Though his fatherly roles go back many years,Pedro Pascalhas become his own kind of archetype when it comes to playing a dad in Hollywood. After making his big break as Oberyn Martell inGame of Thronesin 2014, Pascal has only continued to rise in fame more and more, which has placed many exciting opportunities before him. Following his debut as theStar Warsfather and titular character ofThe Mandalorian,Din Djarin, most of these opportunities see Pascal playing a dad - usually, a single dad who’s reluctantly agreed to protect someone.
While all of these dad roles that Pascal plays are quite different from one another,this list is ranked based on how good of a father these characters really are. It’s worth noting that there are some dad roles Pascal previously played that aren’t included, only because they are brief appearances made in network TV shows. Pascal is expected to be playing a father in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Reed Richards, but until that performance debuts, Reed won’t be included on this list. That leaves these 10 dad roles, ranked from worst to best.
10Dave York
The Equalizer 2 (2018)
Long before the two joined forces forRidley Scott’sGladiator II, Pascal appeared in an antagonistic role with Denzel Washington inThe Equalizer 2, where his character’s actions certainly endanger his own children. Though there isn’t much focus on who Dave York was as a father, he’s seen with his family in at least one scene, and his other actions speak for him. Formerly the partner of Washington’s Robert McCall in the DIA, Dave and his associates have since become contracted killers, with Dave even murdering Robert’s close friend to maintain the secret.
The Equalizer 2
Cast
The Equalizer 2 is the follow-up film to Antoine Fuqua’s 2014 The Equalizer, starring Denzel Washington as Robert McCall. The sequel was released four years later and follows McCall as he seeks revenge after one of his close friends is murdered. The film wasn’t as well received as the first movie but was still considered a worthy addition to the Equalizer franchise.
Robert confronts Dave at his house when he becomes suspicious of what Dave’s up to, and this alone is a quiet threat and a harrowing reminder that Robert knows where he, and his family, live. Instead, Dave doubles down on what he’s doing, and he even kidnaps a teenager as leverage to lure Robert out and attempt to kill him.Anyone who would put their children at risk like this, or risk other children in the process, is not a good parent, nor a good person. Pascal plays the character well, but this father is certainly last on the list.
9Maxwell “Max” Lord
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Next is Pascal’s antagonistic DC Universe role, on account of how Max Lord’s motives concern him more than his son. As someone with a poor, abusive upbringing, Max wants nothing more than success, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get that. With his business on the cusp of bankruptcy, Max goes after an ancient artifact that’s been said to grant wishes, and he takes on the stone’s powers. The more he gets people to make wishes, the more powerful he becomes, though the process is also killing him at the same time.
Wonder Woman 1984
Wonder Woman 1984, set during the Cold War, follows Diana Prince as she faces a formidable opponent. When a heist exposes a perilous ancient artifact, Wonder Woman is drawn into a global conflict that endangers her extraordinary abilities and challenges her resolve to save the world.
Through all of this, Max’s son, Alistair (Lucian Perez), is fighting for his father’s attention - and failing to earn it. Max feels as if he has to prove himself to his son, but all his son wants is to love his father and be loved in return.Max’s actions even inadvertently put Alistair in danger, as he’s left abandoned in the midst of the chaos that results from Max allowing the entire world to grant their wishes. It takes this entire series of events for Max to understand this, and though their reunion is endearing, it still cannot erase everything.
8Ezra
Prospect (2018)
The role Pascal plays as Ezra in the indie sci-fi movieProspectis much more like his familiar archetype of fatherly roles, with him going from a stranger to the fierce protector of a child. InProspect, Ezra ends up killing Cee (Sophie Thatcher)’s father in a tense showdown between ambitious prospectors, andthe two of them instead end up taking a journey that leads to them growing closer. Cee and Ezra’s relationship starts out conditional at best, due to the terms of how they met, but by the end, they become a reluctant father-daughter duo.
Prospect
Prospect is a 2018 science fiction film directed by Zeek Earl and Chris Caldwell. It follows a teenage girl and her father as they embark on a quest to harvest rare gems from a toxic alien moon. Faced with treacherous terrain and hostile inhabitants, they must navigate dangerous encounters in a lawless frontier. The film stars Sophie Thatcher, Pedro Pascal, and Jay Duplass.
Ezra certainly does not start out as the ideal father figure. Murdering Cee’s father in an attempted robbery gone wrong, and then trying to kill Cee afterward, proves as much. Their dynamic, however, changes for the better, symbolized by the moment when Cee helps Ezra to amputate his arm that’s been infected by the shot she took at him when he first tried to kill her. Losing that arm meant losing their past, and instead, they move forward to survive together. Ezra’s still done plenty of wrong things concerning Cee, though, which keeps him lower on this list.
