In honor of Mother’s Day, here is the Sartorial Geek’s list of top 20 fictional parental figures we’re obsessed with. Sending a big, IRL shout-out to all the mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, friends, et. al. out there who take care of their fellow humans (and animals). You’re the real MVPs.
1. Mrs. Hudson (Sherlock)
Mrs. Hudson is technically the landlady of 221B Baker Street, but let’s be honest, she’s basically Sherlock’s mom. She cares so deeply for John and Sherlock while also not taking any of their shit, like any good caretaker should do.
2. Madame Adelaide Bonfamille (The Aristocats)
Because sometimes your children have four legs, Madame Adelaide Bonfamille takes the prize for the most loving cat mom around. Not only does she dote on her own cat children, by the end of The Aristocats Madame Bonfamille has created a foundation that opens her home to all the alley cats in Paris.
3. Peg Boggs (Edward Scissorhands)
Local Avon rep, and harmless-as-cherry-pie Peg Boggs rescues a lonely Edward Scissorhands from a decrepit mansion, welcoming him without reservation into her family, and going to bat for him when people turn against him for being different. Her maternal instinct to rescue, nurture, protect, and encourage (hello fabulous haircut!) Edward against all odds earns her a spot on our Top 20 list.
4. The Villanueva Trio (Jane the Virgin)
Alba, Xiomara, and Jane Villanueva have a bond so tightly woven, it brings me to tears with every episode. While the men in their lives come and go (and come and go), they act as constants for each other, ports in the metaphorical storm. These bilingual ladies are some of the fiercest on television right now, and amazing mothers, daughters, and granddaughters to boot.
5. Aunt May (Spider-Man: Homecoming)
We love the fresh take on Aunt May in Spider-Man: Homecoming. She loves Peter but takes care of herself, too. Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May has all the qualities you’d expect from her character (caring, responsible, worried, proud) while also being energetic, quippy, fashionable, and not afraid to flirt with Iron Man.
6. Queen Ramonda (Black Panther)
Queen Ramonda, Wakanda’s Queen mother, is a strong matriarchal figure. She is loved and respected by everyone in the nation from her son the new king to the Dora Milaje to the heads of the other royal families. Queen Ramonda commands the respect of everyone in Wakanda, while also maintaining a sense of humor, which is a very impressive feat.
7. Mindy Lahiri (The Mindy Project)
Meet Dr. Mindy Lahiri: world’s biggest romantic, hard-working mom, food-obsessed, and her son Leo’s number one cheerleader. She is my soulmate, my Patronus, and I need every single one of her obnoxiously bright outfits in my closet, stat. We’re including Mindy on our Top 20 list not only because of everything mentioned above but also because she does something that you don’t see a lot of TV moms doing, which is to leave a little space in her life to be selfish, forcing herself to fit in some self-care.
8. Morticia Addams (The Addams Family)
Morticia Addams might win the award for the coolest mother in the world. She’s calm, collected, honest, protective, and fierce as hell. She also sets a wonderful example of a loving marriage with her #relationshipgoals partner Gomez.
9. Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)
Lorelai Gilmore is television’s quintessential fun mom. Although there are pros and cons to being mother-daughter besties (and Gilmore Girls definitely shows these ups and downs), Lorelai’s abundant love for Rory cannot be denied. Also, a big shout-out to all the single mothers holding it down every day, even when the going inevitably gets tough.
10. Alana (Saga)
Alana has faced almost every hardship a person can. She had a rough childhood, followed by an even more challenging adult life. Through it all, Alana sacrifices everything for her daughter Hazel and to keep her family together.
11. Eudora (The Princess and the Frog)
Eudora is Princess Tiana’s mother, and the best seamstress in New Orleans. She makes our top 20 list for her sweet spirit in the face of constant setbacks, and her unbridled support of her daughter’s dreams.
