Fathers are Fearless: A Father's Day Tribute

Fathers are Fearless: A Father's Day Tribute


(I do not, nor will I EVER, own Inuyasha, Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, Wolf Children, Magi: Adventure of Sinbad, or Dragon Ball Z. They all belong to their respective owners.)





Welcome to our Father's Day tribute. An homage to all the fathers of anime.


   Our first father is none other than Toga. He is the father of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. The former barely knew Toga and he died not long after he was born. Toga was trying to protect Izayoi and his newborn son from Takemaru of Setsuna. Takemaru loved Izayoi first, but was driven mad by jealousy. So much so that he stabbed her with his spear while she was in labor with Inuyasha!


   She died from her injuries not long after, though luckily, Toga saved her with his Tensaiga. At that moment, Takemaru came back. Toga, despite suffering wounds from an earlier battle with his greatest enemy, Ryukotsusei, faced him as the palace burned, allowing Izayoi and Inuyasha to escape. Before they did, he gave Inuyasha his name. After that, he perished.


His final wish was for Izayoi to live a long life with Inuyasha.


If you leap awake in the mirror of a bad dream


   Then, there was Inuyasha, himself. He and Kagome have two children of their own: Yumi and Kyoji Higurashi. Inuyasha loved them very much and they loved him, too.


   Of course, Inuyasha tended to get a bit overprotective of the former. This was apparent whenever she hung around any boy, namely Kouichi. However, he later came to respect him. Took a long time, though.


And for a fraction of a second you can't remember where you are


Next is Minato Namikaze; he is the father of Naruto Uzumaki and the Fourth Hokage. He is also Kushina's husband.


   When they found out that they were having a baby, they were ecstatic. Minato was always worried about Naruto liking him or not and Kushina always assured him that he would. Of course, Minato was also a little overprotective of his son, even before he was born. He was always worrying about this and that and it sometimes gave Kushina her fair share of headaches.


Just open your window and follow your memory upstream


   If you thought he was nervous then, you should've seen him during the day of Naruto's birth, and that was a real disaster...because the Nine-Tailed Fox was running loose at the time. Although, they didn't plan on the demon's rampage. Madara Uchiha had set the beast free from Kushina, who was its Jinchuriki. He was about to have the fox kill her when Minato arrived in the nick of time.


   However, things took a turn for the worse once the Nine Tails was free from Madara's control. The demon continued his assault on the village, and he even attempted to kill Naruto. Nevertheless, Minato and Kushina stopped him from doing so. Unfortunately, it cost them both their lives. Before dying, they said their last words to Naruto. Minato hoped that the Hidden Leaf would see his son as a hero. Regrettably, that didn't happen. At least, not until many years later, when they boy turned 16.


To the meadow in the mountain where we counted every falling star


   When Pain attacked and Naruto was close to losing control of the Nine Tails, Minato appeared in his conscience. You may think that this was a heartfelt moment, yes? Wrong.


   The first thing Naruto did was punch Minato in the stomach for sealing the Nine Tails inside him. He asked him if he had any idea of how hard his life was, having the village shun him, and Minato didn't blame Naruto for feeling that way. To be honest, he kind of expected it.


   After that, he explained to Naruto that someone wearing a mask caused the Nine-Tailed Fox's assault on the village. Naruto was shocked. In addition to that, Minato explained how as long as the ninja system still exists, there will never be true peace. He told Naruto that he knew that he'd find some way to stop the masked man. He even said that he was proud of Naruto. Before passing on to the other side, Minato repaired the seal on Naruto one final time.


I believe a light that shines on you will shine on you forever (Forever...)


   Now, we move onto another father. Sharrkhan of King Sinbad's Eight Generals. Sharrkhan was the adopted father of Shanelle. Even before he and Yamraiha started dating, Shanelle always called him "Poppa". Naturally, it did embarrass him a bit. Little Shanelle never understood why, though.


   Be that as it may, as time went on, Sharrkhan grew to love Shanelle very much, and he felt very morose when she left for Magnostadt Academy at ten years old.


And though I can't guarantee there's nothing scary hiding under your bed


   Although, he was ecstatic when she came to Sindria with Aladdin, and what's more, Yamraiha was pregnant at the time, so his family would grow even more.


   Next, we move onto Solomon Jehoahaz Abraham, the King of Alma Torran; he is also Aladdin's father. Like Sheba, Solomon never got the chance to see his son, for one of his most trusted friends, Arba, had killed his wife and led a revolt, believing that he had committed blasphemy by distributing the rukh of Ill Ilah to the people. This led to an all-out war between them and inevitably the destruction of Alma Torran. Solomon's body may have been lost, but his spirit continues to watch over his son.


I'm gonna stand guard like a postcard of a Golden Retriever


   Next is Monkey D. Luffy. His father is the Most Wanted Man in the World, Monkey D. Dragon. Dragon wasn't really a big factor in Luffy's life. In fact, Luffy didn't even know about him until he was 17.


