When fans think of TV dads, chances are the first names that come to mind are dads like Ward Cleaver from Leave it to Beaver or, from this era, Modern Family's infinitely quotable Phil Dunphy, who always had the perfect dad quotes and jokes.
But the reality is that in many TV series, particularly dramas, dads aren't the picture-perfect men who hold down honest jobs and see their children as the apples of their eyes. Some of them are pretty good fathers, but their lives outside of being a dad makes them bad guys. Some of the most villainous dads on television, however, were also the most compelling to watch.
Walter White (Breaking Bad)
Walter White truly loved his son Walt Jr. on Breaking Bad. In fact, the very reason he decided to try and make and sell drugs in the first place was to ensure that Walt Jr. and Skyler were taken care of after he died.
Yet in the process, Walt proved himself a terrible dad who became more interested in his own power than in ensuring that his son as well as his baby daughter were safe from harm and could actually be proud of him. Sure, he had some brilliant schemes, but they were dangerous and caused more harm than good in the end.
Homelander (The Boys)
Homelander on The Boys wasn't much of a father, since he never saw his son Ryan until the boy was about eight or nine years old. Once he was introduced to Ryan, Homelander did try his best to be a good dad. But he's Homelander, so his sense of what a "good dad" is was obviously nightmarish and terrifying.
His desires were also selfish, as he wanted to help the boy learn to use the powers he possessed so he could create a powerful confidante who would be on his side. While this sounds like it could be a positive thing, Homelander was downright evil and self-obsessed. So, chances are he only wished for his son to be the same.
George Bluth (Arrested Development)
George Bluth ended up in jail for his villainous activities, which included treason. Not above lying, cheating, and stealing for the sake of his business interests, there's no question he was a bad guy on Arrested Development.
Not only was he generally a terrible person to everyone, but Bluth also spent years manipulating his children, to the point that they became a group of selfish and self-absorbed individuals that were somewhat villainous in their own right.
Marty Byrde (Ozark)
Marty Byrde did what he thought he had to do in order to provide for his family and make enough money so that they could be comfortable (or at least set for the future). But his dealings on Ozark put his family, including his two kids, in grave danger.
Not only that, but he eventually brought his kids into the illicit dealings, even if it was reluctantly and to ensure their safety. Marty was a good guy who simply got caught up with bad people. Nonetheless, he was a villain whether he believed he was or not, because there were numerous times that he almost got them killed.
Lucious Lyon (Empire)
Forget that he used to deal drugs and then became a selfish and controlling hip-hop music mogul. Even forget his constant battle with his ex-wife Cookie. What made Empire's Lucious a particularly villainous dad was how he and Cookie used their children as pawns in their power struggle.
Not only that, but Lucious ignored his children's needs, even when they were in dire need of his help. When it came down to business, meanwhile, Lucious wasn't beneath sneaky, underhanded tactics to take out the competition and prop up his own label's profile.
Dexter Morgan (Dexter)
Dexter on Dexter cared deeply for his son Harrison and his step kids Astor and Cody, insomuch as a cold serial killer had the capacity to "care" for someone. But Dexter's dark urges to murder were far more powerful than his love for his kids.
While Dexter did the "right" thing by only killing people he believed "deserved it" based on a code set by his father, there's still no denying that Dexter was a genuine villain by any normal measure of human behavior.
Tony Soprano (The Sopranos)
Any father who has his daughter's boyfriend killed can easily be considered a villain, which is why Tony Soprano from The Sopranos is such an obvious baddie. While he wasn't a bad father, he was absent for much of his kids' lives, and he was also a criminal.
Tony Soprano used threats, intimidation, physical harm, torture, and even death (including some really cold kills) to get his point across and to get what he wanted. That's the perfect mix to make one of the worst types of villains, even if he did actually care deeply about his family.
Frank Gallagher (Shameless)
While Frank Gallagher from Shameless had an illness and addiction, that doesn't make him any less of a villain for not only leaving his many children to fend for themselves, but also to take care of him. On numerous occasions, his kids had to clean up after his messes and his many ridiculous schemes, and even take care of him after he passed out.
His addiction also put a financial strain on the family, not to mention that his attempts at making a quick buck to help out never worked and only ended up causing the family more drama and shame.
Tywin Lannister (Game of Thrones)
Tywin from Game of Thrones not only ruled with an iron fist and plenty of malicious words, but he also treated his youngest son Tyrion terribly. Tywin not only blamed Tyrion for the death of his wife in childbirth, he also constantly mocked Tyrion for being born a dwarf and made him feel as though his life was meaningless.
Tywin didn't care about anyone or anything but his own dynasty, ensuring that the Lannisters were always on top and in power. If this meant emotionally damaging his children, including not only Tyrion, but also Jaime and Cersei, he wouldn't think twice about doing it.
Blake Carrington (Dynasty)
Blake from the Dynasty reboot is blissfully ignorant about how the rest of the world lives, making every decision solely for the benefit of himself and his business. No matter what roadblock is thrown at him, Blake is not opposed to cutting corners, lying, scheming, and even murdering to get what he wants.
The most important thing to Blake is keeping the Carrington dynasty alive, and he would not be against using his own children in order to achieve it. While he does care about Fallon and Adam (and once upon a time, Steven), they always come second to work. Blake isn't just a villainous dad on the show, he's also one of the biggest villains on Dynasty, overall.