Like most of the pairs that you’ll see on this list, Astra and Noah are not actually a father and daughter. As a matter of fact, the only reason why a cute little witch like Noah ended up in the house of a towering and menacing man like Astra is simply due to a case of mistaken identity.

Noah travels a long way from home in order to be an apprentice to the legendary Evil God, and the sight of Astra in his full imperial captain garb makes Noah think that he is the one true Evil God. One thing leads to another, and Noah ends up living together with the retired ex-captain. Without realizing it, Astra begins to view Noah as his own daughter while Noah also finds a father figure in Astra.

Astra and Noah may be one of the newest pairs on this list, but in the short span of time that they have graced us with their presence, they’ve managed to become one of the most fun and chaotic father and daughter pairs we’ve ever seen.

The Golem is a sentient being, sort of like a robot, that is tasked to be the guardian of the forest. It will not interfere - it will only observe the cycle of life of the forest. That is, until one day, when he finds a little human girl hiding underneath a giant tree.

The little girl’s name is Somali, and she instinctively calls the golem “Dad”. And that is the beginning of their story, a long journey to search for other human beings amidst the world that has been overrun by sentient monsters.

The golem may not be biologically related to the girl, and they’re not even from the same species. But the golem becomes a father figure to Somali, and she becomes the only thing that can move the golem’s cold and calculating heart.

Just like Golem and Somali, this one is also another odd and unlikely father-daughter pairing. In Hard-Boiled Cop and Dolphin, Chako is an energetic little girl who lives on a small island in Ogasawara with her father, Orpheus, a buff anthropomorphic dolphin who happens to be a badass police officer.

As ridiculous as that pairing may sound, the interactions between Orpheus and Chako are always endearing and heartwarming. Orpheus is always there to keep Chako safe and make her laugh, while Chako always takes pride in the fact that she has an anthropomorphic dolphin as a father.

In the world of Soul Eater, there are certain groups of people that can transform themselves into a Death Weapon that can be used by the Gods of Death. Spirit Albarn is a man who has claimed the title as the strongest weapon in the world, the Death Scythe.

That being said, rather than such a grandiose title, the one thing that Spirit truly wants is simply to be liked by his daughter, Maka. What he doesn’t realize is the fact that Maka actually loves him dearly. What she doesn’t like, however, is her father’s tendency to seduce every beautiful woman that he sees.

This pair of carefree father and tsundere daughter may not have as many sweet moments as the other pairs in this list, but the fact that they’re rare is precisely what makes each and every single one of them so precious and memorable.

Every father has lied to their children at least once in their life. But what would happen if the one thing that you lied about is your profession? That is precisely what Kakushi does to his daughter, Hime. After all, Kakushi is actually an ero manga artist, and he’d rather die than let her daughter know about that dirty little part of himself. The thought of Hime knowing about his job and becoming embarrassed of him would drive him mad. So no matter what happens, he will keep his job a secret.

What he doesn’t realize is the fact that Hime loves him no matter what. Her father is everything for Hime and there’s nothing in this world that can change that. So begins the weird and funny saga of Kakushi’s ridiculous attempt to hide his work from his daughter, while Hime tries her best to uncover her father’s secret.

When we talk about one of the most memorable father figures in manga, we have to mention Daikichi from Bunny Drop. He was just a 30-year-old bachelor threading his way through this frantic life when he decided to take care of the 6-year-old Rin, his late grandfather’s illegitimate daughter.

Daikichi is clearly not ready to raise a child, but he will try to do his best for the sake of Rin. Daikichi and Rin may have started as strangers, but as the story unfolds, they become closer, just like a real father and daughter. Not only that, but they both truly change each other’s life for the better. They become pillars that support each other, even more so than other pairs on this list.

Note: Due to this manga’s infamous ending, please don’t read past volume 4.

When it comes to the topic of a memorable father figure, it’s impossible to not mention the chaotic pair from Hinamatsuri - Nitta and Hina. Nitta is just an up-and-coming yakuza with a tender heart when he encounters Hina, a little girl in a pod who can move things with her mind, who suddenly appears in his living room.

There is not a moment of tranquility whenever Nitta and Hina are around because Hina will use her powers to help Nitta solve his yakuza problems. And needless to say, chaos always ensues.

It is safe to say that Nitta has no idea how to live together with a psychic girl like Hina, much less raise her to be a productive member of society. And yet, by spending lots of chaotic and hilarious times together, they grow closer just like a real father and daughter and manage to tackle every obstacle in a flashy and over the top way.

From the hilarity of Hinamatsuri, we move on to the overwhelmingly heartwarming Sweetness & Lightning. Since Kouhei’s wife passed away, he has had to raise his young daughter, Tsumugi, alone. He has a tough time juggling his responsibility at work as a teacher and at home as a father.

Fortunately, Tsumugi is not a fussy child, so she never complains even if they have to eat store-bought food every day. However, when Kouhei hears how much Tsumugi misses her mother’s home cooked meals, he decides to learn how to cook so that he can prepare some delicious and healthy dishes for his daughter.

And that is the beginning of Kouhei’s journey as he tackles one recipe after the next. It doesn’t matter how many cuts and hours of practice that he has to endure, because the moment he sees the beaming smile on Tsumugi’s face, then it’s all worth it.

Now it’s time to talk about a manga that was finally adapted into an anime in 2022 and received universal love from viewers - particularly with regards to the wholesome relationship between the badass father, Loid Forger, and his little bundle of mischief, Anya Forger.

For those of you who don’t know, Loid is a spy, and he adopts Anya as part of a long-term mission. What he doesn’t know, however, is the fact that Anya actually can read other people’s minds.

To Loid, his mission is something of the utmost importance not only to him, but also to the entire nation. To Anya, however, it is a fun little side quest. After all, if she can use her psychic ability to help her dad and have fun at the same time, wouldn’t it be awesome? As you can expect, the end result is one happy Anya, one stressed out Loid, and tons of smiles and wholesome moments between them.

If there’s one iconic father and daughter pair in the manga world, then it has to be the easygoing Yousuke and the energetic Yotsuba. In actuality, there’s really not much going on in the story. There’s no super-powered daughter or non-human father. There are no secret missions, witches, or death gods.

What Yotsuba&! has to offer is a simple, solid, and heartwarming slice-of-life story about a young father and his little daughter. Sometimes they visit the beach together, other times they shop around for the coolest school bag for Yotsuba. There are times when Yotsuba plays hide and seek with the neighbor’s kids, and there are times when Yousuke is so overwhelmed with work that he cannot function normally.

To some readers, it might sound boring, especially compared to the over-the-top premises of the previous entries. To others, however, it is the true depiction of what a relationship between a father and his daughter looks like. Sure, it’s not always thrilling or exciting, but the truth is, those mundane moments are the things that will be carved deep within our memories for as long as we live. And that is pretty much what Yotsuba and her dad are trying to show us.