his father's eyes, not long before his death his father more or less tells him he's proud of him.
• In Inuyasha, Kagome Higurashi's widowed mother didn't berate or question her daughter when she got involved in quite the plot in the Sengoku Jidai. In fact, thinking that You Can't Fight Fate, she decides to support Kagome in her quests, and so she buys her a bike and contantly gives her treats for her friends.
  • Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's father. He posthumously manages to provide protection for Inuyasha and guidance for Sesshomaru through Tessaiga and Tenseiga.
• While Hinagiku and Yukiji's adoptive father isn't seen and often depicted as off on business trips and her mother is shown to almost delight in teasing Hinagiku, especially about Hayate and her love for him, they're also depicted as Good Parents, taking Hinagiku on a (possibly selfish) hot springs trip because he wasn't able to be there for her birthday, and even taking them in in the first place. They're possibly the most stable and understanding of any parents within the story.
  • Hinagiku even places them alongside the affection she holds for her real parents.
• Queen Otohime in One Piece is this. Even when she is exhausted or depressed from her efforts to get the Fishmen Island residents to sign a peace treaty to cohabit with humans, she never lets her exhaustion or depression appear in front of her children and is shown caring for them very much and spending lots of time with them.
  • Also Bellemere, even if Nojiko and Nami are adopted, she truly loved them and was willing to give anything to protect them... anything.
  • King Cobra balances ruling Alabasta and caring for his daughter Vivi. He is occasionally shown to be an Overprotective Dad, following Vivi when she was outside the palace despite encouraging such interaction and a Papa Wolf when bandits tried to kidnap her.
• Gundam Wing doesn't have too many parents, but the ones we do see, Mr. and Mrs. Darlian, are very much this. They're both shown to be very close to their daughter Relena, and she adores them in return — and the fact that she's adopted means absolutely nothing to any of them. It speaks volumes that when Mrs. Darlian tries to tell her about her real parents (after Mr. Darlian is murdered), Relena cuts her off by hugging her and sobbing "Never stop being my mother!"
• Akiyuki's mother and father in Xam'd: Lost Memories, even if they don't always get along and his father is a bit of a slob....
• Junko and Tomohisa Kaname of Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
• My Neighbor Totoro: Professor Kusakabe has got to be the nicest Dad in anime, hands down.
  • Their mother spends most of the movie stuck in the hospital, but she too is a very sweet person, when her daughters visit.
• Like Sosuke's mother Lisa in Ponyo On a Cliff By The Sea — the Useless Parents would be all over the wall if you brought home a fish girl who turns into a human, but not her.
• In Fruits Basket, Tohru's parents stand out as being genuinely loving, amongst the abusive, overprotective, or negligent parents that most of the other characters have. While her father died when she was young, he still loved her and took good care of her. Her mother, meanwhile, was completely devoted to caring for her daughter, to the point where Tohru pretty much entirely gets through life on her mother's examples. In a flashback, Hanajima's parents were also very supportive and loving towards their daughter, trying to make sense of her psychic powers and helping her with the bullying she went through at school.

