by Toussaint Egan

As frequent re:frame readers might recall, I recently had my first child late last year. He'll be turning three months old in a couple of days. I've spent a lot of time, both before and after his birth, reflecting back on my own upbringing and the broad lessons I've gleaned from my 30-something odd years of life on Earth. Naturally, that's caused me to reflect on some of my favorite stories, as well as the hundred or so animated shows I've watched. What does it mean to be a father, or even just a parent for that matter? More pointedly: what does it mean to be a father right now, in a time of so much uncertainty, confusion, and precarious tumult?

I don't have definitive answers to these questions any more than the average person. After all, I've only been a dad for just shy of three months. But I do have an idea of what some possible answers to those questions might be via the example of some of my favorite father figures across animation. Let's get into it.

John Stewart (Green Lantern) - Justice League: Unlimited 
S2:E13 "The Once and Future Thing Part Two: Time, Warped"

Justice League: Unlimited is one of my favorite animated series, and Phil LaMarr's portrayal of John Stewart exists firmly in my mind as the most definitive incarnation of the Green Lantern to date. He was strong-willed (naturally), disciplined, creative, and a prominent Black superhero at a time when those were few and far between.

Written by the late, great Dwayne McDuffie, the two-part story "The Once and Future Thing" follows Stewart, Batman, and Wonder Woman being transported across time after Chronos, a time-traveling thief, attempts to steal one of Batman's utility belts. The second part, "Time, Warped," sees the trio thrust into the world of Gotham City circa 2040, as Chronos' antics have caused significant damage to the timeline. To stop him, the trio must team up with the remaining heroes of the future, including current-day Batman Terry McGinnis, His elderly mentor Bruce Wayne, Static, and a future incarnation of the Justice League, among whom is Warhawk, the son of John Stewart and Shayera Hol (aka Hawkgirl). Given his and Hol's present-day estrangement, the revelation of their future son's existence naturally comes as a shock to John, who is currently in a relationship with the superheroine Vixen.

There's a moment in this episode that has stuck in my mind since first watching over two decades ago. As the heroes prepare for their final confrontation with Chronos, Warhawk confides in John his uncertainties, asking him, "What are you supposed to do when you have the weight of the world on your shoulders?" Without missing a beat, John puts his hand on Warhawk's shoulder, as a father would to his son, and says, "Plant your feet." It's a small moment, but infinitely dense; demonstrating to the viewer not just the ease in which John adapts to impromptu fatherhood, but what it means to be someone's father when it matters most. I hope to be that for my own son, standing beside him and steadying his shoulder when he needs me most.

Thors Snorresson - Vinland Saga
S1:E2 "Sword"

Vinland Saga's Thors is the epitome of the phrase, "You have no idea how much violence it took to become this gentle." When we first see him, Thors is introduced as a ruthless Viking warrior, bounding effortlessly between enemy ships and dispatching enemies with equal amounts of ease. After falling into the ocean, however, Thors grows tired of killing, choosing instead to desert his men and live a quiet life in Iceland, marrying a local woman and raising a family. In the second episode, "Sword," Thorfinn, Thors' son and the series' protagonist, uncovers a chest of his father's possessions, including his Viking sword. Before he can act, Thorfinn is caught off guard by Thors, who asks him who he intends to hurt with a sword. When Thorfinn replies, "The enemy," Thors kneels down to meet his son's gaze and, still clutching the blade of the sword in his bloodied hand, tells him that he has no enemies. "No one has any enemies," Thors says. "There's no one who it's OK to hurt." It will take many years and much more hardship before Thorfinn accepts his father's wisdom.

My takeaway from this scene is that, as best as we can, it's paramount that a father does what they can to instill the lessons born out of their own mistakes onto their children, all the while knowing that they might have to live through their own mistakes in order to finally learn them. Up to his dying breath, Thors lived by the words he tried to impart on his son, and the memory of those words and the legacy he left behind weighs heavily across the entirety of Thorfinn's life.

