Although Disney is notorious for creating characters whose parents die off either before the start of their films or during them, there are still plenty of incredible moms and dads out there in the movie universe. Despite the exceptions, many of them are upstanding parents.
Since Disney owns Pixar, the animated universe of characters expanded tremendously. From The Lion King's Mufassa to Inside Out's Jill Anderson, it doesn't matter what part of the world these parents live in, taking care of their child and making sure they're loved takes priority — and it shows on camera.
Updated on March 23rd, 2022, by Lynn Gibbs: Disney has come a long way since the '30s when they created The Evil Queen's desire to kill her stepdaughter Snow White. Since then, storylines between parent and child have softened in the world of Disney (even though a bad egg is tossed in there from time to time). With the addition of Pixar parents, it doesn't matter if the characters live in the sea, the desert, or on-land — these Disney parents would do anything for their kids and that makes them some of the best in animation.
Inside Out: Jill Andersen
Jill Andersen is the mother of Inside Out's protagonist, Riley. As Riley's mother, Jill is only shown a handful of times in Inside Out but her motherly instincts are on high alert after they make the move as a family from Minnesota to California.
Jill sees that Riley is having a hard time transitioning and does what she can to make life at home more comfortable for her. Jill is patient, understanding, and took control of the move when her husband was too distracted with work. Jill saw the sad moments Riley was facing and did what she could to make things better for their daughter.
The Incredibles: Helen & Bob Parr
In the Parr household, the three children didn't just have one heroic parent, they had two. With the family all having superpowers in The Incredibles, they tried their best to suppress their natural instincts and act like normal humans, but it was only making them suffer. Bob Parr, in particular, missed his days fighting crime, which left Helen taking care of the kids.
In the second movie, however, the roles are reversed. Helen was busier fighting crime, which meant that Bob was home alone with the kids. His moments with three kids were hilarious and tiring but there's no denying how much he loved being a dad.
Finding Nemo: Marlin
Finding Nemo was filled with funny and sad moments. Between Nemo's time at school to Marlin's cross-ocean adventure to save his son, there was never a dull moment.
Marlin was always wary of letting his son become independent because he already lost his wife and children to a predator. It didn't help that Nemo had an injured fin. But when Nemo is taken by humans, Marlin risks his life to save his son. In the Disney and Pixar worlds, Marlin is one of the most dedicated and diehard fathers.
Turning Red: Ming Lee
Turning Red is Disney's latest movie on Disney+. The movie focuses on the amazing curse that plagued the Lee family. When the protagonist Mei wakes up one morning as a red panda, she eventually finds out that it's a genetic thing that plagues all of the females in the family.
Mei's mother Ming always knew her daughter would transform into a red panda, but she didn't know when. Scared to tell Mei the truth, Ming spent her days being overprotective and watching Mei and her friends' every move. Mei hated that her mother was overbearing but when the truth of the red panda came out, it all made sense for Mei. In the end, Mei couldn't be mad at her mom for loving her so much and they agreed on a new, independent future.
Encanto: Julieta & Agustín Madrigal
The Madrigal family tree in Encanto is vast. Julieta Madrigal was the daughter of the matriarch of the household, who went on to marry Agustín and the couple had their daughter Mirabel.
In the Madrigal household, the family was given magical powers at a young age, and these powers would go on to help the town. But when Mirabel never received her powers and was treated as an outcast by her Abuela, Julieta and Agustín stepped in to support their daughter. Although Mirabel was independent and strong, her parents always made sure that she knew she was loved and needed despite being different.
Cinderella: The King
The King in Cinderella pushes for grandchildren from his son but as the king of an entire area, he's just making sure his kingdom is taken care of.
His temper is a huge problem, but the fact that he lets the prince marry whoever he wants—even someone with no royal background—is worth remembering. Though his role is small, his romantic spirit must have had some influence on Prince Charming’s decision to track down the maiden he danced with at the ball. And luckily for the king, he chose Cinderella who had excellent traits to be a princess.
The Little Mermaid: King Triton
King Triton in The Little Mermaid is strict, but at least he acts this way because he wants what's best for Ariel. He’s protective, but it’s because he knows the dangers of the outside world.
Most importantly, his character development is phenomenal. He eventually realizes, at the recommendation of Sebastian, that what is best for Ariel is for her to be free and live her own life. Accepting this difficult fact takes maturity and proves that his parenting skills have come a long way. There were plenty of life lessons to be learned those this father-daughter dynamic.