   Why Dragon left him and his mother behind is a mystery, yet some believe that he left them not out of carelessness, but more out of protection. Since he was the World's Most Wanted Criminal, it stood to reason that the Government wouldn't just hunt him down, but his family, too.


It's a cruel fact about all children whose parents are wanted criminals.


   Because of this, Luffy felt it was Dragon's fault that his mother died, unaware that Dragon actually did come to Star's funeral, yet didn't want to be seen. He never stopped thinking about Star.


   Five years later, he meets Kamiya, who later bore his second child: a daughter named Aika. Disastrously, Kamiya met a grim end at the hands of Akainu. He issued a Buster Call to destroy Wolf Paw Island and kill Aika, since she was Dragon's daughter. Dragon, having tapped into the World Government's communications, attempted to save her and her mother by sending Sabo, Koala, and Hack there...lamentably, it was too late. Wolf Paw Island was gone. Kamiya was dead, along with many others, and Aika was nowhere to be found.


   Believing she had been killed along with everyone else, Dragon was guilt-ridden that he couldn't save his daughter. He had no idea that Aika was still alive and what's more, Luffy was taking care of her.


And never leave 'til I leave you with a sweet dream in your head


He will find out, soon.


   We go to our next father. Miroku the Buddhist monk. Miroku is the father of Michiko, Tamiko, Chikuma, and Riku. We're not gonna lie to you, the man's a sleazy, lecherous monk. Still, he did love his kids.


I'm gonna watch you shine
Gonna watch you grow


   When Sango wasn't teaching two of her other children how to be Demon Slayers, he was teaching the aforementioned two the ways of Buddhism.


Gonna paint a sign
So, you'll always know
As long as one and one is two


   Next is Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and he is the father of Fang. Shocking, we know. And yet, even Grimmjow proved to be a good father, despite who he is. Fang really loved her Dad and he was always good to her.


There could never be a father
Who loved his child more than I love you


   Next is Liu Bingwen, the father of Liu Xiaolian and Liu Lifen. Bingwen loved both of his daughters and they loved him. Bingwen was a lot more lax than his wife, Jiayi. He always spoke calmly, and he'd often praise Xiao on how well she is doing as a messenger magician. He would even praise Lifen's skill at making jewelry. Bingwen was always so proud of them both.


Trust your intuition
It's just like goin' fishin'
You cast your line and hope you get a bite


   We now move on to Genzo and he is Nami and Nojiko's father figure. Genzo was more strict on the girls, mostly Nami, than Bellemere was. Especially when it came to Nami's sticky fingers and when she'd mimic Bellemere's bad habits. Such as hitting boys whenever they made her mad or offering to her body as payment. That one always got him flustered. Even so, he still cared about Nami.


   Then came the day Arlong and his crew arrived. They put a tax on the villagers, including children. Genzo and everyone else were able to pay...the only one who couldn't was Bellemere. She could only pay for Nami and Nojiko. Genzo was completely shocked by her actions, although Bellemere only smiled at him.


   After she died, Arlong made Nami become his mapmaker. Genzo tried to get her back, but he was attacked by Kurobi and left with many scars. Afterwards, he and the other villagers resolved to save Nami. For eight years, they pretended to hate her, even though they knew she had made a deal with Arlong. They did it because they didn't want to put more pressure on her.


   When Arlong broke his deal with Nami by calling the Marines on her, they decided that enough was enough. They were going to fight the pirate, even if it meant sacrificing their lives. Nami tried to stop them, yet she had no luck.


   Immediately arriving at Arlong Park, Johnny and Yosaku were guarding the entrance. They, too, had fought against Arlong and his men, yet they refused to let Genzo and the villagers pass. At least, not until Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp had arrived. A vicious battle broke out. In the end, Luffy and his crew were victorious. They had a huge party to celebrate for three days.


   During all of the craziness, Luffy met up with Genzo at Bellemere's grave. Genzo warned Luffy that if he ever hurt Nami in any way, he'd hunt him down and kill him. Luffy swore to him that he would always protect Nami. Once Luffy and his crew sets sail with Nami, right after she steals everyone's wallets, Genzo called out to Luffy, telling him not to forget their promise.


   Next, there was Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King and he is Portgas D. Ace's father. Roger wasn't really a big factor of Ace's life, mainly because he died before Ace was born.


   While he awaited execution, he was visited by Monkey D. Garp. He asked Garp to take care of his son for him. The latter wasn't too keen on the idea, but the former convinced him that Ace is innocent. After all, just because his father was a criminal didn't mean Ace was, too...at least not until he was older. In the end, Garp agreed to take Ace in and Roger was grateful to him for that.


But you don't need to waste your time
Worryin' about the market place,
Try to help the human race,
Struggling to survive its harshest night


   Next is Ookami; he is the father of Yuki and Ame. Ookami was very kind and he loved his family very much. When Hana was pregnant with Yuki and was constantly vomiting, he hunted down a pheasant for her and made soup with it to settle her stomach. He even helped deliver Yuki in their home, because Hana was afraid that the doctors would be shocked to see that she had given birth to a wolf pup.