7Silva
Strange Way of Life (2023)
Though the focus ofStrange Way of Lifeis on Silva’s relationship with Jake (Ethan Hawke), not his son Joe (George Steane), Silva’s relationship with his son is still an important part of what happens in Pedro Almodóvar’s short film. As the sheriff of a Wild West town, Jake is in pursuit of Silva’s son, who’s the suspect of a murder - the murder of Jake’s brother’s widow. Silva comes into town to visit Jake specifically, his old friend and lover who he hasn’t seen in 25 years, and Jake blames this visit on Silva’s desire to protect his son.
Strange Way of Life
Strange Way of Life (2023) is a Western drama directed by Pedro Almodóvar. The film stars Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal as former gunslingers who reunite after a long separation. Set against a rugged landscape, their encounter reveals deep-seated tensions and unresolved issues, challenging their notions of loyalty and identity.
Silva, however, is completely unaware of what his son’s done, but he immediately goes to confront him. Silva chews Joe out for what he’s done, and he even pulls his shotgun on him to defend Jake. Still, even as Silva demands that his son leaves forever,he protects his son the way any good father would, preventing Jake from killing him when his back’s turned. While Silva likely should have been keeping better tabs on what his son was up to, he does what he can to rectify it, giving him an average spot on the list.
6Francisco “Catfish” Morales
Triple Frontier (2019)
Interestingly, Pascal’s role as Frankie in Netflix’sTriple Frontiernever shows him with his child, though the child is mentioned a few times - and the way he treats his friends informs how he is as a father. There’s no denying the fact that out of his group of five close friends from his Delta Force squad, Frankie is the “dad friend.” He’s the one who keeps them on all task, offers advice, and even deals out a necessary thank-you to Santiago (Oscar Isaac) for covering a round of drinks, despite the little white lies Santiago was telling them about their mission.
Triple Frontier
Triple Frontier is an action movie that sees five former Special Forces operatives reunite to plan a heist in a sparsely populated multi-border zone of South America. For the first time in their prestigious careers, these unsung heroes undertake this dangerous mission for themselves instead of the country. But when events take an unexpected turn and threaten to spiral out of control, their skills, loyalties, and morals are pushed to a breaking point in an epic battle for survival.
Everything Frankie does in this movie, like his fellow friends, is becausehe’s driven by one clear motive: to provide for his newborn baby, and the mother. In the midst of this, Frankie focuses his protective fatherly senses on his friends, which drives him to say and do some questionable things near the end of the movie when their survival begins to look bleak. Regardless, Frankie never actively puts his little family at risk, even if he does risk himself in the process. This also earns Frankie an average spot on the list, with other fathers certainly having him beat.
5Oberyn Martell
Game of Thrones (2014)
Though, again, Oberyn is never actually seen with his children inGame of Thrones, the dialogue and the story infer enough about who he is as a father. His protectiveness and his feelings about his sister are enough to prove that;there is nothing he wouldn’t do for his eight daughters, especially if they were to suffer a fate as cruel as his sister’s. Oberyn dedicates practically every ambition he has after his sister’s death to avenging her, and though it does ultimately lead to his own fate, it proves how much he cares.
Game Of Thrones
Based on George R. R. Martin’s ongoing A Song of Ice and Fire novel series, Game of Thrones is a fantasy drama set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos. It follows noble families like the Starks, Lannisters, and Targaryen vying for control of the Iron Throne while a rising threat from the undead looms in the North. The series received significant critical success and amassed a loyal fan base due to its high production values, sprawling sets, iconic characters, and shocking twists.
Unfortunately, Oberyn’s quest for revenge on his sister’s behalf does leave his eight daughters fatherless. This is a major tragedy in and of itself, especially since Oberyn had his opponent beaten before his thirst for vengeance made him vulnerable to defeat. Oberyn seeking justice for his sister is noble, and it’s a very understandable perspective, but the fact it had to come at the cost of his life proves that it did, in a way, overshadow his own children. Still, he was said to be a good father despite this, which sets him at an average spot on this list.
4Marcus Moreno
We Can Be Heroes (2020)
It certainly should be the case that Pascal’s fatherly role in a children’s movie portrays him as a truly loving and caring father, and that’s exactly what Marcus Moreno does. Following the passing of his daughter’s mother, Marcus makes a promise to his daughter that he’ll step away from his superhero life for good, in the interest of keeping himself safe so that she doesn’t risk losing him, too. When aliens attack their world, however, Marcus has no choice but to launch into action, something he does regretfully. He, and all the other superhero parents, end up captured.