Comic Books

• Young Avengers has the Kaplans, Wiccan's parents, who mistake his coming out as a superhero as a DIFFERENT kind of coming out and immediately invite his boyfriend into the family.
  • Them being such good parents had also caused some backlash amongst the fans, since Billy became a Determinator over finding the Scarlet Witch, who thanks to chaos magic is also his and Tommy's mom. The fans are hoping that the Kaplans stay relevant, becuase they are good parents, even with Wanda back in the picture.
• Martha and Jonathan Kent found a baby in a rocket, and took him in as their own son, raising him with care and instilling strong, fair morals and humility to make him into the true hero we all know and love.
  • They even fall into this when they don't find that baby in the rocket. In The Nail, an Alternate Universe where Supes was found and raised by Amish and never became Superman, they become the team parents to many super heroes, since they are actually outlaws from society. And this takes a heartbreaking turn when the Amish community that Not!Supes belongs to comes into play... and his adoptive parents are horribly murdered in front of everyone. Ma and Pa take the now orphaned and completely lost Supes in... and soon, he becomes Superman.
• When Barbara Gordon is being hijacked by Brainiac, her friend Black Canary uses a picture of Babs's beloved father Jim Gordon to help pull her back from oblivion. As she explains it, and as we see throughout the series, if there ever was a father, this man was it. Sometimes their relationship also verges over to Happily Adopted, but writers can never seem to agree on whether or not Barbara is Jim's biological daughter, his niece that he raised after her parents death, or a non-blood adoptee.
• Though it's a little bit more Depending on the Writer, Thomas and Martha Wayne are usually depicted as truly loving of their son Bruce and truly good people. In most of the alternate universes where they survive, whatever the other consequences, it's taken as a given that Bruce would have a mostly happy childhood.
• Bianca and Alberto Reyes, who provide support and guidance for their son Jaime in his career as a superhero.
• You'd think his goofiness and madcap antics would make him a horrible parent, but Plastic Man is anything but. He loves his son VERY much and his son loves him back the same. Any moment in a comic with both of them at the same time is guaranteed D'awwwe!-inducing.
• Surprisingly, Ares of Marvel Comics is a very competent and loving father towards his son Alexander.
• Fantomex uses this on A clone of Apocalypse called Genesis to try to prove that evil isn't locked into one's genes in Uncanny X-force.
• Done rather frighteningly in Runaways. All of the Pride are murderers, thieves, and backstabbers who quickly sign up to bring about the end of the world. When they have children, they love them and do their best to provide good futures for them... by which they mean that they will destroy everyone else on Earth and let their children inherit what is left. After they are defeated, the kids run into the past versions of Geoffrey Wilder and Mr. and Mrs. Yorkes, whose children both died. Upon learning of this, the parents are horrified and try their hardest to protect them...by murdering those "responsible" for it.

Fanfic

• They were only talked about on two or three occasions, but the parents of Kallian Tabris from Dragon Age: The Crown of Thorns are said to be this (or to have been, since her mother Adaia is dead). In fact, King Cailan practically invokes this trope while dying, because she slapped his senses back into him so he could meet his end calmly, without being wrecked with guilt over having gotten his men killed.
  • It is revealed that her father Cyrion spent most of one night talking to Faren, the dwarven commoner, when Kallian dragged him over to her home, so he could get a good idea of who his daughter had gotten involved with.
• Mr. and Mrs. Epps are this for Robert and Will, who especially favors them because they treat him like part of the family from the get-go.
• Some fanfiction has England and France be this to America and Canada for Axis Powers Hetalia. In Feverish, for example, both of them work together to help Canada survive the weird disease he suffers from.

Film — Animated

• Mufasa in The Lion King is one of, if not THE best, fathers in any film, as he is wise, humorous, stern when necessary, protective, and royal. This is part of the reason his death is such a well-known Tear Jerker. Even after his death, he continues to guide his son in spirit.
  • Although she doesn't get as much focus as Mufasa, Sarabi is also shown to be a very loving mother. When Simba sees Scar smack her near the end, he loses any desire for a peaceful resolution.
• Bob and Helen Parr in The Incredibles. Bob may struggle with Parental Obliviousness sometimes, but definitely by the end he gets it. Helen, in a deleted scene, even talks about how being a good and loving parent can be just as important as superheroing when it comes to making the world a better place. Rock on.
• Tiana's parents in The Princess and the Frog are clearly loving, supportive, and moral. Both of them are willing to work hard to make sure their little girl has a better life, and never lose sight of the importance of love.
  • Charlotte aka Lottie's father is also a certified Doting Parent.
• King Triton from The Little Mermaid may have been overprotective and may have made a catastrophic mistake by destroying Ariel's grotto, but he's shown to be a loving and caring father towards Ariel and her sisters. His wife, Athena, is even shown to be this in the prequel of the movie before her tragic death.
  • Ariel and Eric in the sequel also qualify. Despite Ariel making a mistake by lying to Melody about her heritage, it has been shown that both she and Eric love Melody and raised her right.
• Mulan's parents.
• Both Maurice and Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast, to Belle and Chip respectively.
• Pacha and Chicha on The Emperors New Groove, and the spin-off series The Emperors New School.
• In Despicable Me, Gru doesn't start out this way, but by the end of the film, even his "Well Done, Son" Guy mother is proud of his parenting skills.
• Kung Fu Panda has Mr. Ping, Po's adaptive father. Regardless of the events of the film, Po and Ping have an excellent relationship in which Po cannot bear to disappoint his father about his true interests, while Mr. Ping is understanding enough to allow his son to choose his own life. True, Mr. Ping gets a little antsy and unreasonable about his son leaving him in the Holiday Special, but soon concedes that both that Po is more loyal than he realized and the panda has larger duties beyond his father that cannot be ignored.
• In Disney's Cinderella, it's implied that Cinderella's father was this, before he died.
• While they don't get much screen time, Rapunzel's parents clearly loved their daughter and, after she was kidnapped, spent the next eighteen years trying to find her.
• Pixar's Brave has King Fergus and Queen Elinor (who falls into My Beloved Smother territory, but genuinely loves and cares for her children).
• Tarzan's parents and Kala both qualify. Also Kerchak somewhat, cause he could have killed Tarzan, but he spared him.
• Anna and Elsa's parents from Frozen do their very best to protect their daughters and get Elsa to control her powers until they tragically die in a storm. Mistakes are made, catastrophic ones, but every decision is made out of honest concern for their children's well being.
• In Disney's Hercules, both Hera and Zeus are affectionate parents to their son, Hercules.
• In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, there's Quasimodo's biological mother at the beginning. Her appearance is very brief since she gets killed by Frollo in the prologue but the way she's running from soldiers with the little helpless baby in her hands, while never giving up despite her chances of escape being hopeless, is certainly what a good parent would do.

