RJ Writing Ink

My Picks for the Most Heinous Fathers in Fiction

They are the pinnacle of horrible parenting at it’s absolute worst. Happy Father’s Day everyone, and today, I wanted to take a look at some examples of characters that I consider to be the worst dad’s in fiction. Whether they neglected their children or were verbally or physically abusive to them, these are the deadbeats that Child Protective Services would love to put behind bars. That is, if they could.

Also, it goes without saying, but I despise each and every one of these guys. Okay, maybe not one of them.

Tywin Lannister

I cannot lie: I have a grudging respect for the Patriarch of House Lannister for being one of the smartest characters in Game of Thrones. As the head of House Lannister in the first half of the show, Tywin manipulated events to ensure his family would remain on top. No matter how immoral the methods may be (*cough* Red Wedding *cough*). Yet for all his talk of the importance of family, Tywin failed to practice what he preached. While each of his kids got scarred by their dad’s neglect, it was Tyrion who got the worst of it.

From the moment he was born, Tywin sought to make Tyrion’s life a living hell, all by virtue of being a dwarf. From denying him his birthright to allow him to be framed for the assassination of Joffrey, he went out of his way to be rid of his son. So, can you blame some of us for cheering when Tyrion killed his father as payback for all the abuse? Considering how he was going to have Tyrion killed, I’d say it was justified.

Aku

He is the shape-shifting master of darkness, the Shogun of sorrow, and the mortal enemy to Samurai Jack. Aku is one of the most evil beings in cartoon history, with atrocities that span centuries of tyrannical rule. However, it turns out he’s also… a dad? In the penultimate episode of the show, we learn that he left part of his essence with a cult that worshipped him. And when the High Priestess drank it, she somehow got pregnant and gave birth to Aku’s half-human daughters, the last of which was Ashi, Jack’s companion and love interest.

Now, Aku’s more or less on here because of all of his past actions. He didn’t have enough time to develop a real relationship with Ashi. However, in the short time he knew of her existence, he used his essence to control her body against her will and become his unwilling puppet. Fortunately, Ashi proved that her heritage didn’t define her and overcame her father’s control, which led to Aku’s downfall and Jack getting back to the past at last.

Darth Vader

As a Sith Lord, Darth Vader was responsible for countless atrocities in the name of his master, many of which would physically and emotionally scar his children, Luke and Leia. The first movie alone saw him order the deaths of Luke’s Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, torture Leia, and force her to watch as her home planet was destroyed. Then came Empire where he cut off Luke’s arm, and then proceeded to shatter his son’s world with this now famous scene.

I would also hold the fact that he was absent from his kid’s lives for twenty years, but to be fair, he was led to believe that they were dead. He may have redeemed himself in his final moments, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Vader was a bad dad.

By the way, this is the one that I don’t hate. I’m more disappointed in Vader.

Mr. Stotch

If you thought that I would put Randy Marsh on this list as the dad I hate most on South Park, guess again. While I find some of Randy Marsh’s antics annoying, I understand that he’s just an idiot and doesn’t mean any harm. Most of the time. The dad that I hate the most has to be Mr. Stotch.

Mr. Stotch is, in my eyes, the epitome of a dad that is far too strict with the way he treats his son, Butters. He will rail on Butters for the most minor of mistakes, real or imaginary, and his main form of discipline is to simply ground Butters. In the context of the show, it’s played for laughs, but if this was in real life, Mr. Stotch would be arrested by Child Protective Services. When I got to fight him in South Park: The Fractured But Whole, it felt cathartic to give him his just desserts.  

Fire Lord Ozai

And here he is, the man I consider to be the epitome of terrible fatherhood, Fire Lord Ozai. I could write an entire article on why Ozai was not just a horrible dad, but a horrible person in general, and overall waste of human DNA. Instead, I’ll just paraphrase all of the horrible things he’s done:

• Jealously tried to have his wife’s ex-boyfriend (and true love) killed
• Was willing to kill his own son to appease his equally abusive father
• Murdered his own father in order to usurp his brother’s birthright and become Fire Lord
• Challenged his own son Zuko to an Agni Kai just for talking out of turn, and then permanently scarred him and banished him when he refused to fight.
• Was emotionally abusive to Azula and pushed her into becoming a cold-blooded, sociopathic perfectionist, contributing to her eventually loss of sanity.
• Was going to burn the entire world to the ground to create a new world where he ruled as a god-king

All said, Ozai was, without a doubt, the worst father that I had ever seen on TV while I was growing up. Everyone universally agreed that the world would be better off without him, with Zuko even encouraging Aang to kill him. While he would have deserved it, I think that Aang’s punishment was far more fitting. Taking away his bending forever, stripping him of all his power, and leaving him to rot in prison for the rest of his life was a fate worse than death. And a fitting punishment for such a sad, pathetic bully. Good riddance.

