Though his fatherly roles go back many years, Pedro Pascal has become his own kind of archetype when it comes to playing a dad in Hollywood. After making his big break as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones in 2014, Pascal has only continued to rise in fame more and more, which has placed many exciting opportunities before him. Following his debut as the Star Wars father and titular character of The 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.
10 Dave York
The Equalizer 2 (2018)
Long before the two joined forces for Ridley Scott's Gladiator II, Pascal appeared in an antagonistic role with Denzel Washington in The 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.
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.
9 Maxwell "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.
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.
8 Ezra
Prospect (2018)
The role Pascal plays as Ezra in the indie sci-fi movie Prospect is much more like his familiar archetype of fatherly roles, with him going from a stranger to the fierce protector of a child. In Prospect, Ezra ends up killing Cee (Sophie Thatcher)'s father in a tense showdown between ambitious prospectors, and the 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.
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.
7 Silva
Strange Way of Life (2023)
Though the focus of Strange Way of Life is 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.
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.
6 Francisco "Catfish" Morales
Triple Frontier (2019)
Interestingly, Pascal's role as Frankie in Netflix's Triple Frontier never 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.
Everything Frankie does in this movie, like his fellow friends, is because he'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.
5 Oberyn Martell
Game of Thrones (2014)
Though, again, Oberyn is never actually seen with his children in Game 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.
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.
4 Marcus 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.
3 Fink 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.
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.
2 Joel 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 of The Last of Us adds 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 the Cordyceps outbreak started 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.
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 time The Last of Us' season 1 ending arrives. 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.
1 Din Djarin
The Mandalorian (2019-Present)
It's impossible to give the top spot to anybody other than Din Djarin, the titular character of The Mandalorian who 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 the Bounty Hunters' Guild and go on the run with Grogu - an act that very quickly changes his entire life.
Now, three seasons of The Mandalorian later, 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 as Pedro Pascal's best dad role.
