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There are few things in life as difficult and stressful as being a parent, and it can only be far more difficult and stressful to be a parent in a universe with super-powered beings. Every action taken can turn a child into a superhero or a supervillain in the blink of an eye, and for a parent, the idea of their child rushing headfirst into danger to save the multiverse can’t be easy.
The Arrowverse has a number of parents. Some are wonderful and loving, helping their children in every way they can but knowing they need to let their kids grow up too. Others are about as evil as a parent can be. There are even some who fall between the two extremes, not great parents, but not horrible either.
10 Worst: Ra’s Al Ghul Ignored His Daughter’s Truth (& Ran The League Of Assassins)
If his being the leader of the League of Assassins, or that he calls himself the Demon’s Head, isn’t enough of a clue that Ra’s al Ghul wouldn’t be the best dad in the world, the way he treated his daughter Nyssa al Ghul should make it clear.
Not only did Ra’s raise his daughter to be an assassin, but he also refused to accept her sexuality. Nyssa was in love with Sarah Lance, but her father demanded that she become the Bride of the Demon marry Oliver Queen. Being an evil ruler of a secret army of assassins is one thing, but forcing your daughter into a loveless marriage is way over the line.
9 Worst: Malcolm Merlyn Tortured His Daughter To Make Her Like Him
Malcolm Merlyn managed to be a real jerk of a dad to his own son Tommy, and while some may expect him to learn from his mistakes after Tommy’s death, Malcolm instead doubled down on his poor decision-making by tasking his daughter, Thea Queen, and training her to be a murderer just like him.
Malcolm’s method of training Thea was to physically torture her until her spirit was broken so he could rebuild her in his own image. A good parent hopes that their child will be their own person, but Malcolm just wanted his daughter to be exactly like him.
8 Worst: Damien Darhk Put His Daughter’s Life In Danger
There is no doubt that Damien Darhk loved his daughter Nora, after all, he sacrificed his life to save hers by offering himself to the demon Mallus in her place. Of course, the only reason Nora’s life was ever in danger was because of Damien’s quest for power, so he can’t get too much credit for saving her with that in mind.
Still, he did love his daughter, and he was proud when he saw that she had fallen in love and become a hero, even though the idea of doing good was antithetical to him. Of the worst Arrowverse dads, Damien was the least worst.
7 Not Great: Oliver Queen Never Connected With His Son
Through a series of events that Oliver Queen had little control over, the man better known as Green Arrow didn’t know he had a son named William until the child was eight years old. Not long after learning about his son, Oliver did all he could to be a part of William’s life, and when William’s mother was murdered by Prometheus, Oliver took him in.
While all of that sounds like good dad work, what Oliver did next wasn’t so good. Oliver essentially turned over the duties of raising his son to Felicity. Oliver rarely spent time with William, who had just watched his mother be murdered, creating a rift between the two.
6 Not Great: Rip Hunter Let His Heart Be Controlled By Rage
It’s hard to call Rip Hunter a bad father, but he isn’t a great one either. When Rip was introduced to viewers, his wife and son had already been killed by Vandal Savage, leading to Rip taking the Waverider back in time to create the Legends of Tomorrow.
While it is understandable for Rip to want to avenge the murder of his family, the way he went about it—mainly lying to the other members of the team about their real goal—suggests a man who let his rage overtake his heart, something that no child or spouse would ever want to see happen to someone the loved.
5 Pretty Good: Mick Rory Tried To Make Up For Past Mistakes
The newest parent in the Arrowverse, it is too soon to say just how good of a dad—or a mom—Mick Rory, also known as Heatwave, will be, and since Mick has left the Legends, fans may never find out. What is known is that even before Mick was impregnated with alien babies he had learned about his own teenaged daughter, which led to a change in the one-time criminal-turned-hero.
Mick used the Waverider to go back in time and be there for all the major moments he had missed in his daughter’s life. Mick may not be a perfect dad, but he’s a loving one.
4 Filled With Possibility: Barry Allen & Iris West Have Good Kids In A Possible Future
Thanks to a bunch of time travel shenanigans, Flash and Iris West’s grown-up children have shown up to hang out with younger versions of their parents. XS and Impulse both seem to be great kids with big hearts just like their parents, but when XS first arrived, it was clear that in the future she and Iris would have a rocky relationship.
Of course, the future is unwritten, and while it seems like the West-Allen family is all about love, there’s no telling what the future may hold, so it can’t be said for sure that Barry and Iris will be great parents.
3 Best: Wild Dog Did All He Could To Get His Daughter Back
Rene Ramirez fought crime and joined Team Arrow as Wild Dog, and while he did his best to clean up the streets, his vigilante work never took precedence over the well-being of his daughter Zoe. While Rene did fall apart after his wife was murdered, leading to his daughter being taken from him, he cleaned himself up and did all he could to give Zoe a good life.
Their father-daughter relationship was one built on love, trust, and understanding, giving Zoe the kind of loving home that every child deserves.
2 Best: Black Lightning Gave Hundreds Of Kids Hope
Jefferson Pierce may have been Anissa and Jennifer’s biological father, but as Garfield High School’s principal, he took an active role in his students’ lives. Along with fighting to keep the city—and the multiverse—safe as Black Lightning, Jefferson did all he could to make sure the kids at Garfield High had every opportunity the world could offer them, giving them the chance to become the best adults they could.
Adding to it all, Jefferson helped his daughters learn to control their own powers and become heroes, even though he had hoped that they would choose a safer life. Jefferson understood that his children needed to make their own choices, but he would always be there to help them when they needed it.
1 Best: Joe West Raised Heroes
The single father of a young daughter, Joe West didn’t hesitate to give Barry Allen a home after the young boy’s mother was murdered, a crime for which his father was incorrectly accused of and imprisoned for. Joe raised Barry as if he was his own flesh and blood, and has continued to stand beside Barry as the young boy grew up to become Flash. And as good a father as he was to Barry, he was equally good to Iris.
Upon learning that he had a biological son named Wally, Joe did all he could to welcome the teen into the West family. Wally was unsure at first, but in time, Joe’s warmth and love won him over. Everyone should be so lucky to have a dad as great as Joe West.
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