Happy Father’s Day, Everyone!

So, now that that’s out of the way, I want to say thanks to all the wonderful fathers out there. And I hope that seeing these failures of parenthood in action will make you appreciate your old man even more.

Click here to see my other animation stuff.

Or here to see all holiday related posts.

Click here to see more of my Star Wars Stuff.

6 Biggest Deaths from Season 4 of Game of Thrones

You’d think that Game of Thrones would get tired of killing off characters after the Red Wedding, but it doesn’t. While the War of the Five Kings may be ending, the bloodshed doesn’t, as Season Four sees even more long-standing characters meet their fates. Some of them also happen to be people on my Game of Thrones hate list, too.

Four days remain until the final season of Game of Thrones premieres, and there are more characters who bite it. Let’s look at the six biggest deaths from Season 4 of Game of Thrones.

#6- Locke & Night’s Watch Mutineers, “First of His Name”

Back in Season Three, members of the Night’s Watch staying at Craster’s Keep got fed up with the poor way Craster was treating them. In response, they mutinied and killed Craster and Jeor Mormont, the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. In Season Four, Jon Snow leads a raid on the Keep, killing all the mutineers and free Craster’s daughter-wives. Unknown to all, one of the Night’s Watch members, Locke, was sent to find and kill Bran Stark on behalf of House Bolton, only to have his neck snapped by Bran when he warges into Hodor

The deaths of the mutineers was refreshing, but these deaths were important as a whole for several reasons. By leading the raid, Jon Snow not only proves himself as the leader that Jeor Mormont saw him to be, but avenges his mentor’s death and keeps the traitors form falling into the hands of Mance Rayder or the White Walkers.

Meanwhile, Locke’s death ensures that the continued survival of Bran Stark remains a secret, allowing him to travel northward to be trained by the Three-Eyed Raven.

#5- Ygritte, “The Watchers on The Wall”

Some of the greatest love stories end in tragedy, or so the story goes. While infiltrating the Free Folk, Jon Snow and Ygritte end up falling for each other. That makes it hurt even more for both when Jon chooses his loyalty to the Night’s Watch over love for Ygritte. Despite vowing to kill him during the Battle of Castle Black, Ygritte hesitates when she has the chance, leading her to be killed via arrow by Olly.

Despite being on opposite sides, Jon Snow and Ygritte truly loved each other and were heartbroken over the fact that they may have to kill each other. Jon remains devastated by Ygritte’s death, making it one of the hardest of the many losses he’s experienced throughout the show. It would be years before Jon’s able to move on from her death. Regretably, the next girl he ends up falling for is his (unknowing) Aunt.

#4- Lysa Arryn, “The Mockingbird”

Game of Thrones hasn’t focused that much on the Vale or Lysa Arryn, but it’s clear to everyone that she’s not mentally sound. When she discovers her new husband, Petyr Baelish, kissed her niece, Sansa Stark, Lysa comes close to throwing the poor girl out the Moon Door. While Littlefinger seems to calm her down by pretending to say that he loves her, he reveals that he’s only ever loved her sister, Catelyn Stark. He then proceeds to push Lysa from the Moon Door to her death.

Aside from showing how manipulative Littlefinger can be, Lysa’s death scene reveals one of the biggest mysteries of the show: the death of Jon Arryn. Lysa says that she was the one who posioned her husband, then lied to Catelyn and said the Lannisters were responsible. All of this was done on the orders of Littlefinger himself. Meaning, all the deaths and chaos that have occurred since the start of the show were because of Littlefinger’s machinations. What a jerk.

#3- Oberyn Martell, “The Mountain and the Viper”

You had one job Oberyn, and that was to kill the Mountain. When Tyrion demands a trial by combat for being accused of Joffrey’s assassination, Prince Oberyn Martell volunteers to be his champion against Cersei’s champion, the Mountain. While Oberyn easily gains the upper hand over the Mountain, he lets his desire to hear the man confess to raping and killing his sister, Elia Martell, and her children with Rhaegar Targaryen. As a result, the Mountain crushes his skull like a grape.