Film — Live Action

• Godzilla may be a city-destroying monster, but he genuinely loves his son. In Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, he actually mourns Junior's death.
• You'd think it would be the kind of movie where the parents are dysfunctional and Stepford Smiler, but in Donnie Darko the titular character's parents are loving and understanding, and he seems to love them back in his own way.
• Both Odin and Frigga in Thor are very loving and caring to their two sons, including Loki who was adopted and not Asgardian.
• Olive's parents in Easy A.
• Final Destination: In a film series where parents are generally left offscreen, Nora Carpenter and Mr. Corman from the second movie are two examples.
• Jack and Caroline Ryan in Hunt for Red October. Jack never forgets his daughter's teddy bear even when preventing World War III.
• The Cuthberts in Anne of Green Gables. In this case they are old batchelor-and-spinster siblings rather then married.

Literature

• Sybil and Samuel Vimes are excellent examples of parents who truly love their children. The latter even is so devoted towards the happiness of his son it becomes a heartwarming moment of awesome.
  • The same can be said for Tiffany Aching's mum and dad. Especially dad.
• Arthur and Molly Weasley from Harry Potter — a bit overprotective, but never unreasonably so.
  • Xenophilius Lovegood as well. Even if he goes Knight Templar Parent and is willing to sell Harry out, he does it only so his beloved daughter Luna won't be in danger.
  • James Potter and Lily Evans-Potter are implied to have been this before their deaths.
  • Also Hermione's parents; we don't see much of them, but we know that they're very accepting of their daughter's extraordinary abilities. She loves them so much that she makes them forget she exists and move to Australia, just to protect them from the Death Eaters..
  • Despite their beliefs, the Malfoy's really care for Draco and would do close to everything for him.
• In The Wheel of Time series, Rand al'Thor has a very good relationship with his adoptive father, Tam al'Thor. And although she died when he was very young, Rand's memories of his adoptive mother, Kari, are just as positive.
  • Rand attributes his better qualities and ability to work through his Heroic BSOD to the good upbringing and loving parenting Tam gave him. And after seeing Tam's heartwarming interactions and fierce protectiveness of his son in the latest books, it's very clear why Rand loves his father so much.
• Reuven Malter's father David in The Chosen.
• Sostratos' father Lysistratos in Over the Wine Dark Sea
• Michael and Charity Carpenter in The Dresden Files
• Christopher and Millie in The Chrestomanci Chronicles.
• Atticus Finch is a single parent example.
• Marilla Cuthbert from Anne of Green Gables becomes this. Sadly, it's not until after her brother Matthew dies that she's able to tell Anne how much Marilla loves the girl.
  • Matthew also. He's more inclined to spoil Anne, but he still loves her and looks out for her best interests.
  • Also, Anne and Gilbert; their children adore them.
• Gregor's parents in The Underland Chronicles, though is father is mysteriously missing in the first book, and his mother is a Missing Mom for most of the last three books.
• Mara's parents in Vegan Virgin Valentine.
• Aral and Cordelia Vorkosigan in Vorkosigan Saga. In this they compliment each other as Aral is the stern but affectionate role-model and teacher whereas Cordelia is the comfortor and nurturer. Aral would be the one who helps Miles get on a horse and Cordelia the one who patches him up after he falls so that Miles can get on the horse again.

