TV's Top Father Figures: The 12 Best Substitute Dads From Grey's, Riverdale, The Good Doctor, All American And More

Not all heroes wear capes — and not all father figures actually go by "Dad."

Though Team TVLine has previously recognized television's best and worst actual dads, we're celebrating Father's Day this time around by honoring some unsung heroes of small-screen parenthood.

Below, you'll find a list of 12 remarkable father figures, all of whom have stepped up to provide the love, guidance and lame jokes you'd expect from dear ol' Dad, even when the characters they're mentoring aren't their biological kids. (Of course, some of the surrogate dads on our list — like All American's Billy Baker — do have children of their own, too.)

Would The Good Doctor's Shaun have accomplished so much without Aaron Glassman advocating for him? Where would The Blacklist's Liz be without the reliable wisdom of Harold Cooper? And did you ever expect The Walking Dead's Daryl Dixon to make a list like this? (We didn't, either.)

It's worth noting that all of the substitute dads below hail from shows currently still airing, including The Conners, Riverdale, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and more.

Which current characters would make your list of the best TV father figures? Scroll through the list below to see our picks, then drop a comment with more small-screen "dads" that deserve recognition.

No, Billy Baker isn't a perfect man: Of all the characters on All American, he might be keeping the most secrets of anyone. But in addition to supporting his own kids, Jordan and Olivia, Billy has always been there as a mentor to Spencer, both on and off the football field. Given the recent devastating loss of Spencer's actual father, he could use Billy's guidance now more than ever.

Raymond Reddington might think he's a positive father figure for Elizabeth Keen, but we all know the real role model is Harold Cooper. Throughout The Blacklist's seven seasons (so far), Cooper has been a reliable source of advice and tough love for Liz — and he's always willing to give Liz another chance, no matter how big her mistake. (Even killing-the-attorney-general big!)

Jake's probably too embarrassed to say it, but we're not: The precinct's goofiest detective clearly looks up to his captain like the father his absentee dad just never was. (There was also that time Jake accidentally called Holt "Dad," sooo...) Plus, given Holt's unending patience for Jake's antics — and his willingness to officiate Jake and Amy's wedding — it seems the adoration is mutual.

Whereas David ran out on Darlene when she was still pregnant with Mark, Ben has made it a point to be there for the boy ever since they were first introduced and he offered him free piano lessons. He doesn't always make the right parenting decisions (remember when he allowed Mark's female friend to stay over, and the 'tweens wound up with hickeys?), but his intentions are always good.

With his biological father in the clink, Barry grew up looking at Joe — and still does, as a matter of fact! — as the dad he (sort of) never had. But that's where this faux family tree ends, OK? Please don't think of Iris as Barry's sister. Just don't.

Shaun's real dad couldn't hold a candle to Glassy, who has always been more than just Dr. Murphy's mentor. He took Shaun under his wing after Steve's tragic demise and cared for the boy as if he were his own, setting him on a path to reach his full potential and take the medical world by storm.

From the very beginning, Richard has mentored Meredith to become the best surgeon she can be. (His affair with Meredith's mother, which resulted in the birth of her half-sister, could also have had something to do with that...) And if you ever doubted just how important Richard is to Meredith — and everyone else at Grey Sloan Memorial — his health scare in Season 16 reminded us just how hard it would be to lose him.

Immediately upon laying eyes on his startlingly wee (and adorable af) 50-year-old bounty, Mando swung into papa bear mode. That connection was evidenced almost straight away when the bounty hunter decided to reclaim the Child from the inscrutable Client, returning guns a-blazing to shoot down any who stood in his way.

From the moment S.H.I.E.L.D.'s then-director recognized that hacktivist Skye's skills could serve a greater purpose, and he in turn offered her a "front row seat to the strangest show on Earth," he has been careful to shepherd her as well as help her navigate her super-powered coming of age. That's why Daisy was so sad to see Coulson leave to die — and so curious to power up his new LMD incarnation.

Following the tragic passing of Archie's father, Fred, F.P. stepped up and helped guide Archie through a turbulent Season 4. (To be fair, every season of Riverdale is turbulent.) F.P. still has a bit of the rebellious Southside Serpent in him, but he's matured and evolved into a sturdy authority figure who's on the right side of the law for a change.

Not only did Judith get her first nickname from her late father's sidekick — Li'l Ass-Kicker, as if you didn't know — he's been there since the day she was born to make sure she lived up to it. Along the way, the taciturn softie has also taken under his wing bestie Carol's son, Henry (OK, that could've gone better), four-legged fur baby Dog and even post-apocalyptic pariah Lydia (who, in another time, would've written a memoir about Alpha that made Mommie Dearest read like a fairy tale).

Honestly, we're not sure whether ranch hand Rip thinks of the Dutton family's patriarch as a father figure more or less than John regards daughter Beth's beau as a spare son; they're just. That. Tight. But we are 100-percent positive — and we would've been even without Big Daddy's gift of a home on the range — that both of them would be thrilled if Rip, and not ne'er-do-well black sheep Jamie, really was John's offspring.