Oberyn’s death was one of the most brutal on the show, and that’s saying something. Aside from sentencing Tyrion to death for a crime he didn’t commit, Oberyn’s demise has far-reaching consequences. It practically dooms any hope of an alliance between the Lannisters and Martell, and leads to even greater death and suffering in the following seasons.

#2- Joffrey, “The Lion and the Rose”

After his Uncle and Grandfather secured his place on the Iron Throne, Joffrey solidified his power by marrying Margaery from the powerful House Tyrell. Yet in the midst of his wedding feast, Joffrey started choking to death without any warning. Despite the assistance of those present, Joffrey died in his mother’s arms.

It may have been the start of a new round of bloodshed and carnage, but fans of Game of Thrones practically danced in the streets in celebration. Joffrey was a rare type of villain in fiction: the kind universally despised by the fans. His death sparked an avalanche of memes and reaction videos celebrating the monster’s death. I can’t think of anything else to say, so here’s a reaction video from Sean TankTop on YouTube:

#1- Tywin Lannister, “The Children”

All his life, Tyrion has been emotionally abused by his cruel father, Tywin Lannister, who refuses to acknowledge any of his merits simply because he’s a dwarf. The straw that broke the camel’s back, though, was letting him be framed for the murder of King Joffrey, sentencing him to death, and even turning the woman he loved against him. Pushed to his breaking point, Tyrion escapes and then kills his own father while he’s on the toilet.

I won’t lie, I respected Tywin Lannister a great deal for being one of the smartest characters on the show. For all his success at gathering power, it was his failures as a father that did him in. His death would ultimately cause chaos in King’s Landing and enabled the rise of the Sparrows. Even so, watching the jerk die still put a smile on my face.

Agree with my picks? Send me your best reaction video to Joffrey’s death.

Click here to see my favorite scenes from Season Four.

My 7 Favorite Moments from Game of Thrones, Season 4

How does a show like Game of Thrones keep people coming back season after season, regardless of how many characters they may kill off? With incredible acting, an A-List Hollywood movie budget, and raising the stakes. After the infamous end to Season Three with the Red Wedding, the War of the Five Kings seems like it’s over. Yet the storm of betrayal and intrigue remains as strong as ever.

Four days remain until the final season of Game of Thrones premieres, and we continue our week of thrones with my seven favorite moments from Season Four of Game of Thrones. There were actually a lot of scenes I like this season, so picking one was hard.

#7- Drogon Snaps at Daenerys, “Two Swords”

Anyone who’s ever been a parent can attest to the fact that it can be hard at times. Now add in the fact that those kids are dragons, and you’ll see what it’s like for Daenerys Targaryen. While spending family time with her dragons, they started fighting over an animal carcass. When she tries to calm them down, she’s shocked when Drogon angrily roars at her.

We’ve seen Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion grow up with Daenerys. Through that, we can see them as characters in their own right. But this scene serves as a reminder that to Daenerys, and to us, that they are still dragons. They have the power to burn countries to the ground if they were to go berserk.

Maybe I’m over analyzing things, but could this moment be a metaphor about the dangers of letting power get out of control? Or they were just going through their rebellious teen phase. Either way, Dany was taking no chances; she locked Rhaegal and Viserion up in the Pyramid of Mereen at the end of Season Four, and they stayed there for some time.

#6- Sansa Finally Plays the Game, “The Mountain and the Viper”

After finally escaping King’s Landing and the grip of the Lannisters, Sansa ends up in more trouble when her Aunt Lysa threatens to kill her after Littlefinger kissed her. When Littlefinger kills Lysa and is made to stand trial, Sansa reveals her true identity. At the same time, she lies and says that Lysa killed herself in order to protect Littlefinger, which ends up working.

Sansa was subjected to inhumane physical, mental, and emotional abuse at the hands of the Lannisters. Her trauma wasn’t without fruit, though, as she learned to master a very important skill to surviving in Westeros: how to lie. No longer a pawn, Sansa becomes a player in the Game of Thrones in her own right. When you see where she stands at the end of Season Seven, she’s done pretty well, and this is where she started. Thank heavens that the difference between her and Cersei is that she has a conscience.