   Not long after Ame was born, though, Ookami disappeared. Hana took their children and went to go and look for him. When she did find him, however...she soon wished she had found him under better circumstances.


   He had drowned in a canal while chasing a pheasant. His wolf instincts kicked in and he was gathering food for Ame. Unfortunately, that only ended up backfiring. Hana could only watch in horror as Ookami was stuffed in a garbage back, and then thrown into a garbage truck, his corpse crushed. Ookami later visited Hana in her dream. She couldn't hear him, but she could swear that he said, "Take care of our children.", right before he left, and that's just what Hana did.


   Years later, he visits her in another one of her dreams. Hana was very happy to see him. Ookami apologized for leaving her alone to rear Yuki and Ame. Hana told him that she wasn't upset, because she and their children were happy. She told him about how Ame ran away, though he informed her that their son would be all right. He said that Ame had grown up and he was right. Ame had matured into a fully-grown Honshu Wolf. He was also where he belonged, leaving Hana content. Yuki went on to live in a middle school dorm while Ame went to live in the wild.


I'm gonna watch you shine
Gonna watch you grow


   Next is Badr; he is the father of Sinbad, the King of Sindria. He was once a soldier in the Parthevian Army. In the previous war, he lost his leg. Not just that, but he was covered in scars. He always kept them covered, though.


   One day, he went fishing and when he was out at sea, he found out that Sinbad had stowed away. He was a bit shocked that his son was there. Sinbad, on the other hand, was happy to see Badr. Badr was about to yell at Sinbad, until a storm hit. Badr struggled to keep the ship afloat, yet the waves were too strong. At that moment, somehow, Sinbad managed to guide him out of the storm. This happened on the day of his birth, too. It was like Sinbad was a natural miracle and, in a way, he was.


Before long, he and Badr made it through the storm.


Gonna paint a sign
So, you'll always know


   Now, Sin was a little bit of a troublemaker as a child and Esra always had her hands full with him. One day, the family of three took in a stranger; his name was Darius. No one knew why he showed up in Tison Village, but Sinbad really admired him. It actually made Badr a little jealous. Especially when Darius told Sin stories of the world beyond the Parthevian Empire.


   Although, in reality, Darius was actually a spy for the Reim Empire. Sinbad never even figured it out. That is, until the day Darius took the boy hostage. Badr was furious. Esra begged the other villagers to help, but they refused to aid a family of "ex-patriots". That's when Badr finally decided to do something. At first, he tried pleading with Darius to let Sinbad go and to leave peacefully and when that didn't work, he killed Darius. Everyone was shocked. Though, Badr said that he would fight anyone who dares threaten his family.


   Everyone said that killing Darius would instigate war with the Reim Empire. All the same, Badr was willing to take whatever punishment his country would give him. Soon, he revealed all his scars and his lost leg to the villagers. All of his battle scars were proof of how dreadful war truly is. Sinbad was shocked to see how badly scarred his father was, maybe even a little afraid.


   After that day, Badr was drafted by force to participate in the upcoming war. Sinbad never saw his father again. Weeks later, he and Esra received notice that Badr had died in battle and they were given his sword; they were both devastated.


As long as one and one is two


   Finally, there is Piccolo. He is a Namekian. His father, Piccolo Sr., attempted to conquer planet Earth, once, yet he failed due to being defeated by Son Goku. He tried to conquer the earth in his stead, but was also defeated by the aforementioned Goku.


   Later, when Raditz came and kidnapped Gohan, he and Goku teamed up to defeat him and they did...although Goku sacrificed his life doing so. Though, that was the least of their problems. Two more Saiyans were on their way to Earth.


   During that time, Piccolo would to train Gohan to fight. In that interval, Piccolo proved to be a much better father figure than Goku. Was he tough on Gohan? Yes. Notwithstanding, Gohan learned how to be tough because of it.


There could never be a father
Who loved his child more than I love you


   Piccolo even began to grow fond of Gohan. Because of this, he even sacrificed his life for the young Half-Saiyan boy. After the Z fighters were killed, Bulma, Krillin, Gohan, and the others set out to journey to Planet Namek and find their dragon balls. Of course, they had to fight off Frieza's forces, which was quite an ordeal. Still, they managed to win and they even brought Piccolo back. Of course, Goku was elsewhere.


I'm gonna watch you shine
Gonna watch you grow


Not everyone starts out as a father, but sometimes, fate has a way of changing things.


Gonna paint a sign
So, you'll always know


Yes, it is a long and challenging journey, though it's always worth it.


As long as one and one is two


So concludes our Father's Day Tribute.


There could never be a father
(There could never be a father
Who loved his child more than I love you...)
Who loved his child more than I love you


Remember, love and cherish your father or father figures, because they're the only ones you have.