The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is full of complex characters, but when it comes to bad parenting, Odin takes the cake.
The All-Father might be the ruler of Asgard, but his parenting skills leave a lot to be desired.
Let’s get into why Odin might just be the worst father in the MCU, and how his actions turned his children’s lives upside down.
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Loki – The Neglected Son
Odin’s rocky relationship with Loki is the perfect example of his questionable parenting.
Let’s start at the beginning: Odin adopts Loki, the son of a Frost Giant, after the battle of Jotunheim.
Sounds noble, right? Except, Odin never treats Loki the same as his biological son, Thor.
This unequal treatment fosters a deep-seated resentment in Loki, fueling his eventual descent into villainy.
In Thor (2011), when Thor goes on a destructive rampage in Jotunheim, Odin strips him of his powers and banishes him to Earth.
While this might seem like tough love, it’s a pretty risky move considering it could have killed Thor.
Meanwhile, Loki is left grappling with his feelings of inadequacy, only to later discover his true heritage as a Frost Giant, which Odin kept secret from him his entire life.
It’s no wonder Loki ends up feeling betrayed and turns against his adoptive father.
Thor – The Reckless Prince
Odin’s parenting doesn’t do Thor any favors either.
By constantly praising Thor’s strength and courage while ignoring his flaws, Odin turns his son into a reckless and arrogant prince.
Thor grows up believing that power and glory are all that matter, leading him to make impulsive decisions—like that ill-fated attack on Jotunheim.
When Odin finally decides to discipline Thor, he goes to the extreme by stripping him of his powers and casting him to Earth.
While this does ultimately teach Thor humility, it’s a rather harsh lesson that could have ended badly.
Instead of guiding Thor to be a wise ruler from the start, Odin lets his son’s arrogance run unchecked until it almost destroys him.
Hela – The Abandoned Daughter
And then there’s Hela, the daughter Odin tried to erase from history.
In Thor: Ragnarok (2017), we learn that Hela was Odin’s firstborn, and together they conquered the Nine Realms with ruthless efficiency.
But when Odin decided he no longer wanted to be a warmonger, he imprisoned Hela, casting her out and pretending she never existed.
Odin’s solution to Hela’s defiance was to lock her away, but this only made her angrier and more dangerous.
When she finally breaks free, she’s hell-bent on revenge, not just against Asgard but against Odin’s entire legacy.
Odin’s inability to confront his past and deal with Hela’s rage in a constructive way is a clear example of his failings as a father.
The Verdict: Odin’s Legacy of Broken Children
Odin’s poor parenting had devastating effects on all three of his children. Loki becomes a villain driven by jealousy and abandonment issues.
Thor, though ultimately redeemed, spends years as a reckless and arrogant prince. And Hela, left to fester in isolation, emerges as a vengeful force of destruction.
If Odin had been a better father – more nurturing, more honest, and less prone to extreme punishments – the MCU might have seen the most powerful trio of siblings working together instead of tearing each other apart.
Instead, his legacy is one of division and conflict, proving that even gods can be terrible parents.
Odin might be the All-Father, but he’s far from winning any “Father of the Year” awards in the MCU.