This leaves his daughter, Missy (YaYa Gosselin), to lead the group of superhero children to safety as they seek to free their parents. Though concerned, Marcus quietly roots for her the entire time, despite the fact Missy is the only one of them who wields no power. Once Missy’s leadership and selflessness help the children to save the day,Marcus reassures her that these qualities are her true powers, making for a beautifully heartwarming moment between the two. Marcus truly does act like a good father, which sets him just outside the top three on this list.
3Fink The Fox
The Wild Robot (2024)
This animated feature sees Pascal’s character, Fink the fox, develop from a lonesome survivor to a caring father figure and a true friend. Fink, pretending to be reluctant, helps the robot ROZZUM “Roz” 7134 (Lupita Nyong’o) raise her gosling, Brightbill (Kit Connor), who imprints himself on her after an accident that saw her destroy the rest of the gosling’s family.Fink becomes an important part of Roz and Brightbill’s relationship by helping to guide Roz through Brightbill’s upbringing, and he also becomes very protective of Brightbill, even once threatening to eat other animals to defend him.
The Wild Robot
The Wild Robot is an animated drama film based on a series of books by Peter Brown. The adaptation is written and directed by Chris Sanders and stars Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, and Catherine O’Hara. The Wild Robot centers on a robot named Rozzum 7134, who becomes stranded on a deserted island and the guardian of a young orphan.
Though Fink still struggles with his nature to hold grudges against certain animals and pursue those who are below him in the food chain, his relationship with Brightbill and Roz truly transforms him. Fink has no desire to eat or hurt Brightbill after Roz has made a shelter for all of them to share, instead focusing on Brightbill’s wellbeing as they prepare him to migrate. Fink still maintains his characteristic mischief, but he also still puts Brightbill first, doing whatever he can to help him. This has become one of Pascal’s most endearing dad roles, beaten by only two others.
2Joel Miller
The Last of Us (2023-Present)
As perhaps one of the most famous reluctant dad roles in history, Pascal’s portrayal of Joel Miller in HBO’s adaptation ofThe Last of Usadds a tenderness to Joel that isn’t necessarily present in the video game. Joel, whose daughter Sarah (Nico Parker) was killed by soldiers the day theCordyceps outbreakstarted its takeover, is tasked with getting a young, immune girl named Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey) across the country to find a cure for the infection. This demanding journey brings the two together,causing Joel to care for her like he did his own daughter.
The Last Of Us
The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic drama series set two decades after a global catastrophe. It follows Joel, a seasoned survivor, who is tasked with escorting Ellie, a teenage girl, across a desolated United States, transforming into a harrowing journey of survival and companionship.
Their relationship is far from perfect, especially with Joel’s concerns about his ability to protect Ellie constantly affecting him, but it develops into a beautiful dynamic by the timeThe Last of Us’season 1 endingarrives. Unfortunately, there’s a shadow looming over this relationship now; Joel has lied to Ellie about what he did at the hospital after he killed the Fireflies to keep them from taking her life to attempt making a cure. When this breaks, their relationship could fracture, but even that act proves Joel’s true care for Ellie. Only one other role bests this one.
1Din Djarin
The Mandalorian (2019-Present)
It’s impossible to give the top spot to anybody other than Din Djarin, the titular character ofThe Mandalorianwho has dedicated his entire life to keeping his foundling, a “Baby Yoda” named Grogu, safe. As a bounty hunter, Din is originally tasked with capturing Grogu, but his heart begins to change when he realizes that Grogu is just a child. Din, who lost his parents at a young age before being taken in by the Mandalorians, decides to go against theBounty Hunters' Guildand go on the run with Grogu - an act that very quickly changes his entire life.
The Mandalorian
Released on July 23, 2025 The Mandalorian follows a lone gunfighter navigating the galaxy’s outer reaches after the Galactic Empire’s fall. As a skilled bounty hunter, he operates in a lawless universe, undertaking various missions on the fringes of the New Republic’s territories.
Now, three seasons ofThe Mandalorianlater,Din has proven time and time again that there’s nothing he won’t do for Grogu. Din breaks his Mandalorian Creed, which made him vow to never remove his helmet in front of other living things, on two different occasions just to protect Grogu. Right after that, Din lets Grogu go with the Jedi Luke Skywalker, enduring the heartbreak to ensure that Grogu’s needs are being met. Thankfully, the pair have since reunited, and Din has officially adopted Grogu as his own - cementing his place asPedro Pascal’s best dad role.
Pedro Pascal
Discover the latest news and filmography for Pedro Pascal, known for The Mandalorian and Game of Thrones.