Beauty And The Beast: Maurice
While Beauty and the Beast's Maurice is a bit scatterbrained at times, he teaches his daughter Belle to pursue her dreams by setting a positive example. This can be seen when he decides to enter his invention into the fair. Additionally, he doesn’t deem Belle as being odd even when the rest of the village seems to think so.
When his daughter is kidnapped by the Beast, Maurice runs back to the village to plea they rescue her. Although they don’t take him seriously, he has nothing to lose in trying because it's for the safety of his daughter. Maurice was one of the more likable characters in Beauty and the Beast because of his unwavering love for his only child.
The Princess And The Frog: Eudora
After Tiana’s father passes, Eudora is left to raise her daughter on her own in The Princess and the Frog. While she wants Tiana to understand the value of hard work, she also understands the importance of having a little fun. When Tiana becomes an adult, Eudora is proud of her daughter's accomplishments but doesn't want her to lose sight of life outside of work.
Eudora does push the whole “When are you going to get married and have kids?” thing, but her caring spirit helps us overlook this. She stands by Tiana's side through it all.
Aladdin: The Sultan
Princess Jasmine's father is easygoing and optimistic throughout Aladdin. Although he at first tries to find a suitor for his daughter, it’s part of the job as sultan to make sure the kingdom is taken care of. The only reason the sultan took a turn for the worse was due to Jafar hypnotizing him.
It is proven by the end of the film that he loves Jasmine more than the law, which is why he changes it so that Jasmine can marry whoever she pleases. He willingly accepts Aladdin by the end and wants nothing but the best for his daughter – even if that means marrying someone who isn't a prince. As fans know, Aladdin became a live-action movie and brought the same great songs and loving relationship between the sultan and his daughter.
Tangled: King Frederic And Queen Arianna
Though Rapunzel’s parents don’t have any lines in Tangled, their actions speak for themselves. After a young Rapunzel is stolen from them by the villainous Mother Gothel, they never give up hope and light a lantern in her honor on her birthday every year.
When Rapunzel embraces them at the end of the movie, she brings her love interest Eugene along — and they bring him into the hug as part of the family. After decades of the unknown, Rapunzel's parents never gave up hope for their daughter.
The Lion King: Mufasa
Although Mufasa suffers from an untimely death in The Lion King, his influence on Simba is tremendous as he guides him through the remainder of his life. He is responsible, for teaching Simba the makings of a strong leader while he is still young.
After Simba grows older, Mufasa appears to him yet again as a ghost in the clouds — years after his untimely death. Though he is gone, his presence remains and Simba felt comforted by his father's spirit, knowing what he had to do going forward. Because of his wise and poised personality, Mufasa is one of Disney's best characters.
Tarzan: Kala
Kala is Disney’s best adoptive mother. After losing her own child to a leopard, she takes in Tarzan as her own despite him being a human instead of a gorilla.
While Tarzan grows up, she pays special attention to his wellbeing and protects him against her husband who doesn’t understand his kind. After Tarzan becomes a man, despite her deep love for her son, she understands that he needs to leave and be with humans. She willingly accepts that she needs to let him go when he chooses to head back to England with Jane. There was no greater sacrifice than giving up her son and Kala did it beautifully for his future.
The Emperor’s New Groove: Chicha
Chicha is a busy mom with a lot on her hands handling two hyperactive kids and the baby that's on the way. She does this single-handedly while Pacha is gone at the palace in The Emperor's New Groove.
Chicha is additionally a master at teaching her kids to stand their own while throwing in some fun. When Kronk and Yzma show up at her home and pretend they are related to Pacha, she locks them in a dark room by removing the doorknob and has a good laugh with her kids. She additionally works with her children on a plan that stalls the pair as Kuzco and Pacha race back to the palace.
Mulan: Fa Zhou
Fa Zhou is Mulan's dad from Mulan. Although his daughter brings dishonor to the family by creating a scene at the matchmaker’s and escaping to join the army in his place, he shows her unconditional love.
At the beginning of the film, Fa Zhou is seen praying to the ancestors for Mulan’s success. At the end, when Mulan returns home to her father with the Sword of Shan Yu and the Crest of the Emporer as gifts, Fa Zhou pushes them aside. He embraces his daughter, explaining that she is the greatest gift of all. His quotes to Mulan were some of the best in the original movie.