Some poor dads here certainly, but your Ned Stark contains such glaring inaccuracies(not differing interpretations) that I assume there is exagerration for comic effect going on. Well done.

The Doctor? Of all worst fathers in the universe, it's The Doctor? I'd say it's Captain Jack Harkness -- he killed his own grandchild while abandoning his own daughter.

Just realized Dexter wouldn't be included because the previous season ended a few months ago. My bad! (But he's still a terrible father.)

Ned did eff up quite a lot though. I don't think it can really be denied that he was a good man who loved his family, but his honor before reason deal did pretty much get him killed and put them in danger.

Too soon man, too soon.

Ah!! Thank you cal.

Everything you said about Rufus was spot on. But sadly, he's still the best parent on Gossip Girl. LOL

True Blood is back on TV in a few weeks, so Joe Lee deserves a mention for being a scumbag that pimps out his shapeshifter son to dogfighting rings.

I would have put Tywin Lannister over Ned Stark - considering that what you wrote about Ned was just twisting stuff into shittiness, while what we've heard of Tywin is actual shittiness. - like how he hired a whore to pretend to be a damsel in distress for his son, and then after the son fell for her for real and married her, decided to have her fucked by his entire guard while his son watched.

Walternate, sure, but Walter Bishop? He broke two universes to try to save his son--if that isn't fatherly devotion I don't know what is.

And the Doctor? Wrong on two counts: one, he thinks she's dead and he's thought abouty her since (flashback when Davros confronts him); and two, even if he does manage to beat out others for this list (and there are a LOT worse fathers than him), you should have picked him based on the First Doctor: he was a father on Gallifrey and either something happened to his kids or he abandoned them when he ran away AND he arbitrarily decided to abandon his granddaughter Susan on a post-Dalek invasion ravaged 22nd century Earth because he thought she'd fallen in love with some guy she'd met a few days earlier. Oh, AND he promised he'd come back to see her, and he never did.

The excuses made for the fantasy genre are ridiculous. This is an existence with unnaturally long winters, so any type of behavior could be chosen. Instead, your average fantasy writer is obsessed with showing women being raped and used as chattel. There is no "time" there, except what the writer created. He's a sick fuck, and trying to use "those were the times" as an excuse is lazy, lazy, lazy.

As for honor being an excuse, it's not. Putting some abstract idea like "honor" above the safety of your children makes you a bad parent.

Of course, GoT fans can't stand their precious show and its writer being called on their shit. The posting of the "how dare you" replies is no shocker.

Another GoT watcher who thinks you should have chosen Tywin. I get the intended comic effect, and I do think Ned's patenting skills leave a lot to be desired, but the point doesn't work so well when the show has one of the ACTUAL worst fathers on TV on it too. And you didn't even MENTION him...

Seriously. Not even counting the whole thing with Tyrion's "wife" (which is beyond awful), there's also the part where he is emotionally abusive to BOTH of his sons, and probably his daughter as well. There's a reason the Lannisters are so messed up.

I know this show was not watched by many but how about Buddy Garrity on Friday Night Lights? A guy who lives in the past and brought his son into town so he can additionally live vicariously through him with football!

And that's just what they've put in the series to date. The truth makes things far far worse. Oh and you forgot ignores his oldest two having incest babies, praises the son known as a traitor, and inspires wraith in his only daughter.

I love TWoP but I really wished you actually watched the shows. Ned is not a terrible father. In fact by Westeros standards he's actually a very good daddy. The Doctor.. really? Seriously? And you are listing Walter? He may be messed up but there are far worse fathers on television this season. Although, I do agree about the gossip girl dad. In fact I feel most of those parent figures should be on here.

@Joe Lazy? Maybe. Still doesn't make it any less true that women from that "period in time" were basically used as cattle or bargaining pieces for land or status. There is also the exception for every rule, but for the most part that's how we, females, were seen. Not every one of us could be an Elizabeth. The only important part of us wasn't our mind it was what was between our legs for breeding sons. I understand your grievance though, that his book could be the exception to the rule.

God - Supernatural

Ned Stark had no choice but to accept Sanza's betrothal. The king ordered it, and she herself desperately wanted to wed Joffrey. And no one knew the extend of his psychosis until much later. Ned never "pimped out" his daughter.

Walter? I love Walter. Even Peter loves Walter. Sure he was pissed, but he knows Walter loves him.

Agree completely. But then again, I suppose if this site seems to be content completely ignoring one of the years best shows, who am I to judge?

Best dad ever? Jack Bristow

How did Frank Gallagher from Shameless not make this list? He should have been #1!!

what about charlie sheen

In a fictional landscape with Robert Barratheon, Tywin Lannister and Jon Arryn, you beat up on the only loving quasi-responsible father in The Game of Thrones? Really?

He left Bran under kingly edict and spousal prodding. He objected strongly to John Snow's choice.

Lady died because Sansa was too cowardly and stupid to speak truth. He did seem quite dim, but as others have indicated, he acted with honesty, honor and mercy (for which he was basically eaten alive). He tried to get Sansa out of the marriage to a sociopath, and his family's safety was his first priority (as evidenced by the interest he took in Arya and the steps he took to make certain she could defend herself and that she was safe even after the execution)--again, he went through with the sham confession to save Sansa's miserable life. Anyway...there were plenty of other candidates who were worthy of this dubious distinction. Ned certainly wasn't one of them.

Arlo Givens from Justified is missing. You know your a lousy father when you son understandably refuses to forgive you for trying to have him killed and takes money from his employer while refusing to give it back.

You don't get it, do you? He didn't went to be King's Hand (the decision that spelled his doom and the tragedy of his family) because of "honor", but because of friendship with Robert and duty to him as his King. This isn't "fantasy" stuff - those are very real concepts which we all experience. Now, the second and final decision point where Ned could behave differently is, of course, to recognize Joffrey as a heir - to lie and to get over a fact that Lannisters tried to kill his son. That's not only immoral, that's inhuman. And yet in the end, he betrayed his honor to save his obnoxious daughter. Bad father, indeed.

Was this list meant to be taken as a joke or for comedic effect? Because the exaggerated reasons that are thrown out to make these character "bad fathers" are frankly either stupid or ignorant or ridiculous.

There's no way I can actually take this list seriously so I'm gonna assume this is done as a joke.

And Ned Stark as the worst father? Oh please, I can see a million characters this season who are worst fathers than Ned ever was, and if you are gonna judge his actions, at least do it objectively rather than exaggerating and twisting details to suit your own bias. Considering the group of fathers on Game of Thrones, Ned is easily the best of the bunch, and it's so clear that Ned's children all love their father very much. The Stark children are all strong and brave and smart, and they are that way because of the honor and courage that their father taught him.

And simple proof that Ned is a good father is how he treats Arya. Arya's un-lady-like behavior in that time period would have easily been repressed and squashed had it been any other father who just thinks lowly of women, yet Ned sees Arya's talent and her spirit, he sees that she is different and instead of forcing her to be someone she isn't, he is embracing her uniqueness and allowing her to be her own person.

You might make Ned into some horrible father and bad guy, but Ned Stark gave up everything he is ultimately to ensure the safety of his children, and he died for that.

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