Piccolo - Dragon Ball Z / Dragon Ball Super
Dragon Ball Z S1:E6 - "No Time Like the Present"
Dragon Ball Super S3:E16 - "Goku's "Ki" is Out of Control?! Looking After Pan is A Lot of Trouble"

As anyone who has watched Dragon Ball Z will tell you: Piccolo isn't Gohan's step-dad; he's the dad that stepped up. A former adversary of Goku's who was spawned as the offspring of a villainous alien warlord, Piccolo had all the makings of a recurring antagonist. That all changed after the end of the Raditz Saga, however. With Goku having sacrificed his own life to defeat his brother, Piccolo takes it upon himself to train Goku's son Gohan in preparation for the imminent arrival of Raditz's comrades, Vegeta and Nappa. Over time, Piccolo becomes fond of the boy despite himself, bonding with him and becoming a dutiful teacher and mentor.

This relationship would have a lifelong impact on Piccolo, softening his demeanor over the years as he chooses to forgo his former villainous life in lieu of a life of peace. Gohan would eventually trust Piccolo with looking after his own child, Pan, of whom Piccolo nurtures with the doting love and affection one might expect from a grandparent.

If there's one lesson to take away from Piccolo, it is that while the past may be prologue, it does not preclude the possibility of a stronger, kinder present or future for those who choose to become a better example to a new generation. Piccolo chose to become the person he needed when he was younger.

Uncle Iroh - Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: TLA S2:E17 "Lake Laogai"

Much like Vinland Saga's Thors or Dragon Ball's Piccolo, Avatar's Uncle Iroh is also a kindly father figure who chose a different life from his violent warmongering past. After losing his son, Iroh opts for a life of relative peace, abdicating his right to the throne of the Fire Empire to his younger brother Ozai after the death of their father. During the series, Iroh accompanies his exiled nephew Zuko on his journey around the world searching for the Avatar.

Throughout the series, Iroh attempts to act as a confidant and mentor to Zuko, who is desperate to earn the approval of his cruel and disinterested father. Zuko's relationship with his uncle comes to a head in episode 17 of Book 2, "Lake Laolai," with Iroh angrily begging his nephew to ask himself whether he is pursuing the Avatar for his own reasons or for his father's acceptance. "It is time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions," Iroh says. "Who are you, and what do you want?" It's one of the most affecting scenes in the entire series, not the least because it makes a turning point in Zuko's personal journey as he moves out of his father Ozai's shadow and eventually allies with the Avatar to defy him.

Being a father figure isn't just being fun when times are good, but being an honest and reliable example when times are difficult and uncertain. Speaking frankly: we are in the midst of especially difficult and uncertain times, with likely even more to come in the near future. If ever there was a time to be a loving parent willing and ready to help their children navigate the tough and scary challenges of the world, it's now.

The Emperor - Samurai Jack
S3: E12 "Episode XXXVII: The Birth of Evil, Part 1 & 2"

"The Birth of Evil" is commonly remembered as one of the greatest episodes of Samurai Jack ever produced, and considering that Samurai Jack is (rightly) cited as one of the greatest animated series of the 2000s, that's a pretty high bar to clear. The winner of the 2004 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program, "The Birth of Evil" is as appropriately epic as such a title would imply, chronicling the primordial birth of the series' antagonist Aku and his fateful confrontation against Jack's father, the samurai lord of a distant land.

After finally vanquishing Aku and imprisoning him in a tree-like structure, the Emperor searches through the ruins of his home to find his wife accompanied by her handmaidens, holding their crying infant son in his arms. After embracing Jack, the emperor gravely intones that they must never forget the destruction that Aku has wrought. "We must learn from this day, we must be prepared should this evil return; We must have a plan."

I think a lot about the future nowadays. Both in general, and my own son's. I have no idea the challenges he'll have to contend with, other than the certainty that he will come of age in a radically different and more precarious world than the one that I did. I can't predict the future, but I can do my very best every day to help my son prepare to meet it at his very best. No matter what challenges come, I plan to show up every day for my child as he navigates both life and the world at large.