Live Action TV

• Gomez and Morticia Addams are great parents. Despite being "altogether ooky", they are still a Happily Married couple who love and adore their kids. They have rules like any other family and enjoy a lot of quality time with one another. When a truant officer comes to the house to ask why Pugsley and Wednesday aren't enrolled in public school, Gomez is horrified at the idea of being apart from them all day-- "What's the point of having children, if you're just going to get rid of them?"-- because that's how much he loves spending time with his son and daughter. (It's also adorable to watch him mope about having no one to play with.)
• Sheldon Cooper's mother is a wonderful mother from the little we've seen. She knows full well how much of a Jerkass Sheldon is, but it's obvious that she loves and supports him. Besides, she knows how to deal with him better than anyone else. There's a reason she's the first one Leonard calls when he needs back-up.
• Many older sitcoms such as Father Knows Best and Leave It to Beaver present parents like this.
• Brady Bunch
• Boy Meets World has Alan and Amy, Cory's parents. Not only are they happily married and good parents to their three (and later four) biological kids, they also are surrogate parents to Shawn and Topanga, to the point where Alan risks a lawsuit by physically attacking a cult leader who brainwashes Shawn.
• Danny, Jesse, and Joey on Full House are all intended to be loving father figures to the girls.
  • Rebecca later acts as surrogate mom.
• Blossom's dad Nick on Blossom (albeit with shades of Overprotective Dad).
• Family Matters
• Growing Pains
• Family Ties
• The Cosby Show
• Veronica Mars's father Keith
• 7th Heaven.
  • Not necessarily, as some people see Annie Camden as a potental Abusive Parent instead. She's got good intentions, but some of her punishments (like sending their kids to the garage without any supplies) can be pretty bad.
• Considering his son was a sociopath, Harry Morgan did a wonderful job. Not so much with his daughter, but still.
  • However, as the show's gone on, it's been shown that Harry was very wrong about Dexter in several aspects — for example, thinking he would never be able to form emotional connections with others — and a fair few viewers are wondering, if he'd gotten treatment for Dex instead of encouraging his desire for violence, would Dexter still have his "Dark Passanger"? And then there was the part where he coached Dexter to kill people and then killed himself 'cause Dex actually did it, abandoning both his emotionally damaged children. At least he was trying to do the right thing.
• On Friday Night Lights, Eric and Tami Taylor and Corinne Williams are Good Parents, though there are plenty of lousy parents to go around.
• Glee: Burt Hummel may be a flanel-wearing, football-loving car mechanic (played by Mike O'Malley, no less) but he still loves his flamboyant gay son Kurt to bits. Their relationship is one of the most beautiful, inspiring things on TV.
  • Carole is this to Finn
• Sandy and Kirsten Cohen, Seth's parents on The OC, who also become Parental Substitutes for Ryan.
• Tracy Jordan, in addition to being a devoted husband to his wife Angela, is also a devoted father to his two sons. This is actually the biggest threat to his career, as the celebrity status that allows him to provide for his family rests on an Urban Legend Love Life.
• Deep Space Nine's Benjamin Sisko is an excellent father in between running Deep Space Nine and trying to keep his crew together. His relationship with Jake is one of the most consistently heartwarming things on the show.
  • Although not shown very much, Nog and his father Rom are said to have this type of relationship as well. When Leta joins the family, Nog immediately accepts her as his mother and there's no indication of ripples.
• The fact that Joyce Summers manages to give Buffy exactly the half-loving/half-stern talk that she needs after her vampire boyfriend's gypsy curse turns him evil, despite NOT KNOWING THAT THAT WAS WHAT HAD HAPPENED, speaks volumes.
  • Not to mention Papa Wolf Giles. Their surrogate relationship builds slowly and subtly at first, but really becomes clear in the episode where her agrees to go to the Ice-Capades with her (there was a lot more going on between them in that episode, but this ultimate outcome was very touching).
• Red and Kitty Forman are like this, despite one being a grumpy hardass and the other being more than a little neurotic. Kitty's emotional support has proven essential to allowing Eric to survive being Red's son, and has also led her to provide support for Eric's friends. Red might seem harsh and strict, but dealing with it leads Eric to become a stronger person for it, especially since Red only really punishes Eric when he's actually done something to deserve it.
• Don and Charlie's parents did their best to raise a genius son and his brother while avoiding the favortism. Even after they both grew up, Alan gave sage advice and support them.
• Tim and Jill Taylor raise three sons and love them no matter what they do.
• Phillip and Vivian Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air are this to their own kids AND their goofy nephew. Uncle Phil's concern in the episode where Will's absentee father returns is very touching. And his reunion with Will after the jerk ditches him again might count as a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming if it weren't so sad at the same time.
• The Sarah Jane Adventures is full of them. The title character herself is a good parent to her adopted teenaged-appearing son Luke. Maria's father Alan, and later Rani's parents Haresh and Gita, are the emotional rocks for their respective daughters and much loved by them despite sometimes being embarrassing. Even Clyde's mother, who only has a handful of appearances, is established as a good mother to him during those few appearances. (His father, though...)
• Florida and James Evans. Despite often being met with with hard times they still manage to be devoted and loving parents to their three children.
• The Golden Girls had this with Sophia, who was both the literal mother to Dorothy, and a mother-figure to Blanche and Rose. Dorothy and Rose were also shown to be good parents, as were Stan and Miles (their ex-husband and beau, respectively). Blanche, however, averted this.
• Freaks and Geeks shows parents that are corny, ridiculous, care for their children, care for each other, can be hurt by their children, have heartwarming and are nothing less than fully fleshed out characters.
• Smallville has Jonathan and Martha Kent being just as good as their comic counterparts.
• Annie and, to an extent, Hal and Tom are adopted versions of this for baby Eve in Being Human. They care for her after George and Nina die and are devoted to protecting her from the various supernatural things trying to kill her.