#5- Bran Meets the Three-Eyed Raven “The Children”

Ever since he got pushed from that tower and crippled, Bran Stark learned that he had powers that most people lacked. He could control the minds of others and could see into the past. After traveling Beyond the Wall and fighting through the Wights, Bran came to the cave that was home to the mysterious Three-Eyed Raven that had been appearing in his dreams since Season One

The Three-Eyed Raven was one of the biggest mysteries on the show: who was he, and what did he want with Bran? As it turns out, Bran had a greater destiny than anyone could imagine. Under the Three-Eyed Raven, Bran learned to master his powers as the new Three-Eyed Raven. With the White Walkers upon humanity, Bran will play a major role in the Great War. On my part, though, I just thought that this was a great example of the “young hero meets wise old mentor” trope. And even if Bran never walks again, he gets a wheelchair; he can rock that Professor Xavier thing!

#4-Tyrion Snaps, “The Laws of Gods and Men”

Tyrion Lannister is one of the best characters in the show, but he’s also gotten some of the worst treatment from people. His resentment to his father and sister had been simmering long before the show started, but then they accused him of killing Joffrey and put him through a kangaroo court. The straw that broke the camel’s back came when they forced his former lover, Shae, to falsely testify against him, finally causing him to snap. And by God, it was glorious!

Some of the best performances come from real-life experiences, and Peter Dinklage has plenty to draw from. In a 2003 interview, he admitted that he grew angry and bitter over his dwarfism, but learned to not let that drag him down. When he, as Tyrion, says he’s been on trial for that all his life, I could tell Dinklage was speaking from his past.

And the anger in his speech! I could practically see the venom he was spitting out at everyone. The look in his eyes as he silently disowned his father, and then the credits playing the instrumental version of “The Rains of Castamare”. It was one of the best moments in the entire show, hands down, and if Peter didn’t win an Emmy for it, then it’s their loss.

#3-Tyrion Kills Tywin

You should notice a trend in these lists by now: a lot of my favorite scenes revolve around the death of a character that I hate. I’m not ashamed to admitting a great deal of satisfaction from watching jerks get their just desserts. And since I already discussed the scene on this post’s counterpart, I want to say why I loved seeing Tywin bite it.

I do not condone murder as a solution, but I can at least understand why some people may be driven to it. Like Tyrion said, his father had been wanting him dead his entire life. He knew Tyrion didn’t kill Joffrey, and he did nothing to save him. While Westeros may see it as kinslaying, Tywin was going to do the same thing. It was justifiable, and Tywin had already committed many atrocities in his life. Most recently was organizing the Red Wedding.

It’s funny: for all his power, Tywin dies at the one time he’s vulnerable: on the toilet.

#2- Battle of Castle Black “The Watchers on The Wall”

Jon Snow’s story may have been slow throughout Season Four, but the penultimate episode brought it to a climax with the Battle of Castle Black. After four seasons of build-up, Mance Rayder and the Free Folk army launch an all-out assault on the Wall. Despite being outnumbered a literal thousand-to-one, the Night’s Watch holds them off, thanks to the efforts of most of the named cast in the Night’s Watch. Except Janos Slynt, who was as useless as they come.

The penultimate episode of each season of Game of Thrones has always been the climax. As the show has gone on, it’s gotten steadily more ambitious with its battles. And it shows in this sequel to the amazing battle in “Blackwater” back in Season Two. They even had the same person directing this episode. Thankfully, every season since then has had at least one epic battle on par with this. The Battle of Castle Black raised the bar on warfare on TV, and the final season will, hopefully, continue that trend.

#1- Joffrey dies, “The Lion and the Rose”

Since I’m a latecomer to the show, I was able to binge through the first few seasons. Meaning I wasn’t able to endure the headache that was Joffrey Baratheon for years on end like some other fans did. That said, when I saw him die, I could understand how the fans celebrated the end to this three year-long headache

And the way Cersei reacted! Even if I didn’t know the truth before hand, I knew that Cersei was stupidly jumping to conclusions by saying Tyrion did it. And eventually, her stupidity would end up killing hundreds of people over the next few seasons. Her reaction would be funny if it didn’t lead to so much pain in the end.

Do you agree with my picks? What were your favorite moments from Season Four? Let me know in the comments below.

For my list of favorite deaths this season, click here.