12. Lourdes Chan (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)
Mrs. Chan is as salty as she is sweet, giving her children equal doses of coddling and tough love. The perfect example of this are the lyrics to a song she sings to her adult son Josh Chan, entitled, “Get Your Ass Out of my House”. (Obviously we’re going to embed it in this post because it’s GOLD. And Josh really does need to GTFO.)
13. Linda Belcher (Bob’s Burgers)
Linda Belcher is the mom we would roll our eyes at every second but secretly love to have. She would do anything for her family and to protect her babies. Linda also knows that keeping her marriage healthy is an important part of the equation and is always finding creative ways to spice up her and Bob’s relationship.
14. Jennifer Honey (Matilda)
Miss Honey was Matilda’s beloved teacher turned adoptive mother when Matilda’s biological “parents” (we use that term loosely) fled town. Miss Honey was the teacher we always wanted as a child: smart, kind and oh-so supportive of Matilda’s superior intelligence, and telekinesis. We are especially enamored with Miss Honey because she became a lovely, caring adult, despite her evil Aunt Trunchbull, and all the abuses she suffered as a child. Her willingness to help emancipate Matilda (because let’s be honest, library-loving Matilda was running the show) and provide her with companionship and a better life than her previous existence with the Wormwoods is why Miss Honey is a superstar in our book.
15. Joe West (The Flash)
Joe West parents everyone in The Flash. He’s Iris and Wally’s biological father, Barry’s adoptive father, and a father figure to the entire team. He’s always there for relationship tips, life advice, and to literally step in front of a bullet for someone he cares about.
16. Helen Parr (The Incredibles)
You may know Helen Parr by her superhero name, Elastigirl. Helen is a mother of three, a loving wife, and a force to be reckoned with when it comes to fighting the Big Bad. She is also a fierce protector of her children, while allowing them space to grow into their powers, and their bravest selves.
17. Lisa Landry (Sister, Sister)
Lisa Landry gets props for being a cool mom amongst one of the strangest circumstances. She’s the adoptive mom of a baby girl, who has a twin, with a single dad, and they all unexpectedly become a big weird family. Lisa is goofy, and real, and takes care of her kids while still trying to take care of herself.
18. Gramma Tala (Moana)
Tala, Moana’s grandmother, perfectly describes herself by saying, “I’m the village crazy lady. That’s my job.” Gramma Tala is an independent soul who dances to the beat of her own drum but also has her finger on the pulse of what’s really going on. She is in touch with both ancient wisdom and the youngest generation, which makes her the perfect mentor/parental figure.
19. Rainbow Johnson (Black-ish)
Rainbow Johnson is a successful anesthesiologist, with five kids, and the coolest hair and funkiest outfits known to man. Over the course of the show, Bow has been both a “career woman” and a stay-at-home mom, as well as struggling with an unexpected pregnancy, and postpartum depression after her fifth child. Yet Bow faces each challenge that comes her way head-on, with a sense of honesty, generosity, and mama-bear-ferocity that is unmatched.
20. Stef and Lena (The Fosters)
Stef and Lena have the very definition of a blended family (one biological child through a previous marriage, two adopted children, and two foster children). This lovely pair models a very accepting parenting-style, while also not being afraid to set rules and boundaries to keep their children safe. Some of their parental struggles are unique to being in a same-sex, interracial relationship, with biological, and adopted kids from all different ethnic backgrounds, and other challenges are just par for the course when trying to raise a family in general. Regardless, we love that blended families are finally getting screen time (and we especially love The Fosters)!
Who is your favorite fictional parental figure? Let us know in the comments below!
Psst, if you yourself are a geeky parent, and you want to come hang out with some of our other favorite geeky parents, click here.
Liz Crowder
Liz is the editor of The Sartorial Geek, a writer at heart, a librarian by trade, a lover of cats, and decidedly less stereotypical than she sounds.
Jordan Ellis
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Jordan is the force behind the geek chic brand Jordandene.
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