Video Games

• A central theme of Heavy Rain
• Eli Vance is a prime example of this. Not only is he a loving, encouraging father, but he somehow managed to keep his (very young, at the time) daughter alive through the aftermath of the Black Mesa Incident, the Seven Hour War, and the Combine occupation of Earth. Even after she's able to take care of herself, he still remains constantly concerned for her safety and emotional well-being. Which makes his death at the end of Episode Two all the more painful.
• John and Abigail Marston in Red Dead Redemption.
• Sophitia Alexandra is one of these offscreen between Soul Calibur 1&2 and 2&3, and fights in 2 and 3 primarily to protect her children from the harm Soul Edge could bring to the world. This bites her in the ass hard in SC 4, when Tira implants Soul Edge into her daughter Phyrra, forcing her over the line into Knight Templar Parent as she kills otherwise good people who want the sword destroyed, even at the cost of her daughter's life.
• Zoey's Father only wanted what was best for his little girl. Unbeknownst to him he gave her the gene that she needed to survive without turning.
• Gorion in Baldur's Gate is a good example of an excellent adoptive father.
• MOTHER series speaks this trope by itself. The mothers in the trilogy are all good and nice even if they are just minor characters. For Hinawa's case, she's dead after Chapter 1. She spends most of her role as a spirit.
  • Fathers are quite good as well. With an exception of Flint, who breaks from his wife's death and becomes not quite caring to Lucas, they pump their money into your bank account, save your game, and ask if you're exhausted from your journey.
• For all of his faults, among them leaving his son/daughter to continue a large-scale project (which in itself was with good intentions), James, the father of the protagonist of Fallout3, genuinely loves and cares for his son/daughter. If one carefully listens to the mixture of conversations transitioning from the protagonist's birth to their first year, you can hear how James chose to halt his work for the sake of his wife and child.
• Bryce and Eleanor Cousland, parents of the human noble PC in Dragon Age. Though they don't get much screen time in terms of the rest of the game, they are supportive, loving, and proud of their children to the end.

Bryce: "Then, go, Pup... warn your brother... and know that we love you both. You'll do us proud. Eleanor: "Goodbye, darling..."

• In Katawa Shoujo, Emi's mother Meiko is kind, supportive and friendly, although Emi's personal issues cause her to try to rely on herself. Despite this, Meiko understands her daughter quite well, and if you stay behind to talk with her at her house, you will get the good ending.
• Fire Emblem's parents run the gamut from good to complicated to bad to dead. The good ones include:
  • The first-generation parents of Genealogy of the Holy War loved their children so much they sent them to safety during the last of the war, making sure they'd be okay when the inevitable happened and most of them died. Brigid and Aideen, the only survivors, are still this, and Finn is this to Leif and Nanna in Thracia 776 (despite not being the former's father, and his being Nanna's is dependent on player choice in Genealogy).
  • Eliwood of Pherae and Hector of Ostia in The Binding Blade. Unfortunately, the latter kicks it early in the plot. Bartre is also this to Fir, if not overbearing.
  • Lord Elbert and Lady Eleanora of The Blazing Blade. Pent and Louise are Erk's adoptive parents, but they certainly count as well, and are the same to their own children Klein and Clarine in the sequel.
  • Garcia of The Sacred Stones.
  • Greil of the Tellius duology is another tragic example of a good father who ultimately kicks the bucket. Brom is this to Meg in Radiant Dawn as well.
  • Most of the first-generation characters in Awakening, but especially Sumia, Chrom, Robin, Cordelia, Henry, Gaius, Sully, and Lissa.
  • Mikoto from Fates, big time, and another one who tragically dies early in the story. And despite the existence of the Deeprealms, the playable characters can become very good fathers to their children with some work.
  • Lonato Gaspard, Jeralt, Ionious IX, and Seteth aka Cichol in Three Houses.
  • Queen Lumera, Queen Eve, Queen Seforia, and King Morion in Engage.

Webcomics

• Kat's parents in Gunnerkrigg Court. Especially when compared to Annie's lot in parenting.
  • In all fairness to her dad, we have yet to find out for certain if his long absence is voluntary or due to circumstances beyond his control.
    • The reaction of the other characters, though, implies that disappearing and abandoning responsibilities is something he does a lot.
• Nick D'Amour of Penny and Aggie. His intelligence, attentiveness, easy-going nature, and patience have helped Aggie cope with the death of her mother Melody prior to the beginning of the series.
  • Penny's parents also count. Especially with how they handled Penny after the Rich incident. She was punished accordingly, but they love her none the less and are giving her the oportunity to earn their trust back.
• Davan's parents, Fred and Faye, in Something Positive, more or less fit the trope.
• Donovan and Miranda Deegan. Happily Married, and loving parents.
• The Dupont Family in Balderduck comprises two parents who are willing to accept all of the misfits their daughter brings home for dinner
• Luk and Hala River from Irregular Elis. They are a special parents too.
• Elliot and Ellen's parents in El Goonish Shive are very Open Minded Parents but they must be doing something right as Elliot turned out pretty well adjusted. Tedd's father, and even Raven's treatment of Noah are also great examples of good parents.
• Commander Badass from Manly Guys Doing Manly Things: raw machismo, pretty much made of testosterone... and an awesome dad to his small children.
• Marten's parents from Questionable Content are at times strange or embarrassing, but he loves them a lot and acknowledges that his childhood was pretty great, despite their divorce (his dad was gay, but both parents have a good relationship with each other throughout the story.)
• Erstwhile: The mother and son in "The Little Shroud"

Web Original

• Most of the parents of Team Kimba in the Whateley Universe. Chaka's and Tennyo's familes. Lancer's dad and Generator's mom. Fey's parents were separated, but having a son become a female mutant Faerie seems to be bringing them back together. Even Phase's parents were loving... right up to the second he manifested as a mutant and It Got Worse.
• Frankie Stein's parents from Monster High are just about the most loving, fair parents you could ever hope to find. The twist? They're Frankenstein's Monster and his Bride.

Western Animation

• Kim's parents on Kim Possible are loving, supportive, and extremely proud of their three children and also of Ron, whose own parents (or at least his mother) seem to take little interest in their son.
• They're not perfect and they're quite oblivious until the series finale, at least but it's clear that Jack and Maddie Fenton of Danny Phantom fame love their children and will do anything to protect them.
• On Phineas and Ferb, Linda and Lawrence are a Happily Married couple raising the children from their respective first marriages together, and while mostly oblivious to their exploits take care of them very well.
  • From the same series, Doofenshmirtz to his daughter Vanessa, who begins to realize over the course of the series that he's not so bad a father despite his usual doting. Averted, however, by Doofenshmirtz's own parents, who were basically horrible. In fact it could be interpreted that his own horrible upbringing is the reason he so desperatly wants to be a good father.
• Mr. Charlie Chan on The Amazing Chan and The Chan Clan may lead a busy life solving crimes, but he's always there for his kids and seems to appreciate their help even if they bungle more often than not. He's even very supportive and proud of his older kids' rock band.
• Most of the parents shown on The Weekenders, Tino's especially, but Tish's as well. Lor's, not so much.
• Metalocalypse gives us Oscar and Rose Explosion, parents of Nathan Explosion. Pretty much their only offense is being typical embarrassing parents. Nathan even mentioned in the episode "Fatherklok" that he loves hanging out with his father. The other members of Dethklok weren't as lucky.
• Even though Avatar: The Last Airbender has a smorgasbord of parents who are abusive/evil/missing (Zuko and Azula), overprotective/stupid (Toph), repressive/preoccupied/snobbish (Mai), absent/with-their-hands-full (Ty Lee) or dead (pretty much everyone else at least once), there are a few characters lucky enough to have Good Parents. Sokka and Katara's dad Hakoda (and their mom Kya, when she was still alive), Haru's parents, Teo's dad, and a few others are good examples, and Zuko and Aang each have/had a Good Parental Substitute in Uncle Iroh and Monk Gyatso.
  • While Fire Lord Ozai most certainly does not count, his wife Ursa does. She loves her children, does her best to temper Azula's sociopathic tendencies, and is banished from her home after she commits some form of treason to save Zuko's life.
  • In Sequel Series The Legend of Korra, Korra's parents definitely qualify. Though they seem to be rather minor characters, Tonraq and Senna are alive and well and shown to be loving and supportive parents. From what we've seen so far Korra doesn't seem to have any issues with her parents at all.
    • Also Tenzin and his wife, Pema count.
• Surprisingly, Batman from Young Justice. He is a Reasonable Authority Figure and is stern yet fair with the team and willing to praise them if they do a good job. When Robin was jealous that Batman was privately lecturing Aqualad and Batman realized, he didn't reprimand Robin or ignore him but rather, invite him out for a basketball game to assure Robin that no one will be replacing him.
  • He particularly stands out next to Superman, who, understandably, is having some trouble adjusting to Superboy.
  • Wally's parents support his superhero career and take its inherent strangeness in stride, providing the most "normal" version of this trope. There's also Artemis' mother, who gave up a life of crime to give her a better life.
• Norman Osborn in Spider-Man: The Animated Series qualifies, contrasting to his comic counterpart.
• All of the parents in Arthur can count.
• Mother and Father Bear from Little Bear are some of the best parents in all of western animation.
• Zachary and Eliza Foxx on Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers: Happily Married? Check. Their kids turned out okay (despite Eliza's capture and forced separation)? Check. Even with the less than ideal circumstances, they are a strong, loving family.
• Sid's parents on Sid the Science Kid not only support Sid's curious nature they also humor all his questions. Plus they encourage him to explore his questions in more detail.
• Three Words: Spike and Tyke
• Eddie Storkowitz' parents on Birdz. The mother is rather laid-back and supportive, while the father is somewhat stricter but never comes off as mean. Most episodes show Eddie generally getting along with his parents.